Let go of that rainbow
Amy Schill
Dazed and Amused
There has been a lot of discussion recently about Notre Dame's position on homosexuality. A little known phenomenon is infecting Our Lady's university. That phenomenon? ND has gone gay.
That's right, and I'm not just talking about the Kelly green. When I think Notre Dame, I think flamingly homosexual. While smoking is prohibited, sodomy on South Quad is all too common. Why? Because gay, lesbian and bisexual students here get more help and support than they know what to do with. You can't look in The Observer every two months without seeing an ad from the Standing Committee.
The Standing Committee is dangerous because it undermines the University's responsibility not only to condemn gays and lesbians for having sex, but also for thinking about sex or considering thinking about sex one day. Sure, the administration won't recognize OutreachND or IFLAG, or add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination clause, but can you believe that a Catholic institution is actually devoting resources to allow homosexuals a forum for discussion without shame? Why don't we just tear down the Virgin Mary statue and put up Cher?
If I could turn back time, I would go back to freshman year, when I overheard some of my classmates telling gay students that they were not only sinful, but also inhuman. You just don't see enough of that these days. I mean, there's no better way to follow Jesus than to spit in the face of the marginalized.
Notre Dame should also condemn gay and lesbian students because the homosexual relationship is a dead end with no future that would effectively end civilization if it were universalized. I think it's obvious that the Standing Committee and academic classes on sexuality do not exist to help gays and lesbians who are persecuted for something they did not choose. Nor do they open students' eyes to the reality of different forms of sexual expression throughout history. The sole mission of the University and the College of Arts and Letters is to turn every one of us into card-carrying homosexuals. It may seem like the University offers minimal support for gays and lesbians, but if you give `em an inch, they'll probably decorate it.
So clearly, beneath the façade of Dave Matthews and light beer, Notre Dame is a hotbed of gay and lesbian thoughts and inclinations, and we're getting gayer by the second. We need to condemn this because, well, I'm sure it says why somewhere in the Catechism, or maybe it actually doesn't, but I'll be sure to make some absurd exegesis. However, we must remember not to discriminate against gays and lesbians themselves, as long as we let them know that they are disordered for every sexual thought they have.
But what else can be done? We need to instill an attitude of healthy heterosexuality among students, preferably through more tackle sports and single-sex dorms. Nothing says "I'm straight" like shooting one to the tight end and enjoying a nice shower.
You may ask why I'm so concerned about an essentially private issue of personal morality that really has nothing to do with the mission of an institution of higher learning. Maybe I really have nothing better to do than propagate slightly sophisticated hate speech. Maybe I don't understand that the way in which I express my beliefs can seriously hurt people of good will just trying to cope with a very difficult issue. Maybe I just need to get laid.
Amy Schill is a senior English major. She can be reached at schill.2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Viewpoint Stories for Wednesday, January 29, 2003
