For 23 years our family funded an annual scholarship for a student at the Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR) at Utah State University (USU). Sadly, we are suspending it due to recent transphobic actions taken by USU.
We attended QCNR from 1990-1998 and following graduation wanted to express our gratitude for the support the college had offered us. In the beginning, we didn’t have permanent jobs, but even putting up $100 each, and joined by our parents, allowed us to give $400 to a student in 2001. As we settled into our careers, we grew that to $2,000 and proudly contributed that annually ever since.
However, USU choosing to join a lawsuit targeting one transgender young woman on San Jose State’s volleyball team was hard news for us. We know Utah is conservative and have been dismayed by recent transphobic bills passed by the Legislature. We worry about trans people, who deserve respect and equal treatment when accessing state services their tax dollars pay for, like every citizen. We can imagine university administrators feeling they have no choice but to comply with anti-diversity legislation. However, this lawsuit by USU was not that.
Beginning with a pitiful display of poor sportsmanship by forfeiting a game against San Jose State in October, USU doubled down to target one transgender young person, choosing to join this suit the day before a tournament. This attack joins a torrent of hate the trans community is receiving nationally — a community where 56% of youth have attempted suicide and 86% report suicidality.
It’s painful to witness our alma mater (literally: nourishing mother) deliberately choose to target such a vulnerable group of Americans. To counter that, we are shifting our modest giving to the Logan Pride Foundation, which stands as a resource to the LGBTQ community in Cache Valley.
Aaron Poe, Anchorage, Alaska; Kevin Poe, Tropic Utah; Mark Poe, Honolulu, Hawaii; Noel and Mary Poe, Kanab
