askthegaylatino

Los Angeles City College Jonathan Lopez student wasn’t about to keep his views silent at the advent of November 2008 passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California, — especially not in his public speaking class.
But his words weren’t met with ease by his college professor. Lopez said Professor John Matteson, scolded him and refused to let him finish a speech against same-sex marriage, in which Lopez recited bible verses and a dictionary definition of marriage
The student also said Matteson cut him off and called him a “fascist bastard,” then, told students they could leave if they were offended. None of the students left, so he dismissed the class.
Recently Lopez filed a lawsuit against the community college. A student evaluation included with the lawsuit includes a statement that reads “ask God what your grade is.”
The student and his attorneys are seeking financial damages and a strike down of an LACC code forbidding students from making statements deemed “offensive.”
The school’s dean said she met with Lopez and has begun a disciplinary investigation on Matteson.
The whole incident in and of itself is offensive. As a gay-Latino journalist, I am deeply appalled at the lack of decorum on the part of the professor and the student.
I disagree with the student’s views and that of all those people who use religious mumbo-jumbo, proliferated in the name of an unknown “God” with whom no one has conversed with to seek his or her view, to deprive citizens, human beings of basic rights. But our country was founded on free-speech, so much so that we included it first in our constitution.
As much as I find religious speech archaic, ridiculous and disparaging, and as much I want all human beings to achieve equality in treatment, rights and privileges, shutting people is not the answer.
If we ever are to evolve as a species and move forward in this world we must achieve our goals through dialogue. Lawsuits to our schools only divert time and money that can used to educate the minds that may someday lead us to prosperity.