4/28/2008

Massachusetts 18, or, The Importance of Protest

Ryan Sorba, an evangelist of anti-queer rhetoric is speaking at Smith tomorrow. The title of his talk: "The Born Gay Hoax." He has no website, so the link takes you to a google video of his talk. It's badly delivered hate speech, complete with out-of-context biblical references, repetition, faulty science and circular logic.

There's been a great divide among Smithies as to the appropriate response. There's been a huge movement to ignore it, and to let him preach to "an empty room." Perhaps not as strong has been the advocacy of a real protest. The debate has been interesting and thoughtful, but I believe that ignoring hate speech is one of the fastest ways to let it spread.

(Incidentally, every time there is a neo-Nazi rally somewhere in the US, the Anti-Defamation League, and many independent synagogues make statements to the same effect: don't fuel their fire by protesting. I believe this head-in-the-sand attitude made it possible for the Nazis to rise in Germany, the Communists to seize power in Eastern Europe, and George Bush to be elected president.)

I'll be there tomorrow, in Neilson Library at 7:00 to grab seats. I'll be in some kind of glittery, sparkly drag for confidence and giggles. I'm also participating in one of the many protest plans - at the first offensive thing I hear, I'm turning my chair around and sitting with my back to him for the rest of the talk.

Maybe this is more about personal satisfaction than political change, but I can't let my absence or my silence be interpreted as laziness or apathy. Therefore, the only thing to do is go, and let my presence speak for itself.