By Camden Breeding, Vice President, GLBT Aggies
A recognized student organization since 1985, GLBT Aggies are part of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie family, too.
This was the statement we made by attending the Nov. 19 Midnight Yell. As an organization, we proudly displayed rainbow flags and “Hate is Not an Aggie Value” buttons as we joined in the chorus “BTHO Nebraska.” Unfortunately, that chorus was interrupted by the voice of hate as members of GLBT Aggies were harassed for expressing who they are.
“Put the rainbow flags away, faggots,” one Midnight Yell participant shouted across hundreds of people down an exit ramp toward members of GLBT Aggies. Shortly thereafter he continued the harassment by yelling “faggots” multiple times into the same group.
This is not an isolated incident, nor is it even uncommon at Texas A&M. Earlier this semester, in the College of Engineering, I was branded “fudgepacker,” while “fag” bounced across classrooms in the Zachry Building like a game of pong.
Karla Gonzalez, president of GLBT Aggies, experienced similar harassment in the College of Construction Science her freshman year, where she says the first words spoken to her in the college were “fag” and “dyke.”
The reality is, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students feel unsafe and unwelcome at Texas A&M. Some might contend that by wearing GLBT related T-shirts and carrying rainbow flags, we brings the harassment upon ourselves. I would argue that I see people on campus, every day, expressing important parts of their identity by wearing shirts that convey their religious beliefs or affiliations, their cultural identities, and that promote organizations on campus and political ideas. I cannot agree to expect harassment on the campus that I love because I want to express an important part of who I am. I expect more from the Aggie family, and I know your fellow GLBT Aggies deserve more from the Aggie family.
Your fellow Aggies deserve more than the constant threat of verbal and physical harassment. Your fellow Aggies deserve more than to be targeted by bullies on a daily basis. Your fellow Aggies deserve more than to feel unsafe and unwelcome walking across campus. Your fellow Aggies deserve more than to think that suicide is the only option because they are afraid to come out in a hostile environment.
Your fellow Aggies deserve more than your indifference.
The time is NOW to speak up and stand up for the dignity of your Aggie brothers and sisters. Speak out against hate speech on campus, visit the GLBT Resource Center in Cain Hall C-118, become an Aggie Ally by registering for a free workshop at allies.tamu.edu. Speak up, Aggies. Never let them say you weren’t at Texas A&M, never let them say you weren’t there for your family, never let them say hate is an Aggie Value, and remember the Aggie Honor Code:
An Aggie does not lie about who they are, cheat someone out of a positive experience, or steal someone else’s dignity.
Stay classy, heterosexuals.
ALWAYS stay classy!
For information about events and resources, you can contact the GLBT Resource Center through their website: https://glbt.tamu.edu
Aggie family? Only if you are white, heterosexual, Christian and able-bodied.
My friends at A&M had similar problems 20 years ago. I can’t say I’m surprised that things haven’t improved since.
UT is only 100 miles away, and is far more friendly towards GBLT folk, if you’re looking for a change.
It saddens me that some students, aka ADULTS, behave in such an immature and hateful way. We are ALL part of the Aggie family!
I was standing two rows from the person holding the flag during midnight yell and no one made a rude comment to them while they were in the stands. Don’t lump all Aggies with the one idiot that used such a horrible word.
While Mike is right that not every student at A&M is homophobic, I do think, based on conversations I overhear and the mens’ room stalls, that homophobia is very alive in well on this campus and that Camden is absolutely right to confront intolerance when he sees it. His point regarding student beliefs is also something we should note. Numerous times during the course of the semester we have fire and brimstone preachers, some of them students or college-aged, come and tell us all we’re going to Hell and basically refuse to listen to any voices but their own. I’ve only seen students confront that speech twice, I’ve never seen a student confront overt homophobia, and I think both speak to a culture where identity is subsumed in the name of ‘tradition.’ I find that worrisome both because it excludes some– such as GLBT students, non-christians, or minorities — who don’t fit the concept of the ‘traditional’ Aggie and because college is supposed to be a time to find out who you are on your own terms. To expect everyone to fit a particular mold stunts that.
As class of ’98, this is one of those times that I am NOT proud to be an Aggie. I will remain open minded, but I cannot believe A&M students haven’t come out of the stone age yet. Grow up!
While I can’t say that I didn’t think about transferring to UT because it would be easier to be gay there, I didn’t want to go to UT. I wanted to go to A&M. Telling an Aggie that if they want equality they should transfer to UT is like telling a Longhorn that if they don’t like the traffic in Austin then they should transfer to Texas Tech.
The GLBT Resource Center on campus is doing amazing work though and things have improved a lot at A&M. As late as 2005, one group held a ‘straight pride rally’ holding typical signs that said things like “adam and eve, not adam and steve” and “heterosexuality; an aggie value since the beginning of time.” Those hate speech displays are no longer allowed and progress marches on.
It’s A&M. What did you expect?
I expect respect.
Griff, it’s not what we expect, but what what we can rise above that is the question.
It would be a more hospitable environment for LGBT people at A&M if the Chancellor would support adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the University’s EEOC policy, and if the university would finally get behind providing plus-one benefits for their employees. Quick, cheap fixes to some decades-old problems.
I was at that Yell practice and didn’t see the rainbow flags or hear the comments. I’m sorry that people were so hateful towards you. It’s inexcusable. Had I heard those comments I would have responded because homophobia and hate are not part of Aggie values or who I am as a human being. I’m proud to be an Ally and close friends to many who are Family. Displays of pride are necessary to show the GLBTA community that they’re not alone and not afraid. Nor should they be. Be proud of who you are!
People who shout homophobic epithets should be ashamed of themselves. Exactly what are they afraid of? Do they feel better about themselves for verbally abusing a complete stranger? Are they afraid that tolerating other people’s differences will somehow make them weak? Their closed mind makes them weak. And they’re missing out on meeting some of the nicest people in College Station. It’s their loss.
Not only did I stand behind the students involved in this incident, I did not hear one word of harassment from the crowd. As a gay Aggie I do understand the homophobia that is occasionally found on campus.
When walking into Kyle Field my boyfriend and I held hands. As is the Tradition to mug down when the lights go out during Midnight Yell, I did so with my date. Walking out of Kyle Field, my boyfriend and I continued to hold hands.
There was no harassment towards us throughout the event.
Though this may strike a nerve with some individuals, both he and I were actually offended by the rainbow flags and what not of the GLBTA. Midnight Yell takes place for one reason: to build unity before a game
I’m from the Class of ’87 and I’m embarrassed for Texas A&M. There is a tradition about us Aggies respecting each other and our differences. Unfortunately, a few bad “two percenters” are more loyal to bigotry and hatred. Haters are sad sacks of meat with a pulse…
It was just the opinion of an Aggie. Is out of the line and disrespectful but this is not the voice of all our institution. We are open to everyone and our policy is not discrimination. Our core values include ethics, morals and tolerance towards each other. Texas A&M is one of the best Universities in the world and the best of it is the kind heart and strong passion of their students and staff.
Quit waving your rainbow flags around, and wearing buttons and there won’t be a problem. Keep your sexuality to yourself, and don’t demand that people accept you for what you are, because we don’t. A gay man making out with another man during midnight yell is also asking to get punched in the face. Kudos for having the guts to do it, but you have to know that you’re inviting ridicule and hate speech while doing so. The modern gay agenda seems to be to rub your sexuality in the face of heterosexuals, and then get claim abuse whenever you get the reaction you so desperately crave.
GM
Texas Aggie class of 2006
GM,
So why is your public display of affection all right, but a gay man’s isn’t? For that matter, why are these sort of objections always couched in terms of two men? I realize I’m feeding the troll, but I’m honestly curious.
For that matter, if I replace gay with jewish or black in your sentence, would you still feel the same? If not, why?
This is not a troll, the fact that you find my fairly even-keeled statements above a troll shows how biased you in fact are (obviously I can’t point fingers too much, because I’m biased as well). Also, I see you trying to lump together a person’s nationality with their sexuality, which is such a bridge I can’t even comprehend it. But yes, I would think it weird were the Hillel House or a National Black Fraternity to try and draw attention to themselves at Midnight yell, which is supposed to be about ALL AGGIES coming together to support the team, not draw attention to any singular cause, other than Beating the Hell Outta whomever we’re playing.
To answer your question about the assumptions couched in terms of two men, you merely have to read Casey ’09’s post above, where he mentioned that he and his boyfriend made out during Midnight Yell. Again, that’s his right to do so, but it is the exact kind of activity a homosexual will engage in, KNOWING that it has a high risk of being incendiary, and then complaining when it inevitably comes true. Kudos to Casey ’09 who said nothing like that, yet I use it as an example of what could have happened.
If I were to wear a straight pride shirt in the middle of Montrose Houston or Oak Lawn Dallas and hold a rally there, I should expect a rational degree of hostility and maybe even a physical confrontation. How foolish would I sound if I said “I was minding my business wearing a straight-pride shirt and I was verbally attacked”? One would naturally say “You knew that was going to happen in Oak Lawn, and you got what you deserved” and indeed I would have
Do you even understand the implied threat in “quit waving your rainbow flags around, and wearing buttons and there won’t be a problem. Keep your sexuality to yourself, and don’t demand that people accept you for what you are, because we don’t?” I’m not even gay and I read the subtext of that as “if you try to show that part of your personality, you deserve to be yelled at, possibly beaten, and treated as less than human.” I can’t imagine how it would make someone who is gay feel.
As for the other question, how is being black a nationality? Or Jewish, for that matter? They’re a race and a religion, respectively. To call them nationalities implies that there’s a sense that anything that’s not the norm, for whatever version of norm you have, is not part of the nation and as such the other. That’s the first step towards making discrimination ok — because they’re not like us.
I realize I’m probably taking your words out of their intended context, but to be honest your words failed the first big text I have if something is discriminatory — if I can swap out one discriminated group for another and it sounds wrong, it’s discrimination, regardless of my feelings on either group.
How am I saying they aren’t like us? i said that its about “ALL AGGIES COMING TOGETHER” that means I consider them AGGIES, just like me. And maybe nationalities was the wrong word, but you knew what I was trying to say, so lets not let semantics derail this conversation. And again, I do contend that if you replaced gay with black or jewish, it would still be wrong as Midnight yell is not a venue to make social or politcal statements, and anyone who thinks it is is opening themselves up to be yelled at, as we saw happen. Why couldn’t they have joined the rest of the A&M student body without their flags or buttons? Because it wouldn’t have made a scene??? exactly.
As for “quit waving your rainbow flags around, and wearing buttons and there won’t be a problem. Keep your sexuality to yourself, and don’t demand that people accept you for what you are, because we don’t” I mean that 100%. Texas A&M, and especially midnight yell are very conservative, nationalistic, and emotional locales, and LGBTA should take my advice if they don’t want to have “FAGGOT” yelled at them. Is it fair, no it isn’t, but its the facts of the matter. If I know the homosexual agenda though, the LGBTA will continue to put themselves in the crosshairs and make a huge stink about how one student out of 30,000 at midnight yell, screamed “FAGGOT” at them.
I’m on the run, so I can’t respond more fully, but I do have two questions. First, i’d appreciate it if you could define the Gay Agenda to me. Secondly, what is an Aggie, in your view? What should an Aggie do or not do?
You want to know the easiest way to spot a gay guy at Midnight Yell? He’s the guy yelling FAGGOT the loudest. Yep…the lady doth protest too much…is true. The closet cases fool nobody. They should just drop the heterosexual act. We know you don’t get women…cause we know you don’t want any. We’ve been where you are. Why wait to get outed as a middle aged guy like Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, Larry Craig, etc…before dealing with your sexuality? Come on out and join your fellow Ags out at the Round Up or JR’s for a beer or two. Try it some night when you’re all lonely…you can laugh and joke with your new found Aggie buddies all you want…and I promise, they won’t mind a little ogling and man to man affection either. 😉
When I was at Texas A&M, I was closeted. I wanted so badly to date a guy…hold hands with him, gaze into his eyes…and kiss him deeply. I would go into The Chicken…have a few beers, and just enjoy catching a glimpse of those tight Wrangler butts. And I know other guys enjoyed checking out my tight Wrangler butt too…too bad we were too “Chicken” to take that next step. How sad is it that I one fears their own sexuality…even for a day is too long. So…yes…I’m glad the GLBT are out there at Midnight Yell. They are positive role models for the many, many guys (and girls of course!) who grew up in small towns, went to conservative churches…but yet their soul yearns to express it’s GAYNESS May the divine universe bless all their souls!
Aggies stick to your guns! keep college station conservative. send all the left wingers and lgbt people back home. otherwise you are asking for a future of what happened to austin which used to be pretty level headed but can’t say thats how it is anymore. the reason i love aggies is they dont put up with anything and have stayed strong in keeping the core values it was founded upon many many years ago, not giving in to the national direction.
Matthew Davis,
The gay agenda (in my eyes) consists of thrusting their lifestyle and beliefs on everyone else demanding our acceptance. To achieve this agenda they typically go to highly charged and unsympathetic events hoping to cause a scene and create publicity (like I described above in my earlier post). Like you saw above, they take an isolated incident of ONE PERSON yelling “FAGGOT” out of a crowd of TENS OF THOUSANDS and use that to label Texas A&M. Be that as it may, If we choose not to accept their lifestyle, or have the audacity to disagree with them, we’re labeled unenlightened homophobes and hate-mongers.
#2 Your question is a little confusing but I’ll play along. An Aggie is a person who attends or has attended Texas A&M University, black, white, gay, straight, jewish, catholic, arab et al. As to how they should behave??? I’m not sure how to answer that, how do i tell a crowd of some 300,000 current and former students how to behave? I think you’re trying to trap me into saying something about Midnight Yell Activity, so I will stand by my former post and say that Midnight Yell isn’t a time to make socioeconomic statements, and that trying to promote the gay agenda at Midnight Yell is WITHOUT A DOUBT going to cause a stir, whether fair or not.
@GM
The phrase, “the gay agenda” is one of the most laughable things I’ve ever heard. It’s a piece of propaganda used by politicians to make you think that all of the gays are conspiring in these secret meetings to figure out what the best way to take down America. The extent of “the gay agenda” is just to be able to do the same damn thing as anyone else.
As far as telling them to put their flags and buttons away, what should they do? What would you tell Rosa Parks if she asked for advice on how to get her civil rights? Or does she not deserve them either?
Dear General Mills, thank for your enlightening me about this gay agenda. Now when I see those gays wearing their shirts and being all affectionate and offensive to my eyes– I’ll know what those rascally gays are up to. It’s a good thing I’m not gay, otherwise people might judge me when I make out sloppily with my drunk Corps of Cadets date in front of everyone. If things were different, some people might think I’m pushing my immoral ways upon others! That’s not fair, but that’s the way it is. Thank God. Also, you bring up another good point– I believe we should have those young people that hand out peppermints in front of Kyle Field before Midnight Yell also act as bouncers to keep certain people out. I think anyone who is going in there looking suspicious (like they’re going to cause a scence) or looking like they’re going to disrupt the overall ambiance of Midight Yell needs to get the hell out! We need to respect the sacred traditions of Texas A&M, and this includes Midnight Yell.
Here is the only place in the whole of campus where all of us conservative, nationalistic, emotionally charged, extremely inebriated, compound, complex Aggies can gather to yell our hearts out. That’s no place for those rascally agenda pushing gays, is it?
I would like to point out a few different points. First… Midnight Yell is at midnight. While this may seem obvious and not pertinant, it is. We all know Aggies are big drinkers. Most Aggies who attend any function on a Friday night by mindnight are going to be slightly inebriated. People will say and do things they do not mean. I know most of us would hate to be judged by something we did while drunk or be labelled as “the voice of hate” because of something a drunk guy I have never met said. I am not saying this ONE individual was for sure drunk, but let’s be honest 90% of the Aggies at midnight yell are, and there is a great chance he was one of them. Another point is that it is ludacris to say the entire Texas A&M University system is biased towards GLBTs because of an individual’s opinions. I personally am not gay, and two years ago, I was hospitalized by a drunk and publically gay driver. His opinoin was obviously that it is ok to drink and drive. Thank goodness I don’t judge the entire GLBT community because of that one gay’s choice that night. Another point is that, as sad as it is in today’s society, hatred runs in every commmunity. There is hatred against different skin colors, different religions, and different lifestyles. I am a white female, and there are parts of my hometown where I will be harrassed and my life is in danger simply because I am white. My fiance is in the army and is in Afghanistan. He risks his life everyday because some group of people hated a religion. Hate is part of everyday life. You can say it shouldn’t exist, which is true, but you will have to live with the fact that it does. If you want to avoid it, you will have to move to the middle of nowhere. So, in closing, I am sorry for any people who were offended, but the fact is that everyone is discriminated against at some point in their lives. Wether for their appearance, lifestyle, or anything else, it will happen. If you are going to broadcast your beliefs, be prepared for the reactions from others. I have to say that out of the thousands of people at that midnight yell, that one individual’s harassment is a pretty small percentage. Just some points to think about.
Everyone knows that Aggie actually stands for Faggie. Most of the gays in the military come from aTm.This is a fact. I congratulate aTm and the forward thinking of becoming an all gay school. When I watch an aTm football game, I think to myself, Faggies. Say it loud. Say it proud.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Leviticus 20:13
Read your Bible’s idiots. Anyone who is glbt is sinning. Men were meant for women and women for men. Not men for men or women for women. If that was the case then we would all have both sets of genitals so we could reproduce no matter who we have sex with.
As for what was said at the Midnight Yell, I was highly embarrassed to be there while this group was there trying to show their political agenda. It was Midnight Yell! We are there for our football team and not for our own agendas. Keep your flags to yourselves and do NOT shove them in my face again.
And to HMH…in my 4 years at A&M I have seen 2…count that 2…drunk people at Midnight Yell. I myself do not drink nor do the 30 people I normally go to games and Midnight Yell with. Add to that the countless number of students that go to A&M that I know that also do not drink. I’m guessing you yourself didn’t go to A&M. You would know that your statistics are a load of crap.
Homophobia is condemnable anyway, whether it be at the stadium or anywhere else.
I however agree in considering midnight yell as a “non-demand” event. The event is defined in the constitution of the unity of the student body to support its football team, that is why the promotion of sub-identities will be condemned or refused (be it LGBT, black engineers or whatever). This is understandable. Waving rainbow flags is inappropriate there. Wearing buttons is appropriate to me, as it is a minor expression of self-identity.
And, a gay guy kissing his date at midnight yell is not making a political demand, it’s just the expression of personal feelings. Condemning this is homophobia.
Let’s have the two communities look at theif inappropriate behaviors please.
I’ve read the Bible. My questions are these:
1. Regarding Leviticus: The Bible condones selling your daughters into slavery, if you’re going to assume that the Old Testament has any sort of validity under the new covenant. It also condemns eating shellfish. May I assume, K, that I will be able to buy your daughters in the future, and that you will not be enjoying shellfish when I do so? I want to know what to prepare.
2. Regarding Corinthians: I’m assuming you’re translating the greek arsenokoitai as ‘homosexual,’ which is not necessarily what it translates to. Koine Greek has no work for homosexual. And even if it does, am I to assume we should take Paul’s word over Christ’s, when he states in Matthew 19:37-40:
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Do you worship Paul, or do you worship Christ?
To K:
I do go to ATM. I am a senior and will be graduating in May… so I am actually speaking from experience. Great for you if you have a lot of friends who don’t drink, but the fact is a lot of people do.
And as for you quoting the Bible in such an “in your face” way, maybe you should also consider the verse about “speaking the truth in love.” You shoving the Bible in people’s faces only causes them to resent you more rather than listening to you.