Some athletes misrepresented By Joanna Sickler I am writing this Wespeak in outraged response to the comments made by CJ MacDonald regarding the Wesleyan Queerleaders and their half-time performance at the homecoming football game. I have numerous problems with CJ’s opinions, which are far too extensive to delineate in this Wespeak but I have no doubt that other members of the queer community will address some of my other concerns. I specifically wish to comment on the way CJ located himself in relation to the Wesleyan Community. Namely that he referred to himself as a “proud student athlete” who “felt disrespected and violated by the events of half-time over homecoming weekend.” The implications in this statement and throughout his Wespeak positioned queer students and athletes as mutually exclusive from one another. This polarity places the queer community in a fringe group that is segregated from the general Wesleyan community and student athletes that CJ so proudly identifies with. The decision to frame his argument in this context demonstrates an intense level of ignorance about queer students on the Wesleyan campus. As CJ’s fellow student athlete I enjoyed the Queerleaders’ performance. I am also a queer student who completely supports what they did. The point I wish to make is that contrary to what C.J’ s Wespeak implies, students on this campus have ties to and feel a sense of community within various spheres across this campus. There are many queers who identify as being athletes, many athletes who are more comfortable identifying as students than as athletes, and so on. CJ constructs a core of Wesleyan that is occupied by “normal” and “reasonable” people like himself with the “freaky” queer people lurking along the periphery. This method of identification and categorization alienates people like myself and also ignores the fact that queers are a part of almost every aspect of student life on this campus. In reality our school is diverse with people who have various identities and allegiances to multiple groups. As a member of the athletic community, queer community, and Wesleyan community I felt proud and respected to see queers being represented as a part of our school. Those womyn stood for me, they stood for many of my friends, and they stood for a wide berth of people on this campus. I recognize CJ’s right to free speech and his right to express his opinions about the Queerleaders. What I find absurd and unreasonable is enlisting his athleticism as a qualification for his comments. If he wishes to express ignorant and homophobic views do it as a person not an athlete. Do not in any way try to represent them as being indicative of the Wesleyan athletic community. Sickler is a member of the class of 2002

editorial letters “rageragerageragerage ” Marcus ‘thanks’ MacDonald The art of transcending reason  Posters display culture not sexism Some athletes misrepresented  Administration must state policies on chalkings Cheerleading entertains but does queerleading offend? Hate transparent in Wespeaks Newsflash: C.J. misses the point Where else were the queers at Homecoming? Winning Candidate Works With Campus Greens Drilling for oil in Alaska: learn history’s lesson Meat-eaters can be converted You’re wrong, Miller Vegan “convert” responds The birth of a vegan The birth of a vegetarian Three offered courses are not acceptable Contextualize with care

The Wesleyan Argus © 2001 Wesleyan University Questions/Comments: Min Ter Lim, Online Editor or the Argus