Hello all,
I can’t believe I’m updating this petition for the first time in over two years. I’m sure much has changed in everyone’s lives, but, unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Stevens administration: who are still hell-bent on supporting the bigot that is Greg Gianforte.
TLDR; Stevens is attempting to rollback the student organization boycott of Gianforte Family Hall (GFH) implemented in 2021. Take a stand by pledging to never donate or gift to Stevens again, expanding the original boycott here: https://tinyurl.com/boycott-stevens.
- - -
Background – Stevens uses manipulation tactics to end the Gianforte boycott
Last week, Stevens Institute of Technology’s administration announced an “LGBTQ+ take back” of Gianforte Family Hall (GFH)–basically meaning they plan to end the boycott that was instituted on GFH in 2021.
For context, in 2021, 55 student organizations pledged to not use Gianforte Family Hall for anything so long as the building remains named after Greg Gianforte and Stevens aligns themselves with his values. (You can find more information about this boycott via the following Google Sheets.)
Why should I still care?
Now, 5 years later after the (protested) opening of Gianforte Family Hall and 3 years after our boycott, many of the initial students involved with the #RenameGFH movement have graduated. This means that current students have no context around the boycott and its preceding events–thus being further prone to disinformation by administration.
So, Stevens Institute of Technology, by using The Student Government Association as a proxy, has instituted an “LGBTQ take back” of the building to renounce the boycott.
Not only is this a misnomer (how can our community reclaim something that was never ours?), it is an empty gesture that Stevens is using to get their money’s worth for the building.
The take back consists of putting up rainbow paraphernalia and having pride events in GFH; what material improvement does this make for queer Stevens community?
Stevens also claims this take back promises “the development of an office focused around facilitating student belonging,” which was already created years prior to this take back known as Diversity Education (a former division of Student Affairs). Now rebranded as the Office of Student Culture and Belonging, this office is doing the very opposite of fostering belonging by endorsing use of Gianforte Family Hall.
- - -
We recognize that current students have the autonomy to take on the issue of GFH in the way they see fit. From the beginning of this campaign, it has morphed and changed with every class of students that has approached it. However, an empty gesture of reclamation has always been the plan of administration. We refuse to sit by and allow Stevens administration to disinform their student body once again; and, dually, refuse to let them erase a legacy of student activism.
Okay, what can I do?
We are imploring you, as students, faculty, staff and alumni, to not sit by as Director of Student Culture and Belonging Liliana Delman, Vice President for Student Affairs Sara Klein, and Stevens Institute of Technology’s Presidential Cabinet cosign Gianforte’s racism, transphobia, creationism, violence and voter suppression–and use students to do it.
This Tuesday, April 9th, 2024, a group of alumni and I will be submitting a statement to The Stute and Stevens Institute of Technology condemning the "LGBTQ+ take back" of Gianforte Family Hall as a masquerade for ending the student organization boycott on GFH–and expand the boycott by pledging as individuals to never to give or donate to Stevens Institute of Technology for as long as The Gateway Academic North Building is named after Greg Gianforte.
As of today, 56 alumni have pledged to expand this boycott by never donating or giving to Stevens during our lifetimes. We are are asking YOU (students, staff, faculty, alumni, friends, etc.) to pledge your name to this boycott by filling out this 30-second Google Form: https://tinyurl.com/boycott-stevens
- - -
Do not let Stevens erase this grave mistake of theirs from history.
Do not let Stevens continue to get away with below-bare-minimum support of our marginalized community.
More info and a fuller statement can be found at tinyurl.com/boycott-stevens-letter.