Earlier, I wrote about a rally on the campus of Cal State Long Beach scheduled for Thursday night to protest some anti-women comments and a recent attack against a FTM transgender student. I reported some criticism of the university and express some questions and concerns of my own.
Wednesday night, the transgender grad student, Colle Carpenter, released a statement. Before reporting that in full and addressing some additional issues, let me note that the suspect in the attack is still at large. The Cal State Long Beach released a sketch (pictured) and a description: “a white man in his 20s, between 5’09-5’10 with a thin build, dark colored hair and light complexion. He was wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt and dark colored khakis.”
Herewith Colle Carpenter’s statement:
“On April 15 I was attacked while on a break from class at Cal State Long Beach. Since this happened to me, I have received respect and support from the university, far beyond what I expected. The campus police have made every effort to conduct a thorough investigation and have been especially concerned with respecting my wishes for privacy and for ensuring my safety.
I’m aware the university has come under criticism regarding communications and response in general, but again, I feel that the administration’s response has been focused on the investigation and my well-being. I think it’s really unfair that the university is being criticized. I requested time alone to heal privately with my family and the university honored that request. The university statement was released 20 minutes after I approved the sketch of the suspect.
I appreciate the outpouring of support from the community. However, some people and organizations have directed their anger and fear toward the university instead of the person who did this. I think the most important thing for everyone to understand is the need to find and prosecute the person who hurt me. Attacking the university is counterproductive.
In my past three years I have received nothing but support from the faculty and staff. Attacking a campus that has supported LGBTIQQ students is wrong. Portraying the university as being unwilling to face the attack head on could cause someone to decide not to go to school here and that would deny them access to the supportive and welcoming university that I am honored to call home.
I chose to return to my classes and CSULB is doing everything possible to make sure I feel safe in that decision.”
First of all, I think Colle’s loyalty and appreciation for the university is admirable and indeed, we should all be please that he feels the university has treated him with the respect and dignity he deserves, both as a victim and as a transgender student.
That said, there are a few things to note.
It is very understandable for the community to be upset with the university for not sharing more information. With all due respect – it’s one thing to protect Calle’s privacy and it’s quite another to use that as an excuse to not impart important information. For example: if this was a personal fight between the suspect and Calle for some reason, that should be communicated instead of saying it’s an “isolated” incident which will not threaten anyone else on campus. There is a traditional LGBT distrust of law enforcement – all law enforcement – precisely because law enforcement tends to sweep issues involving LGBT people under the rug. The “isolated” incident language sounds suspiciously like that
Secondly – it is the very essence of hate crimes attacks that the perpetrator is not just going after one specific victim but wants to terrorize the whole group to which that victim belongs. This is true of all minority groups, BTW. A Nazi swastika on one synagogue is meant for all Jews. An attack on one LGBT person, whether a personal attack or not – is still considered by the LGBT community to be an attack on all LGBT people.
The Cal State police department should have known that and figured out a way to protect the victim’s privacy and calm the fears of the community. It’s in that vacuum that fear intensifies and criticism arises.
It is also valid to ask what exactly is the campus police department doing to find the suspect if they are not reaching out to the LGBT community? It’s one thing to alert the media. But what if the suspect and others who MIGHT BE AT RISK don’t watch TV or read the Long Beach Press Telegram? What if they are on social media or text? The community that has been impacted by extension by being a member of the group the targeted victim belonged to may actually be the exact group that will aide in finding the suspect.
The community thinks this is a hate crime, whether law enforcement calls it that or not.
Everyone wishes the best for Colle Carpenter’s speedy recovery. But I hope he, too, realizes that his attack has impacted more than just him and understands the fear and anger behind the criticism of the university, even as the university treats him with due respect.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I am outraged that Karen saw fit to exclude the IQQ community in this post, just as she does in the name of this blog. It would have been bad enough to exclude the first Q, but to exclude both Qs is, well, doubly exclusive. Also, Mr. Carpenter should not be given a pass for excluding the TS, SGL, A, NGC and P communities.
This is exactly how it all started in Germany. Until the entire alphabet appears in our name, in both upper and lower case letters, then none of us is truly free.
darian do not speak negatively of colle he was brutally attacked. get with the real picture here its negative people like yourself that keep eveyone from beign “truly free”
Darian, bad joke in poor taste at the wrong time.
Karen, I’m totally with you on all points. If the same thing had happened at my school and they blankly called it an isolated incident, I’d be pretty suspect too. Rarely is an attack on a trans person “isolated”.