Student groups at Suffolk University are protesting the recent choice of Gov. Mitt Romney as guest speaker for the school’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies on May 23 because of his stance on same-sex marriage.
Calling him “unabashedly anti-gay,” the Rainbow Alliance and the Students for Peace and Justice at Suffolk are petitioning administrators to rescind Romney’s invitation. Romney has come out against same-sex marriage and last week sought to postpone gay weddings – set to commence on May 17 – until Massachusetts residents and legislators have a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment banning them. Such an amendment cannot be approved until November 2006 at the earliest.
Romney “openly works to deny homosexuals the same rights as heterosexuals,” said Students of Peace and Justice lead organizer and Suffolk student Rob Laurent. “Commencement is supposed to be about celebrating the seniors. For [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] students who are graduating this year, just Romney’s presence there is a dishonor to them.”
Amid the brewing controversy, Suffolk President David Sargent issued a statement on Thursday defending the university’s choice.
The governor “is always welcome on our campus, and his position on gay marriage is shared by many elected officials of this commonwealth,” the statement said. “In keeping with the university’s deep history of respect for people’s differences, we ask only that people be tolerant and courteous of others, even when they disagree on the issues.”
The announcement of Romney as the commencement speaker came during “Unity Week” at Suffolk, during which students “celebrate the diversity” on their campus, according to the university website. Among other things, the university promotes itself as a “safe zone” for all students – specifically gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.
In response to the selection of Romney, the Rainbow Alliance and Students for Peace and Justice drafted a letter last week to Sargent that has since been endorsed by numerous other groups on campus, including the campus chapter of Amnesty International, Students for Palestine and “most of the cultural groups,” according to Alliance president and Suffolk junior Kendra Bucklin. The letter questions why the university would choose someone who “clearly violates Suffolk’s anti-discrimination policies.”
“Romney has indicated that gays should not have equal access to marriage rights, including hospital visitation and shared health care,” the letter reads. “He has repeatedly marginalized the GLBT community and perpetuated their second-class status.”
In response to their actions, the groups are being criticized by some who see the protest as wholeheartedly partisan and without merit. Critics say that no one would protest if the governor were a Democrat.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom used presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) and Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly as examples of Democratic political leaders who oppose same-sex marriage, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.
But openly gay Suffolk senior Kashish Chopra disagreed with Romney’s spokesman and said the protest is not about political parties.
“Anyone who came and was openly discriminating and made us feel uncomfortable we would object to,” she said. “That’s the point – not necessarily someone’s political platform, but the fact that it would make students uncomfortable.”
Chopra, of Washington, D.C. said her father is looking forward to coming to Boston for her graduation, but she said she might not attend if Romney gives the commencement address.
“I don’t know what I am going to do,” she said. “I feel like I have been overlooked. I never imagined that I would have to reconsider attending my own commencement because of a situation like this.”
While the groups’ goal is to get the university to revoke Romney’s invitation, they do not have any specific suggestions for who should replace him.
“At this point we’ve only discussed putting pressure on our administration,” Laurent said. “The best solution is un-inviting Governor Romney and inviting someone that won’t offend anyone.”
Fehrnstrom, though, said that it is common for some people to object to commencement speakers.
“I think you see that everywhere… There are college students who protest the choice of a commencement speaker,” he told the AP on Thursday.
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