By André Voshart
Mysterious posters mocking RyePRIDE’s “Jeans Day” ads turned up on campus this week, asking students to wear their shoes to show opposition to same-sex marriage.
The new “Shoes Day” flyers plastered around campus encouraged students to: “Wear your Shoes on Tuesday, Feb. 15 to show your Opposition to Same Sex Marriage Legislation.
Support the traditional view of marriage. Oppose the minority dictating to the majority.” The stunt was most likely a response to Monday’s Jeans Day, which called on students to wear their jeans if they supported same-sex marriage.
That campaign was criticized for tricking people into supporting the cause. But according to RyePRIDE, the idea was meant to use the commonality of jeans to get people who happened to be wearing them to consider gay rights. “I think it shows poor judgement,” said Don Kearney, a board member of Egale Canada, a national gay rights organization.
“They can’t even put their name on it.”
“It is sad and alarming at the same time,” said Ilanit Goren, education co-ordinator at RyePRIDE. “Being queer is as natural as wearing jeans on a daily basis. For those who don’t support, it asks, Why don’t you?'”
The Shoes Day posters, which were not authorized by RyeSAC, received mixed reactions.
“These people are going against ( Jeans Day) for no reason,” said second-year ITM student Sathya Togarajah.
Adrijana Pavloski, also in second-year ITM, disagreed. “It’s wrong, but it’s freedom of speech,” she said.
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