I want everyone to imagine that it is a beautiful day on campus. It is the first nice day since the cold days of winter and you were finally able to dig into your spring clothes. You are currently on the way to class, making your way through the quad, when all of a sudden you hear a man yell at you that you belong in hell for the “revealing” outfit you are currently wearing. That is a reality for many female JMU students alike.
As many fellow James Madison students know, there is a man that goes by the name “Brother Ray” that has been plaguing our campus with his “words of wisdom” from the lord. He would continuously spit Bible verses and the word of God at students during class changes. We can see in the video below that he directs many of his preachings towards students who would just glance and continue on their way. This heckler of sorts is unwanted on our campus, but that doesn’t mean everyone is against him.
A lot of individuals I have talked to spoke of their concerns with this man. The one thing I noticed a difference in was the response difference between a man and a woman. When I asked multiple men about Brother Ray, they would say that they love him and think he is the funniest. Whenever I would ask a woman about how they felt about him, they would use words like “uncomfy” and “disturbing.” This brings up the concern of the difference between how girls are being treated by this man and how he respects men.
My current roommate has had the pleasure of interacting with him multiple times, but no story has stuck out more than this one. She told me about a time when she was already having a rough day and had to pass Brother Ray heading home. She kept her head down and tried to turn up her headphones so she didn’t have to hear his yelling. Though she turned up her music, she could still hear his screams over the sound and heard him speaking about her outfit. She was wearing some running shorts, a cropped sports top, and her hair pulled up into a ponytail. This is a normal outfit many women choose when it starts to get hot out. Brother Ray didn’t think so. She heard him say “Enjoy hell you slut” and snapped her head to look him in the eyes. She was going to tell him off and how it is not okay to talk to women like that but she decided against it and went on her way. When I asked her why she didn’t say anything to him, she said she saw no remorse for what he said in his eyes and knew that there was no use. Many women have been in this same situation where they feel they can’t stand up for themselves.
It is hard to know that there are still individuals out there who believe they have a right to speak to women the way they have. Brother Ray is a prime example of a man with a superiority complex who uses that to hurt individuals. It is important to acknowledge this issue but also avoid indulging in it. Freedom of speech is an important idea, but we as women should be able to express ourselves in any way we please without receiving hate.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 