Anonymous Posts (2.6.12-2.12.12)

Every week, we collect anonymous entries sent in using the link on our sidebar and post them all on Monday. We post anything as long as it doesn't contain personal attacks, hate speech, or express or insinuate that one is at risk for hurting themselves or someone else. Please read this for an explanation of this policy and seek help if your or a friend find yourself in that position. With those exceptions aside, please feel free to submit your thoughts and questions. :)

I'll keep it short and to the point. It was a great week for Duke's Basketball teams (yeah, plural) and for marriage equality!

The Blog staff met on Thursday, and we're working on bringing you even more content. So get pumped!

We're accepting senior post submissions--email your reflections, thoughts, farewells, wisdom, and anything else to bluedevilsunited@gmail.com.

We're also accepting guests posts from anyone in the Duke community about Amendment 1 and the upcoming election. So write in!

Now, for notes from OC.

#1
So, when are We taking a group trip to JCPenney? For real though, it's so cool to have this kind of news about positive and affirming corporations, among lots of other sad news about companies (i.e. chick filet last year) being anti-gay

#2
Sort of in reaction to the “Throwback Thursday”— I think it’s really sad that gay guys aren’t a more visible presence at Shooters. I totally get and respect that there are a lot of people for whom the hook-up and "club" scenes just aren’t their thing, but there are also a lot of gay guys at Duke who are into gay clubs and random hook-ups but avoid Shooters or else go to Shooters and just stand around or dance with their girl friends. I think it’s a shame that hookups are happening through Grindr and random 2 AM “hey” texts instead of people going out and letting things happen more organically while having fun with their gay and straight friends. Also, I think greater Shooters visibility would go a long way towards making closeted guys more comfortable in feeling that if they were to come out, they wouldn’t be giving up large parts of their social lives and Duke experience. I definitely think that if when I was younger I had seen pairs of guys dancing and making out at Shooters, I wouldn’t have felt, to the degree I did, that coming out would be a dead end that my existing Duke life couldn’t adapt to without major sacrifices.I've heard of gay freshmen who were completely out in high school but hide the fact that they're gay at Duke because they want to join a frat, yet I've also never heard of a single bad experience from a guy in a frat coming out, and I seriously doubt that an openly gay guy would be at a disadvantage during the rush process (especially if he brought hot girl friends to events.... not that this dynamic is necessarily good). I think this fear of being out is because of a lack of visibility that makes the two lifestyles seem mutually exclusive.

Please remember that there are a number of resources available on campus and in the local community. These resources are available over breaks and throughout the school year. If you or a friend are experiencing thoughts or urges to harm yourself or somebody else, please reach out to the following resources: In an emergency, please don't hesitate to call CAPS at any time, including "after hours" at (919) 966-3820. Ask to speak to the advice nurse and tell them you are a Duke student. You may also call the Trevor Project, a national hotline specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning youth (college students included). Their number is 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).

Oh Shooter's

I mean, where else would a story about undergrad life at Duke worth telling occur? After a long week, my friends and I really wanted a fun Friday night on the town that would include some conversation, dancing, and drinking (only for those of age, of course!!!) so—naturally—we chose Shooter’s as our celebration destination. So what happens when you mix two gay guys and two single ladies? Well, your first job as the guy is to protect your lady friends from drunk creepers by performing a standard swoop and block move, but after that the two guys just have to grind together in the middle of the dance floor!

I’m the kind of person who will dance (badly) with just about anyone, no matter his or her gender. I have no problem dancing with another guy in public, and I certainly have no problem getting a little crazy with that guy either. Even though we weren’t making out or anything, it was really funny to watch the faces staring at us; half of the people standing over the dance floor upstairs wouldn’t stop staring at the spectacle taking place underneath of them. Even though the dance floor was packed, we managed to maintain a good two or three foot buffer between us and everyone else on the floor. I’m not sure if they meant to, but pretty much everyone kept their distance—even that awkward drunk kid who up until that point wouldn’t stop trying to grind up on one of the ladies in our group…he had a drink in his hand the whole night but for some reason he still looked so thirsty….

For me, it’s always interesting to do something really gay in public, away from the relative safety of campus. Even though it was at Shooter’s, I think that situation was pretty telling when it comes to showing how people feel about others who don’t conform to the norm. I think a lot of people were probably a little uncomfortable with two dudes dancing like we were, but nobody said anything. People left us alone and let us do our thing, which I think actually shows how mature and accepting the younger generation is becoming. Sure lots of people say some pretty dumb, homophobic stuff, but most of those people don’t make it a habit to get in other people’s way (at least not in my experience). I’m not sure I would have felt as safe as I did that night if this situation had taken place 20 years ago. It’s good that I can dance like that in a normal place instead of having to go to a dedicated LGBT venue/wait for Lav Ball. If it’s okay to be yourself at Shooter’s of all places, we’ve certainly come a long way, right?

Let's Make THIS the new "Bro" Culture :)

WASSSSSSSSSUPPPP PARTY PEOPLE?!?!?!

If any of y'all have read sites like TotalFratMove or BroBible, you probably do one of two things: 1) You are offended at the blatantly sexist/racist/homophobic/misogynist/etc. views that [appear to] reflect a Greek campus culture of which you *definitely* do not want to be a part, or 2) You laugh at how funny the posts/quotes are -- oftentimes, because they speak to some pretty sad truths -- but then you shrug and move on with your life.

I tend to do both. I'm not really sure what that means, to be honest, but...

Regardless of how you respond to these sites, I'd like y'all to take a look at a NEW "Bro" blog that has gained popularity recently, and even though some insecure/stupid/washed-up people on this campus might think it's a little trite, an unbelievably high number of my Frat Star friends have been posting it -- proudly -- on their Facebooks. It's a really, really awesome site, my favorite two posts of which made me think of all of us in Blue Devils United, the quotes being:

"BroTip #100: Being a Bro has nothing to do with gender. If you're always rad and forever legit, you've got what it takes."

"BroTip #131: Always be proud of who you are. Don't back down from people telling you not to be."

The entire site can be found at: http://www.brotipshq.com

...here's to making this blog viral and redefining what it means to be a real Bro on this campus! I know that I, personally, have been and will always be a Bro4Life ;)

xo,

E.