Dear NYLS Community,
June is Pride Month, in which we celebrate our nation’s extraordinary LGBTQ+ community. It has been held every year since the Stonewall Riots took place 54 years ago.
I am very proud that the LGBTQ+ community is thriving at New York Law School; we have among the highest percentages of LGBTQ+ faculty and students nationally, with 17% of students identifying in the 2022 entering class, and community members are well-represented throughout the School’s administration. This is a supportive place where all are welcome.
At the same time, we must always remember that our inclusive community is not the norm in many places, and members of the LGBTQ+ community have been living under threat from discriminatory laws and policies, and outright hate, in many parts of the nation and world. As I said during Commencement, this has extended into education, where there has been an epidemic of book-banning targeting specific subject matter, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. When this happens, it communicates to those with diverse backgrounds and identities that they are illegitimate and unwelcome, and it threatens to drive them into hiding or to simply make them go away. As lawyers, it is our responsibility to ensure that the rule of law protects the full spectrum of rights and dignity to which every single person is entitled.
Pride celebrations throughout the month have recognized the historic and ongoing contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community, including from our School. This weekend, for students around New York City, you can join the NYLS OutLaws students who are participating in the Queer Liberation March taking place on Sunday, June 25. If you are interested in participating, the OutLaws are making posters, beginning at 12:00 p.m. on campus before joining the rally and march, which will begin at Foley Square at 2:00 p.m. For more information, please email the OutLaws at outlaws@nyls.edu.
The NYC Pride March, which begins on Fifth Avenue and ends in Greenwich Village, is also taking place on Sunday, June 25. To participate, you can register and march with Le-Gal (LGBTQ+ Bar Association of Greater New York). You can contact them at info@lgbtbarny.org. Marchers will be given a designated meeting spot from Le-Gal and will be given a shirt to wear on a first-come first-serve basis on the day of the March. Should you choose to march with Le-Gal, you will be under Le-Gal’s applicable rules/policies.
Please know that NYLS will continue to support every member of our community and provide a supportive and safe environment where our different backgrounds are celebrated and valued.
Thank you for your inclusivity, support, and dedication to justice and equality. Happy Pride!
-Dean Crowell