I am very distressed and angry to hear about the attacks Sept.
12-13 on UCLA’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Resource Center. As a queer alumnus I am particularly saddened by
the incident. During my tenure as an undergraduate in the
’80s there was no LGBT Resource Center. Queerdom was largely
invisible. Contacts were fleeting to nonexistent. Isolation was the
rule. It took me four years on campus before I finally found the
courage to picked up a copy of Ten Percent. Before then I was too
nervous to be seen holding one. Coming from this background, I am
excited that current and future generations of queer Bruins do not
have to live in such isolation and self-loathing. This change is
due to the proud and visible resource center. All the more reason
why it should be cherished, not attacked.
The good news is that in the end the cowards that attacked the
Center will lose. In fact, they have lost already, which is why
they strike out so separately and pathetically. LGBT students,
staff, faculty and alumni live out successful and proud lives,
contributing to the university’s mission and to the world at
large. The genie is not going back into the bottle. I predict that,
come the start of the new academic year, there will be rallies
attended by all tolerance-loving folks at UCLA to tell the
attackers this in loud, unified voices.
But I’d like to send my own message to the attackers: Give
up now. You can’t win. It’s too late. Use your time at
UCLA to greater purpose. There is a wealth of knowledge to be had,
in and out of class. The whole world is at your fingertips to
rejoice in.
Learn about those that are different from yourselves so that you
can better learn about yourselves. Pursue these activities.
If you fail to do this, you risk condemning yourself to a
lifetime of hating and the isolation that it will bring.
Russell is a UCLA alumnus and former writer for Ten Percent
magazine.