Difference or sameness??

[LovelyLadyLux]

Today in Columbia University in the USA they have now designated several rooms in the University to be ONLY used by specific people with specific skin colours and/or who are LGBTQ. The idea is so that people who identify as being of a specific community i.e. colour or sexual orientation can have a safe place to come together with like individuals because they are uncomfortable with straight white people. The assumption is that being around heterosexual white people can be traumatic.

In my day the 'meshing' of people together from all backgrounds, colours, faiths was seen as a positive. We were ALL supposed to understand, mesh and be together whereas now it seems that these minorities (for lack of a better term) seem to want and need to be not part of the larger society.

Is this over the top? Is segregation now a better concept? Is this encouraging prejudice? And if that is how it is seen then should regular heterosexual white people also have the right to have these same type rooms?

[Grandad]

What a ridiculous idea. As you suggest LLL, this segregation could be taken even further with male and female separation and even age groups. Such an idea can only IMO increase animosity between groups when efforts should be for more integration.

[LovelyLadyLux]

The segregation proposed is also along the lines of colour. Proposed it is totally fine for black people to have a room OR dare we call it a 'Club' that they can go to 'to feel safe' and is that not a step back in time? However it is apparently NOT ok for white people to have the same exclusionary type of venue.

All in all it seems very, I dunno, emotionally immature or ridiculous that so many people are running on feelings these days and can't seem to get onto the task of exposing themselves to all sorts of different world venues and events and growing up through a maturational process.

I get it if you want to form a club about i.e. butterflies or even political beliefs and you are joining together based on a common interest or ideology but these proposed rooms were for people of colour and for sexual orientation (I guess I can get the sexual orientation as that could be all colours, nationalities, backgrounds etc but I definitely do not get the 'color' only rooms). Don't even understand why a University ('cept they're ALL seemingly now very Liberal) would sanction this and provide the physical space.

[Horus]

When they did that in South Africa it was called 'Aparthied' and was condemned by the rest of the world.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Seems to be happening, so far, just on one University campus in the USA. Columbia U is however pretty huge so, am sure, if this idea catches fire albeit under the auspice of every having to "FEEL" safe it'll start to spread across ALL campuses.

Does bring back the concept of "apartheid" doesn't it?

Just boggles the mind as to how we all got so far down this rabbit hole of feelings, hug-ins, cry fests.....

[Ruby Slippers]

When they did that in South Africa it was called 'Aparthied' and was condemned by the rest of the world.

Yes, Horus - but wouldn't you say this is Apartheid the other way round? I think we are getting so used to people screaming 'discrimination' at every turn, that we don't take much notice anymore.

[Horus]

I agree entirely, if we do it, it is wrong, but if another race or colour decides to do it then that seems to be OK

[Mad Dilys]

The fact that we are more similar than we are different needs to be celebrated.

We are all unique in our own way, can't get away from that, so why try to emphasise the difference? Is it an attempt to be important, because if so it just doesn't work for long.