UNC rallies in solidarity with Duke’s Jack Donahue after hate speech incident

A rally was held in the Pit last night in solidarity with the LGBTQ community. The event followed a hate speech incident on Duke University’s campus targeting freshman Jack Donahue.

The words “Death to all Fags @ Jack” were written in permanent marker on the wall of Donahue’s freshman residence hall. UNC’s rally was held to support him and raise awareness about homophobia in the area.

“Solidarity” and “plurality” were the main themes of the rally. Several campus organizations, as well as the Mayor of Chapel Hill, Mark Kleinschmidt, attended to speak out against hate speech.

Kleinschmidt, who is openly gay, said he believed he could make a difference when he became mayor, but it turns out one person alone cannot make that change.

Speaking to the audience and those who organized the rally, he said: “You were the force that created tonight. You have that power to embolden, to impassion, to live. You have that power.”

Queer People of Color, Muslim Students Association, the director of multicultural affairs, the LGBTQ center director, the Campus Y and the Carolina Hispanic Association or CHispA were among the groups who spoke at the rally. They all came together as a community to speak out against discrimination.

Vanessa Delvillar, External Affairs Co-President of CHispA, said the rally also addressed the issue of safe space. Organizations are holding a conversation on what is needed from the community for students to feel safe. They’ve also discussed incidents in the past that made students feel unsafe.

Vanessa said: “The organizations are here to express how intersectionality occurs and how support from the community is an effective way to create a safe community versus just regulation, versus just a policy.”

She says the groups are demonstrating how any form of hate or discrimination is unacceptable, especially in a place of higher education.

“We’re more so against the bigger issue of negligence to hateful attitude that permeates not just the LGBTQ community, but it permeates people whether you’re black, white, brown, yellow – whatever may be the case. Hate is not okay in any way, shape or form, and for the LGBTQ community to be a marginalized group, we want to support and make sure that they know we want to offer that safe space.”

The rally also addressed the recent appointment of the UNC-system president Margaret Spellings. After Spellings was elected and confronted about her past homophobic stances, she said she would not comment on “those lifestyles.”

Christian Haig, Co-Director of Development for the Campus Y, said: “The LGBTQ community is not made up of lifestyles. We’re people. We’re individuals. We’re living who we are and it’s completely unfair to have an administrator who is not welcoming or representative of all of their students.”

To Spellings, Haig said: “Accept all students that you are presiding over or step down.”