TO THE EDITOR:
I fully stand behind Tomiko Hackett’s Nov. 25 letter titled UNC’s Title IX Office needs more diversity. Despite her sincere appeal for a more diverse, inclusive Title IX team in future hiring, her letter was met with harsh criticism and dangerous language, which continues to marginalize the voices of survivors on our campus and activists’ calls for much needed change.
Calling for future hires to include female-identified staff members is not marginalizing men, especially given UNC’s hiring of several men for the position. Rather, it is a move to reduce the difficulty in reporting for both male and female survivors, creating an inclusive, safe space that provides both female-identified and male-identified staff members for survivors to speak to.
Survivors face enormous stigma and challenges in reporting instances of assault, including emotional, psychological and social barriers in revealing their survivor status. To reduce the difficulty in reporting by allowing for both male-identified and female-identified staff is not discriminatory, nor marginalizing. It is simply creating a safe space for survivors. Creating this safe space is essential in stemming the tide of interpersonal violence and assault on our campus — a cause I am sure we can all stand together on.
I stand with Tomi, and numerous activists in the Carolina community, calling for a more inclusive hiring process in looking to the next two positions within the Title IX Office.
Liz Hawryluk ’14
Coalition for
Human Rights
