Biases Exist in Recent Reporting

   In the Nov. 23 issue of The Tech a huge amount of news space was
   pointlessly and unethically devoted to what is called a "homophobic
   slur."
   
   Starting on the front page "Flyers Target Slur," the terms
   `homophobic' and `slur' are used four times outside of quotation
   marks. One would think that a news reporter would understand the
   importance of objectivity in a news story. Just because a group calls
   something homophobic or a slur doesn't mean that it is. As a news
   reporter, the author had two options; either to refer to the graffiti
   as an "alleged homophobic slur," or to establish that it was indeed a
   homophobic slur.
   
   The rest of what I have to say applies not only to the article but
   also to the anonymous editorial and the letters to the editor: I am
   not convinced that the message was a slur. I have often heard Gays,
   Lesbians, and Bisexuals at MIT refer to itself and its members as
   "queer" and hold "queer dances." So the word itself is not a slur. The
   other possibility of slur-hood; the use of the word in the message,
   also falls short. The word "queer" was not used to be derogatory to
   homosexuals. It was used simply because it rhymes with "ear." None of
   Tuesday's contributors bothered to mention that the alleged slur said
   "To TEP ' 33 Nerds + 1 Queer," alluding to Harvard Bridge's message
   "To MIT ' 364.4 Smoots + 1 Ear." Granted this was vandalism, but
   vengeful and somewhat witty vandalism, not homophobic vandalism.
   
   _The Tech_ should focus more on being unbiased in its reporting. The
   rest of us should spend less time blowing out of proportion a simple
   misconception. Then The Tech can devote more space to real news
   stories. It amazes me that the gruesome death of two of our fellow
   students got less news coverage than the word "queer" painted on a
   sidewalk.
   
   Let's get our values straight.
   
   James Brooks '95
   

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Copyright 1993 by The Tech. All rights reserved.
This story was published on  Tuesday,  November 30, 1993.
Volume  113, Number 61
The story was printed on page  4.
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