Uniting Pride of Champaign County releases statement for LGBTQ+ student in Mahomet-Seymour

To the LGBTQ+ students of Mahomet-Seymour High School:

We want to start by saying: You matter. You belong. You are beautiful. You deserve support, understanding, and safety. You are an important part of our community.

We were extremely saddened and angered to hear of the bullying, harassment, and assaults that took place during the week of September 13, 2021. It is shocking to still be faced with these acts of hatred in this day and age. Our hearts go out to you.

You have every right to freely be who you are and to celebrate your identity. Proudly being yourself is not an invitation for abuse. This is not your fault. This treatment is not okay. You did not deserve it and you did nothing to provoke it. 

We have contacted your school officials to offer our assistance in the form of LGBTQ+ cultural humility trainings. We are actively working to make Champaign County a more affirming place for LGBTQ+ people with the hope that incidents like these do not occur in the future. It is important that you know that we are behind you and are here to help you. 

We want to hear from you, as well. Your voices matter and we want your thoughts on how to work toward ending this violence. If you have ideas, email martha@unitingpride.org. We value your input.

Please e-mail talkitup@unitingpride.org if you would like to join our group for LGBTQ+ people ages 13-18. If you are struggling and need help now, please call the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text them at 678678.

Sincerely,

Uniting Pride of Champaign County