In recent months there has been an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ vandalism on the SUNY Cortland campus.
The most common sites for these vandalizations are the men’s bathrooms in Old Main. The stalls are defaced and homophobic and transphobic graffiti litters the walls.
Impact on Students
Simple things like going to the bathroom invoke fear in our LGBTQ+ students. Transgender and non-binary students have expressed having to trek around campus to find a safe bathroom. Resulting in arriving late to class or even getting urinary tract infections.
Most of the incidents are reported by LGBTQ+ students, documenting such acts taking place where they work and learn can be emotionally draining and damaging.
SOGIE
The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression Committee
SOGIE is the campus committee charged with advocacy and supporting the development of curriculum, scholarship, and programs to increase equity and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ campus community.
SafeZone
The SafeZone program is used to educate, identify, and support people in the LGBTQ+ community. There are workshops to train individuals to be able to consider their office/work/communal space a “SafeZone”
we hope to provide the LGBTQAIP community with recognizable, visible locations where they can feel safe, welcomed, and supported
SUNY Cortland Multicultural Life and Diversity Office
There will be a SafeZone meeting on Tuesday, October 10th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. via WebEx
SOGIE Information
SOGIE meets every other Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Contact SOGIE co-chair Erin Morris at erin.morris@cortland.edu for more information or a meeting invitation.
Where to Report
Take a photo of the vandalism and complete a bias report, an online form that takes 5-10 minutes to complete. There are check boxes for the type of incident (e.g., written slurs, graffiti) and a place to upload your photo(s). Action will still be taken if you choose to submit the report anonymously.