| lettersliesorafittr by M.H Salemy Racism, Sexism and Homophobia. What is all the talk about? I didn’t even think about it when I tossed Maurice’s friendly letter into recycling bin. Hon- estly, I thought he was mentioning the over-use of sexual images in themes deal- ing with religion, in particular Christian- ity. It was about few weeks after that in a conversation with one of the few con- cerned faculty members that I got his point. He was dealing with hatred graf- fiti in the washrooms in his own myste- rious (conservative) way. The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘oh well, who cares about the anony- mous graffiti whose importance is meta- phorically represented in their placement within the communication sphere of a washroom’. It was after my usual few hours that I realized the issue is bigger than the graffiti and the washrooms them- selves. Coming from an Aryan culture that is still proud of its Northern ancestors and humiliates the different minorities within the country, I am used to anti-homo- sexual, sexist and racist graffiti. Actu- ally I haven’t really minded all the graf- fiti and their contents during my life in schools. To me they’ve always been a good sign of whatis really going oninthe minds of the people from my gender, therefore where should I concentrate my Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 6 page 3 -editorial YOUR NAME IS PHILIP STOKER!’ YOU'RE THIRTY- THREE YEARS OLD...MARRIED...WITH TWO KIDS ... -A MORTGAGED HOME... AND EVERYTHING TO LIVE FOR’ THIS MORNING, AS USUAL, YOU GULPED DOWN YOUR BREAKFAST, KISSED YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN GOOD-BYE, AND RUSHED OFF TO CATGH THE 8:12... @ : GOOD-BYE,DEAR! BE HOME ° EARLY TONIGHT! THE LAWN NEEDS MOWING £ —— Y o i oe TUTTI ET TITTY ; The question is- why doesn’t a supposedly intellectual cen- tre of creative forces like ECCAD want to take these im- portant issues seriously? Administration decides to paint the wash- rooms every week? Why, instead of receiving junk mail about what would be the best name for the college we don’t the administration’s paint job. receive information on how we are sup- are you talking about? I just checked the male washrooms couple of hours ago and I didn’t even see one, thanks to I’m talking more about the invisible Wouldn’t it be appropriate to fit some important lectures on the above topics in the Foundation Tuesday lectures slot? I’m almost positive that if the adminis- tration doesn’t have the money there are a lot of people, including myself, who wouldn’t mind talking about the issues with both new and old students. On the other hand I won’t generalise the whole school into a 'Home To Rac- ism, Sexism and Homophobia’. After all, I’ve found some of my best friends, a lot of them that in comparison are less racist and sexist and of course less homophobic than a lot of my Iranian friends. But I believe that if we cover the graffiti with white paint and avoid the dialogue, the black fear and hatred soon will fill our hearts and minds: One thing that we all must remember is that racism, sexism and homophobia are complex issues. They are far bigger than what any of us think, and everybody, including me should be able to question her or his motives and attitudes everyday to find the root of the problem. Remem- ber that the core of these problems origi- nates from a bigger community outside our school and that we cannot have a clean little world of our own when the rest of the world is riding the turbo train of madness in their attitudes toward al- ternative cultures. ( I refuse to use the term minority because I think that if they posed to deal with the social issues within our art and the community itself? These attitudes are nothing but short term solutions, another aspirin for my headaches and will eventually result ina big explosion of students versus stu- dents. Do we want to learn from Langara’s experience (in which a sexual harassment case was all but ignored by the administration) or are we willing to repeat this ugly history? There is a hypocritical attitude toward minorities, not only in this school but also all over the media and the rest of the society. It’s taken for granted that people are not homophobic, sexist or racist. Every- thing is supposed to be right and good, exactly the way all the political correct forces want them to be. Which graffiti graffiti, the one that smiles at you and then later, when you leave the room, Starts to talk about what a weird dyke or fag you are. I’ve seen people try to rationalize their homophobia because they are from a small town Northem B.C. where the ears are used to poetic racism, sexism and homophobia. When are we going to deal with the institutional ignorance that lets ourkids get away from high school with mis- education and enter an open space such as ECCAD where lesbians freely hold hands and kiss in the cafeteria and a Middle Easter like me is not only all over the school almost all the time everyday but also dare to criticise the basis of their middle class consumer culture? thoughts and criticism on the issue? I don’t even think any one of the people who wrote the open letter on the Con- course wall want any punishment for the graffiti artists. They only want an open discussion about the issue, and the form- ing of system that will educate the cul- prits. The question is- why doesn’t a suppos- edly intellectual centre of creative forces like ECCAD and their administration want to take this important issue seri- ously? Why is it that the biggest concern of our college’s president on women’s issue is the midnight flasher on the street and his sending of a bunch of flowers for the Montreal Massacre martyrs. Why, instead of opening up the discussion, the were counted as one special element, in a global sense they would be much big- ger than the so-called Majority.) To me, racism, sexism and homopho- bia are only signs of a general ignorance -about the bigger realities of human expe- rience. They don’t make me mad but rather, sorry. My fear is that the day will come that homosexuals and people of differentcultures are burned and clubbed, just like in the recent German scene. | can see all of the innocent faces who don’t think they’re racist, sexist or homophobic turning their faces away and ignoring the violence and oppres- sion of the different peoples- people who don’t think like them, make love like them, or look like them. Planet of the Arts Volune 7 Issue 6 page 3. -editorial lettersliesgrafittie YOUR NAME IS PHILIP STOKER! YOU'RE THIRTY~ THREE YEARS OLD...MARRIED.. by MAH Salemy Racism, Sexism and Homophobia. ‘What is all the talk about? I didn’t even think about it when I tossed Maurice's friendly letter into recycling bin, Hon- estly, I thought he was mentioning the over-use ofsextal images in themes deal- ing with religion, in particular Christian- ity. It was about few weeks after that in a conversation with one of the few con- cemed faculty members that I got his point. He was dealing with hatred graf- iti in the washrooms in his own myste- rious (conservative) way. ‘The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘oh well, who caresabout the anony- mous graffiti whose importance ismeta- phorically represented in theirplacement within the communication sphere of a washroom’. It was after my usual few hours that I realized the issue is bigger thanthe graffitiand the washrooms them- selves. Coming from an Aryan culture that is still proud of its Northem ancestors and humiliates the different minorities within the country, I am used to anti-homo- sexual, sexist and racist graffiti. Actu- ally Ihaven’t really minded all the graf- fiti and their contents during my life in schools. To me they've always been good sign of whats really goingoninthe minds of the people from my gender, therefore where should I concentrate my thoughts and criticism on the issue? 1 don’t even think any one of the people ‘who wrote the open letter on the Con- ‘course wall want any punishment forthe ‘graffiti artists. They only want an open. discussion about the issue, and the form- ing of system that will educate the cul- Prits. ‘The question is- why doesn’t a suppos- edly intellectual centre of creative forces like ECCAD and their administration want to take this important issue seri- ‘ously? Why isit that the biggest concer of our college’s president on women’s issue is the midnight flasher on the street and his sending of a bunch of flowers for the Montreal Massacre martyrs. Why, instead of opening up the discussion, the A MORTGAGED HOME. WCATCH THE 8:12 AND EVERYTHING TO LIVE FOR! THIS MORNING, AS USUAL, YOU GULPED DOWN YOUR BREAKFAST, KISSED YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN GOOD-BYE, AND RUSHED OFF TO WITH TWO KIDS .. NEEDS MOWING £ GO0D-BYE, DEAR! BE HOME fARLY TONIGHT! THE £41 WN The question is- why doesn’t a supposedly intellectual cen- tre jof creative forces like ECCAD want to take these im- portant issues seriously? ‘Administration decidesto paintthe wash- rooms every week? Why, instead of receiving junk mail about what would be the best name for the college we don’t receive information on how we are sup- posed to deal with the social issues withi ur art and the community itself? ‘These attitudes are nothing but short tem solutions, another aspirin for my headaches and will eventually result in a big explosion of students versus stu- dents. Do we want to lear from Langara’s experience (in which asexual harassment case was all but ignored by the administration) or are we willing to repeat this ugly history? There is a hypocritical attitude toward minorities, not only in this school but also all over the media and the rest of the society. It's, taken for granted that people are not homophobic, sexist or racist. Every- thing is supposed to be right and good, exactly the way all the political correct. forces want them to be. Which graffiti are you talking about? I just checked the male washrooms couple of hours ago and I didn’teven see one, thanks to the administration’s paint job. I'm talking more about the invisible ‘graffiti, the one that smiles at you and then later, when you leave the room, starts to talk about what a weird dyke or fag you are. I've seen people try to rationalize their homophobia because they are from a small town Northem B.C. where the ears are used to poetic racism, sexism and homophobia. When are we going to deal with the institutional ignorance that ets ourkids, ‘get away from high school with mis education and enter an open space such as ECCAD where lesbians freely hold hands and kiss in the cafeteria and a Middle Eastem like me is not only all. over the school almost all the time everyday but also dare to criticise the basis of their middle class consumer culture? Wouldn't it be appropriate to fit some important lectures on the above topics in the Foundation Tuesday lectures slot? I'm almost positive that if the adminis- tration doesn’t have the money thete are a lot of people, including myself, who wouldn’t mind talking about the issues with both new and old students. On the other hand I won’t generalise the whole school into a 'Home To Rac ism, Sexism and Homophobia’. After all, 've found some of my best friends, a lot of them that in comparison are less racist and sexist and of course less homophobic than a lot of my Iranian friends. But! believe that if we coverthe graffiti with white paint and avoid the dialogue, the black fear and hatred soon will fill our hearts and minds. One thing that we all must rememberis that racism, sexism and homophobia are complex issues. They are farbigger than what any of us think, and everybody, including me should be able to question herorhismotives and attitudes everyday to find the root of the problem. Remem- ber that the core of these problems origi- nates from a bigger community outside our school and that we cannot have a clean little world of our own when the rest of the world is riding the turbo train of madness in their attitudes toward al- temative cultures. ( I refuse to use the term minority because I think that if they were counted as one special element, in a global sense they would be much big- ger than the so-called Majority.) To me, racism, sexism and homopho- bia are only signs of a general ignorance about the bigger realities of human expe- rience. They don’t make me mad but rather, sorry. My fears that the day will ‘come that homosexuals and people of