Gender Identity Proposal RE: [WAC-list] Minnie Bruce Pratt visits UWO as a writer in residence

[William E Bragg <braggw53@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu>]

The resolution below will be brought before the OSA Assembly on Monday, March 
29.  Please read through it.  If you are in a student organization, please 
bring up the resolution.  If your student org would like to co-sponsor this 
resolution, please let me know and I will add it to the list of sponsors.

I can be contacted @ braggw53@uwosh.edu

Thanks,
Bill Bragg
LGBTQ Issues Director OSA


WHEREAS, the Oshkosh Student Association is the official voice of the students 
of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; and

WHEREAS, the University of Wisconsin System non-discrimination policy as 
enforced by the Board of Regents does not currently contain provisions that 
protect against discrimination based on gender identity, expression and 
characteristics; and

WHEREAS, the Oshkosh Student Association believes that is the right of every 
student, academic staff, faculty or other University employee to express their 
gender based on their own ways of identifying; and

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court ruled in 1989 Hopkins v. Price Waterhouse that 
discrimination based on gender stereotypes is illegal under the Civil Rights 
Act of 1964; and

WHEREAS, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has a huge backlog of 
cases related to gender harassment and gender stereotyping; and

WHEREAS, several institutions of higher education including Fortune 500 
companies and 43 states, cities and municipalities have responded to this 
problem by adding protection against gender stereotyping in their 
non-discrimination and hiring policies; and

WHEREAS, gender and sexual orientation protection is not sufficient in cases 
of discrimination based on gender stereotyping; and

WHEREAS, institutions of higher education should teach not only in the 
classroom, but teach through their policies and actions by adopting broad and 
inclusive anti-discrimination policies that educate students and their 
community on the need for understanding, diversity, and tolerance; and

WHEREAS, students at the University of Wisconsin Madison have recently past a 
similar resoluction; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Oshkosh Student Association support adding 
gender identity, expression and characteristics to the University of Wisconsin 
System non-discrimination policy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Oshkosh Student Association urge fellow 
students, faculty and staff throughout the University of Wisconsin System to 
support the addition of this policy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Oshkosh Student Association actively 
encourage the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents to change the 
non-discrimination policy by adding gender identity, expression and 
characteristics; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution be forwarded to Chancellor John 
Wiley and the UW System Board of Regents.

>===== Original Message From Andrea Shay <zenbuddha@new.rr.com> =====
>On March 9th and 10th, 2004, Minnie Bruce Pratt, an award-winning
>lesbian writer, anti-racist activist, and longtime fighter for women's
>liberation, is visiting the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh as a writer
>in residence. An Alabama native who directly challenges her white
>Southern heritage, Pratt has devoted her life and her writing to social
>justice issues, particularly to work against homophobia and racism.
>Pratt was among three lesbian writers (along with Chrystos and Audre
>Lorde) honored in 1991 by the Fund for Free Expression, given to writers
>"victimized by political persecution." She has published five books of
>poetry, several of which have won prestigious awards, including *Crime
>Against Nature*, which was recognized by both the Academy of American
>Poets and the American Library Association. Pratt was one of three
>co-authors of *Yours in Struggle: Three Feminist Perspectives on
>Anti-Semitism and Racism*, a classic in Women's Studies. Both her
>collection of essays, *Rebellion*, and her book of prose stories about
>gender boundary crossing, *S/HE*, were finalists for major awards.
>
>While visiting UWO, Pratt will be giving a free public reading and
>discussion of her work on Wednesday, March 10th, at 7pm in Reeve 202.
>Before and during the event, free refreshments will be served, and her
>books will be available for purchase. She will also be guest lecturing
>two classes that are open for all students to attend. On Tuesday night,
>March 9th, her guest lecture is in Polk 20, from 6-7:30pm, and on
>Wednesday, her guest lecture is in Clow 131, from 2-3:30pm. Pratt will
>also be working one-on-one with five UWO creative writing students, who
>have already been selected. Additionally, a reception will be held for
>her in the Multicultural Education Center on Tuesday, from 4-5:30pm. All
>events are free, so please take advantage of this great opportunity by
>attending the reception, the reading, or one of the guest lectures.
>
>For more information, or if you need childcare to attend the March 10th
>evening reading, please contact me by email (zenbuddha@new.rr.com).
>
>Thank you,
>Andrea Shay
>
>Co-Director
>Women's Advocacy Council
>http://www.uwosh.edu/wac
>
>"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi
>
>
>
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William E Bragg