[Vision2020] Climate

[Melissa Hendrickson]

Jerry-

According to your post members of CRF went to GSA to "do what some might call build a bridge, in hope of friendship and community amidst and environment that has previously hostile."  I agree that is something that should be done, there is a rift between Many Christians/Christian Denominations and the GLBT community.  

But again I ask you, why didn't the four gentlemen state their purpose when they first started to attend GSA meetings? In hindsight that may have been a good opportunity for them to open communication between members of the community and themselves. 

"Hostile means GSA members yelling and cursing at us while
we pass out flyers."  Hostile also means people standing in front of the commons and library with signs telling the GLBT communit they are an abonination and are going to hell.  While those sign holders, I'm assuming, were not a part of CRF, they still representatives of a form of Christianity.  Many of us in the GLBT community try and avoid lashing out at people, we know that it will do no good, but when you are constantly bombarded by people telling you that you are sinful, horrid people for simply being who you are, sometimes we snap.  It happens to everyone.  

"Two cordial members of the GSA, informed me last night, some people in the GSA feel offended and unsafe when people give such convictions.  I understand their feeling: Christian Churches and students are minority group"  I can undestand how some members of churches and some Christians may feel like they are the minority, but if you look at the bigger picture, Christianity is not the minority.  I am truly sorry if members of Christ Chruch and CRF feel like they have been discrimninated against, it is something that is a painful experience and no one should have to endure it.  

There are Christians who attend GSA meetings, my partner and I are two of them. We have not been kicked out.  GSA is a group that is a safe place on campus for GLBT people to come and be themselves.  Whether or not the four CRF members came to build bridges or not, I don't think that GSA was the place to do it.  By their very presence the group was disrupted. People felt uncomfortable, and rightly so, we as GLBT people have few places we can go and not face some sort of unwelcome behavior, GSA is the one place we should feel safe and not be told we are sinful and we spread disease.  

There are plenty of people in this community that these gentlemen could chat with.  I myself am open to having a conversation with them, as is my partner.  Feel free to email me.  

Mo