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Dear university community: I write to you regarding the upcoming speaking event hosted by the UB student chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF). First, let me state unequivocally what I hope is patently clear to all members of our university community: Hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric is an affront to everything our community embraces. To all those who are disenfranchised, marginalized and persecuted, including our transgender community, please know that we support you, and we will continue to uphold UB’s cherished values of diversity, equity and inclusion to ensure that the university remains a safe and welcoming place for you. Our university community thrives because of our diversity. We see the humanity and dignity in every member of our scholarly community. We are grateful for the many meaningful contributions of our feminist activists and scholars, and our LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff. We are immeasurably enriched by your work, your perspectives and your voices. At the same time, as a public university, we must support the constitutionally protected democratic principles of the First Amendment. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects speech no matter how noxious the content. The law is clear on this point. So long as a student group abides by university guidelines and state laws concerning public events on campus, we cannot disallow the student group from inviting the speaker of its choosing to campus. As a university community, and as members of a democratic society, we have the responsibility to uphold free speech.