The other day there were anti-gay protesters oncampus. We get them every so often, right on Library mall. There's usually only three or four guys, middle-aged with beards and lovehandles, one with a Bible in hand, the rest holding posters made with the help of Kinkos. When they first showed up last September, they caused a minor sensation, just with people standing around and watching, mostly making fun of them. By now, most people are ignoring them on their way to class.
While I find them annoying, I do recognize the power of the 1st amendment, and while I don't agree with what they say, I'm fine with the fact that they do. That's why I have an mp3 player.
The problem I have with the protesters is my friends feel the need to inform me every single time it happens. I'll wake up at 10 and have four or five IMs from my friends on my away message, saying that the protesters are back and that I should check them out.
I'm not entirely sure what they want me to do about it. I mean, there's a certain point, usually right after someone comes out, where they are all about activism and indignance, but I've past that stage. Even then, while walking to class there's not much you can do. You could take out a piece of notebook paper and throw together a makeshift poster, or you can yell obscenities at the protesters, or you can you can just sit there and let the anger simmer then go home and write a whiny livejournal post.
I guess, ultimately, that's my biggest problem with Gaypril. For all the talk about building a community or creating safer spaces or whatever the buzzword is that year, nothing really happens. It's like the weekly protests about the Iraq war oncampus; its not like anything that happens when thirty people gather on the stairs of the Union with posters. It may feel good, and let you feel like you're doing someting, but in the end it's a waste of time and posters.
Watching movies about transsexuals and inviting lesbian performance artists is fine and dandy, but in the end, nothing's really going to happen. It's like going out of your way to watch the anti-gay protesters: ultimately there's no real point, it's more voyeurism than activism, and most people will end up going home and writing something stupid in their livejournals.
