Vandals with anti-gay insults and colorful chalk are literring the campuses of two Atlanta colleges as they celebrate Spelhouse Pride with a week of events and parties.
The combined Pride celebration for Morehouse and Spelman colleges opened on Monday. Not long after, students came across anti-gay rants written in chalk. The slurs included, "Homo Sex Is A Sin" and "He loves you! He Hates Sin!"
National LGBT groups, including Campus Pride and the National Black Justice Coalition, were quick to condemn the anti-gay graffiti.
From NBJC:
“As a proud Morehouse man and former executive officer of Safe Space, the anti-gay messages found this week on my alma mater’s campus are beyond disheartening. Hate speech is never okay, and we must always be vigilant to combat it,” says Isaiah Wilson, NBJC’s External Affairs Manager. “I am so encouraged, though, by the resiliency of the LGBT community at both Spelman and Morehouse. They have shown the upmost integrity and courage in the face of bigotry, and that’s how you breakdown the stronghold of ignorance in our society.”
“Religion-based bigotry of this kind is a harsh reminder of the hard work still to do on college campuses, especially at HBCUs,” said Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride. “Campus Pride stands with the students at Spelman College and Morehouse College in working to change the campus climate — but, let’s be clear, it is not the responsibility of the students to accommodate their own inclusion and safety. It is the job of the President and administrators to ensure a safe, welcoming learning environment for all its students. Now is the time during SpelHouse Pride Week to step up.”
Spelhouse Pride Week opened with a dance and spoken word festival on Monday and concludes Saturday with a queer prom. In between are several events, including a safe sex workshop, a keynote address by LGBT activist Kim Katrin Crosby and a drag variety show.
