BREAKING: Student Council passes motion to create Trans Officer role
The Student Council voted yesterday in favour of a motion to create the part-time role of Trans Officer at the University.
As it currently stands Warwick’s first Trans Officer is set to be elected in the Autumn elections of this year, however this may be delayed until next Spring due to the training required for new part-time officers.
The motion was submitted to the student council by Sara Boiten, Co-President of Warwick Pride, and claims the support of the University’s trans community, Warwick Pride, Warwick Anti Sexism Society and both the outgoing and newly elected LGBTUA+ and Women’s Liberation Officers.
The motion was passed with 12 votes for and one abstention.
I’m so proud to be part of such a huge step in ensuring trans students’ rights are protected for years to come. Autonomous representation is essential and it follows the amazing example set by the NUS Trans Campaign and other universities.
Sara Boiten, Co-President of Warwick Pride
Boiten told the Boar: “It’s come about because there’s so much that the community needs, and at the moment there’s no specific trans representation anywhere in the SU.
“I’m so proud to be part of such a huge step in ensuring trans students’ rights are protected for years to come. Autonomous representation is essential and it follows the amazing example set by the NUS Trans Campaign and other universities.”
LGBTUA+ Officer Madi Simcock-Brown added: “It’ll create a reserved space for much needed representation at the SU.”
The vote comes after the NUS announced the creation of a full-time Trans Officer role at the end of last year. Jess Bradley, who was elected to the position last week, is the first full-time elected officer for trans rights in Europe.
The role had been proposed previously but was voted down in April 2015.
Similar roles have also been created at other universities. University of Manchester Students’ Union currently has two trans officers and the Edge Hill University Students’ Union voted unanimously to create a part-time role in January.
According to a 2014 NUS report, which estimated approximately 28,000 trans students in the UK, over half of the trans students surveyed had considered dropping out of university and a third had experienced bullying or harassment on their campus.
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