Liz Geisser, student support assistant for the Pride Center, shows off a prom dress on April 5, 2024, that was accumulated through the Pride Center’s clothing drive. (Photo by Shy Bell)
On January 31st, staff and faculty of the Pride centers across the Los Rios Community College District sent a letter of solidarity, via the campus’s weekly Beaver Bites email, amid recent executive orders. These executive orders deny recognition of gender identities and attack “protections against sex discrimination, the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”
Many people who are not affected by these executive orders say they pay no attention to how it is affecting those targeted.
“The fact [is] that my parents are just ignoring it”, said Lapis Gillespie, a student at ARC. “They’re not even supporting Trump, they’re just ignoring all this.”
Executive Order 14168, titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”, says it will put all its “efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex, fundamentally attack[ing] women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being.”
According to Liz Geisser, PRIDE Program student support assistant at American River College, the government will only recognize two sexes as biological female and biological male.
“At conception, we don’t develop male characteristics for a couple of weeks,” said Geisser. “Technically the executive order says that there’s only one gender and it’s female.”
Executive Order 14187, titled “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” says it will not “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.” Laws will be enforced to prohibit and limit these procedures. Executive Order 14187 has also redefined the meaning of what a child or a minor is. It says that a “child” or “children” is anyone under the age of 19.
“This is problematic for trans people, obviously…but there are also thousands of children who have genetic abnormalities that require gender care that are not trans kids,” said Geisser.
The Pride Centers across the LRCCD came together and put forth a statement to let students know that the Pride Centers will continue to have their doors open.
“Our campuses and Pride Centers will continue to welcome you and provide a safe space while you complete your educational journey,” the statement read.
Geisser says she was also worried about how long doors will stay open while relying on the state.
“We almost entirely run off of state funding,” said Geisser. “It will be necessary to find other methods, or we won’t exist anymore.”
American River College’s Pride Center is a welcoming and safe hang-out space that encourages self-love, self-acceptance and individual growth. The center is an advocate for and with the LGBTQIA+ community members and allies, according to the ARC’s Pride Center webpage.
“I will be here doing my job until they kick me out,” said Geisser. “Making sure kids get taken care of is my job. I’ll be doing it whether I’m getting paid or not.”