Last week, the words “Fags Burn” and “DIE” dealt N.C. State University a painful reminder. Spray-painted in purple outside the school’s GLBT Center, they sent a hateful message reminiscent of the racist messages scrawled in the Free Expression Tunnel just hours after President Barack Obama’s election. NCSU’s students, faculty and staff deserve credit for taking that hate and turning it into a resounding reaffirmation of acceptance for all students.
The university began investigating the derogatory comments as a hate crime. And in the Brickyard, hundreds of students, staff and faculty gathered to hold The Ally Rally, drowning out the hateful, spray-painted messages with chalk messages like “equality for all” and “State, not hate.”
By noon, 500 students had signed an online statement from student leaders, calling the vandalism unacceptable and for the community to “denounce it in every corner of the university.”
It’s common at UNC to regard NCSU as more ignorant and less progressive and accepting. But, in this case, the university has set an example to follow.
When the Christian a cappella group Psalm 100 dismissed Will Thomason for his views on homosexuality, UNC launched an investigation into whether this action violated the anti-discrimination policy.
In the time that it took the University to clear Psalm 100 of this clear act of discrimination, the campus community was largely silent.
If UNC is ever unfortunate enough to have its acceptance of LGBTQ students questioned again, it can look to NCSU for a model response.
