AS approves resolution to make policies gender neutral and support Trans lives

Humboldt State University’s Student Government, Associated Students, passed a resolution to support Trans lives and prosperity, at its board meeting on Jan. 29. 

The resolution was written by and brought to the floor by AS’s Social Justice and Equity Officer Roman Sotomayor. The resolution sought to prioritize the rewriting of university policies with gender neutral terms, and also call upon the Campus Division of Enrollment Management to begin assessment of transgender inclusionary support across campus. 

Sotomayor acknowledged that there are other groups and individuals on campus who are doing work regarding gender inclusion on campus. 

“There is a lot of work going on in other places, besides Associated Students with regards to gender inclusion on campus and this resolution isn’t intending to take away from that work or control that work or do anything like that in any way,” Sotomayor said. 

President Jeremiah Finley made a motion to adopt the Resolution to Support Trans Lives and Prosperity. Student Affairs Vice President Jourden Lamar seconded the motion and with no discussion, the resolution was then moved to a roll-call vote. 

“The Associated Students have long been calling for pieces like this to be moved along and yet the university at large decided to push back on a lot of things that students have wanted,” Finley said. “Especially [in] regards to such important topics like this.”

The Resolution to Support Trans Lives and Prosperity was unanimously adopted.

Now that it’s been adopted, Sotomayor hopes that the University Senate will sponsor it and formally make the commitments that the Trans community has been asking for.

“Luckily, our campus is taking this seriously, and the good people at the University Senate and beyond have heard the call for gender justice,” Sotomayor said.

The Trans, Gender Non-Conforming, and Gender Non-Binary Task Force is one of the groups which is also trying to make HSU more gender inclusive. 

The task force has four working groups including advocacy, campus climate, data collection and reporting, and staff and faculty trainings. They also help people change their name and pronouns and they help people report acts of harm and discrimination to the Title IX office. 

“We ask that in all areas of the university, there be thinking about trans+ inclusivity which includes addressing racism, xenophobia, sexism, and patriarchy,” Mira Friedman, chair of the Trans, Gender Non-Conforming & Gender Non-Binary Task Force said in an email. “Everyone deserves respect and to be free from harm.”