By President Sanjit Sethi on March 17, 2022 Dear MCAD Community, Like you, I am deeply troubled by the recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation surfacing in states across the country including Texas, Florida, and Colorado. This new wave of discrimination is alarming and does not align with our community values. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ phobia is something we are confronting not only in other places, but also right here. MCAD unequivocally supports the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. No person should be subject to discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Our community embraces complexity and sees diversity–whether it’s cultural, racial, religious, ableness, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic–as a strength. We are held together by our common values of respect, curiosity, empathy, and civil discourse. In order for our community to function, we must honor and learn from each other's differences and be open to conversations promoting a deeper understanding. As clearly stated in our college policies: We do not condone any type of harassment, intimidation, or hateful speech towards a specific group or person. We do not tolerate cyberbullying, public shaming, or doxxing a member of our community, even if we believe they’ve said something wrong or hurtful. All members of the community have a right to due process and confidentiality. If you have faced any type of discrimination, please reach out to Student Affairs or Human Resources. We are dedicated to upholding a supportive community so that collectively we become greater creative, cultural leaders. I look forward to continuing our work together. All my best, Sanjit