The Reality of Being Gay at StFX

Sexual harassment is sexual violence

Picture this... It’s fifty years ago on a small country farm,

Homophobia is ramped…it’s a thing of the time…JUST KIDDING…welcome to StFX’s homophobic culture that targets you even when you want to have a good time. 

This is an encounter from one night going out at StFX. 

Sadly, our society has developed ridiculous norms that make people using the men’s washroom feel they have to choose a specific urinal in order to avoid the assumption that they are gay. Yes, GAY, try speaking it out loud, it is something you should get used to saying. I am gay and even I feel the need to follow these absurd heterosexual norms. Tonight, I went to The Pub hoping to have a great time with my friends. I wandered off to the bathroom and knew I should choose the urinal furthest away from the other guy who was in there at the same time. I hope you’re reading this whoever you were. I hope you know what you’ve done. He turned to me and said, “I know you’re gay and want to suck my cock.” First of all, no I do not want to do this in the bathroom with someone I do not know. Secondly, I recognize you are straight, and I do not want to be with you. Please mind your own business and let me use the washroom. The fact that you need to mention this shows your insecurities are greater than mine.

Wow! I am gay and was already targeted once this evening, it surely should not happen again. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I was walking home from the pub with two of my best friends. They were both female and one was visibly upset due to unfortunate circumstances she found herself involved with earlier in the night. I had my arm around her to provide comfort. We passed a group of immature students who sarcastically muttered homophobic slurs. 

One of my friends decided to call them out for this act of cruelty. They began to laugh hysterically as if being homophobic was a joke. 

Photo: mystfx.ca/visible-at-x

Let me tell you, it is not a joke! You are attacking someone for who they are. You are making fun of and belittling someone’s identity.

I love StFX and feel I belong here. Many faculty, staff, and students do a lot of hard work to ensure students like myself are treated as equals; it does not go unnoticed. Before this night, I had never been a direct victim of homophobic gestures. I almost tricked myself into believing this was something that did not exist on our campus. What I experienced taught me that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before people recognize that love is love. 

If you have taken the time to read this article and are homophobic, please know that your actions hurt others and are never forgotten. If you have taken the time to read this article and are one of the people who thought it was funny to insult me, I want you to know that your words hurt, they left me feeling sad and angry.

I hope you will think twice before you consider saying something homophobic again in the future.