To the Editor:The incidents of this past week regarding the anti-Arab flyers are truly disturbing. This was not an attempt to engage our community in any sort of informed dialogue since the author(s) and/or distributor(s) remain unknown by their own choice. I am indeed saddened by this incident and hope that it will spur serious dialogue and action regarding what we can do to eliminate or at least decrease hateful writings and speech on campus. We should instead seek dialogue, and when we are unaware or angry with a group we should seek to learn more and have a place in which to discuss our feelings and beliefs in a respectful manner.

I am concerned though as I have expressed to many friends and members of this community, by the apparent sidelining of anti-gay/queer acts and speech on this campus. Repeatedly I have seen appropriate responses to incidents of hate and harassment against members of the students of color, and religious minority communities. I praise the University for working so diligently to create a safer community in doing so. I feel however that while I know it is not intentional at all, when incidents of queer or gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) harassment occur, there is a more muted response. I am pleased that the East Quad staff has acted to address the issues which their residents are facing, but I am saddened the rest of campus was not informed of these incidents, nor other similar incidents as we have been informed of incidents such as the anti-Arab flyer posting.

I know some will say the University cannot protect everyone from hatred, harassment, and discrimination, but this does not serve as an excuse for not making an attempt. All I ask is that the University and the whole community give the same attention and concern to matters of anti-GLBT speech, violence, and harassment, as they have done with our other minority communities. The GLBT community needs to feel that we are just as important as all other communities on this campus.

I would ask one more thing of all the members of the Brandeis community. If you are witness to any act of hate, violence, harassment, or possibly hurtful incident, or if you should see any evidence of such incidents, please say something to someone. Tell your resident adviser, a quad director, a dean -- anyone. But, make sure that we do not make invisible the potential pain that these things can impact on any one of us. As Maura Cullen tells us each year during Orientation, we all have the power to render people invisible or visible. By taking a moment and alerting someone to a potential incident you are deeming countless on this campus as valuable, important, and yes, visible. Its not a whole lot to ask, but it can make a whole world of difference.

-- Noah Branman '03