PHOTO: (click on photo to enlarge) Jarod Sleet, external coordinator for SOL (one of Oregon State University's LGBT student groups) demonstrated coming out in the public quad to celebrate National Coming Out Day for 2012, as shown in the student newspaper's front page coverage (center) and discussed in an opinion page piece and comments about the anti-gay preacher who was asked to step away by the campus cops after a confrontation. Curiously, as of 10:44AM today, the front page story had not been posted on the newspaper's Web site even though the editor had promised to post stories as they were written and not after printed -- I hope this is not because of some negative problem. The student newspaper's gay friendly editorial comments are an example of the tremendous progress that has been made since Stonewall, despite the stereotypical Jesus freak who forty years ago would have represented the mainstream views of society. (See the related opinion piece and editorial comments by Editorial Staff, "Yeas & Nays," Barometer, Oct. 12, 2012, p. 3 and Finn Van Order, "God is in the quad exercising First Amendment rights," Barometer, Oct. 12, 2012, p. 3)
"Nay to hateful fire-and-brimstone preachers in the Memorial Union Quad yesterday. We continue to support your First Amendment right to say what you want. However, everything you said was wrong.
"Yea to National Coming Out Day yesterday. If you came out, congratulations. What was a hard decision was made harder by the fact there was a nasty person shouting mean things with a cross at the same time. We support your decision, and rest assured that the Barometer as well as many other campus organizations have got your back.
"Nay to screaming your messed up theology in the quad. Even the people you may have swayed were turned off by your delivery. Go back to whatever hateful hollow you sprung from. Oregon State University is no place for it.
"Nay to invoking the name of whatever deity you believe in to justify your hate for other human beings. From what we can tell, Jesus liked to party, wore sandals, had long hair, turned water into wine and generally stood up for the oppressed. He also said to love your neighbor as yourself. Smart words.
"Nay to invading our quad with your mean words. Step foot here again and see what happens."
(Quoted from Editorial Staff, "Yeas & Nays," Barometer, Oct. 12, 2012, p. 3)
See my history of gay student groups at OSU and my previous posts:
