Gender-neutral homecoming bill encounters resistance at Sam Houston State University
Two years ago, the Student Senate at Sam Houston State University voted unanimously to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the school’s nondiscrimination policies.
Since then, other pro-equality measures also have sailed through the Student Senate, including resolutions calling on Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and lift a ban on gay blood donors, as well as a bill to allow transgender students to have their preferred names and pronouns used in university records.
Given this recent track record of LGBT support, openly gay Student Senator Alex Rangel anticipated similar success for his latest proposal, which would remove gender requirements from elections for homecoming king and queen at the Huntsville school.
However, when Rangel introduced the bill during last week’s Senate meeting, he encountered fierce resistance, with other senators calling it “extreme” — and one declaring that last year’s election of an African-American homecoming queen was “crazy” in itself.
More at http://www.lonestarq.com/gender-neutral-homecoming-bill-encounters-resistance-sam-houston-state-university/ .
