LETTERS: Friday, March 24, 2000

To the Editor: The hate e-mail sent to the Queer Student Alliance is representative of a system of oppression in our society that endorses the status quo and ideas that those already in power deserve their power for some moral or ideological reason. They do not. With power comes the responsibility to ensure justice and equality for those who are discriminated against. As Heather Lochridge wrote in her article in the QSA supplement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, straight people are privileged in our country. We "have the luxury of being able to think about, flirt with, openly touch, or speak of the person or people [we are] attracted to without fear of what others will think or say. Everyone does not share these privileges." The United Minorities Council has a vested interest in speaking out against the writer of the hate e-mail. The line between homophobia and racism is almost too blurry to draw. We must assert the right for people of all backgrounds to live the life they choose without censure or threat of danger from the projected norms of our society. We must question a person's right to define what is normal and good outside of their own context. And mostly, we must protect the rights of ourselves by protecting the rights of others. Archana Jayaram College '01 The writer is political chairwoman of the United Minorities Council.