Vandalism Issue Not Addressed Fairlu

   You still don't get it! My letter protesting the lack of concern about
   the stereotyping of and vandalism against fraternity members was run
   under the headline "Fraternities Have Redeeming Qualities." Would you
   have headlined a letter protesting discrimination against homosexuals
   "Homosexuals Have Redeeming Qualities"? Such a headline implies that
   the group is bad and needs to be redeemed. The headline I suggested
   more accurately summarized the letter: "Discrimination against
   fraternities unacceptable."
   
   My letter did not list any of the "redeeming" qualities of fraternity
   members I know, because I don't think that fraternities need
   redemption. As is true of any group, some members do bad things,
   others do not. It is morally and logically wrong to lump them into one
   stereotype, as Kristen K. Nummerdor '94 does when she says the slur
   ("33 NERDS + ONE QUEER") "sends out a message that homosexuals are not
   very welcome in the fraternity system." She ignores TEP's response in
   their news release: "TEP is proud that all 34 members of their house
   are nerds, regardless of their sexual orientation."
   
   Other items in Tuesday's issue of _The Tech_ support my point that
   vandalism against a fraternity is not considered a serious matter.
   Correctly, there was protest against the homophobic slur ["Flyers
   Target Slur," Nov. 23], but there apparently was none against the
   violence done to the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity house. An editorial,
   headlined "Institute Must Respond to Homophobia," says nothing about
   the vandalism inside TEP, which, by implication, need not be responded
   to.
   
   A welcome exception is the letter from Teresa W. Lau '95, Nummerdor,
   and 98 others ["TEP Graffiti Must Be Publicly Addressed," Nov. 23],
   which also criticizes the "premeditated act of vandalism." By doing
   so, the hundred signatories show they consider harassment of any
   members of the MIT community to be unacceptable. Far from diluting
   their commitment to fighting homophobia, such a position shows an
   admirable commitment to human rights, which I hope everyone will
   someday share.
   
   Ellen Spertus G
   

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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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