THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 62 Issue: 10
NOVEMBER 7, 2018
unodriftwood.com
Title IX and the transgender community BY JACK WAGUESPACK News Editor Title IX, a law passed to protect various members of the community regardless of their identity, has recently come under question, due in no small part to recent comments made by President Trump. When it comes to Title IX, UNO has shown support for its students, transgender or otherwise, by offering all-gender bathrooms, gender-inclusive dorm halls and the ability for students to change their names on their school-issued ID cards. In response to recent controversy surrounding Title IX, UNO President John Nicklow issued an email to UNO students on Monday, Oct. 29. “We recognize that some members of our campus community may be concerned by the prospect of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services establishing a legal binary definition of gender under Title IX. At this point, no policy decision has been made,” said Nicklow. “Irrespective of any changes at the federal level, we want you to know that the University of New Orleans has policies in place to protect individuals from discrimination. We believe strongly that every member of our campus community should feel valued for who they are, regardless of their identity. The University has resources on campus, should you need support.” Some transgender students, including freshmen Alex Pertuit and James Morenc, were upset by this email following the announcement of possible Title IX reforms.
Students gather for UNO’s 2016 LGBT+ parade. “The main problem for me was the lack of visibility in the email. The president addressed ‘some members’ but not the trans community directly,” stated Morenc. “The email was a week late, did not address the trans community directly, and basically said ‘we will just keep our old policies that we don’t even currently enforce,’” Pertuit said in response to the email. With some students upset about the email, SGA President Kenady Hills decided something needed to be done, and a meeting between Nicklow, Hills, and UNO students was planned for Monday, Nov. 5. Hill started this group for LGBTQ+ students and allies to
formulate ideas on how to ensure safety, quality of life and education for transgender students while at UNO. She addressed the UNO Social app, where multiple spam accounts post transphobic comments and slurs. For part of the resolution, Hills is asking for better moderation of the app and for stricter hate speech guidelines. These problems may affect faculty as well. Current transgender administration and educators could face the same backlash if Title IX is reformed and if transgender-friendly policies are not supported by the school. The unsupportive atmosphere could also stop future transgender faculty from applying for a job or trans-
- Photo by Brennan Probst
gender students from being accepted into the university. The resolution may be the first step in making sure transgender people will be able to have the same rights as other UNO students, whether the Trump administration reforms Title IX or not. The LGBTQ+ UNO resolution team is preparing to demonstrate on Transgender Remembrance Day — Tuesday, Nov. 20 — to show solidarity to the community and respect for the deceased. Clubs such as UNITY and the Intersectional Feminist Club are planning to help organize and prepare for this demonstration those that may follow it. In 1906, Title IX was originally
put in place in favor of female athletes in universities. It was used to ensure athletes had equal opportunities in both men’s and women’s leagues, regarding the number of sports available along with amount of scholarships. Controversy arose when certain schools felt that women’s sports were held in higher regard because of Title IX. Many used it as a way to make excuses for men’s baseball, basketball, and football teams who were not doing too well that season. In 1972, the law was broadened to include boys and girls in schools that receive federal funding. Before Title IX, there were various rules, including the uniforms each gender was required to wear, sports regulations, and inviting the opposite gender to school dances. Previous regulation also involved hiring practices for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Now, all members of the community are protected under Title IX when it comes to equal pay and equal opportunities, regardless of race, gender or sexuality. Recently, Title IX has been brought up in current political debates specifically regarding the LGBTQ+ community. President Trump has made remarks on gender and sex that may not take transgender people into fair consideration. According to US News, his current goal is to have gender confirmed at birth and deemed unchangeable at any later time. This would force transgender people to go by their assigned gender, unable to change their gender legally, no matter how they feel.
Local Boutique thinks big for Small Business Saturday
BY JACK WAGUESPACK News Editor
Small Business Saturday is a national holiday focused on promoting and supporting small and local businesses in your area. Following Black Friday, Small Business Saturday is all about keeping money and growth in local areas instead of department stores and chains. American Express started the Shop Small Day in 2011, hoping to bring more holiday shopping to local shops. According to American Express,
in 2013, they had more than 1,450 individuals and organizations sign up to rally and campaign, with an increase to 5,750 sign-ups in 2017. Armoire, a boutique on Magazine Street, is one of the few local businesses that sells fashionable women’s clothing ranging from size 0-20. It is an all-female-ownedand-run business and has had growing sales these past few years due to their large scale of sizes and styles. Their shop is an open atmosphere that anyone would feel comfortable in, with multiple women of different shapes and sizes there to guide
customers on clothing choice. Boutique owner Erin Hebert, opened up about shopping locally and what it means to her and her business. E: Erin Hebert, owner of Armoire, a local boutique J: Jack Waguespack J: What does shopping locally mean to you? E: Shopping with small and locally owned businesses is an easy way to support your community. When you shop local, business owners can invest in their business and in their employees. Plus,
more tax dollars go right back into the community rather than out of town. J: How do you encourage people to shop locally? E: Big-box retailers can purchase a higher volume of goods from manufacturers, which allows them to charge lower prices. Since we cannot always beat those prices, we offer services with added value that you may not be able to receive at the mall or online. We entice shoppers with a friendly and customized experience, such as one-on-one styling and person-
al s, plus discounts and free swag. hopping. And since our team is small, we will remember you the next time you come in and tailor your visit based on yours likes and dislikes. J: Are you doing any events and/or sales for Small Business Saturday? E: Small Business Saturday is one of our favorite times of the year. We will host our third annual Thanks-a-Brunch event, where customers can enjoy complimentary mimosas and snacks.