Crystal Dixon fired

by: Alvin McEwen

Fri May 09, 2008 at 19:11:05 PM EDT

Reports are slowly coming out that the University of Toledo fired Crystal Dixon.

Dixon had written a column this week calling homosexuality a choice and saying that she takes umbrage with the comparison of being black and being gay. She also said she did not consider gay rights as civil rights.

It was not a simple case of free speech. Dixon was an associate vice president of Human Resources at the university.

Also, as a staff member at the University, she was not entitled to the same academic freedoms that professors are.

Let me say a couple of things that will probably be lost in the flurry to exploit this situation.

As a gay black man, I was offended by yet again a heterosexual African-American speaking against their lgbt brothers and sisters. I was also offended by her very bad use of statistics and her relying on bad sources such as PFOX.

I also feel that the University had an obligation to investigate whether or not Dixon could do her job fairly in light of her comments.

And as of right now, I agree with the decision to let her go.

But I hate it when this sort of thing happens.

I wish there was some sort of compromise.

But to those who will spin this case as one of "an attack on free speech," how would you feel if her comments had been against Christians, or Muslims, or any other groups; people whose interests she was hired to look after while they are students at the university.

Ms. Dixon has a right to free speech, but that doesn't trump her responsibility to the students, whether or not they are gay. Their well-being takes precedent over everything.

She is not the victim here.