This morning, I received an e-mail from a fellow student in one of my classes with the following link to an LA Times article:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/attacker-repeatedly-slashes-transgender-student-in-cal-state-lb-restroom.html
I cannot believe that I did not hear about this event which occurred at my own school almost 2 weeks ago. A transgender student was attacked and cut in one of the bathrooms by the building that always plays jazz music. There was no e-mail from the president of the university, there was nothing in the daily 49er that I knew about. No, I had to find out through a classmates e-mail through the LA Times. If someone is attacked on MY campus, I want to know about it! However, due to the touchy subject that the victim was a transgender student, the university kept it quiet.
People think that our campus is pretty open, and that most are very tolerant and open-minded. But if you look closer, our campus is still divided. You have to look to see it; but if you look, you will see it. Notice how we have one of the most diverse campuses in California. Then notice how segregated we are. We're all together, but notice how the whites are with whites, the asians stick with asians, the blacks with blacks, etc. Some mix, but if you really look at our campus, most don't. I have a friend who I'm tight with in one of my classes who is 24 years old and told me that I was the first white person she has ever had as a friend. She told me every other white person has treated her like crap, and you tell me that doesn't reflect badly on our university that has many white people? I'm guessing it's probly that segregated and divided when it comes to sexual orientation too. Our campus is good at putting up a front that it's completely accepted and ok, but then events like this occur and nobody even hears about it. Had the victim been a heterosexual, white male, you bet every one would have heard about it and news crews would have been everywhere.
This article made me so sad. It hurts to think just how much hate there is in the world, and even close to home. As cheesy as it sounds, why can't people realize that everyone is deserving of love? =(
Bethany Endter
KIN338 TuTh 9:30
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In regards to the issue of the attack on the transgender student, I definitely agree that it is a hate crime. Even though our generation is said to be more open minded than our parents and elders, I still believe that the majority of our society is very close minded, especially when it comes to sexuality and sexual orientation. It is still one of the topics that are not talked about enough for various reasons. Some might be afraid to talk about it because they are afraid that they would offend others. Some might be afraid to touch upon the topic because they fear that others will assume that they are gay/lesbian themselves. And some still believe that it is just plain wrong, disgusting, or a mental illness. With that being said, that really bothers me because life is not perfect; there will be flaws whether you like it or not. If we claim that we are a more open minded generation, then we should be able to discuss about anything at anytime without being afraid of criticisms. Criticisms will always happen no matter how sensitive the issue is or is not, but if something is unspoken of, then of course no one will be open enough to talk about it. In the case of the attack, not many students know about it because of the label: “transgender student” was attacked. If that label was not there and the story is just simply a “student was attacked,” then there will be for sure talks about it and will be a known incident. Of course, the attack would not even have happened if the student was “normal” and heterosexual. Also, I wonder if the label was there to draw attention to the fact that it was a hate crime because if it is, then ok I get it. I did not even hear about this incident until Professor Kerrie brought it up in class one morning, and then I received an email about it through the school and saw it on the news. Fortunately for this class, a lot of the unspoken issues are talked about in class and I notice that the class as a whole is very open, honest, and respectful about others’ opinions.
Thanh Duong
Tu/Thur 930am-1045am
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