Quote (kayeto @ Jun 19 2016 10:42pm)
but what if it was a black gay male?
wouldn't that make him more oppressed than a white lesbian?
I think it's important to point out that the primary reason why such distinctions were being made at the conference, is because of intra-community dynamics. Gay men don't experience marginalization within the queer community for being gay, but of course some gay men (like black gay men) may experience marginalization based off of another social identity they embody, such as being black in relation to intra-community racism. So black gay men should be cognizant of the level of space they take up, but assuredly black gay men still have a voice and involvement, including but not limited to, any black subcommittees:
Quote (Motion 102: Recognising the Black LGBT+ Subcommittee)
Conference Believes
1. At NUS LGBT+ conference in 2014, motion 202 entitled “Black LGBT+ sub-committee- creating safer
autonomous space” was passed into policy
2. The motion resolved to create a Black LGBT+ sub-committee that consisted of 3 Black LGBT+
individuals, with 1 open place, 1 reserved for a Black LGBT+ woman who would both be elected at NUS
LGBT+ conference. The remaining place would be elected in the LGBT+ caucus at NUS Black Students’
Conference
3. The motion was intended to increase Black LGBT+ representation within NUS LGBT+ campaign’s
structures as well as providing a safe autonomous space
4. NUS LGBT+ campaign has historically had low engagement with Black LGBT+ students due to a
number of reasons
Conference Further Believes
1. There was some confusion during the Black Caucus at NUS LGBT+ Conference 2014 as to how soon the
policy to create the subcommittee would come into effect
2. There was an informal Black LGBT+ subcommittee during 2014/15, but they were unable to meet in
person with the Black reps on committee
3. The subcommittee was not elected at NUS LGBT+ conference in 2015 as it is not recognised officially in
the standing orders
4. It is essential for the purposes of representation and engagement that the Black LGBT+ subcommittee
be officially recognised within the standing orders, and that members are granted full voting and speaking
rights
Conference Resolves
1. To amend the standing orders to ADD
18 g. “Members of the Black LGBT+ Subcommittee”
104 i. “One (1) Open Place representative and one (1) Women’s place representative on the Black LGBT+
subcommittee, elected by and from the entire Black Students’ Caucus, and then the self-defining women
of the Black Students’ Caucus
They also note the importance of increasing black representation here:
Quote (Motion 404: Black Representation)
Conference Believes
1. As of now there are about more than 400,000 BME students in the UK in higher and further
education.
2. It is safe to assume that many of them are LGBT+.
3. The NUS research ‘Beyond the straight and narrow’ found that that Black LGB+ students are more
likely to have considered dropping out.
4. The NUS research ‘Beyond the straight and narrow’ also felt that further research on the
intersection of race, gender identity and sexual orientation is needed to identify the different forms
of oppression that social groups face.
5. That trans* women of colour face an epidemic of violence.
6. LGBT+ people from ethnic minorities face barriers to accessing services
both due to the intersection of experiences of racism and homophobia in institutions, and
sometimes due to homophobia within their own communities.
7. 13 % of black and minority ethnic lesbian, gay and bisexual people report feeling homophobic
attacks are a problem in their local area.
Conference Further Believes
1. LGBT+ campaign has been ineffective in reaching out to the BME LGBT+ students.
2. We understand that many BME students face not only incidents of racism as well as homophobia,
biphobia and transphobia.
3. Also understands that racism is present in the LGBT+ community.
4. That black representation within the NUS LGBT+ Campaign is poor.
5. That those who define as both black and LGBT+ suffer from a different kind of oppression and that
the campaign needs to do more specific work on this.
6. That black LGBT+ students are more likely to drop out or suffer worse grades than their white,
heterosexual and cisgendered counterparts.
Conference Resolves
1. Condemn any actions of racism against any BME individual.
2. To provide necessary information to young BME students on coming out, staying safe etc on a
separate webpage.
3. Creating a webpage in the NUS website where BME students can ask questions regarding what it
means to be LGBT+ and getting an informed reply to their questions.
4. Making sure that this webpage is publicised by different students’ Union.
5. This webpage should be moderated by the Black Rep who will be sitting on the NUS LGBT+
committee.
6. Encourage and lobby University’s students LGBT+ Committee to have at least one BME rep on their
committee
7. Doing research, collecting and publishing statistics regarding issues faced by BME LGBT+ students
8. To cooperate with the NUS Black students campaign to address the problems of racism,
homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.
9. To commission research into the experiences of black LGBT+ students in education.
10. To continue to lobby each Student Union or LGBT+ Society to have at least one black students
reserved place on committee.
11. That NUS LGBT+ Officers must run a LGBT+ black leaders event in 2016/2017.
This post was edited by Handcuffs on Jun 19 2016 05:20pm