MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – On the first day of this fall semester, members of the student organization Queers and Allies at Northern Michigan University were informed by a fellow student from the office of Opportunity, Empowerment, and People (formerly known as the office of Diversity and Inclusion) that its office, along with Housing and Residence Life, would no longer provide assistance towards events such as Lavender Graduation or this year’s 29th annual Drag Show.
“We were shocked we had not heard about this in direct communication from the offices,” said Shelby Goode, social media coordinator for Queers and Allies. “In previous years, we’ve received a lot of support from the administration at this university.”
The university had stated policies had changed going into the 2025-26 academic year, pertaining to White House executive orders on DEI activities in higher education institutions. Due to these policy changes, NMU’s student body government (ASNMU) and Student Finance Committee (SFC) are no longer permitted to fund organizations or events under DEI categories.
“We asked to have the policy changes in writing, or what policies they were citing, and they were unable to provide that,” said Goode.
Goode says these actions contradict the university’s posts that remain online, promoting its inclusivity. Queers and Allies were also honored at NMU’s Leadership Banquet last year, winning ‘Diversity Event / Project of the Year’ for the 28th annual Drag Show.
“They’re not giving us the support at an administrative level, but they’re still using photos from our events from previous years to promote the university,” said Goode.
In a letter to the editor on NMU’s news outlet ‘The North Wind,’ Goode wrote:
“We are requesting that NMU give us the respect we deserve as a student organization in good standing. We, as students, deserve to hear what policy changes are occurring at our institution.”
The full Letter to the Editor can be found here.
Soon, Queers and Allies will hold a silent auction to fundraise for both events, after receiving multiple contributions from local businesses.
“It is our goal to make sure that these events still take place, no matter how they’re funded,” said Goode.
