An open letter to Gov. Whitmer

Dec 2

Editor’s Note: This column’s content has been edited by request of the author.

Dear The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer of the State of Michigan,

We are writing to you today because many students at Michigan Technological University are concerned about the direction this school is going, and we would like to inform you of the current happenings on campus that are in desperate need of administrative action. You have the power and ability to help all of the students at MTU in terms of safety and quality of life.

With incidents increasing in frequency, MTU has become an unsafe environment for many students, faculty, and staff members. People should be able to feel comfortable on campus without repressing their identity. In our generation (Generation Z), queer people represent about 20% of people over the age of 18. Queer individuals at Michigan Tech have been left feeling threatened and unsafe due to the events that transpired on November 10 (information to follow). We are requesting that you urge the administration of Michigan Tech to implement new policies regarding hate speech and take further action as you see fit on behalf of the queer community and allies.

A conservative student organization, Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), affiliated with Michigan Technological University, held an event called the ‘Berlin Wall’. The purpose of this event was to host an interactive Berlin Wall memorial exhibit on campus. Pieces of the wall were replicated, and students, faculty, or any passersby on campus were encouraged to spray paint messages of hope and freedom on the wall, just as many Berliners did during the actual wall’s tenure in Germany. The wall was deconstructed at the end of the day, representative of the wall’s actual destruction on Nov. 9, 1989. Unfortunately, this event became destructive to students and every individual associated with MTU.

YAF student members used this event to perpetuate hate speech, painting hate symbols on their wall, and encouraging others on campus to do the same, in a high-traffic area of campus. Students’ ability to remain anonymous in their hate speech enabled such speech to develop. The hate speech manifested in the form of anti-trans and anti-immigration rhetoric. The pictures attached to this letter show a fraction of the hate speech added to these disruptive boards. YAF claimed to have a “hands-off approach” when monitoring the board and making comments but encouraged other students to continue adding forms of hate speech.

Alexis B. Tater, a queer student, contacted the Dean of Students office and other lead administrators. Their response was simple: “hate speech is protected speech on campus due to the First Amendment”. This should not be an acceptable answer, especially when trans people are now protected in the ERCLA (an appreciated amendment to the Michigan constitution). Organizations that allow hate speech to be perpetuated must be held accountable.

Not only did YAF & TPUSA student organizations perpetuate and encourage hate speech during their Berlin Wall event, but they also hosted another event titled, "Let's Get Straight" that continued the groups' targeting of LGBTQ2S+ individuals. Their pamphlets claimed that heterosexual people should have scholarships and a “straight pride month,” because they believe heterosexual people are being oppressed. Historically, heterosexual people’s rights, such as marriage rights or simply existing, have never been questioned or protested against. This event, among their other events, continues to spread harmful misinformation about oppression and what is lawful/unlawful, while our school administration continues to sit back and watch it all unfold.

A petition to demand action against hate speech, advocating for changes to MTU’s free speech policy, was formed by an anonymous student. After discussion with this student, we were able to gain access to the signatures. The full petition is attached below (without signatures for anonymity). With approximately 340 signatures, this petition has been signed by approximately 5% of the MTU student body population. While this is a small fraction of the student body, this petition was only being circulated the week of November 10. The majority of these signatures were from the day of the aforementioned events. This only shows a portion of the students affected by these acts of hate.

For queer individuals, fear has developed. This presents itself when simply being on campus now. This is not the only homophobic event that has taken place on campus in recent history. While these previous events were unfortunate, it seems that this Berlin Wall event has been a turning point for both LGBTQIA2S+ and allies. Conservative student groups’ explicitly transphobic and homophobic events have been building in frequency after the Berlin Wall event. This creates a harsh and polarizing division among students. The content and frequency of these events is extremely concerning. The MTU administration has done nothing constructive to mitigate these instances of hate. Some students have mentioned fearing physical violence. There have been mentions of some students bringing a gun to similar events to harm transgender people. It is gut-wrenching and disappointing that these threats would develop within a place meant to be safe for every student. How can it be acceptable for students to threaten an already marginalized group of students without any repercussions? Freedom of speech should not protect bigotry.

Many faculty and staff members have been left feeling confused and ignored with the harmful events happening on campus. They have been barred from speaking publicly on such issues due to backlash from both the community and the school. One professor, Dr. Carl Blair, decided to speak out about the events happening on campus and was unknowingly recorded by a YAF student. This audio was sent to multiple news outlets (including Fox News4 and Daily Mail) which sparked threats and ended up with him being removed from the classroom for the remainder of the semester. He is scheduled to return to the classroom in the Spring semester.

This creates a false dichotomy wherein those with positions of power are unable to support any minority groups on campus without being accused of targeting opposing viewpoints. This inability can be dangerous for LGBTQIA2S+ students because representation and support are necessary, especially under current circumstances. There have been letters of solidarity sent out in support of us protesting these events and in solidarity with LGBTQIA2S+ students from faculty and staff in the Social Science and Humanities departments (and others intertwined). This letter of support was appreciated and showed students where they can find a safe place. This letter of support from faculty and staff should not be a necessary statement, the administration needs to take action so all students feel safe on campus.

The Sustainable Futures Association (SFA) is a network of Student Organizations for purposes of collaboration and resource sharing. These organizations include, but are not limited to, Keweenaw Pride, Keweenaw Youth for Climate Action, Students for Sustainability, Keweenaw Socialists, Plant and Gardening Club, Law Club, and American Indian Science and Engineering Society. These student organizations, among others, stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

SFA is drafting various letters, reports, and actions to help MTU’s administration create a safer environment for LGBTQIA2S+ students (and other minorities). With your knowledge of these events, we are hopeful that there will be progress and action. Students should not have to take it upon themselves to create a safe learning (and living) environment on campus.

Organizations such as YAF and TPUSA are intent on their controversy, which elicits anger and makes it more difficult to foster a safe environment on campus. Some students and I peacefully protested the Berlin Wall and other homophobic events and were met with verbal harassment and derogatory remarks. An MTU Public Safety officer was even dispatched to speak with a YAF member during this escalation. While protesting shows support and spreads awareness, the administration continues to ignore any attempt to bring change and refuses to hold accountable those responsible for perpetuating hate speech and threats of violence targeting minority groups.

The ELCRA also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. "Sexual orientation" means having an orientation for heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality or having a history of such an orientation or being identified with such an orientation. "Gender identity or expression" means having or being perceived as having a gender-related self-identity or expression whether associated with an individual's assigned sex at birth or not.

We urge you to contact the administration of Michigan Tech, and encourage change that will protect all minorities both on campus and associated with this public university. As a public university, you appoint our Board of Trustees. We hope that in light of these events, you will appoint new Board Members in the future who will support minorities, and help us to create a safer and more inclusive campus environment.