On Friday at 11am, the Kimball Tower lobby hosted a booth set up by BYU’s College of Family, Home and Social Sciences (FHSS) to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Along with displaying quotes from the respected civil rights leader and other members of the civil rights movement, the booth included a number of rainbow-themed pride stickers with motifs such as “Ask Me My Pronouns,” “Ally is a Verb,” and “Amplify Autistic Voices.”
When questioned by a Cougar Chronicle reporter, the volunteers confirmed that the display was run by the FHSS Committee for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging and was intended to help students learn about Martin Luther King Jr. as well as reminding them of various activities put on by BYU for the holiday. They could not explain any connection between the pride pins and the theme of the display, responding with the question “Do you know what pronouns are?” and then saying that they simply “like to hand them out.”
The reporter attempted to conduct a video interview with the volunteers running the display, but they refused to discuss any of the content, stating only they would prefer that their display not be featured in any pictures or videos.
Written by: The Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
