‘Transgender, non-binary, and otherwise gender non-conforming students’ received special recognition at the election night meeting of ASUW, as student senators introduced a resolution in support of these students and pledging to do more on their behalf.
“If that gets passed, that would be a resolution I would bring to the board [of trustees] and say that this is something students are really passionate for, and that this is a population that hasn’t been receiving support as much as it could in recent history,” ASUW President Seth Jones said.
SR-2635, titled ‘ASUW Support of Transgender, Nonbinary, & Otherwise Gender Non-Conforming Students,’ is an official action to affirm ASUW’s commitment to uphold its Code of Ethics and protect students in these demographics, in recognition of data that shows increased risk for gender-nonconforming students of assault and harassment—as well as actions by the US Department of Health and Human Services that are interpreted by the resolution’s authors as an “attack” on these students.
The resolution refers to the 2018 University of Wyoming Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey, released in June, showing that “gender non-conforming students at the University of Wyoming reported higher instances of sexual assault, attempted or completed rape, sexual harassment, and intimate partner and dating violence” than other students, and states that the data “indicates a failure of the University of Wyoming to protect transgender and gender non-conforming students.”
As for the Department of Health and Human Services, the department seeks to establish a firm, legal definition of sex under Title IX, an anti-discrimination law that reads as follows:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Attached to the resolution in its addendums, and cited as a cause for supportive action, is a New York Times article titled “‘Transgender’ Could be Defined Out of Existence Under Trump Administration.” The article describes a leaked memo, circulated within the Department that proposes these guidelines for defining biological sex:
“Sex means a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth. The sex listed on a person’s birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence.”
The article itself focuses on the concept of gender and gender identity, while Title IX currently lacks a specific definition of sex despite forbidding sex-based discrimination. The full DHHS memo was not provided and is not accessible.
The resolution was introduced but not discussed during the session, and an open forum for UW community feedback is regularly scheduled for this Thursday, 7:00 p.m., in the Union Senate Chamber.
Also introduced during the session was SB-2636, ‘ASUW Support for the Establishment of Student Success Priorities,’ which proposes a system of priorities to establish where tuition increase revenues should be best allocated. Currently, half of the annual 4 percent increase is reserved for staff and faculty raises, while the other half goes to UW Libraries along with Information Technology.
ASUW’s resolution proposes that a new system be introduced in future tuition policies to further spread those revenues around, and states ASUW support of any given policy on the condition that the student government is ensured “a position in shaping the composition of the Student Success Priorities committee, including student representation on the committee.”
In other business, the student government approved the allocation of $7,605 to the International Students Association for various events occurring throughout next week’s International Education Week, and its final event Friday, Nov. 16 in the Union Gardens.
Senators also heard a presentation from STOP Violence Coordinator Megan Selheim, primarily regarding the upcoming Student Voice Summit—a dinner event on Nov. 28 inviting students to share their thoughts about the UW Sexual Misconduct Survey.
