What makes a woman?
This week OUSU Council voted to change how the OUSU constitution defines a 'woman'. Previously the OUSU definition of a woman was "any person designated as such by their birth certificate", but since birth certificates cannot be altered this did not allow transgendered students to identify themselves as women for the purposes of OUSU voting and committees.
Queer Rights committee Co-Chair Catherine Wallis and Jo Briggs of Women's committee proposed the motion, which received support from both committees. The motion was put to OUSU council last Friday and the constitution will be amendmended in 7th week of Michaelmas next term. The constitution would then allow male to female transgendered students to identify as female to the VP-Women sabbatical officer providing they can show sufficient evidence, such as documentation of name changes.
Catherine Wallis noted that "although the current constitutional definition of a woman hasn't been recently contested, the policy is discriminatory and needs to be changed in order to be inclusive of all students." The motion mandated the Queer Rights Co-Chairs to write to the University and press for a change in university policy along similar lines.
Tony Lord, current VP-Welfare, agreed that the previous policy was discriminatory to transgendered students and commented that it was "important for OUSU not to deny any student their rights", and that the policy was changed in order to ensure OUSU was "fully open and accessible for all students".
1st Jun 2001