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Cultural awareness including understanding, respecting and at the very least tolerating others who are different from us is definitely an obligation in our society.
However, there is a line when discouraging bigotry crosses over into disregarding concern for others and their feelings.
Regrettably, this Creed Day USC was exposed to a group that not only flirted with the line, but flounced right over it, and made innumerable pelvic thrusts at it. For those who were offended by the Kinsey Sicks' Wednesday performance, laying blame for why such a crass act took place on a USC stage is less important than defining what is acceptable when it comes to discourse of sensitive and volatile subjects.
The drag a cappella group, which is by no means inherently offensive by general community standards, but rather hilarious, is not the first group to flavor their entertainment with language, dialogue and actions that can only be described as crude, crass, tacky and tasteless. Americans have been getting social commentary from the often-lewd cartoon South Park for years. The major difference is that the Comedy Central show (which can easily be turned off) has never seriously pushed an agenda.
There are plenty of examples of people who "are right" and therefore abandon all tact and instead employ shouting and shock tactics. The extreme pundits Ann Coulter and Michael Moore (who were both shafted in the performance) are both outlandishly over-the-top and are therefore not taken seriously by anyone.
Well, unfortunately, when your subject matter is sexuality instead of politics, the shock factor compounds.
Of course the idea of shock tactics is to confront people with taboo subjects and force them to talk about it. But it is easy for people who are already in opposition to focus on the messenger and let the method of delivery become the topic, and ignore the message. Seriously, if you put images of people doing very specific and graphic sexual acts to goats into the minds of an audience, chances are they will forget any message of equality for all sexual orientations. Using borderline pornographic language is not the best route to speak of tolerance. The old adage really holds true: you catch more flies with honey than bitter, distasteful vinegar.
It is particularly disappointing that a group who represents a community that is most unfortunately already riddled with bigoted stereotypes and misconceptions turns around and affirms the notions of many people that the LGB community is nothing more than a bunch of classless perverts who hold nothing sacred. Not to mention how useless it is to actually actively perpetuate standards that lesbians are all rugby playing gym teachers and librarians.
I'm not saying don't raise your voice - it is infuriating when the rights of a minority are trampled. I'm not saying that a performance needs to be held to the standards of polite conversation - we are a college campus. I am simply asking that activists seriously consider their audience, their standards of decency and what will actually be accomplished by outlandish acts of seriously questionable taste.
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