By Jason Lowrey
For those of you who do not know, a hate crime happened at Weston House over spring break.
Now, there was no violence of any kind, but a member of the GLBT community woke up on March 13 and found an anti-gay slur carved into their door. Three days later, it happened again, with the final incident happening on April 4.
“L,” the student’s preferred pseudonym, discussed it with me a few days ago.
When I asked if she felt concerned, or threatened, she said no and explained how the person only wrote on her door early in the morning or when she and her roommate were both gone.
“Whoever’s writing on the door is obviously not coming when anyone could possibly be around,” L said. “If they are that worried about running into someone, I am not going to be worried about them.”
She went on, saying, “I would love to see them get caught because it is not fun having that written on my door. But, mostly, it is just a hassle to deal with.”
It is good that L is handling the situation so well. But it also serves as a reminder for the GLBT community, and even the college community as a whole. Even in supposedly safe environments, hate can still make its presence known.
That is why it is a good idea for students to learn basic self-defense. Whether it is on campus, or out in Savannah, SCAD students need the ability to defend themselves from attackers.
SCAD does offer self-defense classes with the R.A.D.S. program, but it only teaches women.
Ladies, I encourage you to go out and learn how to kick someone in the groin properly.
Those classes teach basic self-defense, there is no need to be Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris, and have the ability to split a concrete block with your head.
But, in a way, guys are left out in the cold. That is a problem for gay or bisexual men, who often do not know how to defend themselves, which is why Queers and Allies, SCAD’s gay-straight alliance, decided to hold their self-defense seminar.
They met next to the tennis courts at Forsyth Park, sitting on blankets and the hot grass, listening J.T. Hastings.
Hastings is a first year illustration major, and he volunteered to teach them. He borrowed the necessary pads from Club SCAD, brought along two of his friends, and got to work.
The group ran through the eye gouge, throat punch, the ever-popular groin kick and the perfect way to snap an attacker’s knee.
After the session, which lasted about an hour, I asked Hastings why he decided to volunteer that day.
“I feel very strongly that everybody should be able to protect themselves. I feel that they should not have to, but I know that is not the case,” he said
I think that is something everyone can agree with.
Hastings also talked about getting the SCAD martial arts club back together. In lieu of another form of self-defense program, the club would be the next best thing. He took a number of signatures expressing interest in it, so maybe it will get off the ground soon.
But Q&A was not done that day. After warming up with self-defense, they played a game of kickball.
It was their way of participating in the Day of Silence, which is a day that commemorates all those in the GLBT community killed by AIDS of hate crimes. The kickball game, ultimate Frisbee and a few other games were their way of “breaking the silence.”
“When you come to college, it is a fresh start and if you have not been in a situation previous to college where you can embrace your sexuality, maybe now is the time,” said Krista Harberson, the club’s faculty adviser.
In spite of what has happened recently at SCAD, Queers and Allies is a safe place to do just that: embrace whatever sexuality you have.
Queers and Allies meet at the Boundary Hall common room at 9 p.m. on Thursday nights. They also have a Facebook page.
Jason Lowrey is a member of Queers & Allies
