My college experience, like many others, has been marked not only by academic exploration but also an evident growth in personal and community understanding. Going to a community college known for its diverse environment, engaging education, and having a nurturing environment for all students empowered me and many other students to continue striving for success in an institution that showed value and understanding towards its students. Unfortunately, this nurturing environment was marred by a distressing incident. I have personally witnessed members of our Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter engage in hate speech on our campus. The YAF chapter included anti-trans, anti-women, anti-choice, and many more messages alike written across the College of Sequoias Quad area where many students engage and walk past every day. This discourse has left deep scars in our inclusive and diverse community.

Hate speech, by nature, is reprehensible, and it has no place in our institutions of higher learning that celebrate diversity and cultural understanding. Experiencing this hate speech firsthand and observing the harmful impact on my peers, I am forced to take action.

It's not just a personal grievance but a call for collective action. We must turn our colleges into safe spaces where everyone feels valued, not venues where destructive and discriminatory acts occur sparking fear and unease within our community. 

Given this background, this petition seeks to demand change and pursue accountability for YAF and its club members. It is vital that organizations like these have strict disciplinary procedures in place to handle such scenarios and ensure that the values of respect and human rights are upheld at all times.

To support our cause, we implore the administration and student fidelity of our college to review the incident, reflect on its clear infringement of our college equality and diversity policies, and take appropriate action to hold those responsible accountable.

Stand with us in this fight for dignity and equality. Sign this petition and take the stand against hate speech in our educational institutions.

Any questions, comments, concerns, experiences? Share them with the creator of this petition @fknyocelyn on all platforms, or email them to: yoc(dot)activism2025@gmail(dot)com