Re “PCC Comes up with a New Gesture – It Apologizes (to Everyone)”
Dateline Pasadena — We have come upon a shocking new development regarding the dis-invitation of Dustin Lance Black as commencement speaker at the spring graduation ceremonies at Pasadena City College.
We have been working tirelessly on this research for the last few days. Please read the statement that we have sent out to the Los Angeles Times below (and feel free to spread the word.)
In light of the recent decision to disinvite distinguished alumnus Dustin Lance Black, the choice of his replacement sheds light on what sort of speaker and role model the BOT and administration think is suitable for the students of Pasadena City College.
Their choice, Dr. Eric Walsh, is not only the Director of Public Health in Pasadena, he is an active preacher in the Seventh Day Adventist community. His many sermons are recorded and are available online to the public.
We believe in a person’s right to privacy, and the privacy of personal beliefs. However, unlike Dustin Lance Black’s private photographs (which were made public without his consent), Dr. Walsh’s beliefs have been expressed in a public forum with Dr. Walsh’s consent.
Dr. Walsh’s sermons were recorded for the purpose of spreading his thoughts.
Dr. Walsh’s sermons include sexist and homophobic statements that are offensive to many of the communities here at PCC.
How can PCC claim to be a safe space for all students, especially LGBTQIA students, when at the same time our commencement speaker has made derogatory, demeaning, and dehumanizing statements against these communities?
Some selected quotes:
“…the description in Jude 7 makes it clear that [Sodom and Gomorra] gave themselves over to fornication which we normally connotate [sic] as premarital sex, and uhm, going after strange flesh, which if you carry the analogies all the way out, mean homosexuality. The Bible says that when they did this, God calls them to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire… [Ezekiel] verse 50 says, ‘and they were haughty and committed abomination before me, therefore, I took them away…’ I want you to know that God still reserves. He has the right. If it pleases God, he can step in and wipe out whole cities if that’s what pleases him. Especially when God’s cup of wrath, of his indignation, when he is so disgusted with what is going on, God reserves the right to destroy. That’s the story of the flood, it is the story of Sodom and Gomorra.” (Sex, Lies, and the Fight for Purity, available on YouTube here: Eric Walsh : Sex Lies and the Fight for Purity) (Minutes 7:12-8:51)
“…Talk shows work to change public opinion, I put this example of homosexuality. When I was growing up, and I was growing up outside of Hartford Connecticut …I never saw anybody that I thought was gay… We used those words as insults at each other, not understanding there were people who really were gay. If somebody said “you’re gay” those were fighting words! …I remember on the Donahue show… he had on a young gay man and his father… And the boy comes out of the closet on national television… The father goes to wailing on him, calling him names, wanting to disown him… And you’re at home, your heart’s being tugged… You began to develop this kind of sympathy, that’s the wedge the devil began to use. He just slipped in homosexuality…
“Today you have whole shows, like Will and Grace, where the whole theme is around gayness, if there is such a word. How does the devil do it? … He doesn’t give you a whole lot of it at once…You become immunized against something that was once was revolting to American society. Thats why there were laws…against sodomy and homosexuality. How do you go from what we had in the 70’s to gay marriage? How do you do it if you’re the devil? TELEVISION. It’s like a nuclear bomb in destroying our society.”
(Sermon: Culture, Sex, and the Fight for Purity, minutes 26:25 to 29:10, available on audioverse here.)
[Many more sermons are accessible on both audioverse and on Youtube (linked above)].
The Board’s representative has argued that disinviting Dustin Lance Black was due to a policy issue, however, not only did the invitation to Mr. Black follow past practice to the letter, it is also thrown into shadow by their new choice for commencement speaker.
It can be surmised that in an effort to negate the negative perception of Dustin Lance Black by the PCC Board of Trustees President, Anthony Fellow, as an irresponsible individual who practices unsafe sex, they chose an individual who embodies the opposite, a wholesome, respected public health official whose duties include working against the spread of HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, despite Dr. Eric Walsh’s efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, his personal beliefs as expressed in many of his public sermons only further serve to marginalize and demonize the community to which Dustin Lance Black, and many of our students here at PCC, belong.
Ms. Camacho, a PCC student, may be contacted at kcamacho90.org@gmail.com
