By now, many may have read the article published by KentWired and The Kent Stater in which a claim was made that PRIDE! Kent creates a safe space only for those who think and act like us.

PRIDE! Kent stands for “People Respecting Identity Diversity and Equality,” and in honor of such an ideal, PRIDE! is a nonpartisan student organization. This means we do not discuss or maintain political ideologies.

We as an organization are advocates for LGBTQ+ people offering education about our community and raising awareness about the issues that we face. We at PRIDE! have raised our voices in support of other oppressed groups because we respect and protect people from all walks of life.

Our mission is to provide a safe space for everyone where each person is heard.

As an organization, we take no action without first bringing it to a vote, as defined in our constitution.

Our membership is made up of people from differing experiences, genders, religions, races and ethnicities who bring many differing views to the table with all of them being open for discussion.

Should someone feel they cannot speak up, we offer a specified position on our executive board that brings the concerns of every individual before us so they can be duly addressed.

We at PRIDE! Kent are disappointed that such a statement was made, especially by a person who has been unaffiliated with the organization since before any of the executive board members or general members can remember.

To anyone who has felt left out, consider this an invitation to express your feelings openly. We meet every Thursday at 8 P.M. in the Governance Chambers and have an office in room 120H.

We hope to see you there.