Tomorrow this campus will celebrate our vibrant mixture of communities, specifically highlighting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender population with the annual "Kiss-in" at noon on the Diag. The day is the culmination of Queer Visibility Week and will include speakers and happenings that will serve to educate on both LGBT rights as well civil rights in general. The spirit of the week has been one that all can embrace, stressing tolerance and inclusion in our community of people all races, sexes, sexualities, genders and religions.

Queer Visibility speaks to a much larger issue than individual LGBT rights. Supporting Queer Visibility Week also shows a commitment to justice, equality and respect for persons of all sexual orientations. Because the larger issue is equality, all students in favor of equal opportunity can support Queer Visibility with pride, self-respect and honor.

All can join in the spirit of tomorrow"s activities, even in the face of the opposition of a few loud protesters. If a student can support the IASA show, Encompass, the Pow-Wow, the Step Show, or any other event that seeks to promote and celebrate diversity on our campus, then it would seem to logically follow that he or she would also be able to outwardly support Queer Visibility Week.

All events sponsored by minority communities have larger themes, and it is up to students to grasp the themes in order to be able to see the bigger picture. Queer Visibility Week must be looked at as an issue of social suffering and oppression. When seen in that light, there can be no conflicts whatsoever for those who oppose social anguish and repression. When issues are framed as such, the message becomes one that can be adopted by people of conscience, and not just supporters of LGBT rights. In fact, it is quite possible to grasp the theme regardless of our beliefs concerning LGBT rights.

Undoubtedly, there will be those such as Fred Phelps who will seek to destroy this message. And just as the message of Queer Visibility is a broad-based one of tolerance, so is the message of Fred Phelps and his ilk one of general intolerance. This makes Phelp"s message all the more absurd one which must be resisted non-violently with a statement that urges tolerance and respect of all human and civil rights, and not only the rights of the LGBT community.

Perhaps most dangerous is that Phelps argues that his slogan-driven positions like "AIDS cures Fags," and "Fags die, God laughs" are somehow divine. It then becomes incumbent for faith-based organizations on our campus who believe that Phelps does not speak for them to stand up and say as much. It is only when his bigotry is opposed by students of all backgrounds and persuasions, be they religious or political, will the banner of tolerance soar clearly and united.