As I read Joost Bosland's Sept. 24 column "Fags are our friends," I could not help but notice its ironic parallels with Bridget Newman's Sept. 17 column, as both pieces describe similar "theme" parties, but in much different contexts.
I found Bosland's "greek-style" party proposal strangely familiar. With only a few substitutions, his party quickly morphs into Sigma Chi's "Viva Mexico" party. "Drag queen" bouncers become "Border Control" guards. "Pink triangular invitations" become "little green cards" with expiration dates.
With apologies to Bridget Newman, do Bosland's proposals "obviously imply" that all homosexuals listen to Madonna, have casual sex in park rest rooms and drink strawberry daiquiris? Bosland seems to make many more stereotypical assumptions toward gays than Sigma Chi did toward Latinos.
These party parallels leave us with two options to consider.
One: If we do not find prejudice and unfair stereotypes in Bosland's theme party, then we cannot impute these popular pejoratives to Sigma Chi's party. There can be no double standard.
Two: Both parties are "racist" and unfair to the individuals who belong to the community represented by that particular theme. However, we must take this route with a clear understanding of just how easily a decision can become "racist." As a staunch supporter of the gay community, Bosland would appear to be the last person to speak prejudiciously against homosexuals. Yet even he stumbles into the pothole of prejudicial slurs.
Sigma Chi is no more racist toward the Latino population than Bosland is to the homosexual community. Given Bosland's obvious affinity toward his "favorite kind of people," I don't see how you can make that connection with either Bosland or Sigma Chi's "Viva Mexico."
Andrew Longenecker
Pratt '07
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