03/31/2023
MSUM Students and Colleagues,
Today, on International Transgender Day of Visibility, I write to explicitly express support for and solidarity with MSUM’s LGBTQ+ community and ask you to join me in visibly supporting our LGBTQ+ colleagues, friends, and neighbors.
Such expressions of support are always important. They feel especially important today, given the attacks on LGBTQ rights in state legislatures across our country: the American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills in the United States, many of which explicitly target the trans community. Although not all of these bills will become law, they all cause harm to LGBTQ people.
There has also been an increase in hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community. If you or someone you know has experienced an act of hate or anti-LGBTQ bias, you can report it to MSUM’s Bias Incident Response Team. Students can also report bias incidents directly to the Dean of Students Office; employee concerns can be reported to MSUM’s Human Resources Office.
MSUM is committed to creating a safe and inclusive community for our students, employees, and campus visitors. We are also committed to providing educational resources and support for those who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or strive to be allies and advocates. Our Rainbow Dragon Center is an excellent source of information and support.
I invite you to join me in showing visible support for our LGBTQ+ community by wearing or displaying a Rainbow Dragon Pride button or sticker, available free from our colleagues in Marketing and Communications. Free buttons and stickers can be ordered here.
Thank you for upholding MSUM’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Together, we can ensure MSUM is a safe and welcoming campus—and serve as an example to communities beyond our campus.
With Dragon Pride,
Anne
