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Movements to create safe learning spaces for sexual minorities at universities gaining traction

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"If someone comes out to you, it is important that you first try to sincerely understand them," Remi Kodamaya,

Hmmm... If someone comes out to you, you should just treat them the same way you treated them all along, as your friend! (And all that entails too!)

9 ( +9 / -0 )

We want equality, along with special treatment.

You know what, until people can learn to accept others for who they are, they and others who are vulnerable in own society should be given special assistance!

It's people like you, with your phobias, that make it hard for everyone else!

-15 ( +3 / -18 )

gender-ghettos?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Hmmm... If someone comes out to you, you should just treat them the same way you treated them all along, as your friend! (And all that entails too!)

100% agree with this. I have had many gay, straight etc friends etc. Some have told me about their orientation, some not. It's not a defining feature of my friendship with people.

My concern about making 'safe spaces' for minorities, women, LGBTQI+ is that it potentially has the opposite effect of what was intended. Society needs to be accepting and inclusive of differences in sexual orientation, identity etc. However, by creating spaces and rules that differ for only some in society, I'd suggest that this immediately marks users of these spaces/rules as 'different" and requiring special treatment, which is the opposite of what we should be doing.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Madness

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Are there ‘unsafe’ places at universities?

When I was attending I never noticed any...

11 ( +12 / -1 )

@InspectorGadget

Hmmm... If someone comes out to you, you should just treat them the same way you treated them all along, as your friend! (And all that entails too!)

> 100% agree with this. I have had many gay, straight etc friends etc. Some have told me about their orientation, some not. It's not a defining feature of my friendship with people.

My concern about making 'safe spaces' for minorities, women, LGBTQI+ is that it potentially has the opposite effect of what was intended. Society needs to be accepting and inclusive of differences in sexual orientation, identity etc. However, by creating spaces and rules that differ for only some in society, I'd suggest that this immediately marks users of these spaces/rules as 'different" and requiring special treatment, which is the opposite of what we should be doing.

Perfectly said.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

When I was in junior high and high school in the late 80 and early 90s, I was totally out and nobody cared. I could even be a class leader in high school. While I was a student at Tokyo University, I organized a "gay bakery" to sell stuff at the Komaba Festival to raise money for a gay group. Nobody objected and we had lots of curious customers who liked our food. I know that back in those days there were gays in the closet and sometimes gay students were bullied, but it was really rare. When did attitudes change so much that now we need safe spaces at university? I have to ask around.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

gender-ghettos?

&co

You understand they are not talking about separating the people ? It is to make the place and time which is the university a safe space/environment.

"I want to make my alma mater a place where sexual minorities can study with confidence,"

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I've heard about bullying at high schools, but at uni there was very little, at least what I was aware of. One of my best friends was gay, and he was a very popular dude. We've had a few really weird guys in our class, but we tried our best to include them somehow.

After I became faculty, we also had several cases, for example there was a guy who was turning into a girl for one day of the week, typically on Fridays. Blonde wig, make up, skirt and heels. I don't know if it was just cosplay or something else, and while it was weird, nobody bullied him/her. I don't know what toilet he was using though, that may become a problem, but nobody complained.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Are there ‘unsafe’ places at universities?

When I was attending I never noticed any...

The classroom, with its debating of facts, use of logic, and differing viewpoints, is extremely triggering!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Burning Bush - We want equality, along with special treatment

This has always been my only issue with the LGBT crowd. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve met a person of ‘other’ gender and the first thing they say to me, “I’m gay!” I really don’t care what your sexual preferences are, just dint expect me to treat you any different to anybody else.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sexual Minorities? Are they defined or do they cover ALL sexual inclinations and practices?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"As gender identity and sexual orientation has no bearing on abilities the university values, there shall be no discrimination or harassment,"

And that, works both ways, no pun intended.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

LGBT+ are people and so have all of the good and bad traits of people.

cooperate in creating an environment where sexual minorities can study without discrimination.

Like others, I would like to know what this discrimination is. I'm strongly against discrimination and do not for one second think universities are hallowed halls that are run in a perfect manner. It is already clear that there are problems about how universities in Japan treat women. The press here (and in the UK/USA) have reported many stories of on-campus rape, often involving freshmen being forced to drink to incapacity in initiation ceremonies. As the father of two daughters, is on-campus rape at Japanese universities being given the same importance as these LGBT issues? Is the deliberate marking down of Japanese women at medical schools being given the same importance, etc. etc.?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"deepen students' understanding of issues and provide support for the LGBT community."

In practice, this strongly tends to translate into convincing everybody that homosexual acts are morally good and equally normal and natural as heterosexual acts, that recognizing same sex marriage by law is a human right, that children don't need a mother and father, and that transgender women/men are real women/men, no different than other women/men. And if you don't agree, you are a bigot who makes people commit suicide.

And after they successfully silenced nearly all opposition, they will have solved nothing because they will still be depressed and commit suicide, as can be seen in many countries nowadays where a strong increase in LGBT acceptance has not significantly diminished health concerns in the LGBT community.

So called "understanding of LGBT issues" is more like a form a denial of most problems in the LGBT community in favor of a simplified message which says: "we are victims and you have to agree with us".

They will never let former homosexual activists like James Parker become involved with "understanding LGBT issues". A quote from his article, titled "Fifty years after the Stonewall riots, what the LGBTQI+ movement needs is less pride and more humility": "On a daily basis I walk with young people coming to terms with their same-sex attractions, with individuals struggling with the concept of being male or female, and with men and women ditching their other-sex spouse and children (and now even their same-sex spouse and surrogate or adoptive children) to pursue a “more fulfilling” relationship with one or more people somewhere over the rainbow.

Fifty years on from Stonewall, with every pillar of society now rainbow-friendly and frightened, I see 50 plus shades of gay grey which continue to imprison those who pursue an LGBTQI+ utopia. Five decades later, dysfunction has not only been accepted, but in places it has actually worsened.

The cocktail of gay hook-up apps along with accessibility to the drug Truvada taken by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of HIV infection has birthed a more sexually compulsive world than existed prior to the AIDS epidemic of the 80s." I doubt very much that this will be part of what Gon Matsunaka wants to communicate to "deepen students' understanding of LGBT issues".

0 ( +2 / -2 )

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