Resolved
Although we believe this situation has been addressed in a way that should prevent future reoccurrence, those who believe they have been the target of bias, intolerance or discrimination may report an incident to the public incident report form (bias and intolerance) or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (sexual misconduct and discrimination).
Please direct any questions or concerns in regard to this bias incident to the RBIRT Manager at RBIresponse@utah.edu.
What happened
On March 28, 2023, an individual reported seeing flyers in the University of Utah Union building, that were posted by a Recognized Student Organization (Registered), advertising a movie watch party of an anti-trans film created by a well-known right-wing conservative writer and podcaster. The flyer names the film, and though it does not give a description of the film’s content, it does show an offensive illustration of trans individuals. The advertising and screening for the film was being conducted during Pride Week.
What is being done
The incident was reported to the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA) as well as the Racist and Bias Incident Response Team.
The student organization followed the appropriate procedures to get the advertising flyers approved for display in the Union. Although flyer featured an offensive illustration of trans people, offensive speech is still protected by the first amendment, and the student organization has the right to advertise the event and show the film. It is important to note that the depictions on the flyer and the content of the film are still harmful to the LGBTQ+ members of our community and do not reflect the University of Utah’s values.
What to do
The university respects the free speech rights of all university groups/members, and the university recognizes that protected speech can still be hurtful. The university encourages members of the campus community to express their views in the most respectful way possible.
Acts that portray members of our university community in an offensive manner, particularly when done in a way to diminish or detract from a week of celebration and community building, such as Pride Week at the U, cause harm to students’ and other community members’ sense of belonging and some are feeling especially vulnerable. We encourage all to treat all members of our university with care and respect and to strive to ensure that all our staff, students, trainees, faculty and other community members are able to find a place of safety and belonging as a part of our campus community, and have the space to explore, express and celebrate their various identities.
If you are interested in learning more about the variety of resources the U offers to support diversity and inclusion, please visit the Office of the Dean of Students in the Union Building, Room 270, deanofstudents@utah.edu, 801-581-7066, or Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Park Building, Room 208, or https://diversity.utah.edu/our-team/. To make a report of a racist or bias incident, visit the public reporting form.