Perhaps the organizers behind Norwich University’s first-ever gay pride week went a little too far in their debut performance.
Some alumni have not been very happy to see that events like the “Condom Olympics” and “Queer Prom,” gleefully reported on by us and other online outlets, were touching down at the nation’s oldest private military academy. Yes, there were more serious events like sessions about bullying and harassment, but those seemed to get overshadowed by the raunchier activities.
Said Norwich University President Richard Schneider, according to the Burlington Free Press:
“My responsibility is to get them ready to serve in the United States military or in the private sector. [Concerned alumni are] worried that by letting them do those things and calling them those things, that’s not preparing them properly for what life as an adult is like. We are not going to see condom Olympics held by the Army. So why are we teaching future second lieutenants that?”
Schneider said he failed to realize “the way the press would run with the story… we never really experienced the power of social media before and how quickly stuff gets out.”
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An alumni leader was quite candid about not supporting the more “tawdry” events:
“I had no problem with the formation of the club,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Christopher Misner, a 1990 graduate and past president of the Norwich alumni organization who is now serving at the Pentagon.
He had two complaints: One was what he called the emphasis on “the tawdry details.”
“The other one was, sort of, an initial response toward the club leadership that I thought maybe showed a lack of judgment, a little bit of irresponsibility, of how they went from being a part of the university family now to having a pride week,” Misner said. “They kind of went from idle to full throttle very quickly.”
Should gay pride week organizers slow down with the more risque events on military campuses, or should they go full throttle ahead, conservative alumni be damned?
The “Queer Prom” event was lent legitimacy from the attendance of Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (an already awesome ally), and military balls are a thing that the real army does, so maybe just cut out the Condom Olympics next time.
Mikey
First order of business after the repeal of DADT? Make everybody regret the decision with overt sexualization and segregation. Leave it to the gays to ruin a perfectly good win for the community that was just fine without Durexes and drag queens.
MEJ
Perhaps the organizers behind Norwich University’s first-ever gay pride week went a little too far in their debut performance
I think that was exactly what they wanted to do. Perhaps we should look into the leadership of the group and see if this outlandishness was done on purpose to paint gays members in a bad light.
Should gay pride week organizers slow down with the more risque events on military campuses
Yes.
Jim
This is why they hate us.
Yes they should slow down with LGBT pride.
MJ
Okay Im glad that we got a lot of support from the majority of our comrades and now we can serve openly. But this right here was just unnecessary. When you get into the military you are told from day 1 what they expect of you as a service member. It is bad enough that there are too many people who cant and don’t fulfill the military standard right now when it comes to military bearing and respect and a whole crap load of other things that I don’t have the time to talk about right now. But now we need to try harder to better represent our community within the military because despite the welcome, there’s still a lot of assholes who are looking a reason to discredit us or worse. There’s a time and place for the condom Olympics and this ain’t it
Trent
@Mikey: @MEJ: @Jim: @MJ:
You guys are crazy. All that was happening were pride week activities. People having a little bit of fun and being able to relax. For you guys to say that it is too far because it had a condom olympics in it. You say people will never do a condom olympics, this is probably true, but it is still a good reminder for condoms. That is the point. Especially if you are going into the military, a field where you may be overseas/different towns a lot. If you are not in a relationship and your going to be having sex at each place you go, probably a good idea to use condoms.
I am a peace corps volunteer in West Africa and we do condom activities at our sessions as well. (Before you get high and mighty about HIV/AIDS in Africa and ,of course, they should use condoms; know that the HIV rate in my country is reportedly below 5 percent of the population and probably more likely around 8 percent. Which is less than a lot of places in the states.)
Our actual main lessons with condoms are to prevent pregnancy and family planning. These I think would be very important lessons for military people to know and just because you know that condoms are important, don’t think everyone thinks that.
Also, as far as the discrediting stuff. What are you talking about. I look at it this way. As long as I do my job and do it well, it doesnt matter if I cover myself in gold glitter and dance in KY jelly all night at a club or go home to a loving family. The only thing they care about is that you do your job and do it well. I am tired of hearing about gay guys getting offended because other gay guys don’t act like you think they should and you think you get treated badly for it. Like my brother would say, “Suck it up, cupcake.”
JAW
@Trent:
Looks like it is not (at least) 5 against one (you)… Sexual practices do not have a place in a Pride Event… Somehow shows that one of the first things on the minds of GLBT people is sex. Condom education should be done for the entire school… not just for GLBT students. Perhaps the school should have a safe sex education day for the entire school.
As for the GLBT “Prom”… I have Never heard of a college having a “Prom”… I have heard of Formals etc… so this seems odd to begin with. If the school is welcoming to GLBT students… then why the hell would we want to segregate ourselves because our sexual/gender identity.
I thought that we were all looking to be accepted and NOT segregated
jason
Stop spreading your sleaze and promiscuity simply because you’re gay. You don’t have a right to. Proms are fine but Condom Olympics is perverse and explicit.
Stop using the gay notion as an umbrella underneath which you think you have a right to lower the tone of society.
jason
By the way, gay pride should be about pride in yourself, not pride in your sexual activities.
Aussie Col
@Trent: Trent…Love it. The stereotyping that some gay brothers put on the wide cross section of lives and styles that comprises the true gay experience can be as negative as straight out homophobia. Cheers for a great response.
Chad
I’m not a fan of “tawdry” sexual activities at ANY pride event. I don’t think that is what pride should be about, nor do I think that helps our causes in any way.
Jackson
Wow, lots of prudes and self hating gays up in this thread. Really, a silly event like “Condom Olympics” that reminds *young horny military servicemembers* at a military *school* to use condoms is “tawdry” and vulgar? Puh-lease. This is the exact demographic that needs to be reminded about condom use. A condom is a little piece of latex; it’s not really an offensive thing. It’s a medical device. To say that this is over the top or overly sexualized is really just silly. People need to loosen up and take sex a little less seriously.
Looked In
Really, a silly event like “Condom Olympics” that reminds *young horny military servicemembers* at a military *school* to use condoms is “tawdry” and vulgar? Puh-lease. This is the exact demographic that needs to be reminded about condom use.
Yeah, they really need to be reminded by a bunch of screamin’ queers. Nice move, idiots.
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