The Libraries’ Leadership Team is affirming our support for LGBTQ+ individuals and strive to create an inclusive community through our library services, collections, and operations. Please see our statement below. Please speak with your Division Director/Associate Dean if you have any concerns or questions.
The Libraries Leadership Team is committed to supporting our students, faculty, and staff regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation and fostering an environment that is open, safe, and inclusive. We are deeply concerned about repeated comments made by a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents that disregard the rights, liberties, and identities of transgender and nonbinary people and put members of LGBTQIA+ community at risk for harassment and violence.
These statements and the lack of empathy displayed for our LGBTQ+ community are in direct contrast to the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion espoused by NSHE, UNLV, and the Libraries in our mission and values.
These statements are unacceptable and we fully condemn them and transphobia broadly. As the Libraries Leadership Team, we reaffirm our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as stated in our values and diversity statement and stand with students in UNLV Spectrum and our colleagues in Q:UNLV.
We live the UNLV Libraries’ values through actions, such as:
- Maintaining and growing diverse, inclusive collections, such as our Represent Collection, the work of our Teacher Development & Resources Library, and efforts in Special Collections & Archives to document LGBTQIA+ community history in our region
- Supporting diverse programming, with an emphasis on partnerships with colleges and schools on campus, supporting co-curricular learning
- Encouraging dialogue and conversations, such as the We Need To Talk series or programing sponsored by our Inclusion and Equity Committee
- Funding professional development opportunities focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Incorporating pronouns on badge IDs
We especially reiterate our first listed value, and encourage all to join us in upholding it:
“Everyone deserves a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable environment where they are treated with respect and dignity.”
Below are organizations within UNLV that you can share your inputs about these deeply disturbing remarks:
- Libraries Faculty Senators/Faculty Senate
- Administrative Faculty Committee
- Classified Staff Council
