“I am proud to be gay. When people asked me, I tell them: ‘yes, I’m gay and I respect Korean culture.'” Those are the words of an unidentified 24-year-old Filipino student who’s about to be kicked out of the the Catholic University of Korea for being gay.
The school wants the student gone from the dorms because “many students are inconvenienced and are feeling unpleasant with the (gay) student, who has been trying to use the ladies’ restroom,” a CUK spokesperson tells the Korea Times. “We never treated him unfairly because of his sexual orientation but he just caused a problem, which troubles our school students.”
The student, who graduated from a Catholic high school in Manila, denies ever using the ladies’ room. (“I don’t know why they are making up these rumors,” he says. “I never used the ladies’ bathroom. In fact, a (female) classmate, who reported that she saw me use the bathroom, later apologized to me and said she made a mistake.”) And also: Uh, who gives a shit, especially since it’s an all male dorm, and the women’s restroom probably sees two visits a day, if that.
Sadly it’s not just a matter of the student finding new housing. Because his scholarship is tied to him working as a staff member in the dorm, he’s also losing his tuition. CUK is refusing to make any special arrangement for the student if he’s forced out of the dorm. He’s filing an appeal.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
