The Undergraduate Student Government Senate voted Tuesday to refuse funding for Pride Week, sending an unfortunate and ignorant message in the process.

Town Sen. Jason Covener said funding was withheld because he felt Pride Week could bring Penn State the same negative attention that stemmed from sexual-themed events held last year. "I hope this would adhere to the general standards of decency," Covener said.

But Pride Week hasn't been held yet and Covener and the senate don't know what Pride Week will entail.

By withholding funding, senate has implied that the very idea of Pride Week violates those standards of decency. Pride Week is a chance for the "gay community to celebrate the day homosexuals claimed their identity," said Chris Brown, political co-director of Lambda Student Alliance .

USG has funded Pride Week in years past, and since the 2002 edition has yet to take place, USG senate has no way of knowing whether Pride Week's activities will be offensive to some.

The senate doesn't know the content and through refusing monetary support is exercising prior restraint. In a university environment, this censorship is especially troublesome and sets dangerous precedents. If an event whose content is unknown can be discriminated against, what will happen when the senate is asked to fund politically motivated events that are guaranteed to raise the concerns of some?

When Rep. John Lawless attacked Penn State because of the 2001 Spring Semester Sex Faire, Penn State and its student body made it clear that bullying wouldn't be accepted. The refusal to support Pride Week -- a refusal that Covener said was in part a reaction to how Lawless might feel about the event -- is like letting Lawless win.

The senate's biggest concern about funding Pride Week was LSA's request of $500 for a Unity Prom. As several senators pointed out, formal dances for other clubs and organizations are generally not funded by USG. LSA responded by taking out the request for Unity Prom funding, and the USG senate still refused to support Pride Week. What more does senate want?

As elected representatives, USG Senators have an obligation to represent the interests of the Penn State student body. While the LGBTA community faces significant discrimination on campus, the majority of Penn State students support gay rights.