DPS: Anti-Gay Graffiti Found in Copley
The discovery of graffiti containing anti-gay language in Copley Hall was reported to the Department of Public Safety Wednesday afternoon.
According to Sergeant David Ruiz of DPS, the markings were reported to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit Thursday morning for further investigation.
“The complainants believe it was just a random act. The words that were spray painted were ‘fag’ and ‘gay,’” Ruiz said in an e-mail.
Copley Hall Director William Colona notified residents of the incident Thursday afternoon.
“Yesterday a resident reported bias-related graffiti on a wall related to sexual orientation. The Copley Residence Life team is very disappointed that this occurred after the conversations had within the safety of our walls last week surrounding tolerance, bias, and how hateful words and actions have an impact on our community,” Colona said in an e-mail to Copley Hall residents.
It was the fifth bias-related incident reported to DPS since Oct. 27. On Oct. 27, a female student was assaulted on Canal Road while reportedly wearing a T-shirt supporting gay rights. On Nov. 1, a student was assaulted near the intersection of 36th and N Streets. According to a Public Safety Alert, the victim was asked “Are you a homo?” before being physically assaulted. On Nov. 2, a note that included an anti-gay slur was left on the door of the LGBTQ Resource Center. On Monday, a student was verbally harassed by four men near the intersection of 37th and Prospect Streets on the basis of perceived sexual orientation.
Nov 13 2009 at 12:38 a.m.
Still no interest in security cameras, eh? Is someone going to get murdered on campus before anyone decides to do anything serious about security? Student patrols are not serious. Sitting around talking about hurtful works is not serious. Changing the Code of Conduct to make already-prohibited conduct even-more-prohibited is not serious.
Install some damn cameras, catch some of these offenders, and make examples of them. That's serious.
Nov 13 2009 at 1:38 p.m.
Anti-gay slurs are completely inappropriate. That's probably why you can find them in nearly every public bathroom stall in a men's bathroom on this campus.
Nov 13 2009 at 4:03 p.m.
Security cameras, yes. But, in this particular case, they probably wouldn't help since it is generally accepted that, even if there were security cameras all over campus, they shouldn't be in residence areas (other than lobbies, entrances, stairwells) because that is where the privacy concern outweighs the security concern.
Nov 13 2009 at 7:28 p.m.
Most students shower in a communal bathroom. There's a privacy interest in college dorms?
Nov 14 2009 at 11:08 a.m.
The privacy interest isn't among the students in the residence hall; it's between the students and the camera watchers. The cameras shouldn't be anywhere that may capture students in their living quarters. You can't point a camera down a hallway without potentially seeing into a room or bathroom. It's a similar issue with cameras outside on the street. They must be carefully placed so they don't see inside windows of residences, which is also difficult.
Nov 19 2009 at 9:57 a.m.
I'm pretty sure gays make up these events or perform them themselves for visibility, out of boredom, or because its a colorful crusade du jour. Notice all this garbage only started happening within the past two months.