SEPARATE BUT EQUAL IS A-OKAY, IF YOU’RE GAY!: It would make a snazzy t-shirt slogan. And sadly, it’s true: The University of Oklahoma has announced plans to provide a separate but equal student lounge for LGBT+++++ students. Apparently, the university’s decision was prompted by a request from an LGBT student organization, which actually wants to be segregated from the rest of the student body:
Human relations sophomore David Martin is excited about the study room because it will allow students to hang out in a comfortable place without judgement or bullying. LGBTQ students will be able to comfortably socialize and be with their significant other without fear, he said.
“It goes back to having a safe haven … having a safe place will help students be themselves, and provide the opportunity to reduce harassment,” Martin said.
So let’s get this straight (pun intended): Instead of working to ensure that LGBT students aren’t harassed and treated equally, the University of Oklahoma–a public university subject to the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment–thinks it’s better to offer a segregated “safe space” for LGBT students? Seriously?
How about a taxpayer-funded “safe space” for conservatives, or pro-life students, or even (gasp!) white men? Would the University of Oklahoma think such spaces would be important to furthering its mission of inclusion and diversity, too? Yeah, we know the answer. Oh well, it will make an interesting lawsuit.