LGBTQ+ people are speaking out about the Cornell Seven. Are you?

An investigation into an alleged gang rape by seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University has shaken the country, reigniting a decades-long conversation about on-campus sexual assault.

The harrowing details, as reported by the student newspaper The Cornell Daily Sun, include the anonymous survivor’s personal account of the assault, but also describe how a group chat of other men in the fraternity allegedly knew about the rapes as they were happening and did nothing. According to a lawsuit filed September 14 by Jane Doe, the defendants were given an opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to the university. Questions about the lack of police and prosecution action have led Gov. Kathy Hochul and others to call for additional scrutiny.

The story has sparked widespread discussion of a national culture that allows sexual assault to flourish, how universities frequently mishandle these cases when they’re reported, and why survivors are often left wanting for justice by subsequent legal proceedings. Amid that conversation, LGBTQ+ advocates are reminding people that all struggles against institutional oppression are interconnected.

Following the groundbreaking report that dropped September 18, American Civil Liberties Union attorney Chase Strangio made a post about the horrific allegations on Instagram. He pointed out that as sexual assault continues to plague college campuses, with over one in five women reporting experiencing sexual assault while completing their undergraduate education, the American right is instead waging a battle against transgender women in sports.

“I have seen a lot of posts noting that more cis men were involved in the rape of one woman at Cornell than the number of trans women participating in collegiate sports (prior to the ban),” Strangio wrote. “This is true. And yet hundreds of millions of dollars and dozens of laws have been committed to stop the latter, not the former.”

Conservative pundits such as former fifth-place collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines and WNBA player Sophie Cunningham have repeatedly spoken out against trans inclusion in sports under the dog whistle of “protecting women and girls,” as politicians, including some Democrats, have scapegoated trans people in their midterm election campaigns. At the same time, the Trump administration has made a concerted effort to weaken Title IX protections meant to safeguard students in sexual assault proceedings by mandating that universities act proactively on reported cases, as well as, just this week, stripping Biden-era LGBTQ+ language meant to protect queer and trans students.

“Divide and rule is about protecting those who enact violence at the individual and institutional level,” Strangio wrote.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of LGBTQ+ advocates, organizers, and thought leaders who have shared their views on the so-called Cornell 7 case, rape culture, and why the fight against sexual assault on college campuses and against the right’s attack on trans people are intertwined.

Chase Strangio

On Monday, Strangio wrote, “I have seen a lot of posts noting that more cis men were involved in the rape of one woman at Cornell than the number of trans women participating in collegiate sports (prior to the ban). This is true. And yet hundreds of millions of dollars and dozens of laws have been committed to stop the latter, not the former.”

“This is not by coincidence. It is by design,” he continued. “We are being inundated with messages about and legal solutions to eradicate a non-threat (trans women in sports) to ensure that law and public discourse either ignores or absolves the actual threat (cis men committing acts of violence).”

The post concludes, “U.S. history is a history of deeming a group a threat to (white) women and then building an apparatus of persecution to target them while ensuring that those in power can continue to harm all women.”

Ericka Hart

Sex educator, scholar, and author Ericka Hart speaks frequently about consent in their work, including their latest book, Nasty Work.

“The chapter on consent in Nasty Work is the longest because I really want readers to understand that consent/bodily autonomy must be taught in regards to everything, not just sex,” she wrote on Threads. “For example, most handshakes lack consent. Ever had someone hold your hand a little too long or right? Or maybe you shook their hand and you didn’t know their hands were sweaty? Or you didn’t feel like you could negotiate another way to greet? Or you didn’t think you’d get the job if you said no to a handshake?”

“We live in a society that is predicated on removing autonomy,” they continue. “From the gender binary to capitalism and ableism, we must be looking at the ways we have been intentionally taught that certain people’s bodies are sites for harm.”

Tefi Pessoa

Tefi Pessoa, host of Love Island USA: Aftersun and advice columnist, took to Threads to share her observations about the Cornell 7 case, referencing how the university took disciplinary action against students who participated in pro-Palestinian actions, per The Nation.

“Reminder that Cornell University punished protesters more severely than rapists,” she wrote.

Peyton Dix

Peyton Dix, podcaster, journalist, and co-host of Lemme Say This, shared Pessoa’s Thread post to her Instagram story, along with a screenshot of an article expanding on the Aftersun host’s Thread.

“Feeling quite sick about the Cornell story. But not surprised. I’m thinking about those 7 men. The 57 men in the groupchat who stayed silent. The men who might be reading this right now and choosing not to engage or thinking this is not their issue. One thing about men? They really only listen to other men. I don't like to generalize but boys, pls, shame each other!!! Now!!!”

She continues, “I’m thinking about that young girl. I’m thinking about those brave student journalists. I’m thinking about all of the survivors of sexual assault that are likely being re-triggered right now. Highly suggest supporting organizations like @freefromdotorg who I learned about through the chani app! But they also recently partnered with Olivia Roodrigo at Daisy Chain Fest to spread awareness about directly investing and supporting survivors. Community care first and always. Protect people and not institutions. If you too are a survivor of sexual violence, my heart my heart is with your heart”

FreeFrom is a survivor-led organization that equips people who have experienced abuse and assault with the tools they need to exit toxic cycles safely.

Kat Tenbarge

Journalist and founder of Spitfire News Kat Tenbarge, who has reported extensively on the experiences of survivors of sexual assault, shared her thoughts on Threads.

“A truly heinous man has doxxed the Cornell victim on X and the comments are predictably vile. Based on countless interviews I’ve done with survivors, the trauma they are subjected to for coming forward is oftentimes even worse than the initial trauma they experienced. There is no real justice system,” she wrote on Threads.

She continued, “Seeing people post about how unfair the ‘mob justice’ against the Cornell rapists is doesn’t really move me when there is no justice for survivors. The system doesn’t work; it enacts further punishment on the victims. Society is even crueler. So spare me the ‘mob justice’ rhetoric about the accused.”

“If rapists actually faced consequences for their actions we wouldn’t have nearly as many rapists. In reality many rapists actually benefit from their actions,” she concluded.

Horace Gold

Horace Gold, a musician and popular content creator, shared his thoughts about how gay men still need to show up for women in the conversation on sexual assault, while discussing Cornell 7.

“The Cornell 7 is a very interesting litmus test for gay men and how we show up for the women in our lives,” he said on Tiktok. “And I don’t mean it in regards to like, ‘Did you repost? Did you sort of perform on social media?’ It’s deeper than that. I mean it in the sense of did you do the labor of reading the article? Because I’ll be honest, I didn’t until about an hour ago because I sort of just assumed like, ‘Oh yeah, It’s just another one of these frat boys.’ But it’s like, babe, doing that labor of understanding the actual pain that this young woman experienced is a way to show up in a situation that feels like it doesn’t really involve us, because we are not straight men.”

He continues, “Situations like these remind me personally of the stark difference between gay men and straight women in our relationships to men. Obviously, there are gay men who have been sexually assaulted and raped by other gay men, but I’ll speak for me, the amount of fear we have towards each other is very different than the fear that straight women should have unfortunately towards straight men.”

Dan Levy

Actor Dan Levy posted about the case on his Instagram story, putting it plainly.

“Well this is some bullshit,” he wrote, sharing a grid post from Complex quoting a Cornell University spokesperson, saying “We take sexual violence extremely seriously.”

Delia Curtis contributed to the reporting of this article.

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