Luke Judson
Dear editor,
Over the past two weeks, I have struggled to put my thoughts into words. I do not agree with Emo Council’s decision to deny Borderland Pride’s resolution. What has followed is eye opening and disturbing. Social media has erupted with misinformation and hate.
Supporters of Council’s decision, or “the other side of the coin,” point out that if equality is the goal, no one should require a special day or month to be recognized. They ask why there is no special recognition for farmers, loggers, law enforcement, fisherman, health care providers, and parents (I guess this person missed Mother’s and Father’s Day).
Where were all these people when Emo declared World Autism Day? Why weren’t they demanding Emo declare a Cancer Day or Diabetes Day? Municipalities recognize groups and events regularly. The pushback surrounding this specific resolution is telling.
In an earlier life, I spent 12 years travelling everywhere from San Jose, California to Perth, Australia playing hockey. Often, the teams I played on would hold charity jersey auctions supporting many different causes.
I wore a pink jersey to support breast cancer. No one asked why we weren’t supporting other types of cancer.
I wore a camouflage jersey to support the local military. No one asked why we weren’t supporting police officers of fire fighters.
I wore a red and white jersey to support a local hospital. No other local hospitals demanded our support that day, either.
I even wore a “50 Shades of Grey” jersey to support an adult literacy organization. Other adult learning programs did not protest.
Most proudly, I wore a rainbow jersey to support the LGBTQ community. Guess what happened?
Protests.
Players, fans, and Facebook users spoke out against the event.
“Why don’t we do a Veteran’s jersey instead?”
“Gays are always pushing their agenda on us!”
“Why do gays always need special treatment?”
Sound familiar?
Regardless, the event was a success. I can tell you certainly, the LGBTQ community was beyond thrilled to know they were accepted in the hockey community.
Let’s accept them into ours.
Luke Judson
