Not a Chance

Earlier this semester, a Middlebury student found a note threatening violence and sexual assault against her on the basis of her sexual orientation taped to her door. Now, just weeks later, the College prepares to welcome Chance the Rapper, a musical artist who refers to himself as a “slap-happy faggot slapper” in one of his songs. As a community that strives to create a safe and inclusive space for people of all sexual identities, it is unacceptable to give a stage and a microphone to a person who delivers this type of violent and intolerant message.

It is true that Chance’s lyrics contain but a brief homophobic slur. This is not a theme present throughout all of his music, but the line in question is sufficiently problematic that it does not matter whether he has agreed to exclude that language from his performance this weekend. Enough attention has been brought to the performance that students will be well aware of what they did not hear.

To pass a microphone to a speaker who boasts – however casually – of violence against homosexuals while using a derogatory name sends a powerful message to our community. It says to those concerned about violence due to their sexual orientation that their fears are not important. It tells those who make homophobic comments and jokes that their views are acceptable. It shows the gay couple afraid to hold hands in public that they should not speak out about their experience; that they should just lighten up and hide their true selves. It takes a serious issue and trivializes it.

We would not tolerate a professor who advocates violence against women, a speaker who professes a fondness for hitting Jews or a comedian who jokes about beating up people of color. A student who sent another student a note with the exact slap-happy line delivered by Chance would presumably face disciplinary action. The music that we bring to campus should not get a free pass from the standards to which we hold our community.

As journalists, as writers and as artists, we are painfully aware of the dangers that come with censoring expression. Advocating or glorifying violence against a group that already faces daily persecution – both on this campus and beyond – crosses the line between protected speech and hate speech. Taunts against such a group clearly violate the College Anti-Harassment policy. While we feel uncomfortable creating a blanket rule for excluding speakers and performances from coming to Middlebury, the selection of these acts demand extra research, and the groups responsible must keep in mind the safety and comfort of the entire community. The controversy over Chance’s performance could easily have been avoided by a thorough review of his lyrics and a more diverse membership on the Middlebury College Activities Board Concert Committee.

There is also an important distinction between the freedom of expression that we guarantee as an institution of learning and the expression that we choose to pay for as members of the Middlebury community. Middlebury is not a concert venue, where the cost of a concert is covered solely by those who choose to purchase a ticket and those uncomfortable with the content of the performance can stay home and save their money. When the Concert Committee elects to bring a performer to campus, the cost is heavily subsidized by the Activities Fee to which all students must contribute. It is insulting to all students who feel disrespected by Chance’s taunts that their money be spent to put him on stage and heard over speakers.

We recognize that by imposing additional qualifications on the musical acts brought to campus, we make the Concert Committee’s difficult job even harder. But it is all too easy to forget that people in this country and in this community still face assault and worse for their sexual orientation. In 2011 alone, United States law enforcement agencies reported over twelve hundred instances of harassment, assault, rape and murder based on this factor. Violent language is a concern that we must take seriously, and for this reason we believe that the MCAB Concert Committee should have more seriously considered the potential concerns of all community members before inviting Chance to perform at Middlebury.