No surprise: I disagree with Lisa Pampuch’s column of March 14,
wherein she castigates the Day of Truth protest. She calls the
name
”
Day of Truth
”
a misnomer, and says that
”
organizers imply that those who disagree with them are liars …
It’s a shameful, cheap, disgraceful and deceitful tactic.
”
No surprise: I disagree with Lisa Pampuch’s column of March 14, wherein she castigates the Day of Truth protest. She calls the name “Day of Truth” a misnomer, and says that “organizers imply that those who disagree with them are liars … It’s a shameful, cheap, disgraceful and deceitful tactic.”
Ms. Pampuch really should stick to arguing against what people actually say. Arguing against what she says they imply is suspiciously close to erecting a straw man argument.
It is probably just a coincidence that homosexual rights activists, notably GLSEN, are calling the Day of Truth a “day of lies.” I mean, Lisa Pampuch would not just read their press releases and adopt their positions as her own, would she?
The rest of Lisa Pampuch’s complaint seems to me to be a complaint about semantics. Semantics are important. Even the use of the word “gay”, with its connotations of a happy, carefree lifestyle, or homosexual, which says what it means, or harsher terms, chosen to hurt, indicates one’s underlying point of view.
The Day of Silence wants to end the silencing of gay students. The Day of Truth wants to counter the promotion of the homosexual agenda. The Days disagree about whether homosexuality is to be accepted. Truth says homosexual behavior is unhealthy and immoral. Silence gives consent.
Is there any common ground? In my view, Day of Silence supporters genuinely feel that homosexual students are discriminated against, harassed and silenced.
Day of Truth supporters point out that “students who have attempted to speak against the promotion of the homosexual agenda have been censored or, in some cases, punished for their beliefs. It is important that students stand up for their First Amendment right to hear and speak the Truth about human sexuality in order to protect that freedom for future generations. The Day of Truth provides an opportunity to publicly exercise our free speech rights.”
In short, both sides feel that they have been discriminated against and silenced. In our society, it is very easy to view oneself as part of a persecuted minority.
In cruising around the Day of Truth Web site, I found three things to admire.
The first, as Lisa Pampuch mentions, is that the protest is to be conducted not by teachers, but by students, who are to wear T shirts and pass out cards. All activities are to take place outside of the classroom. None are to interfere with classroom instruction.
The second, which Lisa Pampuch did not mention, is that T shirts are not to be altered in any way. The T shirts are grey, with a simple “Day of Truth” logo on the front. No potentially hurtful messages are to be added.
The third and best aspect of the Day of Truth is the advice they post in their homosexuality FAQ sheet in response to question 7. It is so good, I will reprint it in full:
7. How can we extend love and friendship to homosexuals without approving of their lifestyle?
We often have a difficult time being friends with someone when we disagree with them on some moral ground, but it is possible! Learn to see past a person’s sexual orientation. Remember, even if you believe that change is good and possible, it’s not something you can force anyone to do and it’s not something you’re responsible for. You can help them, however, in meeting their real need: healthy same-sex affection! This is where you need to step up, guys, even when you’re uncomfortable. If you’re reaching out to another young man who’s struggling with this, he doesn’t need to be best friends with all the girls – he needs to hang out with the guys!
This is tough also because there are so many homosexuals who will say, “If you don’t embrace my behavior, then you don’t love me.”
You’ve got to break through this wall. You can say, “No, I won’t stop believing there’s something better for you. But even if you don’t believe that, I really want to be your friend.”
If this advice from the Day of Truth organizers is actually adopted by students, it could do more toward ending discrimination and harassment than the Day of Silence ever could.
