My work revolves around rhetoric. Since that word gets thrown around in such a negative way, let me explain better. I teach argumentative (or persuasive) communication. In class, we discuss how each word carries weight. We examine what is required for language and texts to be most effective. If I installed windows for a living, my guess is that I would be constantly looking at which windows were installed poorly and which ones needed replacing yesterday. But I don’t do that. I work with words.
So, when I hear and read about hateful language, it is impossible for me to tune it out. It’s not background noise or “just words.”
There are allegations of hate speech used by a Middletown business owner toward someone who he had asked to leave his establishment. Allegedly, a young adult was repeatedly called a “faggot” and a “dick sucking faggot” by the owner, who had reportedly told the young man to leave the premises for having a Dunkin Donuts beverage in the shop.
I recently read a friend’s social media update that an acquaintance of his views Hartford as a place “for lower end people, and blacks, and gay bashers oh, yeah and tons of latinos [sic].” Putting the ignorance and implied racism of that statement aside, nobody can deny that we do have gay bashers here. In 2005, two lesbians were assaulted on Campfield Avenue. We know that anti-gay bullying is routine in the public schools. Hartford does not have a monopoly on anti-gay actions and speech.
Middletown is often regarded as this safe space due to Wesleyan University. Students leave campus to interact with the town they live in. The downtown reflects cultural diversity. Yet, the atmosphere even in Middletown appears to be hostile. Older adults can typically shrug off the hate speech. Youth respond quite differently.
The Queer Liberation Front is organizing an action to protest the alleged anti-gay incident. It is planned for January 30th in Middletown. If interested in this or the full details of the alleged incident, you can contact them by calling Aaron McAuliffe at (860) 965-9883 or emailing air.on.923@gmail.com
