Protect and acknowledge all. This is the message FAU students need to send to the FAU Board of Trustees.
Regulation 5.010, the University’s Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment regulation, sets up protections and procedures for students who are discriminated against or harassed. This regulation includes race, religion and sex among a group of “protected classes,” but it does not include sexual orientation.
In 2003, the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees voted to add sexual orientation to their Non-Discrimination Policy. Since then, UF has been followed by University of South Florida, University of North Florida, New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida International University and Florida Gulf Coast University. The University of West Florida did not add sexual orientation to its University Regulations but issued a university policy that pretty much did the same thing.
How these universities were able to do this may have been unique for each of them, but they share one thing in common: Despite the fact that the state of Florida does not protect sexual orientation, these universities were able to add such protection to their own regulations. The argument that FAU cannot make this change to its own regulations because of a legal question over what the state allows, therefore, is simply not applicable.
But that’s not the only reason why FAU insists on not changing this regulation. Palm Beach County has an ordinance that includes sexual orientation as a class protected from any kind of discrimination and harassment; therefore, there are in fact protections for the gay/lesbian community on campus. Miami-Dade County also has an ordinance that protects sexual orientation, yet FIU in Miami has added sexual orientation in their regulations. The argument from FAU President Frank T. Brogan is that because of the Palm Beach County ordinance, “we don’t need” to change our regulation. But FIU decided to do it anyway. They know they don’t need it, but they still felt that they should have it.
In the past weeks I have submitted House resolution BRHR-09-03, “Protect and Acknowledge All,” which shows Boca Raton
House approval of sexual orientation and gender identity being added to the FAU Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment regulation.
Too often when talking about gay rights, the opposition says that gays/lesbians only want special treatment. That logic is flawed. What these individuals want and what any person would want is to be treated the same as everyone else. Not including them in the FAU Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment regulation because the Board of Trustees and President Brogan think it’s not needed is the real example of giving the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered community special treatment.
It’s time to change this policy, and students must send a message to urge the Board of Trustees to do it. It’s time for FAU to protect and acknowledge all.
[Boris Bastidas is a freshman majoring in political science and is a member of the Boca Raton House of Representatives.]
