Angelica Ross, actress, singer-songwriter and founder/CEO of TransTech, addressed a small crowd at the LGBTQ Resource Center’s 30th anniversary celebration Oct. 5. You may know Ross from her roles on Pose and several seasons of American Horror Story. But she is also a powerful advocate for the LGBTQ+ community as a black trans woman. Those of us in attendance were lucky to share space with Ross for an hour and learn about her journey in the entertainment industry and with teaching herself computer programming and founding her firm, which helps transgender people find employment in the tech industry.
Ross visited a frenetic campus, amidst the frequent clashing of administrators and protestors, all as a polarizing national election looms over the community. Now, more than ever, Cornell is a microcosm of broader issues, with ongoing national and global conflicts heavy on the minds of many, and outspoken activism abounds here, especially when it comes to causes that Cornellians feel a personal connection to.
At the intersection of marginalized identities, as both a person of color and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Ross’ activism is pivotal. In the same vein, why is Ross left to bear the brunt of the racism and discrimination that society inflicts on her alone?
Attacks on transgender youth and the LGBTQ+ community occur far too often in the American political scene. The New York Times reported earlier this month that Donald Trump and the Republican party have spent more than 65 million dollars on anti-trans ads nationwide. This fearmongering and invalidating the identities of trans Americans illustrates blatant ploys to further divide our country for the political gain of power hungry, cisgender white men.
Furthermore, the sad and horrifying truth is that there is an epidemic of violence against trans people, and disproportionately, trans people of color, in this country.
If Cornellians needed a reminder of the importance of valuing marginalized voices and the dangers of hate, Ross’ visit would be that salient reminder.
And it seems we do.
Ben Shapiro, vocal conservative, has been invited to speak here on campus at Bailey Hall this coming Monday, Oct. 28. Shapiro has publicly stated his belief that transgender individuals have a mental disorder — directly contrasting the actual medical professionals at the American Psychological Association, which, as an organization rooted in current scientific research, actively disputes Shapiro’s claim and affirms transgender identities. Shapiro also called transgender actor Eliot Page’s coming out announcement “disgusting,” “pathetic” and “creepy.”
The Alice Statler Auditorium seats 715 audience members, while Bailey Hall seats 1,300. Why is our university giving a larger platform to Shapiro, who actively spews misinformation and hate speech about trans identities, than to Ross, a champion of human rights activism?
What type of message does it send to trans individuals that Shapiro, who has publicly invalidated and denied their very existence, is being invited to speak on campus and granted the opportunity to have an audience of this size? Shapiro’s comments should be recognized as what they are: not a difference of opinion, but an attack on the identities of members of our own beloved campus community.
To make matters worse, on Sept. 30, Joel Malina, vice president of university relations, told a private meeting of Cornell university parents that a KKK representative would be allowed to speak on campus if invited.
This intimidation of black students on our campus is unacceptable. Black Students United Cornell responded to Malina’s apology statement in The Sun, writing that “by allowing the possibility of invitation, the University creates a dangerous student community for all minorities.” A viral TikTok by a Cornell sophomore also called out the University’s neglect for the safety of black students.
But again, just like with Ross, the weight of advocacy should not be left on the shoulders of Cornellians of color. All student organizations should unequivocally be rejecting the flippant lack of empathy Malina showed to black students. If Cornell wants to tout “any person, any study,” administration should be bending over backwards not just to increase diversity in admissions statistics, but to make students of color feel safe once they arrive on campus.
We should be welcoming human rights advocates like Angelica Ross to campus with open arms and recognizing the value of their work. But more importantly, we need to be actively speaking against the conditions that make it acceptable for the KKK, a hate group, to be referenced as a possibility on our campus, and for Ben Shapiro to spew divisive and erroneous claims that demonize the very existence of members of our community.
There should be more than 50 people in the audience to hear experiences like Ross’ with the intention of going forward and doing better. Maybe then it will be understood the dangers that black Americans face each day due to the entrenched systemic racism our country is founded on.
Cornell needs to do better. We all need to do better to understand perspectives outside our own. If our administration won’t put the work in, we need to pick up the slack to foster respect in our community and ensure that we do the least harm to others on our campus, that there is no audience for the hateful and ignorant rhetoric perpetuated by Shapiro, that transgender identities are not up for debate at Cornell and racism and hate speech will never be tolerated.
Carlin Reyen is a fourth year student in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her fortnightly column Just Carlin’ It Like It Is centers around student life, social issues, Cornell life hacks and the University’s interactions with the broader community. Carlin can be reached at [email protected].