LGBTQIA+ Equity Condemns Anti-LGBTQIA+ Legislation - 4/2022
As of April 2022, the annual number of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills proposed has skyrocketed from 41 in 2018 to 238 in less than four months into 2022. These bills range Alabama’s recent signing criminalizing gender-affirming health care for minors to Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" bill, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Nearly half of these bills explicitly target trans, non binary, and many more non cis people. Although most of the legislation is aimed at K-12 students, these sorts of bills can normalize antagonism toward LGBTQIA+ students and create additional pain, stress, and fear for the LGBTQIA+ population. In addition, anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation affects students beyond the campus where they live, study, and work, as students live within the communities outside of the institutions.
With the disturbance and possibility of these atrocious laws that may come to pass, we openly reiterate our support to our friends, loved ones, and the many more people for whom this decision adversely and directly affects. Furthermore, we acknowledge and bring to the forefront the shared fear, anxiety, anger, and frustrations within the LGBTQIA+ community around this legislation that truly affects all of us. The Department of Student Equity is in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community and continues its commitment to equity and inclusion, which is supported through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement (Board Policy 3400).
We invite the MiraCosta community to remain committed to educating ourselves about LGBTQIA+ issues. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to sign up for the self-paced Pride Inclusion Training, which provides access to information to aid in supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, and many more [LGBTQIA+] community members.
Students, we invite you to utilize the QT Group, an affirming space for all LGBTQPIA+ students to share experiences, express their identities, and build community. To learn more about this student group, please visit Health Services. For the Zoom link, email Van Ethan Levy at vlevy@miracosta.edu ; specifying in the email that you are requesting a link for the QT Group.
For our LGBTQIA+ community, especially our trans and non binary members, we send out a reminder that you are worthy, valued, matter and belong. Please know that if you need someone to connect with, MiraCosta staff and faculty are ready and willing to talk with you.
- SPHERE - lgbtqia@miracosta.edu
Cindy Arce (she, her, hers) - Program Manager Student Success & Equity
carce@miracosta.edu - Health Services- for mental health counseling or 30-minute psychoeducational/information
sessions
Make an appointment with Mental Health Counselors by contacting mccshs@miracosta.edu
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Otiz Oakley On The Needs Of LGBTQ+ Community - 01/2020
2/2019
Friends,
On January 22, the Supreme Court weighed in on a ban that bars most transgender people from serving in the military. While the details of the proceedings surrounding this ban are leaving many people with more questions than it does answers, what is clear to us is that for the past two and a half years transgender people have been able to serve bravely and openly in our military. Despite these uncertain times, the Student Equity Department and Veteran Services Department wants to reiterate our support for our active duty and veteran service members, as well as those with friends and loved ones for whom this decision adversely affects.
We’ve stated before, that in times like this, there are three interconnected, vital themes must come to the fore: support, solidarity, and visibility. The fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration that those affected by this decision are experiencing is valid. MiraCosta College has an expressed commitment to equity and inclusion, which is supported through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement (Board Policy 3400):
MiraCosta College is committed to providing a strong, supportive, and authentic environment where difference is valued, respected, encouraged, and honored; where all faculty, staff, and students experience a sense of belonging and the freedom to express themselves; and where their experiences are recognized and valued. MiraCosta College strives to be a model for equity and inclusion. The college is committed to providing opportunities for engagement both across the campus and within the communities the college serves. The college seeks to remove barriers to learning, participation, and success, with a focus on changing procedures and practices that disproportionately affect certain groups. Anchored in a culture of evidence, MiraCosta College promotes increased awareness and appreciation of individual, collective, and intersecting identities within our diverse society and acknowledges that different students learn in different and unique ways.
Please know that if you need someone to speak with, there are MiraCosta staff and faculty ready and willing to speak with you.
- Veteran Services
Liz Draper, Coordinator, Veterans Services
ldraper@miracosta.edu - Student Equity
JP Bareng Schumacher, Director of Student Equity & Campus Liaison for LGBTQIA+ Needs
jschumacher@miracosta.edu - India Pierce, LGBTQIA+ Equity, Student Services Specialist
ipierce@miracosta.edu
10/2018
Friends,
On October 21st the New York Times reported on a leaked memo from President Trump’s administration. The memo describes a plan to redefine gender as a biologically immutable state determined by a person’s genitalia at birth. This proposed definition threatens to roll back numerous rights and protections - healthcare, housing, and other means of social support - for transgender, non-binary, gender nonconforming, and intersex individuals.
The content proposed in this memo has shaken members of the entire LGBTQIA+ community. The resultant fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration that the community is experiencing is valid. For those that identify as cisgender allies, it is vital that we work to hold ourselves and each other accountable, listen first instead of talk, and support a world where people have rights and liberty regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. During times like these, the Student Equity Department believes that three interconnected, vital themes must come to the fore: support, solidarity, and visibility.
Here is a video that shows four ways that we can manifest these themes at MiraCosta College to support transgender, non-binary, gender nonconforming, and intersex students, faculty, and staff.
To our transgender, non-binary, gender nonconforming, and intersex students, staff, and faculty - you are valued and you belong here at MiraCosta College.
