BUZZ
One trans student said it ‘made an existing discomfort with using the bathroom worse‘
Graffiti “targeting” transgender individuals “continues to appear” at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and has led to a police investigation and campus “community processing and reflection space.”
As reported by The Poly Post, students were first notified of vandalism in a September 17 email from the school president’s office. Men’s bathroom stalls in two buildings had “trans menal [sic] illness” and “fuck the weak” scrawled on them, while the phrase “tranz rightz” was crossed out.
“Additional hateful imagery,” including a swastika, was reported through September 21.
In response to the incidents, on Sept. 18 and 23 the Office of Community and Belonging held a “community processing and reflection space” to allow the Cal Poly Pomona community an “opportunity to process what had happened and share their experiences.”
Interim Senior Associate Vice President of Community and Belonging Jonathan Grady said those who attended “expressed hurt, pain and fear.”
“We heard the continued need for education and dialogue. Folks have reached out to us in a variety of ways […] we recognize some folks want to be in community with one another,” Grady said.
Transgender psychology student Skad Arroyo said the graffiti led “him” to stop attending a class on Tuesdays. Arroyo believes the university’s response to it has been insufficient: “I entered university already knowing people may not like my presence because of how I identify, how I dress, how I look.”
Devon Pizano, another trans psychology student who’s also autistic, said viewing the graffiti “made an existing discomfort with using the bathroom worse.”
“It basically means that who I am makes someone upset,” Pizano said. “[I]f someone were to have a problem with it, how far are they willing to go?”
Pizano agreed with Arroyo about the school’s response: “Show us that you are doing something outside of police presence. Show us how you are making us safer.”
Joel Gutierrez, executive director of student retention initiatives and support for the OCB, said they are working with other campus offices, including organizations within The Centers for Transformation, Retention, Equity and Empowerment, offering training and workshops focused on navigating differences, cultural humility and allyship.
Zoe Koskenmaki, an environmental biology student whose brother is transgender, said she was “pretty appalled” when she saw the graffiti and concerned about how it could affect transgender students on campus.
Koskenmaki said the graffiti made her think about the experiences transgender students may have when using campus restrooms, particularly in spaces where they may already feel uncomfortable or judged. She said seeing anti-transgender messages in a restroom could make those students feel less welcome or safe on campus.
As of the end of September, campus police have no suspects regarding the vandalism.
MORE: Duke Univ. investigates ‘homophobic’ graffiti left on ‘Free Expression’ bridge
