Title IX Forums on Gender & Trans Equity – 1/14 & 1/15

Hi everyone,
Next week UW is holding Q&A forums regarding the new Title IX regulations that are being put forward by the national government. These new regulations are a massive step backward in terms of gender equity and sexual harassment protections on campus. Unfortunately, I will be out of town–I am hopeful that other students from our department care about trans students and sexual assault and will attend. Here are some key points:

• The new regulations redefine gender as purely biological, erasing trans identities.
• The new regulations grant people accused of sexual assault the right to a face-to-face cross-examination of their accuser, a horribly traumatizing experience for survivors.
• Under the regulations sexual harassment and assault are only actionable if they occur on campus property.
• The definition of sexual harassment is narrowed massively.
• The standards of proof are changed from a “preponderance of evidence” to “clear and convincing evidence”, making it incredibly difficult to prove that harassment or assault occurred.

The forums will be happening next Monday and Tuesday on campus.  We need to make sure that UW doesn’t accept these new regulations passively, and we should also encourage them to agree to robust harassment protections in their contracts with WFSE and with the postdocs.

– Monday January 14th, 3-4PM in the Allen Auditorium

– Tuesday January 15th, 3-4PM in the South Campus Center, room 301.

If you want to learn more, we’ll be talking about these regulations at the union membership meeting this Thursday, 5:30-7PM in Smith 301. Information on how to become a union member, which is open to any student (you only pay dues during quarters you are receiving a paycheck from the university for being a student worker) can be found here. You do not need to be a member to attend the forums.

-Vern

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