ABIGAIL JACOBSON
News Editor
ALEX BUCKNAM
Asst. News Editor
Photo by JEAN CESTARO | Staff Photographer
Warning: This article contains strong language.
With the recent wave of executive orders being signed into law by President Donald Trump, many communities around the United States have been protesting. As of Feb. 7, the SUNY Fredonia campus community is one of them.
On Feb. 7 at 12 p.m., a protest in solidarity with immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community took place.
The protest began outside of University Commons, where students and community members stood around, bundled up with signs. Some of the signs made by protesters said “we are all immigrants!,” “Being trans is awesome, no human is illegal” and “you can’t take a piece of us without impacting all of us.”
The protesters walked past Fenton and Thompson Halls, hooking around Rockefeller Arts Center, passing by Dodds and Steel Halls, Mason Hall and the Williams Center and making their way back to University Commons. They repeated this loop once more and ended the protest at Dodds Grove, where speeches were given.
During the protest, chants were yelled, including, “Death before detransition” and “No fear, no hate, no ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] in our state.”
The protest was not just composed of SUNY Fredonia students but included members of the surrounding community as well. Reverend Holly Clark-Porter of Fredonia Presbyterian church was also in attendance. She stated that the Fredonia Presbyterian Church is queer-friendly and that she heard about this protest on Instagram and Facebook.
Other local community members like Julie Hutchinson also attended this protest. Hutchinson hopes it does some good, stating, “I think we have to do something. We have to keep our spirits high because … it’s such a cruel time now.”
Other students gave their opinion, with some talking about how the orders affect them because they are a part of the LGBTQ+ community and saying that it brings “a lot of fear and uncertainty.”
Benjamin Evans, one of the coordinators of this protest mentioned that it affects them as someone who is non-binary because “it means I no longer have a governor identity.” Evans also mentioned that they are “concerned on where it’s going, [particularly in regards] with mass deportation [because] there is no humane way to do that.”
Micaela LaBarbera, a senior acting major and a coordinator for the protest, discussed why they decided to do this.
LaBarbera said that she was having an anxiety spiral and she “wanted to do something about it and I felt like a hypocrite because I wasn’t doing anything about it.”
LaBarbera was mad at herself because “I was just sitting and doom scrolling, just talking about it and like being a hypocrite and saying …‘woah, but why isn’t anybody doing anything?’”
People have asked LaBarbera, a white, blonde woman, “Well, what makes you think you can speak out against this?” LaBarbera responded with “But I think that’s why I should … I’m not trying to be any kind of white savior or anything but [these orders affect] people man.”
She reached out to Evans because they have organized protests in the past for Students for Fredonia revolving around major cuts.
“That’s basically just how it started. Anxiety spiral. Call Ben,” LaBarbera said.
According to LaBarbera, the protest was coordinated for the marginalized groups of people who “have been villainized and dehumanized since the beginning of time and there have been protests since forever.”
“I’ve only lived 22 years of life but this is the first time in my life. I’ve seen people, no matter what they’re pro or against, so divided and so scared and … full of so much hate.”
Because of parties being divided and filled with hate, she mentioned how some of these people are afraid of change.
“[all parties] are terrified of things that they don’t understand,” LaBarbera said. “People are … terrified of anything that they don’t personally get that isn’t their own truth.”
Photo by JEAN CESTARO | Staff Photographer
Photo by JEAN CESTARO | Staff Photographer
She mentioned how it’s getting really dangerous and with the executive orders happening, “they are feeding off of our fear to get horrible things to pass.”
At first, LaBarbera wanted the protest to be oligarchy and to be against Donald Trump and his executive orders. But she sat for a second and thought “that’s broad and … it’s not really a positive message to just send something out there that says [we are] against x,y and z. I want to support something.”
LaBarbera discussed how Trump is attacking the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), Medicare and Medicaid, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, trans people in specific, women’s reproductive rights, “and the list goes fucking on.”
LaBarbera and Evans sat down and decided the protest would support the LGBTQ+ community, specifically trans people, and immigrants, since “those are the … two marginalized groups of people that we are seeing that are looked at as [the] most inhumane at the moment.”
LaBarbera discussed a play last year, “Slut,” that she was the lead in. Those involved in the play did the “slut walk,” where they “kind of just marched around campus advocating for women’s rights and reclaiming the word ‘slut.’” She mentioned how she’s been a part of a few marches for women’s rights and reproductive rights and “noticed that people kind of look at it and just turn a blind eye.”
According to LaBarbera, “for some reason people look at immigrants and they look at trans people as less than human … [my] main goal is to educate people [and] have people share stories because I can’t speak on it.”
“I do what I can to get people together in a safe place and organize something that is an outlet for people to build more community but I can’t say anything,” LaBarbera said. “It’s mostly just about building community, sharing experiences, learning and accepting each other.”
At first, LaBarbera wanted the protest to happen in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Williams Center but that was considered a fire hazard due to not knowing how many people would show up. “I would love for an ungodly amount of people to come so having it outside… [is] better,” LaBarbera said.
In light of executive orders continuously being signed and the fact that some of these could affect campus and universities everywhere, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and SUNY Fredonia President, Stephen H. Kolison both sent out emails regarding them.
In King’s email, he stated, “The reality is that we do not yet know what many of these directives will mean for our campuses and our students, and we anticipate extensive litigation that will over time clarify their reach and implications.”
King talked about how some students fear for their future and that SUNY stands with its students and faculty. “SUNY is proud to count as a member of our community every one of our students, our faculty and our staff members — no matter their religion, their nation of origin or immigration status, their gender, their race or ethnicity, their sexual orientation or gender identity, or their political beliefs.”
He also mentioned that he will work together with students and faculty to navigate and understand these changes.
In Kolison’s email, he mentioned that, “We are working closely with SUNY to monitor these developments and determine what they mean and the extent of their applicability to the work we do here at SUNY Fredonia.”
Kolison went on to assure students, faculty and the community at SUNY Fredonia that, “At SUNY Fredonia, we have committed ourselves to building an inclusive community regardless of our human differences, including race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and place of origin … all members of our community should feel that they belong here.”
He also discussed that SUNY Fredonia supports students in obtaining their educational goals and works hard to “make our institution a place where all our students can afford to attend, persist, and complete.”
Kolison ended his email by mentioning that “you belong here” and that he is “deeply committed to ensuring that our campus remains a safe and welcoming environment for all our students, faculty and staff.”
LaBarbera said that “seeing these emails makes me feel so much hope … Actions are worth more than words but I feel that they mean what they say and I think that’s beautiful.”