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The Other Press

Homophobics at Douglas College social
surf Club fiesta night less than festive

by Laura Pottie

The Surf Club Fiesta Night on
Thursday March 2nd was the scene of
anti-gay aggression. Members of Doug-
las College’s Lesbian Gay and Bisexual
Collective (LGBC) were shouted at,
threatened and insulted by what ap-
peared to be a group of angry individu-
als.

After initial insults such as
“fucking fag” were thrown their way, a
couple of the LGBC members decided
to approach the group in an effort to
calm an avoidable situation. According
to one account, the LGBC members
were verbally abused, and heard peo-
ple saying, “Yeah, it’s time. Let’s do it.”

As the situation progressed, secu-
rity was alerted. One observer noticed
the security officer speaking to the of-
fending party in a language other than
English. —

Witnesses also stated seeing secu-

rity laughing and joking with the group.
They denied this, calling the situation
“a miscommunication problem.”

The group accused of offending the
LGBC was warned by security that any
further provocation would result in po-
lice being called. The alleged group

fags’, “You shouldn’t be allowed in our
school,” “Is that a man or a woman, what
the fuck is that anyway”, and other
homophobic slurs. One observer noticed
[the Queer Issue] of the Other Press be-
ing thrown.

The confrontation culminated with

maintenance, who responded and
helped to diffuse the situation. At this
point another security officer arrived
and escorted the group in question off
of the campus.

No report of this incident has been
filed by security. When asked about

 

offered to end their verbal
assaults, and said they were
“ready to have a good time”
for the rest of the night.
“So now they had de-
cided that we were going to
party - gee, thanks for your
permission”, said one
LGBC member in an inter-
view the next day. “I think
that the security guard

"If you don’t like me for
who I am that’s fine...but
if you and I go to a social
then leave your beliefs at

the door..."

this, the officer in-
volved responded, “I
have only been on this
job for two weeks and
am not familiar with
the regulation regard-
ing reports.”

On Friday the
students who agreed
to be interviewed ap-
peared quite shaken.

 

should have approached our
group and given us some assurance that
our rights would be protected through-
out the night,” he added.

After security left the group in
question continued to shout “ I hate

one of the LGBC members being cor-
nered in a washroom. A Safewalk vol-
unteer spotted the problem and radioed
the police. That transmission was over-
heard by three members of Douglas

For some it was the
first time they had been confronted
with these attitudes so aggressively,
and they are now deciding what, if any-
thing, to do about it.

“If you don’t like me for who I

am that’s fine...but if you and I go toa
social then leave your beliefs at the
door...it’s against the law to call me a
faggot now’, said one LGBC member.

“The fact that we’re gay gave them
something to focus on, but they were
looking for something.”

“It’s scary to think that such igno-
rance can be found in a place of higher
education,” said one witness to the
event.

The group who allegedly were in-
volved in this event were unavailable
for comment.

Do you have an opinion on this
subject? We encourage any or all of
your views on issues that may affect the
well being or freedom of any individu-
als that attend D.C. and/or members of
the socety at large.

We'd like to print your opinion in
the Other Opinon Page. The best way
to get your opinions published on cam-
pus... Do it for the Gipper.

 

 

 

Just cos you don’t under-
standsomething doesn’t
mean it’s bad. Have you
ever thought about how
‘normal’ youare?

who the hell are we to decide what's normal anyway?

 

 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We've got a Certifica
to Forever Plaid,

   

the 5 !

  

te for a

 
 

 

 

Pair of tix

D.G. Black waits <

postulates on

for, then
speaks with,
and finally

Vancouver
rock guru
_ Art Bergman.

 
 
  
 
 
   
   
       
      

 

     

Paul Andrew
interviews DC
theatre
student _
Doran Bell
pictured
here with