Last Thursday night (October 23), 1 attended a forum in the chapel to discuss the problem of homophobia on the Bates campus. I saw some of you there, but most of you were nowhere to be seen. I asked myself why people chose not to come. Some people are afraid and homophobic and the idea of discussing the topic never crossed their minds. Many think, "I've never said anything homophobic . . . I don't contribute to the problem . . . Let those that being are discriminated against fight for themselves . . ." The list of excuses is long. I know that some people thought that the forum would be simply a "bitching session" about the removal of the chalkings for Coming Out Weekend, and decided that they were sick of hearing about it. The truth is, as I became painfully aware, that incident was just one FRACTION of the problem.

I tend to flatter myself and think that I am relatively aware of the social inequalities and injustices that result from racism, homophobia, etc . . . I realized after this forum that I had NO IDEA the magnitude of pain people are feeling. Do you know that there are people on this campus who are afraid to be here, who are harassed on a regular basis by fellow Bates students? The image of people visibly fighting back tears as they described their despair is one that will haunt me for a long time.

Have you ever thought about how it would feel to be at once invisible, feared and hated in what is technically your own home? I challenge every single person on this campus (myself included) to rethink what you THINK you understand about homophobia. It's time we all realized what is actually going on, instead of believing, as I must admit I did, that Bates students are somehow more tolerant than members of society at large. In fact, there should be a mandatory discussion for every member of this community in order to evaluate our own underlying fears and the multiple ways ire which they are manifested - from blatant hate crimes to passive complicity.

Think about it.

Caitlin Sweeney '98