The Student Government Association passed a bill Wednesday asking the Board of Regents to change the text in the UH non-discrimination statement to include people of all “gender identity and expression.”
More than 30 students appeared at the meeting to show their support for the bill, and several spoke in front of the student senate.
“This resolution, before anything else, is about protecting students,” said James Lee, a political science student. “We have an obligation to protect our fellow students, and transgender students are here for the same reason we all are: to learn and become successful, productive individuals in society.”
Brett Kennedy, a biomedical engineering freshman, pointed out that while UH is considered one of the most diverse campuses, it is behind the curve when it comes to protecting transgender students.
“If you look at the University of Texas in Austin and Texas A&M, they both have gender expression non-discrimination acts in their student discrimination policy,” Kennedy said. “We are failing in supporting our LGBT community.”
Senators expressed their gratitude to the many students who stayed for more than an hour after the student speeches to see the results of the vote.
“As you can see from the number of students still sitting here, this is an issue that is important to our students,” College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Senator Lee Arnold said.
“It’s important that we protect the students who need it … This piece of legislation will do that. The students in the back of this room are the priority, let’s make them be that priority and make sure their voices are heard.”
A similar resolution was passed by the senate in 2008, but changes to the non-discrimination policy never happened.
“Yes, we have passed this before and unfortunately things back then were a lot different from how they are now,” said Michael McHugh, the bill’s author and a former SGA senator. “But we are now taking this to the Board of Regents, something we have never done before. We need SGA behind us on this issue.”
For some SGA members, progress will be measured by tangible results.
“Even though it was a verbal promise, we were promised that all students would be protected from bullying, harassment and discrimination,” said SGA Graduate Senator-at-large Melanie Pang. “But on that same token, it’s time we said, ‘Show it to me in writing.’”
When I saw the headlines, I knew it had to be LBGT related. Race, color, or creed is just not good enough for the overly self expressive people.
Mr. Jones, both the attitude you display in your comments and the text of your comments are completely unacceptable. By drawing a distinction between "overly self expressive people" (i.e the trangendered) and "Race, color, or creed " you diminish the transgendered in order to elevate either yourself of those other distinctions in some prejudice-based hierarchy of difference. Discrimination is discrimination. Prejudice is prejudice. Bigotry is bigotry. It is as ugly and hurtful as one can get outside of assault. Stop it.