Joint Statement: Artwork Vandalism at the Cross Cultural Center

Dear Community,

We were informed Wednesday that the art piece Queer Muslim Pride displayed in the Cross Cultural Center was stolen, vandalized and discarded outside of the Student Community Center. This is part of The Third Muslim Queer and Trans* Muslim Narratives of Resistance and Resilience. The CCC will continue to support the Queer Muslim Community and invites the campus to learn more about the organization and their art campaign.

We condemn this act of hate and do not condone any form of racism, Islamophobia, transphobia and/or homophobia of any kind. As a valuable unit with Student Affairs, the Cross Cultural Center is an important place of support and advocacy for our students on our campus. Our mission is to create a compassionate community space that fosters identity development, critical consciousness and collective innovation and this act was a violation of our space and in direct conflict with our values. 

We stand with our students in the impacted communities and will continue to work so that our centers are seen as safe spaces that provide a sense of belonging. We invite these communities to share with us how we can best support them and create an environment where they feel centered and valued. 

For our students impacted by this incident, the staff from the Cross Cultural Center, LGBTQIA Resource Center and Middle Eastern North African and South Asian Student Resources are available if folks would like to connect and process these impacts. Additional support resources can be found at Aggie Mental Health website.

Gary S. May
Chancellor

Pablo Reguerín
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Joe Martinez
Director, Cross Cultural Center