As many of you know, this past Wednesday, Oct. 20, was Spirit Day. Spirit Day was a nationally promoted event with the goal of ""[supporting] teens who took their lives because of anti-LGBT bullying,"" according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). In order to do this, LGBT folks and allies wore purple, posted Facebook statuses in support of LGBT equality and took some time to remember the lives lost to homophobia.
We were proud to wear purple and stand with our allies in support and celebration of queer youth. We hope you were proud, too.
But today, Spirit Day is over. The purple has returned to the dresser drawer and the Facebook statuses have returned to our mundane day-to-day goings-on. Currently, Ryan's is about having a post-term paper cocktail, and Erica's is about squash. Not exactly the height of activism.
The fight for LGBT equality, however, is far from over. As such, we issue a challenge. Do not wait for special days like Spirit Day to bring your allyship out of the closet. Spirit, acceptance and camaraderie are important parts of ending hate and discrimination against queer folks, but one day's worth is not enough. Today, countless gay teens will get up, go to school and be bullied as viciously as they were yesterday. And the day before. And the day before.
Get involved. There are numerous organizations on campus and in the Madison area working to promote civil rights for LGBT individuals, reduce queer health disparities and provide safe spaces for queer folks and/or allies. Check out the LGBT Campus Center (LGBTCC), Queer People of Color (QPOC), QGrads, Queer Student Alliance, UW Ten Percent Society (TPS), OutReach, Genderqueer Madison, Fair Wisconsin or AIDS Network.
Get educated. Many of these organizations offer educational programming, and confronting the raw reality of the discrimination LGBT people face is an important part of being an ally.
Get vocal. We cannot rely on our clothing to make a difference in the presence of homophobia. It's vital to speak out against bigotry and hate in our communities.
Get out the vote. It's election season, and Wisconsin candidates have made their positions clear. Scott Walker vetoed domestic partnership benefits approved by the Milwaukee County Board. Ron Johnson called civil rights for LGBT folks ""not much of an issue.""
Get out your checkbook. Whether you donate to political candidates who support gay rights, organizations that work to provide direct services to queer folks or even to your favorite queer websites or bloggers, you're helping to support LGBT communities.
Of course, this is a challenge we issue not just to our straight allies, but also to ourselves. Hardly any of us identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Thus, it's important for us to be allies, too. We too must take a stand against the heteronormativity, cissexism and biphobia that exist in our communities. We must not issue ourselves a free pass because we also are confronted with discrimination. Our queer identities do not rescue us from being allies to others.
As we serve as allies, we must also look inward to see how we ourselves may perpetuate injustice. Bullying and discrimination take many forms, and just because we wore purple on Wednesday doesn't mean we are absolved of the ways in which we commit them. Social isolation or disdain can be just as damaging as physical violence. An offhand ""that's so gay"" can be just as dehumanizing as ""faggot."" As we work to root out the problematic attitudes around us, let us not forget to root out the problematic attitudes within us.
Keep fighting. Keep hoping. Keep believing. Keep the spirit alive.
E-mail any questions or comments on Spirit Day and any other sexually related topics to sex@dailycardinal.com.
