LGBTQ committee pushes equal housing, benefits

At least one group of the University’s stakeholders is pushing for gender-neutral housing and equal employment benefits for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community members.

At the Provost’s Committee on LGBTQ Life meeting Wednesday, members reaffirmed their positions on various controversial University policies that affect the LGBTQ community.

Terri Phoenix, director of UNC’s LGBTQ Center, said there have been many political obstacles in trying to achieve gender-neutral housing.

These obstacles have prompted the LGBTQ Center to request an opportunity to address the Board of Trustees on the issue.

“The student body president is working toward getting us in front of them and show them the research we have on gender-neutral housing with academic outcomes,” Phoenix said.

“There are some key people that will never support it, but what we need to do is find allies and make their voices louder.”

Kevin Claybren, student member of the committee, said the LGBTQ Center is working on a 1,000 postcard video campaign that will be given to members of the Board of Trustees.

Debate over a potential gender-neutral housing option ignited this spring.

Advocates cited that the housing option would provide a safer environment for students who identify as LGBTQ.

Chancellor Holden Thorp eventually rejected the proposal, citing University stakeholders had not yet been effectively educated about the topic.

Committee members also discussed employment benefit inequity at UNC relative to other schools.

“Compared to what benefits our peer institutions offer their employees, UNC’s is deplorable with what we don’t have here with equal benefits,” said Christopher Putney, chairman of the committee.

Amendment One, which was ratified in May, restricts benefits for non-married couples, many of whom are same sex.

But the University’s LGBTQ community continues to fight for equal employment benefits, a mission that was reaffirmed Wednesday.

John Sweet, associate professor and director of the program in sexuality studies, said he believes gay men and lesbian women are underrepresented in the University faculty.

“I used to think I was the only gay man in the Department of Social Sciences,” he said.

“It seems like we have some very ugly hiring situations in history with homophobic people.”

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