50th Anniversary of Stonewall

Dear Colleagues, Today marks the 50th anniversary of the riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York that brought continued attention to the marginalization and discrimination – in all forms – of our LGTBQIA+ community. Although Stonewall was not the first such event of those taking a stand against the laws and actions that sought to penalize them based on their identity, it was a driving force for a month when those around the world celebrate and take Pride in their brothers and sisters within this community. Words cannot express the horror we feel at the crimes and atrocities carried out against this community by individuals, hate groups, institutions and governments, both here and abroad. And although we celebrate the historic movement, the movement is not over. Suicide and suicide ideation, depression, feelings of despair and abandonment persist among members of the community at alarming rates, several times higher than the national average on our own campus and even more so for those in the transgender communities of color. The University of Wisconsin- Madison has had its own history of persecuting students from the LGBTQIA+ community, even expelling students on the suspicion of being homosexual. And despite many advances in creating and celebrating a more inclusive campus environment over the last 50 years, we are far from where we need to be. We have not created a climate that fully embraces people from the wide spectra of diversity and we have not fully recognized the inherent value of each person’s dignity and contribution to the well-being and advancement of this community and the world. Our journey is long and will be fraught with conflicting ideas on how we advance but one thing is and must remain certain- everyone deserves dignity, respect and to be heard. We are individually and collectively calling on ourselves and each one of you to help us create the environment we desire- one that knows that we will never be great without supporting one another and recognizing our value. In a special way, and on this day particularly, we remember those activists in multiple marginalized communities who lifted their voices and bodies in protest when reprisal was certain and the consequences severe.  We speak the names of Lucy Hicks Anderson, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Ruiz, James Baldwin and Audre Lorde and the countless others who suffered great sacrifice for their rights and the rights of those around them in their own time and the time to come. We ask that you join us in celebrating those who had the courage and stand against oppression and racism and who stand for peace, love and respect. Happy Pride! Steve, Derek, Andre and Scott