DSC discuss gay tolerance symbol
One of the Diversity Student Council’s goals for this year to have a symbol for gay tolerance on the door of the Associated Student Government.
Since the death of Rutger’s Tyler Clementi, the DSC hopes to spread the importance of tolerating diversity on Saddleback College’s campus.
“We live in America, what is going on?” said Soulmaz Zarea, 19, international business, and member of DSC.
Toleration is something which needs to be used to help and promote peace, not violent acts or bullying, she said.
“You don’t need to use the word ‘gay,'” Zarea said. “We just don’t tolerate that in here.”
Suggestions for the symbol include a pink triangle or a rainbow flag. “We gotta get a rainbow flag in here,” Zarea said. “That’s what I’m saying.”
The DSC hopes to make the campus a safe place for people to express themselves, and this flag will help to represent that acceptance, said DSC Ambassador Sara Ghanbariami.
“We want people of all kinds to be comfortable here,” said Ghanbariami. “Let’s make it super friendly.”
“It’s the little things that make a difference,” Ghanbariami said. “There’s a lot of gay slander we say jokingly, it’s so embedded in our culture.”
Recent events like Michigan’s Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell attacking Chris Armstrong for advocating a gender-neutral housing at the University of Michigan and his “radical homosexual agenda” give the DSC more resolve to advocate the importance of peaceful tolerance.
“I think we should be understanding with out beliefs,” Zarea said. “I know we talk a lot about the negative things, but it’s good to look at the positive things.”
The DSC meets weekly Tuesdays at 1 p.m. in SSC 211. For more information, visit http://www.saddleback.edu/asg/diversitystudentcouncil.html.