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Anti-Gay Graffiti Found at Oregon Univ.


Southern Oregon University X390 (FAIR) | ADVOCATE.COM

Residents of a gender-neutral dorm at Southern Oregon University, found anti-gay graffiti in their hallway walls early Thursday.

The university is located in Ashland, Ore. and local police believe the graffiti was intended to intimidate residents of the dorm.

"Whoever wrote it knew people there or at least knew the names of some of the residents, because it was directed specifically by first names," Sgt. Jim Alderman, of the Ashland Police Department, said. "A lot of the students do have their names on their doors."

According to the Mail Tribune, the graffiti included derogatory statements about the resident's gender and sexuality written in blue ink on the hallway walls and doors. The statements did not include any threats.

"Because of the nature of the graffiti and where it occurred on campus, in this one dorm area, it becomes an intimidation," he said. "It makes it a more serious crime than just graffiti or criminal mischief."

Police estimated the damages at $150, Alderman said.

According to the university, this is the first academic year for the gender-neutral program and dorm includes transgender students, men and women who want to live together and people who are simply more comfortable living in a mixed-gender environment.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Patrick
    Date posted: 4/11/2010 12:16:53 PM
    Hometown: Portland, OR

    Comment:

    I went to Southern Oregon for a year and I can say that this type of thing is rare. Ashland is an incredibly liberal city isolated in a rather conservative part of Oregon so the school still has it's share of biggots. As an openly gay student there, I never faced discrimination and speaking from experience, most students at the school were too drunk or stoned (or both) to participate in hate crimes. Either way it is unfortunate that this happened.

  • Name: Davya
    Date posted: 4/10/2010 9:31:54 PM
    Hometown: Wynnewood, PA

    Comment:

    So, I'm going to try and think like the dufuses who did this for just a second. You have a hallway full of "trannies", and you spend your precious little time spraying anti-"gay" remarks? With all the possibilities that you had to insult transpeople, and you wasted it on the wrong group? This is simply a waste of good fun and games, ladies and gentlemen. (ugh, nincampoops who can't even succeed in their own nincampoopery)

  • Name: Joffre
    Date posted: 4/10/2010 4:33:36 PM
    Hometown: Premia de Mar ( Barcelona)Spain

    Comment:

    Unfortunatelly in Spain we have had similar experiences since the Law of gay marriage was approved by the current gobernement. The Catholic church can not accept other family style than traditionals , man and woman . Fortunatelly the Spanish catholic church is loosing power among citizens day by day after they politic actitude close to the right party PP ( in USA republicans). Spain is one of the countries were gay weedings are allowed by Law and gay people are enjoing same rights that heterosexuals. We do not expect that current Law will be abolished if the right party PP win the future elections, considering that many members of that party also married their boyfriends.

  • Name: Bill
    Date posted: 4/10/2010 10:39:43 AM
    Hometown: Arlington

    Comment:

    Churches create the environment in which these actions are reasonable and appropriate. And they create an atmosphere where hatred and antagonism against GLBT's are acceptable.

  • Name: Scott
    Date posted: 4/9/2010 5:51:03 PM
    Hometown: Portland

    Comment:

    It makes some people feel good to put other people down, I think it must be due to a real insecurity. I think the same basic behavior happens with religious fanatics, they want so much to prove that they are gods favorites that they resort to putting other people down and often in these cases it can become very hurtful to people or can easily become violent. When we see churches lobbying to remove rights from people they don't like or prevent people from obtaining rights, I believe they are doing this because they are afraid to be considered equal to people they don't like. They no longer will feel special and it will not be clear to them if they are gods favorites or not. It's as if heaven has limited occupancy and they are desperate to keep their reservations. I personally stopped believing in the human invented non sense that we know as religion a long time ago. Since then I feel like it is easier to show kindness to all people without all the superstition and fear of hell.

  • Name: Jeff Watson
    Date posted: 4/9/2010 4:55:26 PM
    Hometown: Oakland, CA

    Comment:

    What IS it about some people who are so wrapped up in what other people do in the privacy of their own bedrooms? I just don't get it. I really don't. Hatred just for hatred's sake? It's like the whole Fred Phelps cult and that "church" in Florida...well, for that matter, even things like the KKK and so forth. I seriously don't get it. Life is too short and too precious to be spent seething in abject hatred over something so incredibly trivial as whom someone wants to love (provided, of course, that said person is of legal age). And if someone is gender dysphoric? Why should it matter that she used to be known as "Bob" or he used to be called "Susan"? Come on, people! Grow up! It's things like these that really make me wonder about the evolution of humanity - have we reached a pinnacle and now we're just devolving? It seems like this more and more. I hope they find this person and give them more than simply 40 hours of community service.



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