11/15/2016
The question of student safety for women, people of color, religious minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community has become a major issue given the climate after the recent election, and steps have been taken to create a supportive community and to open up a necessary space for constructive conversation. It has recently come to Brothers’ attention that some of our peers feel that the actions of other students, such as those who participated in the Speak-Out, were threatening their own idea of safety and support. Because of the insensitive nature of these comments, Brothers felt it necessary to present their concerns and opinions to the public, not to out the students for their beliefs, but to show the rhetoric that is being used on the other side. We will not be disclosing the names of the people in this group chat out of consideration for their safety, so do not even bother asking. This is not about them but rather about the language. This is about the blatant disregard for the implications the president-elect will have on people who have been marginalized since the day they were born because of their identities, regardless of their political beliefs. Don’t mistake this for passing judgement on someone’s political belief, this is not a question of partisanship and never has been. The people involved in this group message are people who hold leadership positions on this campus. Combatting this rhetoric is everyone’s duty. If you see or hear something ignorant or offensive, please say something; activism happens on a personal level. There are people in this chat who spoke up, but only when things got egregious -- we cannot afford to be passive in allowing this kind of language to persist in our community. Step up.