A Statement For Our Supporters
TO OUR SUPPORTERS: Today a meeting took place between the commission for LGBT People and several UTK administrators. In this meeting, university administration made several things very clear: 1) They ignored all the work that students from the Pride Center and UTDiversityMatters have done in the past in working for the betterment and safety of all students. 2) They ARE ordering the removal of the flags the Pride Center placed outside in honor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre victims. They are citing a rule that has not been followed in at least a decade that says no one can place banners or flags on university buildings. This will supposedly be implemented across campus from dorm rooms to other offices, many of which have had banners outside for many years. This seems to be a very directly focused attacked on LGBTQIA+ students considering this rule has been ignored for so long and has only become an issue after a physical attack on the Pride Center. <b>As of this posting, someone seems to have started the process of removing our flags.</b> 3) UTK administrators have lied to Pride Ambassadors, other students, staff, and faculty and have worked behind the backs of those that trusted them to re-implement SafeZone training. We understand that on the surface this appears to be a good thing, and we absolutely agree that SafeZone is something the university needs, however state law currently prohibits the use of state funds for the "promotion of gender-neutral pronouns." As we have stated repeatedly, we refuse to conduct SafeZone without the inclusion of information on non-binary identities. We will NOT leave part of our community behind. Despite this, university administrators have ripped the program away from the guidance and direction of the Pride Ambassadors and it's home anchored in the Pride Center and betrayed what little trust had been built in the last few months. We call on all supporters and allies to contact the university administration in regards to this issue. The University of Tennessee has continually and habitually not supported their minority student populations and continues to do so, adding further trauma through deceit to students already overloaded with responsibility in the wake of administrative inaction. #VolMeansALL #UTDiversityMatters
