Thank you for signing our petition on behalf of GASP! Please keep circulating and sharing with PUC stakeholders who want to show their support to our LGBTQIA+ students on campus and in the Adventist church. We are on the verge of breaking 200 signatures so let’s keep going!
As we approach the celebration of Thanksgiving I wanted to reflect on something from when I attended GASP last week. As we introduced ourselves to each other, everyone shared their name and the pronouns we use in safe and unsafe places. It struck me what a privilege I have as a cis-female to use my preferred pronouns in any space and knowing that many of these students might be returning to homes during the holiday week where it isn’t safe for them to be themselves. To know they live and study on a campus where not all places or people are safe.
In a study from May 2022, the William’s Institute at the UCLA School of Law Found that LGBTQ students were four times more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to choose a college away from home to find acceptance. GASP has been a safe haven for students at PUC since 2008. Despite the stance so far that the LGBTQIA+ community can’t be officially included in student life, this group has continued to show us that there is a place for everyone and all have something to contribute.
If there is any place where we should be able to critically interrogate our faith and our beliefs it is at an institution of higher education. As a religious institution that claims to be a “beacon on a hill” for God’s unconditional love, we have an obligation to support all of our students as they learn and grow more independent. All of PUC should be a safe place for students to be themselves as they develop their identities and prepare for lives of service.
As many of us pause to give thanks this Thursday, also remember those who may not be enjoying a safe family gathering. And as many students across the country return to their safe places away from home this coming weekend, let’s do our part to make PUC better and safer place for all.
Thank you again for your support!