The Red and Black

Originally posted by

Jim

Sorry to hear of your experiences, but I will say UGA and Athens is far more accepting than many places I have lived and I've "been around." Hang in there, you do have a lot of support--the 50's and 60's had the struggle for women's rights, the 70's and '80's had the struggle for african american rights, and the 90's and '00s are now the struggle for gay rights. We always have issues with all of these, as any country does from what I keep learning. While it's easy to look at the negatives, also don't forget at how many positive strides have been made over the last several years and it's people like you and the UGA hockey team that will ease the way for those that follow your footsteps.

I just wanted to say thanks, Jim, for your kind words toward Joy, Joey, and the UGA Hockey Team. It's deeply refreshing to see a heterosexual man who is "far from a liberal" recognize the importance of equal treatment, fairness, and just plain common decency. It gave me a warm fuzzy to read it. :) So, thanks.

While I appreciate your words (and I'm well aware of the references as I have a Women's Studies degree and am presently the Outreach Director for Lambda Alliance), I merely meant to convey that I sincerely hope this article is not used as a means of proving how gay-friendly and accepting UGA is - esp. considering that, based on my experience around LGBT activist endeavors specifically at UGA the past year or so, this is definately not the case - again, I want to emphasize that this, in my opinion, is most disheartening (to be kind) at the intstitutional-administrative level. Journalists need to recognize the political reprocussions of the the way they portray a situation - esp. on the front page of a student paper with a circulation around 35,000. We have a considerably rocky road ahead at UGA around LGB and esp. T rights at UGA, but I am not discounting the amazing strives that have been made - again, something I'm well aware of.

Originally posted by

Jim

Sorry to hear of your experiences, but I will say UGA and Athens is far more accepting than many places I have lived and I've "been around." Hang in there, you do have a lot of support--the 50's and 60's had the struggle for women's rights, the 70's and '80's had the struggle for african american rights, and the 90's and '00s are now the struggle for gay rights. We always have issues with all of these, as any country does from what I keep learning. While it's easy to look at the negatives, also don't forget at how many positive strides have been made over the last several years and it's people like you and the UGA hockey team that will ease the way for those that follow your footsteps.

I just wanted to say thanks, Jim, for your kind words toward Joy, Joey, and the UGA Hockey Team. It's deeply refreshing to see a heterosexual man who is "far from a liberal" recognize the importance of equal treatment, fairness, and just plain common decency. It gave me a warm fuzzy to read it. :) So, thanks.


Blaise, thank you, that means a lot. I do support those who are not treated equally including the LGBT community. This article is a great example of how well we can work together despite our differences to accomplish a goal. I'm glad they focused on the positives and showed an example of how most decent people should work together.

Unfortunately, it's people like Joy who drive a stake right through this cohesiveness by her negative "mad at the world" attitude. Hopefully with some maturity this will change and she'll learn that respect isn't given, it's earned. And with that type of attitude there will be very little respect given to her or her friends. I hope that this attitude changes so that my LGBT friends can be given the same rights I am afforded sooner rather than later. Working against one another and pointing fingers don't accomplish anything, ask President Bush. You aren't given support out of pity, if you try to play on the pity card you only turn people away--maybe that's why the Red and Black failed to mention the struggles. The LGBT supporters got a positive article on the front page of a college newspaper for everyone to read. Take it and run with it as an example of what people can do instead of being upset that they didn't print how people don't work together. That doesn't help anyone. I hope that in Joy's WMST and sociology classes they inform her how to work WITH people and how to treat people (including the media) rather than how to work against people.

Originally posted by

Hoot owl

How does this club hockey news make the front page? Wow a gay athlete comes out, it would be more shocking if he had won a single game he played in his four years he has been on the team. A few years back the hockey team was runner-up in the national tournament as a huge under-dog representing the south, and they don't even get front page news. I guess you need to have strange sexual preferences to make front page of the red and black. Is Mike Williams gay too?

[B]Strange Sexual Preferences???[/B] It makes the front page, if you actually read the article, because of bigoted thinking such as yours. The article describes the struggles of a young adult man trying to live with himself, play a sport and deal with the usual assumptions that some men make about other men. Yeah, the game doesn't have anything to do with a guy's sexual identity, (not preferences!), but then because of how guys are, it has everything to do with it. Think before you comment, and try reading too.

Originally posted by

Joy Strickland

Jim,

You are completely misinformed. If you had bothered to read the origin of this article - printed on an Out zine then you would know that the story was in fact about the struggles of coming out in two hostile environments (environments I live in). If you think my original comment was indicative of a 'mad at the world' attitude, then I don't know how you get through the day. This isn't worth my time or response. Why don't you just continue feeling progressive and superior about your relationship with 'LGBT' friends and stop emailing me.

If it's not worth your time or response, then don't bother. First you hate the article, now you love it. Make up your mind. I totally agree with Nathan, that's exactly what I was saying. To answer your question, I get through the day by usually ignoring people like you who think they are better than others and who are going to criticize no matter what is printed.

I don't feel superior about anything, I'm just an ally that wants to help and support those that deserve it and want it. You are not one of those people--I understand that. In my opinion, none of us are any better than the other, that's the whole basis of this topic. Turning away support doesn't help your case. But, keep it up if that's what you think will help, I wish you luck with that and respect your view. But you may want to take a PR or marketing class on how to work with people.