First off, I am not an avid reader of The Chart. I don’t wait patiently for the newest copy to show up each Friday.

However, this semester has prompted me to read it more as I have noticed an influx of rather uninteresting opinion pieces by the staff writers of this campus newspaper.

This morning [Monday] I was made aware of the Public Forum of [the] Oct. 5 edition.

While reading the pieces I noticed a central theme grow in my head. That theme was homophobia and bigotry.

Each article of opinion was laced with back-handed thoughts of homosexuality and hate that it brought back memories or disgust and hatred that I experienced when I was younger.

All three pieces upset me greatly as they did nothing but set time back on the advancement of equal rights for every group represented on MSSU.

Ms. Markovich, You’re [your] editorial piece was nothing but offensive to my eyes. As I read the title, “It’s finally time for me to come out,” my initial reaction was, “This young girl is coming out of the closet … Why else would she say that?”

As I finished the article, I became over-whelmed with disgust as the last line, “I am a hipster” was read. How do you even begin to justify what I’m sure you think was a hilarious article to write?

You took stereotypes of lesbianism and made them humorous for your article. Tegan & Sara, flannel shirts, and Emily Dickinson?

Maybe these are all things that you take joy in, as many people do, but you used them as weapons to make the reader believe that you were coming out of the closet as a lesbian.

The worst part is you knew you were doing it. I know you were because you’re an educated young woman with a title proclaiming your “outness.”

I was deeply offended by this. You took stereotypes and reinforced them.

Mr. Boley, Your article was offensive and it took everything in me to finish reading it. You’re [your] argument concerning hyphenated Americans should be more clarified. As anyone would know, hyphenated Americans is a term used between the 1890’s and 1920’s as a derogatory fashion mainly concerning Irish Americans that wanted neutrality in World War I; However, the term as been modernized for linguistic reasons.

The reason why some terms, such as African American or Mexican American is used is because that person has a country or continent of origin. They are Americans regardless of whether or not they are black, white, Mexican, or Asian.

You then needed to clarify that “I have no issue with homosexuals” but went on to say that having a limp wrist, a lisp or collecting tea cozies would all be questionable activity and allow others to criticize and question my sexuality?

How dare you? You generalized male homosexuality just as much as Ms. Markovich did in her article. What do my shopping list and my physical appearance have to do with my sexuality as a person? What does it have to do with anyone as a person?

You are the problem with political correctness because, frankly, your opinion became invalid. You hate because you merely want to hate. You judge because you want to judge. Just because your opinion if your own doesn’t make it right. In fact, it doesn’t.

Mr. Mills, You’re [your] article was the least offensive. Regardless, it was offensive. You took the issue of bullying and you changed the It Gets Better campaign that Dan Savage created for bullied youth.

You advocate that youth and adults just “let it go.” How does that change anything? If your four-week old daughter was bullied when she gets younger, would you just “let it go?”

If she was a lesbian being picked on, would you just “let it go?”

The purpose of the It Gets Better Campaign is to actively help youth and adults interact with each other and stop the increased violence against youth. You took this campaign and told people to basically just ignore it.

The campaign helps interaction and active change and you advocate not changing, just putting up with it and letting it go.

That, my sir, is not how you handle the issue. It is probably easy to say these words for you as you more than likely haven’t experienced these issues first hand. I may be wrong, though. Maybe you have.

However, ignoring an issue doesn’t make it go away. You would ignore termites destroying your home. Homophobia and bullying are like termites. They will eat away at you (the house) until you are nothing.