A Message from Dean Litt: Celebrating PRIDE

Dear Douglass Community,

At Douglass, we stand with queer communities throughout the year. However, in honor of PRIDE month, I’d like to take a special moment to speak to Douglass students and alumnae who identify as LGBTQIA+. Please know that you are valued members of our College community. We are dedicated to ensuring that Douglass is an inclusive environment where all students can excel without the existence of anti-queer stigma or bias.

PRIDE is a time to connect, to be seen, and to organize. We celebrate the historic Supreme Court rulings over the past five years that have made major strides towards deinstitutionalizing homophobia and transphobia. However, PRIDE is also a time to remember those who faced immense adversity on the path to a more equal world. During June, we honor all throughout history who have had their realities erased by hetero- and cis-normative culture. We commemorate those in the community who have suffered violence through police raids of queer spaces, hate crimes, youth homelessness, or the persistent neglect of queer health and safety. While we have come a long way in advancing the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, there is still much more to accomplish.

Throughout the last several weeks, we have all witnessed the transformative power of solidarity and allyship. Keywuan Caulk, Interim Director of the Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities and Knowledge and Power instructor at Douglass, has composed a powerful statement (will be linked, getting from Corina) on the intersection of queerness and Blackness admits the current global reckoning with systemic racism and white supremacy. Please take a moment and read his insightful and critical message. As we move forward in our conversations and actions as anti-racist educators and advocates, we at Douglass pledge to highlight the experiences of queer people of color and join the call to eliminate the threat of violence against queer Black communities.

The College is always searching for new ways to increase our allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community through programs and events. As part of the BOLD Summer Leadership Academy, Dean Rebecca Reynolds at the BOLD Center is hosting a series of programs that address LGBTQIA+ issues in our community. These sessions are safe spaces to discuss identity, allyship, and other concerns facing the LGBTQIA+ community. Please contact Dean Reynolds with any questions. For all upcoming summer programming, please click here.

If you’re interested in learning more about resources available to the LGBTQIA+ community, please visit The Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities website.

I am proud of all students who identify with and serve as allies for the queer community. Your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus are invaluable. Together, we can continue to fight homophobia, transphobia, systemic racism, and other forms of discrimination as they exist at Douglass, Rutgers, and around the world.

Sincerely,

Dean Jacquelyn Litt

Dean of Douglass and the Douglass Campus

douglass_dean@echo.rutgers.edu