Sam Houston State Adds Gender ID To Policy

The positive momentum in this so-called red state of Texas continues.

Sam Houston State University in Huntsville recently revised its Equal Employment Opportunity policy and nondiscrimination statement and added sexual orientation and gender identity to it.. 

Led by Vice President for Student Services Frank Parker, the SHSU President’s Cabinet voted to add the two as protected classes into three areas of SHSU policy, including Chapter V for “Component Personnel,” which outlines employment qualifications; Chapter VI for “Student Services Activities,” which outlines admissions criteria; and Chapter VII’s non-discrimination policy involving campus life and activities.

“I believe that our policies should reflect and encourage the full spectrum of diversity on our campuses and adopting this policy is just the right thing to do,” Parker said. “This policy fulfills the concept that ‘Sam Houston is a great name in education’ for all.”

It joins fellow Texas State University System member Texas State as one of two schools in the eight member TSUS system to adopt the wording.   The TSTS Board Of Regents looking at making similar changes to the system-wide policy.

Congrats Sam Houston State for making the moves that ensure that all Bearkats are welcomed on campus and protected from discrimination.  Let's hope the TSUS board f Regents continues the polsitive momentum and follows the principles lead of Texas sate and SHSU

Another Obama Administration 'Crumb'- HUD Housing Nondiscrimination Rule To Be Enacted

The rainbow fixated on gay marriage only detractors of President Obama or busy selling out to the GOP were loud about hollering 'crumbs' every time the administration made regulatory or policy changes that positively impacted this community.

Well, here's another 'crumb' they can gripe and mumble incoherently to themselves about.   

The Federal Housing Administration announced today in a press release they have released the final text of HUD's new nondiscrimination rule that will prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in several HUD programs including Title VIII based public housing and FHA backed loans.

It was also announced during the just concluded Creating Change conference in Baltimore by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.

According to HUD the new nondiscrimination rule will:

• Requires owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing, or housing whose financing is insured by HUD, to make housing available without regard to the sexual orientation or gender identity of an applicant for, or occupant of, the dwelling, whether renter- or owner-occupied.  HUD will institute this policy in its rental assistance and homeownership programs, which include the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs, community development programs, and public and assisted housing programs.
  
• Prohibits lenders from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis to determine a borrower’s eligibility for FHA-insured mortgage financing.  FHA’s current regulations provide that a mortgage lender’s determination of the adequacy of a borrower’s income “shall be made in a uniform manner without regard to” specified prohibited grounds.  The rule will add actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity to the prohibited grounds to ensure FHA-approved lenders do not deny or otherwise alter the terms of mortgages on the basis of irrelevant criteria.
  
• Clarifies that all otherwise eligible families, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, will have the opportunity to participate in HUD programs. In the majority of HUD’s rental and homeownership programs the term “family” already has a broad scope, and includes a single person and families with or without children.  HUD’s rule clarifies that otherwise eligible families may not be excluded because one or more members of the family may be an LGBT individual, have an LGBT relationship, or be perceived to be such an individual or in such relationship.
   
• Prohibits owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing or housing insured by HUD from asking about an applicant or occupant’s sexual orientation and gender identity for the purpose of determining eligibility or otherwise making housing available. In response to comments on the proposed rule, HUD has clarified this final rule to state that this provision does not prohibit voluntary and anonymous reporting of sexual orientation or gender identity pursuant to state, local, or federal data collection requirements.

The rule will be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after its publication.

 

DCCCD Passes Trans Inclusive Policy!

There's good news to report out of Dallas this evening concerning the proposed expansion of DCCCD nondiscrimination policy.  

The Dallas County Community College District Board of Trustees at this afternoon's board meeting passed on a 4-1 vote the expansion of DCCCD policy for students and employees with the inclusion of gender identity and expression language.

The new language that modifies one employee and two student nondiscrimination policies will take effect March 1 and they join the Houston area's San Jacinto Community College System and the Houston Community College System in doing so.  

The Dallas County Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the state of Texas with over 85,000 students and 25,000 enrolled in continuing education courses.

There were two trustees absent from this meeting and the lone NO vote came from District 4 trustee Bill Metzger.  In case you peeps in the Metroplex are wondering when you'll get your chance to show your displeasure with his vote on this issue at the ballot box, unfortunately you'll have to wait until 2016 to do so. 

Trustee Diana Flores told the Dallas Voice that the calls and letters to the Board of Trustees received in favor of this policy expansion are what made the difference in terms of the successful vote in enacting this positive human rights advance.

So for those of you who called, wrote, spoke in front of the Board of Trustees or showed up at DCCCD headquarters wearing pink clothing in solidarity of this policy change, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to do so and give yourself a well deserved pat on the back. 

You can bet the eyes of the DFW Metroplex and the rest of the Lone Star State will be on the Dallas County Community College District to ensure the policy the Board of Trustees voted affirmatively on is implemented as expeditiously as possible at all of its campuses.

A human rights expansion sure is a nice way to get 2012 started.