Controversy with my college’s Gay-Straight Alliance
tl;dr: Vote in the poll at the bottom of this!
I’m the treasurer in my college’s Gay-Straight Alliance. To raise awareness for AIDS and World AIDS Day, our club put up a tree in our student activity center with free condoms decorating its branches. Beside the tree, we placed a sign that stated the condoms were free for anyone as well as an informational sheet about AIDS and prevention.
Two days ago, our club president received an email from our school’s Young Republicans Club president (he’s also a member of the Christian and Catholic groups at our school). He requested to meet with us because he wanted us to remove the tree because he felt that it “degrades the symbol of Christianity.”
We agreed to meet with him and did, with him stating his points and us stating ours. We refused to take down the tree. We meant to neither promote or insult ANY religion and are simply promoting safe sex and AIDS awareness on campus. We have permission from school officials to display this tree and he met with school officials over this “controversy” and they agreed with us.
At the end of our meeting, he mentioned that he was involving an attorney and the local Pittsburgh diocese. None of us could believe he was taking it that far, especially because the tree will be taken down when we leave for break in less than a week.
Today, we logged onto Facebook to see that he had taken it a step further. The student has placed an alternative sheet beside the tree advocating abstinence; a move that makes no sense as we are not advertising sex, merely safety.
An article on the website “The Blaze” entitled “Gay Club’s Condom-Decorated ‘Christmas’ Tree Causes Outrage at Penn. College” is up and shares his side of the story with a poll at the bottom.
Please read the article, vote, and spread the word.
Protect free speech! Do not let conservative Christians ruin something only meant to promote safety and awareness simply because they do not agree!
Link: “Gay Club’s Condom-Decorated ‘Christmas’ Tree Causes Outrage at Penn. College”
okay now this is just ridiculous. I read the comments. Apparently, condoms are not appropriate ornaments, and it defies the sanctity of Christmas. Looks like somebody needs to be reminded that Christmas is Pagan in origin.
Anyway, vote, you guys!
Vote vote vote! This is absolutely ridiculous. The tree isn’t even a Christian symbol. Safer sex is important and this ignorant crusade is a thinly veiled attack on not only sexuality but (from the comments on that page) the gay-straight alliance and all it stands for.
Their god, the comments are offensive. I kindly ask followers to give me a gift this season and tumblr bomb the fuck out of this poll.
College Republicans are simply the worst people. Hyper passionate because they’re enjoying their first taste of independence but completely ignorant of their zealotry and how not to act like hateful fucks. Worse than even some of the worst politicians.
That said, get on that poll and vote.
-Joe
Vote vote vote! Make the wittle cowwege rebubwicans cwy
