Letter to the Editor 1/17

To the Editor,

I am writing this letter in response to the editorial published in The Pitt… To the Editor,

I am writing this letter in response to the editorial published in The Pitt News on Jan. 11 titled “Viral Video-Game Blog Post Unrelated to LGBTQ Rights.” I think a serious opportunity to discuss the significance of gender roles and LGBTQ individuals was missed in the article’s dismissal of the situation. When I think of the moments when I have been made aware of just how difficult my life as an LGBTQ person would be, it was in moments where my father said things to me like the father mentioned in the editorial said. A large part of homophobia is based on the desire to strictly police gender expression.

This extends not just to hobbies and social interests, but to sexuality as well. Men shouldn’t want girl colors for the same reason that they shouldn’t want to be in committed relationships with other men — that’s supposed to be what women want. It’s not only the more obvious issues such as discriminatory laws that make LGBTQ lives hard, but also the ways that teachers, employers, co-workers, fellow students, friends and family reinforce the idea that LGBTQ people are somehow living incorrectly through their seemingly inconsequential comments.

Because LGBTQ organizations (along with women’s groups and feminist activists) have worked to dismantle these expectations of gender, it makes this type of thing relevant and of consequence to the larger movement. I think the editorial — however well-intentioned — does a disservice to the movement it speaks of by suggesting gender roles aren’t relevant to LGBTQ rights.

Greerlin Thomas