The Office of the University Secretary sent a short apology earlier this summer to Arshad Hasan, who graduated from the College in 2003, for altering his photograph used by the University in commencement material without his permission.
But, Hasan said, neither the form nor the substance of the apology was adequate, adding that he was looking for a public apology that would circulate as widely as the original publication.
The apology came in the wake of The Summer Pennsylvanian article covering the incident. In the article, University Secretary Leslie Kruhly stated that the alteration of the photograph blackening Hasan's rainbow tassel that represented Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender pride was part of a general University policy of making the photographs reflect "official academic regalia."
She stated that there were no political motivations for the alteration.
Kruhly said that the position of the University has not substantively changed since then.
"I am sorry that we inadvertently offended you. It was certainly not our intent to denigrate the importance of your individual right and expression," Kruhly wrote in the apology addressed to Hasan dated June 11.
Hasan said that the brief apology has not changed his reaction to the situation, adding, "if anything, my disgust is stronger than ever."
Hasan originally received an apology via a phone message from the Office of the Secretary, but the private nature of both apologies was unsatisfactory to him.
"What I would have considered an adequate apology is a statement from the University of Pennsylvania or the people who are responsible for editing that picture admitting that what they did was wrong. [But] making excuses is unacceptable," Hasan said.
Although the apology was brief and unsatisfying to Hasan, some hope to put the incident behind them and be able to move forward.
"I believe that the Office of the Secretary was sincere in its apology and that something was learned from the situation and something like this is unlikely to happen in the future," LGBT Center Director Bob Schoenberg said.
The incident did generate "a lot of discourse, much of it angry, among LGBT students, employees and alumni," he said. But, he hoped that a University-wide "thoughtful policy about altering photographs" would come about as a result of this incident to make sure that similar situations do not re-occur.
In Hasan's opinion, the explanation offered by the University is also inconsistent with the facts of the incident.
Hasan was wearing three divergences from the official graduation ceremony costume the LGBT tassel, the sphinx stole and a green Civic House ribbon.
Only the LGBT tassel was edited out of the photographs. The other two add-ons could still be seen on the published brochure.
The fact that the University does not even acknowledge selectively editing the picture in such a way, Hasan said, discredits its explanation and makes the situation all the more hurtful.
In an e-mail interview, Kruhly wrote that all the University can do now is to make sure that similar errors do not occur in the future.
For Hasan, this is part of a larger issue.
He originally wore the rainbow tassel not only to demonstrate his involvement with and pride in the LGBT community at Penn, but also as an attempt to illustrate to his family how important this part of his identity is to him.
He said that whatever problems he had within his own family over his sexual orientation, he did not expect to arise at Penn.
"At Penn, I am supposed to feel comfortable with my identity and feel proud of my activist accomplishment ... and for Penn to edit a part of my identity was a real punch in the gut," Hasan said. "At Penn they aren't supposed to say "you get to keep this but you can't be proud of that.'"
