For many weeks now, I have been getting complaints about an editorial that was printed in The Clarion and have been asked to write an “official response” as a LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) leader on campus.
This letter is not an official response but rather just my own take on the issue in hope that people will be able to better understand why this is an issue.
The line causing all the controversy is “Free pizza at LGBT weekly meetings? Be there! Not gay? So what! Gay pizza tastes just like straight pizza (except maybe more sausage).”
This line was published in “Head to Head: How to survive dorm food” by Rob Gleeson and Steven Stoker in the Oct. 6 issue of The Clarion.
The issue is that many people have found this line to be offensive and somewhat homophobic.
In the defense of the authors, I understand that they were just trying to get a laugh, but this statement is rather degrading to folks that identify as LGBT.
The first reason that this statement is offensive is based on the idea that “gay pizza” has “more sausage” than straight pizza, this line directly equates being gay with being sexual.
While sex is a big component of any relationship, being gay is not based on whom you have sex with. There are many more components and experiences that come with being gay, many of which that have nothing to do with the penis or sex.
Secondly, the sausage comment focuses on the idea of gay men and that they make up the LGBT community.
Even if that would be amazing for me as a gay man, in reality the LGBT community is comprised of many different folks, many of which who do not have a penis.
My last big complaint has to do with the line “gay pizza tastes just like straight pizza.”
I find this line offensive because it infers that being gay is somehow different and less worthy than being straight, and I personally do not feel like “gay pizza” is any different from “straight pizza.”
In the end, I have faith that the writers did not mean for their article to cause harm, but in the future, I hope they will be more considerate when referencing the LGBT community.
On that note, I do have an alternative that they could have used to invoke a laugh while not being offensive:
“Free Pizza at LGBT weekly meetings? Be there! Not gay? So what! LBGT bought pizza tastes just like straight bought pizza (except maybe more fabulous).”
Christopher Turner
Co-President of DU’s Queer Straight Alliance
