In mere hours three students will go before the SJB in a highly controversial hearing on their alleged participation in a political campaign. Alums have sprung into action, drafting a letter in solidarity with the defendants and quickly securing an impressive range of signatories. At the time of this post, more than 211 alumnae from class years spanning 1981-2013 have signed the call from countries all over the world. The full text of the letter and the signatures is below:
We, progressive Wesleyan alumni, are deeply distressed to learn of the mistreatment of current transgender students and allies on campus. We support the brave student activists who responded to their experience of marginalization by expressing themselves through de-gendering the bathrooms.
Transgender people face socially-sanctioned dehuminization and abuse, employment discrimination, threats and violence. Wesleyan’s perpetuation of this behavior is abhorrent and inconsistent with the values that the University fosters among its students, such as social justice, inclusivity, and community. In this and other actions of late we are witnessing an eroding of Wesleyan’s core values, and we are concerned about the current and future climate of a place we once held so dear. As alumni, we are the spokespersons and ambassadors for our alma mater. We want the school which we attended and which we represent to remain faithful to the ethos of fairness with which it was founded and for which it is known. We want Wesleyan to continue to inspire other universities and institutions through its exemplary commitment to social justice.
Though the school considers the de-gendering of bathrooms to be property damage and vandalism, far more destructive are the conditions which gave rise to the students’ actions. Wesleyan must recognize the root cause of the actions: a climate in which trans students feel silenced, unwelcome and unsafe. Rather than punish the very people who are being harmed, Wesleyan needs to look at how it can create a more inclusive campus. Those people and institutions preventing some community members from feeling safe are not under investigation nor being held accountable. Rather, only those standing up for a safer campus have been sanctioned.
We demand that the Administration ensure that trans students feel safe on campus, especially when engaged in an act as basic and essential as using the bathroom. We ask that you stop the SJB process that singles out a handful of students for an action that was taken by many as a means of survival. Instead of blaming the victims of oppression, Wesleyan must engage in a dialogue about cisgender privilege and begin to do the painful but necessary work of creating a campus that is just and safe for all.
Proudly,
Wesleyan Alumni
| Abby Biberman |
2004 |
| Abigail Boggs |
2002 |
| Ada Pinkston |
2005 |
| Adrien Weibgen |
2005 |
| Agueda Ortega |
2013 |
| Alain Chan |
2012 |
| Alana Perino |
2011 |
| Alex Hirsch |
2013 |
| Alex Kelley |
2013 |
| Alexander Levey |
2009 |
| Alexandra Patrick |
2013 |
| Alice Ruby |
1991 |
| Allegra Stout |
2012 |
| Ally Bernstein |
2012 |
| Amara Davila |
2013 |
| Amelia Tatarian |
2013 |
| Amy Barth |
2004 |
| Andrea Cortes-Juarbe |
2005 |
| Andreas Gurewich |
2005 |
| Andrew Pfeiffer |
2013 |
| Anna Lefer Kuhn |
1997 |
| Anna Steed |
2005 |
| Anthony Zosherafatain |
2010 |
| Anwar Batte |
2013 |
| Anya Backlund |
2011 |
| Anya Maddow-Zimet |
2004 |
| Ari Fishman |
2013 |
| Ari Lev Fornari |
2004 |
| Arli Christian |
2004 |
| Aviva Tevah |
2009 |
| Becca Snelling |
2012 |
| Beck WItt |
2003 |
| Ben Doernberg |
2012 |
| Ben Spatz |
2001 |
| Benjamin Hart |
2011 |
| Bill Beluch |
2013 |
| Brendan Martin |
1995 |
| Briana Deutsch |
2009 |
| Caitlin Slattery |
2006 |
| Cam Awkward-Rich |
2011 |
| Cameron Couch |
2013 |
| Cara Herbitter |
2003 |
| Charlie Abbott |
2010 |
| Cheryl Walker |
2012 |
| Christian Lalonde |
2013 |
| Christina Pham |
2013 |
| Christine Tristani |
2013 |
| Claire Randall |
2012 |
| Colin Casey |
2005 |
| Conrad Wenzel |
2003 |
| Corey Guilmette |
2013 |
| Corey Harrower |
2007 |
| Dan Fischer |
2011 |
| Dan Ping He |
2013 |
| Dana Raviv |
2006 |
| Dani Patrick |
2013 |
| Danielle Feris |
2002 |
| David Rood-Ojalvo |
2005 |
| Dylan Turmeque-Lamont |
2013 |
| Eli Hetko |
2011 |
| Elissa Martel |
2010 |
| Elizabeth Evans |
2013 |
| Elizabeth Tammaro |
2013 |
| Ellana Theodorou |
2012 |
| Em Kianka |
2013 |
| Emily Black |
2013 |
| Emily Brown |
2012 |
| Emily Keeler |
2007 |
| Emily Shechtman |
2008 |
| Emma Alpert |
2004 |
| Emma Cooper-Serber |
1997 |
| Eric Bissell |
2010 |
| Erin O’donnell |
2012 |
| Ev Evnen |
2010 |
| Evan Bissell |
2005 |
| Evan Weber |
2013 |
| Evelyn Israel |
2010 |
| Ez Cukor |
2005 |
| Fatima Ahmed |
2004 |
| Frank Lyon |
2005 |
| Gaspar Caro |
2005 |
| Gina Eichenbaum-Pikser |
2005 |
| Hannah Barber |
2010 |
| Hannah Rubin |
2013 |
| Henry Thornhill |
2012 |
| Iris Jacob |
2006 |
| Jack Downey |
2002 |
| James Gardner |
2013 |
| Javier Gaston-Greenburg |
2004 |
| Jeff Jorve |
2004 |
| Jeffrey Dunn Rovinelli |
2010 |
| Jenny Hipscher |
2004 |
| Jeremy Keim-Shenk |
2012 |
| Jesse Brent |
2103 |
| Jesse Ross-Silverman |
2013 |
| Jessica Gregg |
2004 |
| Jessie Morris |
2004 |
| JM Jaffe |
2009 |
| Jose Chapa |
2007 |
| Joseph D Cribb |
2013 |
| Josh Smith |
2011 |
| Julia Marcus |
2003 |
| Julie Neuspiel |
2009 |
| Justin Leroy |
2005 |
| Kateryn Nuñez |
2013 |
| Katherine Eyster |
2010 |
| Katherine Steinle |
1999 |
| Katherine Wolf |
2012 |
| Kathryn Schoendorf |
2004 |
| Katie Burk |
2002 |
| Katie Halper |
2003 |
| Katiria Calderon |
2005 |
| Kaya Ceci |
2013 |
| Kendra Ing |
2004 |
| Kevin Hayes |
2011 |
| Kevin Walters |
2012 |
| Kiera Mulvey |
2000 |
| Kieran K. Meadows |
2004 |
| Kristen Raddatz |
2013 |
| Lane Lauriat |
2009 |
| Laura Hymson |
2000 |
| Laurel Kennedy |
2004 |
| Leah Rotkin-Ellman |
2002 |
| Leila Tabbaa |
2007 |
| Lena Solow |
2012 |
| Lesley Chapman |
2009 |
| Lex Horan |
2007 |
| Lida Shao |
2006 |
| Lilly Dagdigian |
2008 |
| Lily Haskell |
2004 |
| Liza Eyster |
2004 |
| Lizzie Busch |
2010 |
| Lucas Guilkey |
2010 |
| Lucas Mantilla |
2013 |
| Maddie Thomson |
2008 |
| Maggie Burbank |
2002 |
| Maggie Graham |
2004 |
| Maggie White |
2005 |
| Mairead Ahern Salsich |
2004 |
| Mallory Cruz |
2011 |
| Maria Bonacci |
2001 |
| Mark Bennett |
2013 |
| Maxwell Hellman |
2013 |
| May Kyi |
2004 |
| Mayuran Tiruchelvam |
2003 |
| Megan Greenberg |
2007 |
| Meggie Mcguire |
2012 |
| Meggie Twible |
2012 |
| Melanie Ferdinand |
2013 |
| Melissa Rosario |
2005 |
| Meredith Jacks |
2003 |
| Mia Unger |
2002 |
| Mica Taliafaro |
2012 |
| Michael Andolina |
2005 |
| Michael Conrad |
2013 |
| Michael Lazar |
2013 |
| Molly Carina Dengler |
2006 |
| Natalie Ng |
2013 |
| Nick Malinowski |
2004 |
| Nico Vitti |
2012 |
| Nicole Davis |
1994 |
| Nicole Pritchard |
2005 |
| Nicole Sugerman |
2007 |
| Nikolás I. McConnie-Saad |
2005 |
| Omar Hernandez |
2004 |
| Oneka LaBennett |
1994 |
| Paige Kruza |
2007 |
| Paul Blasenheim |
2012 |
| Per Stinchcombe |
2008 |
| Piper Coutinho-Sledge |
2003 |
| Rachel Sigman |
2001 |
| Rachel Williams |
2005 |
| Randy Linder |
2013 |
| Rashida Richardson |
2008 |
| Rosa Cohen-Cruz |
2007 |
| S.G. Myrseth |
2010 |
| Sabelo Narasimhan |
1997 |
| Sally Lee |
1996 |
| Sam Fleischner |
2005 |
| Samantha Hurley |
2009 |
| Sara Ghebremichael |
2004 |
| Sara Pullen |
1997 |
| Sarah Ashkin |
2011 |
| Sarah Krauss |
2000 |
| Sarah Leitson |
2011 |
| Sascha Weiss |
2004 |
| Sean Fisher |
2003 |
| Selina Ellis |
2004 |
| Slamming |
2013 |
| Sonia Silbert |
2002 |
| Sophia Hussain |
2013 |
| Susan Meeker |
1981 |
| Tanya Ellman |
2001 |
| Tara Urs |
1998 |
| Teju Adisa-Farrar |
2013 |
| Tev Monnin |
2005 |
| Tony Zosherafatain |
2010 |
| Una Osato |
2004 |
| Vivian Chau Best |
2003 |
| Vladimir Gurewich |
2010 |
| Will Feinstein |
2013 |
| Xiomara Lorenzo |
2005 |
| Yael Chanoff |
2011 |
| Zach Goldberg |
2013 |
| Zach Schonfeld |
2013 |
| Zach Strassburger |
2006 |
| Zack Hall |
2004 |
| Zak Kirwood |
2012 |
| Zakia Henderson-Brown |
2006 |
| Zil Goldstein |
2005 |
| Zoe Mueller |
2013 |
Pingback: SPECIAL EDITION: Trans*action on Trial | Hermes
Alumni who have signed and who still want to,
You can enter your info into this google form. If you have already signed, but want to get more involved and/or stay in the loop, please give us your email address (which will not be publicly posted.)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_GprpiaUloY4E_CFQLpsZr-3a2TE_Nmjt7colYzh4Q4/viewform
We will delete any duplicates from a published list of signatories.
Daniel Zolli 2007
Nilaya Sabnis 2002
Heather Sheriff 2009
Pedro Ventura, 2010
Katie Boyce-Jacino, 2010
Ruby-Beth Buitekant, 2009
Sara Maeder 2008
Tasneem (Tussy) Sarah Alam, 2007
lorena estrella, 2010
Sukey Bernard, 2010
Annina DeLeo 2009
Margo Fernandez-Burgos 2008ish
Theodore Kelly 2008
Jessica Jones, ’08
Andrea Gentile, 2008
Michael Litwack, 2008
Phillip Zegelbone, 2008
Francis Weiss Rabkin, 2008
Savannah Whiting, 2013
Jessica French Smith ’09
Julius Hampton, 2009
Josh Ente ’08
Malayika Lemoine, 2006
Tia Clinton, 2006
This also represents a list or Wesleyan rapidly losing favor among current and potential donors.
Kristy Mercado ’05
Jillian White ’08.
Ben Doernberg ’13
Diego Perez Lacera 2010
Virginia Hermann 2007
Eduardo Gomez ’13
Kirsten Yamaguchi 2003
M. Bob Kao BA ’03, MA ’04
Elana Baurer 2009
Sarah Diaz 2007
Sarah Schorr 2012
Erica Belkin Allen 2008
Gedney Barclay 2009
Intisar Abioto 2008
Molly Birnbaum 2009
I added you MollyB!
Rachel Stone 2005
Kenneth A Hapke, JD, PhD, Class of 1974
Joseph Melendez, class of 2007.
I think people could attach their names to this in the comments?
Yes, comment here or email name and class year to thisiswhywespeakup@gmail.com
How do I sign this letter?
Comment here with your name and class year or email them to thisiswhywespeakup@gmail.com
where can i find a copy of this letter to send to alumni who are interested in signing
Email thisiswhywespeakup@gmail.com and we’ll send you a Word doc and/or a PDF.
Wes Alums continuing to write in and sign on:
Alix Strunk 2005
Ana J. Portilla 2007
Cashman Kerr Prince 1992
Cheryl Walker 2012
Chris Kontopidis 2010
Christene De Jong 2002
David Stein 2006
Elizabeth Damaskos 2012
Jillian Moreno 2013
Lily Seaman 2002
Marina Reza 2013
Mark Leonida 2008
Marshall Johnson 2011
Martha S. Tenney 2009
Matt Browner-Hamlin 2004
Melissa Silverman 2009
Micharri Pratts 2013
Michelle Loucas 1993
Mimi Bai 2009
Paolo Speirn 2010
Ravid Chowdhury 2009
Sarah Hexter 2005
Suzanne Ho 2013
Laura Masulis 2009
Damn. This is tight.