What a Success! But What a Disappointment! Chris Sleightholme, DSU Pride Collective Volunteer What a success! After initial reservation about organizing a queer-friendly event amidst the rise of homophobia in the students’ union building, the Queer Social held on Wednesday January 25, 2006 was on all accounts a success. I would like to thank all of the fabulous and supportive students who stopped by fer lunch and conversation, and for those of you who were unable to attend, I hope to see you out dur- ing the Pink Triangle week festivities we’ve organized from February 13 to 17 at the New Westminster Campus. But what a disappointment! On Tuesday January 24, 2006, I walked through the con- course and realized that our banner promoting the queer social had been taken down. After speaking with security and facilities services, it became clear that neither had taken it down. In fact, it looked like someone had decided to tear it down when no one was looking, between 4 and 6pm. Imagine my surprise (okay, I wasn’t really surprised) to find out that most of the Queer Social posters had been Apply now! Application for admission to UBC Summer Session 2006 (May ~ August) and Winter Session 2006 (September — April) closes February 28, 2006. www.welcome.ubc.ca/apply.cim www.ube.ca/okanagan/prospective/apply.cfri!' ee UBC) THE UNIVERSITY OF RRITISH COLUMBIA eS VANCOUVER | OKANAGAN removed from campus bulletin boards, and from parts of the students’ union building. Coincidence? I think not, and my article about homophobia in the SUB hadn’t even been printed yet. I found this to be another disappointment in my short time volunteering with the Pride Collective. Why am I disappointed, you may ask? As far as I’m concerned, this was yet another cowardly attempt to undermine one of the many queer-positive events that the Pride Collective has organized. Why are these people so afraid? It’s sad, really, because they don’t understand that their actions are threatening their future. What kind of a life could one lead if found guilty of committing a hate crime? To those of you who continue to erase all signs of queer life on campus, I challenge you to revisit your misconcep- tions about the Queer Community. I am hereby extending an open invitation to all of you to stop by the Pride Resource Centre and learn about what it means to be queer and how you can support the queer community, without fear of being labeled as a “fag’”’ by your less courageous friends. Remember, many homophobes are actually closet fags who are scared of facing who they really are. There’s nothing to fear, my darlings, and verything to celebrate. But if you continue to vandalize, harass, and intimidate queers at | Douglas College, you'll be facing serious repercussions. Don’t fool yourself into believing that your actions have gone unno- ticed, and don’t think for a minute that you won't face criminal charges for your contin- ued infractions. If anyone sees these actions taking place around campus or in the SUB, I ask you to contact me at the Pride Resource Centre at 604.527.5474 or ptideppl@gmail.com. It’s time we put an end to hate and make the SUB and Douglas College a safer place for queers. Celebrate Pink Triangle Week, February 13-17, 2006 In 1979, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Rights Coalition (CLGRC ) held its annual conference in Ottawa to celebrate the first major legal victory for the Canadian lesbian and gay rights movement. That victory was the acquittal of the officers of Pink Triangle Press, who had been charged with obscenity for the publication of an arti- cle dealing with child sexuality. Since the court’s decision had been handed down on February 14, the CLGRC decided to declare that day as an annual gay holiday. Pink Triangle Day is not meant to replace Valentine’s Day, but to celebrate the queer community’s victories, and the existence, strength and beauty of love, including gay love. The DSU Pride Collective has organized events for the 27th anniversary of Pink Triangle Day to educate the Douglas College community about queer issues and make Douglas College a “positive space” for lesbian, gay, bisexu- al, transgendered, questioning, and allied students. We all encourage you to participate, take a role in celebrating the queer community at Douglas College, and have some fun before your midterms! Please read more about the DSU Pride Collective—including their Open House hours and upcoming events—in this week's Events Calendar. as free as they want to be.” —James Baldwin, 20th-century author Voices” of the 20th century. —February 10, 1955: National African Congress. —February 15, 1962: fy. 13Gi ] February 10, 1955 February 15, 1962 em Black History Month Dateline “Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people take and people are —February 21, 1965: Black leader, Malcolm X, is assassinated in New York City. Towards the end of his life he concluded that the struggles of people around the world were not divided on the basis of trace or nationality, but on the basis of ““us’ and ‘them’; ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’; He. is commemorated today as a fighter for justice and freedom,.and is considered one of the “Great ‘oppressors’ and the ‘oppressed.” Over 60,000 black residents are forcibly evicted from their homes in Sophiatown under the Apartheid system in South Africa. Mass resistance was organized to counter the racist decision, and was prolonged for more than a year with the help of movement backers like Nelson Mandela and other leaders from the The film “To Kill A Mockingbird” premieres in the United States, adapted from the internationally renowned novel written by Harper Lee about the racial segregation of the Southern United States. Both the book and film receive several awards and are considered classics in American literature and film. February 21, 1965