The scenario is as follows:
Cal Rep (our graduate theatre program) is putting on a play called "Night of the Tribades". The play itself is about playwright August Strindberg and his misogynist attitude towards lesbians and women in general. As per usual, our department submitted an advertisement to those in charge of the 7th St. marquee to be displayed along with all the other advertisements that flash on that board.
After first being told they would not air the ad due to Cal Rep performing on the Queen Mary, the school finally admitted they did not wish to air the ad due to the word "Tribades".
(Here is a definition of the word tribade: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tribade )
Their argument seemed to be that the word "tribade" is not very well-known, so it would cause people to look the word up on the internet. The first result is the Wikipedia entry for tribadism, which has an image of two generated females engaging in what looks to be a good time, if you will. Their fear is that this word will cause people to see this image (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribadism ) and be offended, incensed, or traumatized.
This marquee has also advertised panels on lynching, genocide, and many other difficult subjects with far more intense and violent images to be found.
Again, this is the case as it has been told to me and others by our theatre department heads. I am attempting meet with one of our department heads this Monday to confirm all these facts, because I don't want anyone to think that this will be for one moment an uninformed movement.
On the contrary, the action we will proceed to take from this point on will be carefully planned, rational, and above all, sincere.
Some of the professors don't wish for visible action to be taken. Our very own Dean of the Arts has not given us any measure of confidence that he will support us.
After first being told they would not air the ad due to Cal Rep performing on the Queen Mary, the school finally admitted they did not wish to air the ad due to the word "Tribades".
(Here is a definition of the word tribade: http://www.thefreedictiona
Their argument seemed to be that the word "tribade" is not very well-known, so it would cause people to look the word up on the internet. The first result is the Wikipedia entry for tribadism, which has an image of two generated females engaging in what looks to be a good time, if you will. Their fear is that this word will cause people to see this image (http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
This marquee has also advertised panels on lynching, genocide, and many other difficult subjects with far more intense and violent images to be found.
Again, this is the case as it has been told to me and others by our theatre department heads. I am attempting meet with one of our department heads this Monday to confirm all these facts, because I don't want anyone to think that this will be for one moment an uninformed movement.
On the contrary, the action we will proceed to take from this point on will be carefully planned, rational, and above all, sincere.
Some of the professors don't wish for visible action to be taken. Our very own Dean of the Arts has not given us any measure of confidence that he will support us.
Night of the Tribades opens on November 19th, 2010 at the Queen Mary in Long Beach
for tickets go: HERE.
Today, November 17th, 2010 a group of CSULB students marched silently wearing shirts saying "Tribades", barefoot, with tape over our mouths saying "censored". We walked to Brotman Hall, an administrative building on campus, and lay on the ground in the tribading position. We lay silent for 10 minutes, then stood, and walked back the same way. Silent.
If the school wants to silence us as artists, refusing to write the name of our play on the 7th St. Marquee, then we will combat them with silent protests.
Some students feel that this censorship is caused due to homophobic sentiments. Because this play has a word synonymous with Lesbian in the title, they are choosing not to advertise it.
Thank you for reading, and this blog will be updated regularly with any news.
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