Campus & community, Campus news

Reaffirming our commitment to the transgender community

By Public Affairs

Chancellor Carol Christ and Vice Chancellors Oscar Dubón and Stephen Sutton sent this message today to the UC Berkeley community:

Dear members of the campus community,

We unequivocally support our transgender and non-binary students, staff, faculty and alumni. We see you, we value you and we recognize your important contributions to the life and culture of our campus.

We know that members of our community have been affected by recent reports that the federal government is discussing potential regulatory changes to legal definitions of gender. If the Department of Education formally proposes changes to its civil rights policies, we are confident that the University of California will respond. The State of California and University of California have separate laws and policies in place to recognize and protect transgender and non-binary individuals. These would remain in place regardless of any federal action.

Beyond this statement of support, we are working closely with Gender Equity Center Director Billy Curtis to seek additional ways that the campus can create an inclusive, welcoming and safe campus experience for all. Currently, our campus is working to implement Senate Bill 179, the Gender Recognition Act, which made California the second state to adopt a non-binary gender marker on state documents.This legislation makes it easier for the transgender community who live and are born in California to obtain identity documents that reflect their gender.

In the meantime, please know that support is available:

  • Counselors are holding free, drop-in sessions in the Cesar E. Chavez Student Center Monday-Friday.

Finally, ASUC leadership and the Queer Alliance Resource Center are holding an event today at 5:30 p.m. in ASUC Senate Chambers to engage with campus leaders on collaborative efforts and discuss successes and concerns.

We are confident that our campus community will be enriched as we recommit to our principles of community.

Sincerely,

Carol Christ, Chancellor
Oscar Dubón, Vice Chancellor, Equity and Inclusion
Stephen Sutton, Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs