The recent reversal of gender-neutral housing by the UNC Board of Governors was a blow not only to Carolina’s LGBTQ community but an insult to the entire student body.
By meeting over the summer, when few students remain in town, the BOG went behind the backs of the student activists who fought for gender-neutral housing and stifled their voices in coming to the final decision.
This was a cruel misuse of the board’s power and a disrespectful way to treat student activism, regardless of the BOG’s final decision.
Last fall, students had the opportunity to give presentations and hold discussions concerning their reasons for supporting gender-neutral housing.
This inclusion of student voices led to the unanimous approval of the housing plan — but the BOG didn’t seek out student voices this summer, or take part in discussions with students last fall.
The reversal of the decision so soon before the beginning of the fall semester left four students who had planned to live in gender-neutral housing scrambling to find other accommodations.
They have now been placed in on- or off-campus housing.
The BOG went completely against what students want and need for their comfort on campus — it’s hard to perform well in school when your housing situation causes stress and discomfort.
Next time, those passing legislation that affects students should have the decency to include those that are directly affected in the discussion.
