Nevertheless, some members of the Greek community on campus worry that although though they agree with Lambda's agenda, it is unfair to ask houses to fly a flag supporting what some see as a political cause.
"It was expressed in our chapter that Greek organizations shouldn't have to make political statements, and it's unfair that if we choose not to fly the flag, we are seen as bigots," said senior A.J. Axelrod, a fraternity member. "I don't really buy that, but it was a concern expressed in our house."
An editorial questioned whether there was undue pressure to fly the flags:
Several members of the Greek community expressed concern over oblique social pressure, asserting that not flying the flag was equivocated to being bigoted. They felt that the flag was a political statement, and forcing a majority of their chapter to vote on that statement was inappropriate. The fact that pressure existed, however subtly, is unacceptable.OK, one thing at a time. Let's start with the issue of pressure and then we'll come back to the Pride flag itself.
Thank goodness the poor, defenseless straight student majority on campus has the Hustler editorial page to defend them against the gays going around asking people to fly a flag. What will they ask for next? Equal dining privileges? It's entirely too much pressure. Give me a break! It doesn't even scratch the surface of what GLBT students face in terms of pressure on campus.
Now back to the flag...I'm not a fan of the Pride flag. But the most vocal, visible element of our community around the country does like it. So I deal with it. Is it political? In a very broad sense, yes, it is. It means liberation to some, acceptance to others. But it doesn't have anything to do with any specific political question, candidate, legislation, or court decision. I don't know why it is that any time something GLBT comes up, some people automatically read it as political. If flying the rainbow flag is the new threshold for political activism, then there are a hell of a lot more activists than I thought. It strikes me now as more cultural than political. So to fly a rainbow flag doesn't tell me whether you support marriage equality, civil unions, polyamory, getting rid of marriage altogether or that you just happen to like rainbows...or, gulp, GLBT folks.
