On Wednesday, April 3rd, over 100 students and community members gathered at the “Save Our Voices” rally held at Appalachian State University to protest ongoing issues at the university following changes in policy that have affected art students and LGBTQ+ students.
Art students at Appalachian State University have been denied basic safety and learning conditions, drag-related events have been canceled, Pride events have been renamed, LGBTQ+ faculty have been fired, and the Freedom of Expression Tunnel is now gone.
Students called on Chancellor Sheri Everts to take accountability for these issues, with demands that their voices be heard and that the university re-evaluate and stop changes to its policy which have adversely affected art students, LGBTQ+ students, and students at large.
In addition to student speakers, guest speakers included NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton, State House Candidate Ben Massey, and Congressional Candidate Chuck Hubbard.
“We are not asking for anything new,” said App College Democrats President Jack Yordy. “We are asking for basic safety and working conditions. We are asking that the programs we’ve had for years are allowed to continue and that Chancellor Everts re-affirms her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as she has done before.”
“I feel silenced.” said Evan Foster “We feel silenced. This is what the university I chose to go to has decided. I came here particularly for the queer community. I came here because I believed I belonged.”
“Many [students] have just started hearing about the queer community story over the past few weeks, but I’ve been living it intensely since I arrived here.” said Chancellor’s Scholar and GSGA Senator Elizabeth Elrod. “Over the past 8 months of being here in Boone, I’ve struggled to find gender affirming care (which is often provided by other universities), I’ve faced gender and disability discrimination.”
App College Dems initially made a public statement about the issues going on at the university on March 22nd through their social media’s (@appstatedemocrats on Instagram, @AppDemocrats on Twitter / X). Their linktree has current information on petitions and statements by other student organizations at App State: linktr.ee/AppStateDems
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