Good Job, Random Asshole Kid at "Inglourious Basterds"

I came across a back-copy of the Bullsheet recently, with a short snipe at a comment made at the Dension Film Society's screening of Inglourious Basterds that jogged my memory that I had been there as well, and recalled hearing the same, anti-gay comment hurled at, you guessed it, a character representing the Nazi SS. I don't think you need to be a history major to point out why this goes beyond the usual ignorance associated with gay bashing, as shouting “Heh heh! You’re a faggot!” at an actor portraying the genocidal arm of a regime that hated homosexuals along with basically everyone else who wasn't white European, displays a level of ignorance that is, quite frankly, astounding. Seeing as I am a history major, I figure I'll take a stab at why this is so wrong. Here it goes, pay attention random kid:

Nazis actively killed homosexuals using, I would assume, the same socially-constructed hatred that you yourself displayed. They labeled homosexuals with cloth patches much like they did European Jews, Gypsies, and the handicapped. So not only is your gay-bashing at the usual levels of ignorance, in this instance I think it's reached new lows.

Honestly, I could be snarky and angry about this (and I admit I started off this little post like a rant) I think it merits serious discussion. This campus has had problems in the past with slurs against those of other races and orientations and clearly we haven't been working hard enough since 2007 to instill some sense of how harmful such comments can be in our incoming first years. I admit, I used the royal we there, but all the same, it looks like the spirit of the events of Fall '07 are still on campus and, unfortunately, being renewed year after year.

I don't claim to have an answer, but this event at the DFS showing highlights the fact that its still a problem, no matter how much we'd like to brush it under the rug. All I've done is talk about it, I admit. About how terrible it is, and whatnot. But even if that's not action, its at least acknowledgment. But now, as a community, we have to take that a step further and shine a light on even the ugliest parts of DU and stop living like reality is a glossy college brochure.

Pull the ugliest parts of campus out of the dark, kicking and screaming. That is what we need to do.

But its all just talk right now.

-The Crier