Marquette’s Gay Honors Program End-of-Year Party

From the Honors Program, a flyer saying:

Marquette Faculty, Administrators, and Staff,
you’re invited to…

End of Year LGBT & Allies at Marquette Celebration

But it was on April 15. Damn! We missed it!

It was hosted, of course, by the Honors Program.

The flyer tells people to “Spread the Word,” and then tells them the location:

Coughlin Hall 001 (enter through the south door)

The purpose:

In 2010-­2011, the Marquette community has taken some important steps to affirm the dignity of our LGBT members. Let’s recognize and celebrate these accomplishments with good food and our fellow faculty, administrators, and staff!

And finally:

• Unveiling of the “LGBT @ WGST” website
• Recognizing Research Accomplishments in Lesbian, Gay, and Queer Studies
• Celebrating the coming of partner benefits in 2012!

There is indeed a lot to celebrate when the Marquette administration has given you virtually everything you wanted.

Muslim Awareness Week at Marquette

It’s coming up. The poster for the event is here.

We have criticized various Muslim and Arab (not quite the same) events in the past, when they featured a virulent anti-Israel bias, or featured hard leftist anti-American speakers.

At one point, it became so bad that the local Jewish community and Jewish faculty complained to Marquette, and urged that the university try for more balance. (Since these events are virtually always cosponsored and financially supported by Marquette, it’s not any sort of violation of academic freedom to urge that Marquette as an institution take a more balanced approach.)

But this event seems rather moderate and constructive. Most Americans understand little about Islam, and “coming to understand” doesn’t mean one has to adopt an anti-Israel and anti-American viewpoint.