Miami University

University responds to hateful acts

An anti-gay e-mail — described as ugly and cowardly — was recently sent to about a dozen faculty, staff and students who signed an advertisement in The Miami Student as part of National Coming Out Day.

The Miami community reacted by sponsoring an Anti-Hate Rally Oct. 29. The rally was called in response to the e-mail incident as well as to a cross burning at the Oxford Twp. home of a local family.

Spectrum, a coalition that represents "gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer and straight" students, faculty and staff, organized the rally in conjunction with other groups and individuals on campus.

The week before, the co-chairs of Miami’s Institutional Response Team sent a letter on behalf of the team indicating their support of the targeted individuals (See "IRT open letter to Miami community").

In addition, the Student ran an editorial calling the e-mail a cowardly attack and stating "we disown the letter’s author, his or her ignorance and his or her hate."

Date Published: 10/31/2002
Volume: 22   Number: 14