Conflict can shut down communication, the key to social justice advocacy. In this article, the author shares his insights on how some communication strategies can help manage conflict and sustain open conversation with students about contentious issues. Recently, the author participated in an extremely heated discussion session for student affairs administrators, faculty, and staff at a major west coast university. This colloquium was meant to cover the broad spectrum of social justice issues. What started out as a civil dialogue meant to draw all of them into conversation about social justice on a number of controversial issues deteriorated into an airing of two emotionally charged monologues over religious identity and GLBT identity. (Contains 5 notes.)