To the Dartmouth Community:
On Thursday, Feb. 16, the undergraduate co-chair of the Dartmouth, Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Organization (DaGLO) received in the DaGLO Hinman box a flier announcing a meeting scheduled for Saturday evening, entitled "Let's Talk About Faggots." Included among several topics for discussion were "Is it OK to shoot gays?" Additionally, while the flier commented that "homosexuals have an agenda aimed at earning complete tolerance and equality in America," it promised that "on February l8, we will talk about why gays do NOT deserve special rights."
The purpose of this flier appears to have been to provoke and hurt members of the Dartmouth community through its overall invective tone and, especially, through its references to inflicting violence upon gay men and lesbians. At the time at which the flier was discovered, no individual or groups had reserved the room where the discussion was to have taken place. Apparently the intent of the author(s) was to make public their venomous hatred and bigotry under the cloak of cowardice and anonymity.
What the author(s) fail to realize is that hateful speech harms not only those to whom it is directed, but rather all of us who believe that civility and respect for others are defining features of the Dartmouth community. Gay, lesbian and bisexual members of our community do not have, nor do they need to ask for, any "special rights" because they are entitled to the same rights that are extended to all Dartmouth citizens. Included in the College's Principle of Community, endorsed by the Board of Trustees in 1980, is the fundamental notion that we are expected "to be sensitive to and respectful of the rights and interests of others and to be appreciative of the diversity of the community as providing an opportunity for learning and moral growth."
Behavior that seeks to cause pain for certain groups within our community hurts all of us. While Dartmouth certainly values free speech as a significant virtue of college life, it expects students to exercise this right with the wise restraints that make us truly free. Surely, dignity and respect for others are common courtesies due to each of us, not as "special rights" extented to some and not to others.
The flier has been turned over to the Hanover police. While no decision has been made whether these materials fall under the New Hampshire legal definition of a "hate crime," the College has an interest in identifying its author(s). Thus, the College will continue to work with the Hanover police in its investigation into this matter. I would urge those of you who have any knowledge of the author(s) of the flier to contact Robert McEwen, Director of Safety and Security (6-2234). I would exhort all of us to recommit ourselves to living in fullest and deepest accord with the sentiments of civility and respect that this community so dearly cherishes.
