by Melissa S. Green

New and returning University students around the state are getting ready for a new academic year, and LGBTQA students (that’s lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans/queer-or-questioning/allies) are no exception.

Students at University of Alaska campuses will be enjoying something they didn’t have this time last year: protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. University of Alaska Regents passed an amendment to UA’s nondiscrimination policy last February 18 after two periods of testimony at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). The Regents’ nondiscrimination policy now reads:

P01.02.020. Nondiscrimination.

It is the policy of the board that in accordance with federal and state law, illegal discrimination against any individual because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, physical or mental disability, marital status, pregnancy or parenthood is prohibited. Decisions affecting individuals shall be based on the individual’s qualifications, abilities and performance, as appropriate.
(02-18-11) [emphasis added]

As reported by Bent Alaska,

Students, faculty, and staff of the statewide public university system have been asking for years for such a policy change, with the most recent effort initiated in June 2009 by the group UA Students/Staff/Faculty for amending the Non-Discrimination Policy, led in particular by students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.   But the appearance of the issue on the agenda of this week’s Regents’ meeting was fairly rapid and appears to have been initiated by President Gamble, a retired general whose reasoning for recommending the policy change was partly grounded in the recent repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and it appears that equal rights advocates for the LGBT students/faculty/staff did not actually participate in drafting the wording of the proposed policy change.

It is thus still unclear if the Regents intended discrimination on the basis of gender identity to be covered by the nondiscrimination policy, given the lack of explicit wording to that effect.  Per our February story,

Reports from people who were present during public testimony indicates that witnesses — all except one of whom testified in favor of the proposed policy — advocated vigorously for a policy protective of transgender, as well as gay, lesbian, and bisexual, students and employees.  I hope that President Gamble and the Board of Regents will make such an understanding explicit.

In the meantime, LGBTQA student clubs are getting ready for the new academic year.

Instruction at University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) doesn’t begin for another week, on September 1, but the UAF GSA (Gay/Straight Alliance) is already meeting — later today, in fact:

• Date/time: Friday, August 26, 9-10 AM
• Location: UAF Alumni Lounge, 201 Constitution Hall, Fairbanks (see map)
• Further info: See Facebook event page

Instruction at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) begins a little earlier than at UAF: this Monday, August 29. UAA as a whole is gearing up for the Fall semester with tomorrow’s UAA Campus Kick-Off. The Family, the LGBTQA club at UAA, is right in the thick of it. Club president Heather Hamilton writes,

Campus Kick-Off is a time for new and returning students to discover what the University of Alaska Anchorage, and even the greater Anchorage community, has to offer them for the upcoming academic year.

The Family, UAA’s LGBTQA club, will be located under a bright rainbow umbrella with flyers, informative brochures, buttons, and other items for students and community members to check out. (We don’t know where exactly we will be located — we find that out on Saturday afternoon. Sorry I couldn’t be more specific.)

We will be promoting our first meeting of the Fall 2011 semester, (to be held on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 7 PM in Student Union Rm. 206) where we will be discussing and determining what the club would like to accomplish within the next year.

The Family is always accepting new members, and is an all-inclusive group – even members of the community not currently enrolled at UAA are encouraged to join.

• Date/time: Saturday, August 27, 5 PM to midnight
• Location: University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage (see map)
• Further info: See UAA’s Campus Kick-off page

University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) instruction also begins on September 1. While there is a UAS Gay/Straight Alliance listed at the UAS website, its Facebook group appears to be inactive, and we unfortunately have no information on meeting times or activities.  Let us know if you do.

We wish all of you a successful and fun academic year!