Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’- Page 2
Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Namaste
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/08
#25smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 10:23pm
Namaste uses his magic carpet to get around.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#26smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 10:24pmPhyllis wants to be Princess Jasmine.
Namaste
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/08
#27smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 10:29pmWho'll be the Genie?
#28smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 10:45pmNamo.
roquat
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/25/05
#29smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 10:47pm
Back on track:
Westboro Baptist Church was ingeniously silenced at two of its "protests". The first, at Matthew Shepard's funeral, will be familiar to anyone who's seen "The Laramie Project"--counter-protesters wearing large angel outfits surrounded Phelps' hatemongers and spread their wings, blocking them from being seen by mourners attending the funeral.
The second, less well-known, came when a high school sponsored a prom which allowed same-sex dates. The theme of the prom was "Hollywood Premiere". When promgoers arrived at the front entrance in their limos, their classmates were lining the walkway with flashbulb cameras, etc. They screamed and hollered and popped their flashbulbs (like groupies going nuts over stars) thus drowning out the noise of the protesters gathered on the lawn.
No doubt there are those who would leap in outrage against these tactics, claiming they interfered with the First Amendment rights of Phelps and company. Did they really? No one stopped him from speaking; they just drowned him out.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#30smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 10:51pm
Well said, roquat.
Namaste
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/08
#31smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:20pmWell, God does hate fags. We all know that's a fact... right?
Namaste
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/08
#32smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:32pm
And I do agree with roquat.
I don't feel sorry when someone who is "anti" or in the majority gets drowned out. I am sad when the minority's voice is squelched.
#33smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:55pm
Roquat. I think those models would work for this story if the Republican group sponsoring the event managed to keep the Gay protesters at bay and allowed the speaker to continue his discourse. It wasn't the Speaker breaking into a Gay Union meeting and forcing his views upon the attendees.
I am all for free speech and I am also Gay, I find the BORN GAY HOAX disgusting and flat out wrong. I did however question the protesters practices when seeing the video.
East Village
Leading Actor Joined: 9/23/07
#34Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Posted: 5/7/08 at 1:42am
Smithies did the right thing and shut this guy down. There is no academic or clinical basis to Sorba's message. He is simply proselytizing intolerance and disguising it as a science. That is reason enough why he shouldn't have been extended an official invitation to speak at an institution of this merit. Plus lets not kid ourselves, the invitation by this dubious group was nothing more than a provocation to the community at large.
Let's also not mistake the student protest at Smith as having any impact on this individual's freedom of speech. No one is preventing him from being published. However academic communities have been usurping this type of pseudoscience and tautology for centuries -- and they should continue to do so.
Updated On: 5/7/08 at 01:42 AM
#35Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Posted: 5/7/08 at 10:01am
"a group who claims to be silenced "
The students claim to be silenced? Missed that.
As someone who's actually been to Smith College, I cannot imagine a more hostile and passive-aggressive gesture than for the college Republicans to advertise a speaker who has written about a "gay hoax."
What sort of educational purpose did the Repulicans hope to achieve?
What political purpose does the speaker serve? Is homosexuality ITSELF now a political issue?
The purpose of bringing this person on campus was to create controversy and it obviously worked.
#36Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Posted: 5/7/08 at 10:08am
Smithies did the right thing and shut this guy down. There is no academic or clinical basis to Sorba's message.
Silencing an opinion, regardless of how inappropriate it may seem, is never appropriate. (Think J.S. Mill's essay, "On Liberty.")
There is no clinical research proving that people are either born gay/straight/bi, etc, nor is their research proving that homosexuality is completely founded in environment.
While I personally do not agree with his work, I believe that his point is valid and should be considered.
The students claim to be silenced? Missed that.
I wasn't referring to this specific group of people. Rather, I was commenting on the status of the gay population. There are numerous events that exemplify this idea: Day of silence, for example.
-
It's sad when a group becomes so headstrong because of mob-like mentality that they lose the reason they are fighting in the first place, which I believe was the case here.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#37Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Posted: 5/7/08 at 10:28am
It's sad when people take the actions of one select segment of people and try to make a sweeping generalizatoin about all of them. Are you saying that it was ONLY gay people making the rukus?
Listen to Elaine, y'all. Shut up and sit at the back of the bus like you're supposed to!
#38Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Posted: 5/7/08 at 10:37am
It's sad when a group becomes so headstrong because of mob-like mentality that they lose the reason they are fighting in the first place, which I believe was the case here.
When both groups practice their right to freedom of speech simultaneously, one is bound to win out.
It's sad when a group becomes so headstrong because of mob-like mentality that they lose the reason they are fighting in the first place, which I believe was the case here.
Actually, I think we need more of this type of action. I am so sick of the quiet/silent "activism" (more like "passivism") that accomplishes absolutely nothing but being forgotten or ignored. Day of Silence? We need a Day of Uproar. Hell, make it at least a year. We should be HEARD.
I think Ryan had just as much chance to say what he wanted as those who opposed him, but he was outplayed and he gave up. Not to mention the fact that he was ill-prepared and had woefully little support. Surely he must have known he would meet with some opposition. You don't coin a term like "Born Gay Hoax" without the intention of provocation. And just for the record, I don't think ANY heterosexual man or woman can speak with any authority to claim people cannot be born gay. Period. It's nothing against heterosexuals, but it's like a white person trying to speak with authority on what it is to be a black person. If anything, it makes them less credible.
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#39Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Posted: 5/7/08 at 10:54amThey have every right to protest. In fact, its nice to see people protesting for once. Protesting has gotten a gauche rep from....well, people like papa.
#40Smith College students protest the ’Born Gay Hoax’
Posted: 5/7/08 at 10:59amWhy didn't the Republicans invite this guy to speak privately at a regular meeting? That way they could have heard what he had to say about such a vital and important topic in the political scene.
#41smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:33amhey, bb, i'm n ot against it. i think that it should be done more often. especially against those pesky minorities who want to preach their lies in places where people have no interest in heqring what they have to say. soon i hope that we can decide who is allowed to say what where.
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#42smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:48amEven though I completely and entirely disagree with the author, I think what the students did was rude.
#43smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:48am
"soon i hope that we can decide who is allowed to say what where."
I believe there are a number of laws governing this already. And nobody stopped him from physically speaking. He chose to leave the venue.
Protesting is what people without any real power do in order to affect change. Sometimes it's the only mode of expression available.
Although it does remind me of THE SIMPSONS episode when the leader of The Springfield Communist Party was invited to speak at the Isotopes opening game only to be pelted by Marge's pretzels.
#44smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:53am
Not once in my posts have I said that I am against protesting for a cause. However, a more efficient and responsible way to protest this is to boycott the presentation or to speak after the presentation, perhaps during a Q and A.
However, I am against the means used here. They silenced that man's work.
When both groups practice their right to freedom of speech simultaneously, one is bound to win out.
This man went to the school to present his work, not to prove that he had freedom of speech. Let's not forget the situation - man is invited to speak, man speaks while students protest over him, man has to leave because of rude student behavior.
We should be HEARD.
MisterMatt, what makes you think that you should be heard and not this man? If you want to be "HEARD" maybe you should listen to others. Mutual respect is a huge component of successful debating/protesting/arguing etc.
#44smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:53am
Not once in my posts have I said that I am against protesting for a cause. However, a more efficient and responsible way to protest this is to boycott the presentation or to speak after the presentation, perhaps during a Q and A.
However, I am against the means used here. They silenced that man's work.
When both groups practice their right to freedom of speech simultaneously, one is bound to win out.
This man went to the school to present his work, not to prove that he had freedom of speech. Let's not forget the situation - man is invited to speak, man speaks while students protest over him, man has to leave because of rude student behavior.
We should be HEARD.
MisterMatt, what makes you think that you should be heard and not this man? If you want to be "HEARD" maybe you should listen to others. Mutual respect is a huge component of successful debating/protesting/arguing etc.
#46smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:54am
You can call them Whitey Whackers! 
#47smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:55amThanks Cal--you always make me laugh...
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#48smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:59amYer right, Harper3...it would have been much more useful to stand outside and sing "Born Gay" to "Born Free" or--even better!--go home and bitch about it on their blog!
#49smith college proves to be full of obnoxious brats opposed to freedom
Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:37pm
MisterMatt, what makes you think that you should be heard and not this man?
I didn't say he shouldn't. I said he had the opportunity, but his silence and resignation were his own choices to make. He could have called the police on the protestors for disturbing the peace and continued afterward. Those who invited him to speak could have taken more precautionary measures.
If you want to be "HEARD" maybe you should listen to others. Mutual respect is a huge component of successful debating/protesting/arguing etc.
What do you think we've been listening to all these years? Sometimes what is most effecient and responsible is not what is most effective. The Boston Tea Party may have been considered "rude" and "irresponsible" but it was certainly effective and it got the point across.
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