An Open Letter to the Carthage Transgender Community

Dear Carthage transgender community,

I wanted to reach out to all of you in our transgender community to support you and remind you that all of you are welcome at any time to come to my office regarding any issues you are facing.

As you may have heard by now, and as reported by Reuters:

“Under a proposal first reported by the New York Times on Sunday, the Trump administration would narrow the definition of gender to male or female at birth and it would be unchangeable later in life.

The move would remove recognition of and protections for transgender people under U.S. civil rights laws promoted by the prior administration of President Barack Obama in health care, schools and the military.”

I am writing to all of you today to let you know that the current administration in Washington D.C. cannot define you—and in particular—our transgender community.

YOU DEFINE YOU!

And you will always have a home here at Carthage College.

I will do whatever I can to ensure your well being, your safety, and to affirm your existence, your experience, and your identity on this campus.

The richness of the Carthage experience lies in its diversity. Our community flourishes because of the diversity of identities and we are a better community because of the presence of our LGBTQIA+ community. We are enriched by the depth of the experiences of all of our students.

I pledge to support each of you so that you all have an opportunity to reach your full potential here at Carthage and beyond.

I pledge to stand with you as, together, we insist on validating the full humanity of our entire community and recognize each and all of us as full Carthaginians.

Best,

Roger Moreano, Assistant Director of Student Involvement for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Programs

I can be reached at rmoreano@carthage.edu.