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OFFICIAL STATEMENTS:

Image by Adrien Olichon

STATEMENT ON TRANS RIGHTS

We in PASC unequivocally condemn transphobia and the promotion of transphobic ideals. UNT is home to a diverse student body and the active endorsement of hate on our campus is unacceptable. Language implying that transphobic content is a “disagreement” is not only inaccurate, but harmful to our trans peers.  PASC stands in solidarity with our transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, and gender-expansive peers at UNT. 


Transgender individuals, specifically transgender youth, have been the target of hate, invalidation, and harmful legislation.  The speaker who has been invited to campus is an active proponent of anti-trans rhetoric, specifically towards transgender youth.  In response to tonight’s (Wednesday 2/23) speaking event being held at UNT’s Curry Hall, there will be a counter-protest held at 7 PM.  If you are able to attend, we encourage you to do so. 


We recognize that this may be a very distressing time for members of the trans community, and we encourage you to hold space for your friends, family, clients, and students who may be impacted by this event. We are here to support you, so please feel free to reach out to any of the PASC executive board members. We cannot let hate win, and we will not be silent. 


As psychologists, it is our obligation to wholeheartedly condemn any discriminatory or biased practices and take action in preventing discrimination towards transgender and gender diverse people through our scientific research and our clinical practice, as outlined in guidelines released by the American Psychological Association (e.g., Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People). We encourage you to read the APA’s statement on Gender Identity Change Efforts (2021), which emphasizes that “individuals who have experienced pressure or coercion to conform to their sex assigned at birth or therapy that was biased toward conformity to one’s assigned sex at birth have reported harm resulting from these experiences, such as emotional distress, loss of relationships, and low self-worth.”

Black-Lives-Matter-protest-signs-Boston-

JUSTICE FOR DUANTE WRIGHT

Content Warning: distressing topics of race and violence 

Please disregard or return to this statement if/when you have capacity. 

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In Minnesota, injustice and violence against Black bodies reverberates through the air. Today, we say the name of another Black man, a 20-year-old young man named Daunte Wright, whose place of death is in proximity to Philando Castille and George Floyd—all while the trial of the ex-cop who murdered George Floyd is happening 20 miles away.


Daunte was a son, a father, and partner. His baby is only 1 year old. He called his mom when he was pulled over.


While many of us may feel tired and sad, remember that our Black peers and faculty don’t have the option to shut off the news for the fear and pain to also shut off. Not only are we witnesses to his murder, but we also bear witness to the character assassination that follows victims of police brutality every time. We occupy many spaces and, as such, we hope you hold space for grieving and processing in your roles as a doctoral student and faculty. We hope that as you see attempts at demonizing Daunte and people blaming him for his death, that you will intervene. This week our podcast club will also serve as a processing space. Listening to the podcast episode this week is not needed, but if you choose to, be aware that there are descriptions of violence and racial slurs from recordings of James Baldwin speaking.


Daunte Wright’s life mattered.

Black Lives Matter yesterday, today, tomorrow, and always.


Resources are below.


Support for his family:

  • Chyna (Daunte’s girlfriend):

    • Cash App: $hubby98 (Chyna’s Cash App)

    • Sources redirecting the funds to Chyna:

      • Venmo: @thuy-jones

      • PayPal: @holisticheaux

  • Daunte’s funeral (organized by his aunt Kelly): https://gofund.me/ca2903c3


Supporting Minnesota organizations:


Bail funds:


In solidarity,

UNT PASC

Image by Joey Kyber

STATEMENT ON ATLANTA SHOOTING

Content Warning: distressing topics of race and violence 

Please disregard or return to this statement if/when you have capacity. 

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It was only a month ago that we shared a statement expressing support and condemning violence and hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Last night, on March 16th, we witnessed another boiling point in the hate towards the AAPI community in Atlanta when a white supremacist murdered 6 Asian women. As of this morning, we don’t know their names, but we recognize the familiar hum of another hate crime against a community of color and a white gunman going into custody alive and unharmed. We must also consider how gendered racism and its intersections with class perpetuates further harm for women of color. However, the hate and violence that the AAPI community experience often goes unnoticed by the majority population despite a long history of oppression in this country. Today, we hold space and keep the families of the victims in our thoughts. We also think of Angelo Quinto, a Filipino man, who was murdered by the police in February and Mike Nguyen, the owner of the Noodle Tree restaurant in San Antonio, which had racist epithets spray painted on its walls and windows this past week.  


We are thinking of our fellow Asian peers and faculty members who have not only been living through a pandemic but who also lived through the overt hateful rhetoric of the past administration and the resulting displaced blame from a sect of the U.S. population. Hold space for your fellow peers and colleagues while also respecting some needed time to attempt to recover from this collective trauma. This is a reminder to also check in on your friends, family, clients, and students who may be affected by this event. If you are not part of the AAPI community, look at the spaces you already exist in and identify what you can do. 


We leave you with a tweet from Kat Chow (@katchow): I want to know their names, who and what they loved, the people they had waiting for them at home, everything they hoped for. I want to know the fabric of their days and the contexts of their lives. 

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Here are some action steps you can take: 


Tu lucha es mi lucha; your fight is my fight. 


In solidarity,  


UNT PASC 

Tree in Snow

PASC STATEMENT ON FREEZING WEATHER EMERGENCIES, MARGINALIZED GROUPS, AND RESOURCES

Our thoughts are with all of the students, faculty, and staff who have been afflicted by the winter storms over the past several days. We know that we are all burdened with the expectations of productivity during a climate/infrastructure crisis that is also occurring during a global pandemic. We also realize that several of our students, staff, and faculty have lost electricity, water, heat, and/or access to the UNT networks. Finally, as we often see when analyzing the impact of climate change, Black and brown communities (especially those who are currently unhoused) are disproportionately affected, as evidenced by clear racial disparities in power outages across the state.


We acknowledge that this is a time of inordinate stress for many of the folks we serve in PASC, and we hope that this email can provide resources for those who require aid, as well as those who are in a place to provide support for others.


Warming Centers and Pantries in the Denton area: (You can also call 211 to locate nearest warming center near you; DCTA is currently offering free rides to all Denton-area warming centers)

  1. MLK Jr. Recreation Center - 1300 Wilson St., Denton

  2. Our Daily Bread - 300 West Oak St., Denton

  3. North Lakes Recreation Center - 2001 W Windsor St., Denton

  4. Lakeland Baptist Church - 397 S. Stemmons Freeway, Lewisville

  5. Salvation Army - 600 Wilson Creek Parkway, McKinney

North Texas Shelters and Mutual Aid Funds Accepting Donations:

  1. LuchaDallas: A collective of community members creating spaces and platforms to uplift Latinx and POC voices. Venmo: @luchadallas

  2. Islamic Society of Denton: A nonprofit organization and one of Denton's only resources for Islamic worship and education services. A pipe recently burst in their facilities and they are accepting donations through their GoFundMe page.

  3. Feed the People DTX: A Black/Latinx women-led collective organizing mutual aid fund for the DFW area. They accept donations via Venmo, CashApp, Square, and Amazon wishlist items. All links can be found here. 

  4. Camp Rhonda: A collective of unhoused folks in Deep Ellum, Dallas. They are currently accepting donations of protein bars, snacks, toiletries, and other essentials via its Amazon wishlist. 

  5. Funkytown Fridge: A community fridge project that aims to combat hunger, reduce food waste, and empower/educate the Fort Worth community. Donations can be made via multiple platforms found on their links page. 

  6. Finally, here is a compendium of crowdsourced resources in the DFW area.

Denton Businesses Offering Water during the Boil Notice:

  1. Natural Grocers: 110 W University Drive

  2. Denton CBC: 200 E McKinney St

  3. Eastside Denton: 117 E Oak St

  4. Golden Boy Coffee: 1803 N Elm Street 


Finally, please do not hesitate to reach out to PASC if there is anything we can do to assist/support you during this time. You are on our minds and in our hearts. Stay safe and stay warm.


In solidarity,

The PASC Executive Board

Image by Brett Zeck

OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING VIOLENCE AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS

We in PASC unequivocally condemn the violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and mourn the loss of the recent murder of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee.


AAPI individuals have been the target of racist and xenophobic attacks throughout American history, which has greatly escalated during the coronavirus pandemic. According to Stop AAPI Hate, more than 2,800 incidents of discrimination and violence have been reported against AAPI individuals across the country. There has been a recent uptick in these crimes against AAPI individuals, specifically targeting the elderly.


Too long have these crimes and the outcries of the AAPI community been ignored, and we refuse to remain silent. And too long have these heinous acts been used to divide communities of color and distract from the racist policies that negatively impact communities of color.  We refuse to let these racist acts further divide communities of color and call for solidarity among allies.


To read the statement against the violence towards the AAPI community and the call to action, please see the announcement put out by the Asian American Psychological Association: https://twitter.com/AAPAonline/status/1359652270862868483?s=20


Here are action steps you can take:

We stand in solidarity with our AAPI faculty, staff, and graduate students, and others across the nation. We see you, we hear you, and we are with you. Please reach out to us if there is anything we can do to support you. 

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