Bashing bigotry

If the curiously-named azab'sh was out for a plethora of mark-boosting commentary when she banged out her bigoted and semi-literate drivel on the corrupting influence of homosexuality, she could hardly have asked for a better outcome. All over the Rhodes-based blogosphere, students straight and queer are airing their umbrage. "What exactly are you talking about here?" squeals one. "Sexuality is a personal choice; it is part of who you are." "[H]ow in God's name," bellows another, "have you made it to university? Did you bribe your way through primary and high school? I think that my 7 year old cousin could have written this piece better than you did."

For myself, I have succeeded in keeping the indignation down to a stubbed toe, a broken window, several sleepless nights and a subtle musing on azab'sh's post-post silence: "I have naught to add to all this [an opinion, obviously, that I have since revised] other than my keen amusement at the reticence of the OP, who has had almost a week now to defend her bigotry. An apology, one feels, would suffice, but this silence betokens cowardice of the most pathetic strain."

All of which is something of a pity, really, when you consider how modestly the post begins. Never before, in fact, has the pre-storm calm been so cozening. "I really admire the University," she writes, "that [sic] it is encouraging students to be proud of their sexual status, whether they are gays or lesbians."

But almost immediately we are slaked with this artful buttering, her true colours are illumined and shown to be quite at odds with it. One is left to conclude at best that azab'sh is erratic and forgetful, at worst that she is a deceitful little turd. Glancing over at the contradiction again, I know where my money lies: "The old [gay] students have corrupted a lot of first years, who came here straight but because lesbianism and being gay is a fashion at Rhodes they have lost their values. [...] This lesbianism thing affects other people who have nothing to do with it because they start asking out innocent people, innocent people become victims of gay people and lesbians."

Seldom does writing of such derisory quality speak so eloquently for both itself and its author. "azab'sh" is plainly a zealot and a homophobe, and as such has no place at this university. Whatever reaction comes her way next (be it confined to more angry input on her blog or, as I believe condign, a rustication to sensitivity training), it is wholly merited. The fellowship that we once enjoyed has evaporated as quickly as her reputation.