An anonymous group at Youngstown State University (YSU) recently posted fliers around campus advocating for a "Straight Pride Week."
According to the Huffington Post, YSU administrators organized a swift removal of the signs and an adamant assurance that the school does not have such an event.
"With the help of a bunch of students, we quickly went out to take them all down," Ron Cole, YSU public information officer, told the HP. "Reaction has ranged from concern to outrage. While we recognize the right to free speech, this is counter to our mission of being a diverse and accepting campus."
The YSU Student Government condemned the fliers in a statement.
"When individuals belong to dominant societal cohorts (Caucasian, male, heterosexual, etc.) it is very easy to state 'We have nothing against your sexual orientation' and to claim that efforts to raise awareness are 'annoying,'" the statement read. "For minorities who every day face discrimination and marginalization, such efforts are necessary - without zeal and persistence, sociology teaches that minority concerns very easily go by the wayside. Thus, dismissing the efforts of LGBTQIA students to push for equitable treatment as unnecessary is dangerous because it catalyzes discrimination, whether meant to do so or not."
While most of the response to the fliers has been disagreement, some has been generally dissenting toward the school.
"We're getting a lot of negative comments toward our community," Tim Bortner, president of YSUnity, the school's LGBT group, told the HP. "There has been a lot of harassment and things [on Yik Yak]. Our members are seeing that and our communities are seeing it and it's making them feel unsafe."
Another member of the student group said the fliers seemingly "came out of nowhere."
"It's not something that I expected from our student body. Everybody for the most part, they're angry, they're confused," Lisa Ronquillo, vice president of YSUnity, told the HP. "There's no room for this on a university campus. It's unprofessional, it's childish and we need to get people to see we're just like you, we're not trying to force an agenda.
"We need to pull together as a community."
