I am not transgender, but my boyfriend is. I have seen him grow immensely during our past two and a half years at the University of Utah together. We came here because we had heard good things about how queer people were treated at the U. He has always been anxious to be in public as a trans person, especially given the rampant violence towards trans people in recent years. But over the past couple years, I saw him become more confident and comfortable, specifically in the art building where many of his classes are. He had always had concerns for his safety, but I saw him become more and more capable of going to class on his own and being comfortable doing so. 

Then, a little over a month ago, the U student group “Young Americans for Freedom” began staging outright transphobic events, and plastering dozens of signs up that, while not explicitly, indirectly called for violence against trans people. I am certain that the university would dispute this claim, but it is the reality trans people live in, where phrases like “men don’t belong in women’s bathrooms” result in trans women being assaulted and murdered. 

Luckily, YAF is a very small and relatively unpopular minority it seems. Their actions and message still present a dangerous rhetoric, but as a group their events tend to have relatively low turnout, especially compared to the number of individuals who show up to protest their message. 

The bigger issue here is the university itself, specifically the higher administration and the university police. The U has repeatedly endorsed YAF’s ability to spread this message of hate, despite their messages that this is a “hate-free campus.” While I understand that as a federal institution there are limitations on what kinds of speech the university can restrict, the U seems to turn a blind eye to the clear and present danger this specific speech presents.

Directly, the university has taken harmful action against student protesters. The U administration and university police have repeatedly targeted MECHA leadership for organizing protests, and individual protesters for attending protests. University police have also been very physically aggressive in their handling of peaceful protesters. 

But that is not the main reason I write this. All of that is already documented in other articles and letters. What I want to stress is the direct impact that the university’s actions are having on students, and the U’s reputation. All of the progress I saw in my partner over the past two years, the fact that he learned campus was a safe place for him is gone. He is being once again shown by the university that they will not take necessary action to keep him safe. He is shown that the administration does not prioritize his learning or belonging. He is shown that the university police are not there to keep him safe, but to keep him quiet. 

But there are plenty of other students who have already told the U this, so I want to speak to the goals of university administration. I have spoken to staff and other students around campus, and they are disappointed in the university. Even faculty and staff at other universities in Utah are aware of this situation and have lost respect for the U. Students across the country have seen what is going on and have shamed the U for it. President Taylor Randall, Lori McDonald, and Mary Ann Villarreal, you have been repeatedly called on by countless students to take action to make this a safe place for trans students, and those calls seem lost on you based on your recent actions. But even if you won’t do it for the students, do it for the U’s reputation. My partner and I are both full time students paying tuition, plus differential tuition in my case. Recently, we have both been looking at other schools to transfer to. We regret choosing to come to this school and pay thousands of dollars every year to be treated like this. A couple months ago, I would have recommended the U to just about anybody who asked, but not anymore. I assure you — you will lose valuable prospective students based on these actions. The U is damaging its reputation with every choice it is making here. I would like to be proud of my school when I graduate. I want to remember the U for the choices they made to make my partner and I feel safe on campus. And surely, you should too. 

-University of Utah student