University at Buffalo (UB)
Published March 7, 2023
In the wake of the controversy regarding the Young Americans for Freedom student chapter event at the University at Buffalo on March 9, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences stresses that it does not agree with the political commentator’s views and we offer our strong support to the transgender community.
As President Tripathi noted in his message to the university community: “Hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric is an affront to everything our community embraces. To all those who are disenfranchised, marginalized and persecuted, including our transgender community, please know that we support you, and we will continue to uphold UB’s cherished values of diversity, equity and inclusion to ensure that the university remains a safe and welcoming place for you.”
The Jacobs School strongly opposes discrimination in all forms and believes that we must lead widespread change in medicine through inclusive thinking.
We are committed to providing a welcoming environment to LGBTQ+ students, post-doctorates, residents, faculty and staff and embracing the contributions, perspectives and vision that they bring to our community.
It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that our future physicians and scientists are prepared to serve all individuals equitably and are trained to provide compassionate, informed and appropriate care to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Our stance aligns with UB’s values of diversity, inclusion, equity and mutual respect for everyone within our school community. These are supported and advanced by our Office of Inclusive Excellence in order to build a culture of diversity, social justice and inclusion that makes all of us stronger.
While we do not support the views of the speaker nor condone his past comments, as a public university UB must uphold the principles of the First Amendment and cannot disallow student groups from inviting controversial speakers to campus.
Fostering a safe and welcoming environment for our school community and those served by us is a priority of ours always.
We encourage our students, post-doctorates, residents, faculty and staff who have been impacted by the news of Thursday’s event to reach out for support. Resources include:
- The Office of Student Engagement, (716) 645-6469.
- Student Counseling Services, (716) 829-5800 or (716) 645-2720.
- Residents and Fellows can connect with the Resident Support Team,
(716) 835-1246.
- Faculty and staff may reach out to the Employee Assistance Program for resources.
Sincerely,
Allison Brashear, MD, MBA
Vice President for Health Sciences and
Dean, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
University at Buffalo