CONFUSION as to who the enemy is in our new war on terrorism is increasing. We think the man we're almost sure masterminded the terrorist attacks is in Afghanistan. So the enemy must be a Muslim and he must be Arabic. America's enemy also is gay.
Or at least that's what the national rumor mill would have us believe this week. "Evidence" suggests to some that Mohamed Atta, one of the Sept. 11 hijackers, was not only a heartless killer but also a homosexual. This "fact," combined with uneven and irresponsible media attention, has served to equate homosexuality with evil. If our country wishes to continue to champion human rights around the world, it must also turn a critical eye inward and pay attention to the unjust way in which gays are represented within our nation.
Rumors that Atta was a homosexual come from a New York Times interview his father gave in which he characterized his son as "gentle" and not man enough to take over a plane ("A Nation Challenged: Disavowal; Father Denies 'Gentle Son' Could Hijack Any Jetliner," Sept. 19). The claim was fueled by Atta's will, readily available on the Internet, in which he asked that no women be allowed at his burial and that "a pregnant woman or a person who is not clean" be kept far away from his grave (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/WTC_atta_will.htm). This, along with the fact that Atta was unmarried despite the apparent wishes of his family, is seen as clear evidence that Atta was gay.
The mainstream media never comes out and says this, but the rumors have been circulating on Internet forums around the globe. On a Middle Eastern issues forum on msn.com, one user poses the direct question: "Was Mohamed Atta - ring leader of the WTC suicide attack - possibly a repressed homosexual?" On a russia.com forum, one post similarly asserts, "It is clear the man [Atta] was either an active, passive or repressed homosexual."
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Whether Atta was gay or not is irrelevant. It does not make him more evil, or, for that matter, more sympathetic. It does not change the fact that he willingly piloted the plane that flew into the north tower of the World Trade Center and killed thousands. It is impossible for anyone to explain how Atta became so murderous. That he may have preferred men is of no relevance at all.
This is not the first time attempts have been made to equate homosexuality with murderous tendencies. The media touted the fact that serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was gay, and homosexuality played a part in Andrew Cunanan's 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
Americans want reasons for atrocious crimes. In the media's tireless and often futile search for explanations, it often focuses on a killer's tortured past as a homosexual, real or imagined. Thus, in the American consciousness, homosexuality becomes equated with murderous tendencies. That innumerable homosexuals live life without feeling compelled to violence does not seem to be able to dislodge this false notion.
Among the many patriotic articles and images circulating the country via e-mail in the months following the terrorist attacks were AP photos of messages written on bombs destined for Afghanistan. In one photo that can be found on a United Way tribute site, the bomb read, "High Jack This, Fags." This picture made it through both the U.S. military censors and the AP. The AP later pulled the photo, and the Navy apologized for the message. However, that either group thought the message would be offensive only in hindsight is disturbing. It is simply an example of how deep homophobic sentiments run.
The media's inclusion of sexual orientation and perpetuation of such rumors in their profiles of killers is not balanced by positive homosexual images. Dateline NBC did in-depth profiles on the men who stormed the cockpit of Flight 93 which crashed in Pennsylvania. They did not, however, mention that one of the men, Mark Bingham, was openly gay. Ironically, it was testosterone-laden Sports Illustrated that openly acknowledged Bingham's sexuality ("Four of a Kind," Sept 19).
American culture seeks out gossip, sensation and personal details as if it were entitled to them. In this atmosphere, it is understandable that the national media chooses to include sexuality in personal background, but it should at least do so in a more consistent fashion. Maybe the producers of Dateline were afraid that the American public would not honor a fallen hero if it knew he was gay. Dateline should give the American public more credit. That he was gay does change that Bingham was a hero any more than, were it substantial, that fact would change that Atta was a terrorist.
If Americans are going to champion freedom and equality around the world, we must also be critical of what we see at home. The media is in a position to both shape and reflect American thought. In reflecting, they should not lose sight of the fact that the prevailing stereotype is not always correct. In shaping, they especially must be careful of the parallels they draw between characteristics and actions.
Ultimately, though, it is each individual's responsibility to be aware that the information he is receiving could well be biased or unbalanced. Homophobic notions are not acceptable whether they come from the media or the military, or anywhere else.
(Megan Moyer's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at mmoyer@cavalierdaily.com.)
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