George Mason University announced that Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin will speak at the university’s 2023 commencement ceremony in May.
Students at the university launched a petition on Thursday, the same day that Jonkin was announced as a speaker, demanding that Jonkin not be allowed to speak or even attend the commencement ceremony on May 18.
“As patriots and future graduates of George Mason University, I and my colleagues know that our graduation day memories have been tainted by individuals who have hurt, and continue to hurt, those we serve. I do not wish to be “On behalf of the 2023 GMU class, I call on you to sign this petition and request that the administration of George Mason University take appropriate action to ensure that Governor Youngkin will not attend or speak at the Spring 2023 Commencement. I request you to do so.”
Ruffin appeared particularly troubled by the governor’s record of approving a law on transgender issues and the controversial school curriculum. These include prohibiting children from playing sports or participating in sports teams that do not match their biological sex, and banning critical racial theories and sexually explicit books in schools.
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George Mason University announced that Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin will be the commencement speaker at the university’s 2023 commencement ceremony in May. (Aldrago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The selection of speakers who passed anti-trans laws, promoted the abolition of racial equality curricula, and restricted the availability of literature in public schools was a deliberate and deliberate move against historically marginalized communities, including Masons. It is a target,” Ruffin wrote. ”
“George Mason University prides itself on being one of the most diverse institutions in the Commonwealth. “I believe that undermines the supposed value of putting human happiness at the center,” she continued. bottom.”
As of early Sunday morning, more than 5,100 people have signed the petition.
The university’s student council likewise said it was “extremely sad and concerned” about the decision to have Yonkin as the graduation speaker.
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Students at George Mason University have launched a petition demanding that Younkgin attend and speak at the commencement ceremony on May 18. (Getty)
“The Youngkin administration has endorsed and created policies that attack transgender youth, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the student union leader wrote in a press release. George Mason University’s current motto is ‘Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’, but the actions of the Youngkin administration opposeHaving Glenn Youngkin at our Spring Commencement is not only a betrayal of all minority groups on campus, it amplifies their hypocrisy and dishonesty from Mason’s administration itself.”
BLACC Mason, the college’s coalition of Black, African and Caribbean descent, also released a statement opposing Youngkin as a commencement speaker.
“Confronting prejudice and intolerance is our responsibility as members of this community,” the group wrote on Instagram. We cannot allow our universities to provide a platform for those who actively promote discrimination and hatred.”
Some students at George Mason University have called for his commencement speech to be canceled, citing his track record on transgender issues and racial issues in education. (Aldrago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Youngkin will address the college’s class of 2023 at the Eagle Bank Arena on May 18, following former governors Jim Gilmour, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine and Terry McAuliffe, to address the Mason alumni of Virginia. It will be the latest as governor.
“Governor Youngkin’s drive for lifelong learning and his entrepreneurial spirit are instilled in every graduate,” Mason University President Gregory Washington said in a statement.
