The Wednesday before last, the Advocates of Conservative Thought tried once again to stir up controversy on campus by assuming the role of the oppressed.
So oppressed are these conservatives that they only have control of three branches of the federal government. So oppressed are they that they decided to have a special day to “come out” as conservative.
The term “coming out” was popularized to signify public revelation of one’s sexuality or gender identity. By co-opting this term for their event, these advocates for conservatism took a cheap shot at the on-campus GLBT community by somehow suggesting that National Coming Out Day, a day that celebrates and encourages one of the most important decisions in a GLBT person’s life, is nothing more than an unnecessary public display of one’s sexual identity.
Members of ACT feel discriminated against for what they believe. We, on the other hand, face discrimination for who we are.
Conservatives are an important part of our diverse campus community, but apparently the Advocates of Conservative Thought have yet to realize that a fundamental component to peaceful integration within this community is respect.
Chris Fisher can be contacted at c.fisher2@umiami.edu.