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Joe Quigley on 'inclusivity' at NW Classen


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The following is an email from Joe Quigley
(Posted 12-6-02)

(12-6-02) When you enter the main doors at NWClassen the first thing you encounter is a suit of armor as NWClassen is known as The Knights. Now this is not to dismiss the scanning lady in any manner since I did say "thing".
   I don't know if the case in which it stands would be draped in a large Ashcroftesque giant blue curtain if the principal were to find out, as he surely will, that the suit of armor after its being donated to the school was restored by a Gay Man. Another irony although not as sweet as this one is that the armor was purchased from the Woburn estate in England. Woburn Massachusetts is a town near where I grew up, and in the early days of cable television and in my being out I had answered an ad in the Boston Phoenix (its like the Gazette, but with more of an edge) and did an ad for Woburn's cable station and a voice over or two for, of all things, their hockey broadcast schedule.
     Just beyond this, after passing through the inside doors to the first floor corridor and turning right you come to three rather large display cases.
     In the first is a little winter scene cleverly assembled by students with cotton snow and such ,and in the third announcements for major events like sports and the winter ball. The middle one contains a representation of a fireplace complete with snow covered mantel and burning logs accompanied by a Christmas wish.
     Now, it should be clear by now that this school is a paragon of inclusivity. After all, nothing about Gay and Lesbian people when allowed to be displayed may be put up without the inclusion of heterosexual people, or better, no mention of anyone in the display being noted as Gay or Lesbian so that anyone looking at it can safely assume that the people listed are all straight. Which every thinking person, of course, knows is true. Disregard that the Native American display contained no one other than native Americans in spite of this being pointed out to the principal who claims he always acts when such things are pointed out, and, of course, no mention of Two-Sprited People; that students were once again directed to choose a boy and girl for spring homecoming royalty; that the principal edited the history of Gay and Lesbian History month so as to reflect his opinion of it and its importance, and that whereas Gay and Lesbian stuff when rarely allowed must be limited to one bulletin board, "christian" information not only has the run of the building but also the one bulletin board to which Gay and Lesbian information is isolated.
   So I was rather surprised in light of the universally applied inclusivity that this seasonal display lacked any mention of Hanuka or Kwanzaa. In light of the vehemence accompanying any demands that any Gay and Lesbian display must be inclusive I find this puzzling.
     Heaven forfend (we are doing a lot with Shakespeare lately) that this is yet more evidence that inclusion is selective and its invocation merely a ruse to appear justified in  denying Gay and Lesbian Kids some information of a positive nature.
     I just cannot imagine that would be the case.
Joe Quigley

 

 

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