Protesting the wrong issue completely...

To the shock and dismay of Gay rights activists and much of the Ryerson community, Ryerson University gave an honorary degree to renowned McGill Ethics Professor Margaret Somerville on Monday morning. Somerville expresses strong homophobic, anti-same-sex marriage viewpoints and extreme opinions that artificial insemination for lesbian women is wrong. She maintains the stance that children have the right to a mother and a father (preferably their biological parents) and therefore same-sex couples are unfit parents. Somerville says that by allowing same-sex marriage we are "eroding the role marriage plays in child-bearing." Despite the protest and a petition, which as far as I'm concerned, carried more than enough signatures to sway the decision she was given the honor anyway.
Ryerson is supposed to be one of the most inclusive and progressive institutions (in the city anyway) and having them go ahead with this action is really disappointing Especially after all the work Ryerson and RyePride have done to push for an anti-oppression model and break down homophobia and to promote exceptance of same-sex marriage. The University claims that they didn't know of Somerville's position upon making the decision and may have thought twice if they had. I think that's kind of weak but I do like President Sheldon Levy's quotes that appeared in MACLEAN'S Magazine:
Ryerson president Sheldon Levy said the university stands by its decision to honor Somerville, whom he called a "wonderful recipient."
"Even though there are many that will disagree with Prof. Somerville, myself included, it doesn't mean that she isn't welcome back," Levy said.
"She will hear our views as well as she will express her views. That's what the university is about."
Levy said the university does not support Somerville's views, but in fact supports and celebrates diversity, equality, and the legal right to live free of discrimination.
Or, as Levy quoted Voltaire as saying: "'I might disagree with you, but I would go to death to defend your right to be able to say it."

I still think that by going through with the honor, Ryerson has presented a position that is greatly misrepresentative of it's community and extremely contradictory to its so-called values. Unfortunately in doing so, not only have they tainted all of our degrees to a certain point, they have presented themselves (despite individual disagreement and however indirectly) in solidarity with her. It's really too bad...and the fact that they did it on the first day of Pride week, is just bad taste!

However, I respect Levy's position, afterall it is the corporate Board of Governors who are ultimately making the decisions, not him. It is true, free speech, no matter how controversial it is, is important. As a journalist I have to agree with Levy's quote.

I feel really stupid for not going to the protest though. In the end are we really entitled to an opinion of we don't fully act upon it? I was really conflicted about it. I really wanted to go and show my support for RyePride etc. but I was under the impression that convocation was going to be disrupted and I thought...'Would I want my grad to be screwed up after I worked my ass off for 4 years just because my school fucked up? Probably not!' I didn't really have time to go anyway. But my ultimate decision was to respect my schoolmates right to the celebration of their accomplishments. I talked to someone from the Students' Union today though and it turns out they didn't disrupt anything and that it was an extremely tasteful and peaceful protest. In retrospect I think I was concerned about the wrong issue. Are equal rights not more important than one convocation? Oops! In any case my heart is in the right place. I do not support any of Somerville's points of view and I fully support our LGBTQ community. MY RYERSON INCLUDES EQUAL RIGHTS!!!!