Gay Professor Reports Death Threats

An openly gay South Puget Sound Community College professor who has written and spoken out about gay rights says he has received two anonymous death threats since 2004, including a phone call to his home in January.
Patrick Chapman received a written threat in 2004 that was delivered to his campus mailbox, he said. That threat wasn’t as worrisome as the threatening message, “Thinking of dying?” that someone left on his home voice mail system in January, he said.
“It’s completely inappropriate and should never happen,” Chapman said of the threats, “but given the level of hostility in this society toward gays and lesbians, it’s not surprising whatsoever.”
Chapman reported the January incident to the Tumwater Police Department and has taken new precautions to protect his safety in recent months.
The phone message came a few days after Chapman’s letter to the editor about gay rights issues was published in The Olympian.
Tumwater police didn’t file a report about it because the call was anonymous, making it tough for law enforcement officers to follow up on the case, said administrative supervisor Debbie Zimmerman. But she said victims of threatening calls should be more aware of their surroundings and let the police know whether they receive any additional threats, including threats at work.
In general, such threats rarely are reported, Zimmerman said.Most threats occur between two people who know each other, when an argument escalates or when alcohol is involved, she said.
New course
Meanwhile, Chapman and six other SPSCC professors plan to offer a new course, “Diverse Sexualities and Culture,” during the college’s spring quarter, which starts in April. The first 40-student class section filled up two days after spring registration began, Chapman said. So the college decided to offer a second time slot, for which students still are registering.
Chapman describes the class as a multidisciplinary approach to studying diverse sexualities.
“We’re trying to be as comprehensive as we can be,” he said.
SPSCC officials declined to comment about the college’s response in Chapman’s particular case because it is a personnel matter. But the college has a policy stating that harassment is “unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated.” It’s part of SPSCC’s mission to encourage all types of diversity, said Kellie Purce Braseth, the college’s spokeswoman.
“The overall climate I think at the college is extremely welcoming,” she said. “We have a large staff, and not everyone thinks or believes the same thing. But we make a real concerted effort to make sure that they all feel welcome and that ideas are welcome and that they behave appropriately when expressing their ideas.”
Still, the climate isn’t perfect, Purce Braseth said.
“I think in the world of diversity, there’s always more to be done,” Purce Braseth said. “It’s a lot like liberty. You have to be diligent if you want to keep it.”
An anthropology professor, Chapman has become more vocal about gay rights issues in recent years, in part because he’s been working on a book titled “Thou Shalt Not Love.” The book, which is set to be released nationwide this summer, examines homosexuality from an anthropological perspective and draws on Biblical scholarship, he said.
“We’ve got to speak out against injustice,” Chapman said. “I’m not going to live in fear.”
from The Olympian