As a proud graduate of Vassar College, one of the founders of the college’s sex magazine Squirm and active alumna of the school, I was both horrified and amused to hear that the Westboro Baptist “Church” is planning a picket of the Vassar Campus, accusing the school of being part of the “fag agenda” and branding us the “Ivy League Whorehouse” The protest is scheduled for February 28, 2013, right after they get done protesting at the funeral of Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf at West Point.
As one of the former madames of the Ivy League Whorehouse, I know that the history and legacy of queer leadership and academia at Vassar College is much stronger than the WBC even knows. Vassar has been, and will continue to be, a safe haven for queer students and an incubator of future generations of queer leaders. Vassar’s sex culture extends beyond an acceptance of the queer spectrum of the student body: the campus sex magazine Squirm has over a ten year history of promoting erotic expression, and the magazine has served as a prototype for magazines at dozens of schools, including Harvard and Bard.
My heart aches for those students who will feel the spiritual burden of the WBC protest – queers who grew up in communities of faith and have been forced to straddle the false divide of religion and sexual authenticity. Vassar students are fierce but I know that these targeted protests can still cause spiritual wounds. It is my hope that the loving response of the Vassar community will more than counter the hateful presence of the prostesters on campus.
Once the WBC added Vassar to the official prostest schedule, The Vassar community was swift to react. Hundreds of students gathered to begin deciding how to counter protest the WBC visit and how to create positive outcomes for the communities of both Vassar and the greater Hudson Valley area.
Online, alumni/ae – queer and otherwise – rose immediately and began voicing support for Gay Vassarites. A few fundraising efforts were initiated, raising over $18,000 within 24 hours$68,000 in three days. The CrowdRise campaign is generating money for The Trevor Project, while another campaign is raising funds for the Hudson Valley.
I am thrilled to see the student’s response so clearly calling for the transformation of WBC’s malicious intent into creating a positive event for the school. I continue to be one of the proudest former Madames of the Ivy League Whorehouse!
Update: 3/12/2013: The Vassar community received a warm hearted email from the acting President of the school, Jon Chenette. He expressed the contrast between the WBC and the values of Vassar, stating in part, “In the face of Westboro’s statements, we want to celebrate the inclusiveness of our community and the multitude of backgrounds, interests, and preferences that enrich our experiences.”