I took my first unofficial tour of Minnesota State University, Mankato in fall 2016. On that particular day, the Southern Minnesota Pride Parade was happening. The sun was shining and a wind was rustling the leaves on the trees along Riverfront Drive. As I looked through the passenger side window, I was in awe at the rainbow tutus, children waving rainbow flags and women with shirts that read “Free mom hugs.” My chest felt light and my heart felt warm watching a proud and diverse community come together to celebrate love. Watching the pride parade through the passenger side of my mom’s Subaru solidified my decision to attend school in Mankato.

On Oct. 30 at about 9 p.m., Rep. Jim Hagedorn decided to use his platform to spout hateful rhetoric on Twitter about transgender women participating in professional sports. Representative Hagedorn made the conscious decision to exclude and misgender female athletes. His words are meant to divide and incite hate in his constituents. He uses the term “unfair” to explain his position on the matter. I use the term “brave” to define transgender women who compete in NCAA conferences. And I use the term “impressive” to acknowledge the feats this woman must have endured in her athletic career to accomplish these goals. Let us not allow Hagedorn’s words divide us. Let us rise up and fight his divisive and hateful rhetoric.

Emma Fuhrman

Mankato