The Associated Students, Inc. Senate passed a bylaw amendment on Wednesday creating a secretary for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual and queer affairs (LGBTIQ).
According to the amendment, the secretary “shall be responsible for promoting awareness and appreciation of students who are LGBTIQ in order to foster a multicultural and safe educational environment” at Cal State Long Beach.
Sen. Jessica LaVenter, who sponsored the amendment, thanked the Senate for its support and reiterated the need for the LGBTIQ secretary.
“This is what the students want. It’s great to see this equality among students,” LaVenter said.
LGBTIQ Program Coordinators Salvador Hernandez and Aunnie Ganier expressed their joy in the creation of the position and echoed the sentiments of LaVenter.
“I’m really honored this amendment has come to a third reading. It’s another step in the right direction for us,” Hernandez said. “This will lead to more equality across the board on campus.”
“I’m so pleased and excited right now. The senators really stepped up to the occasion,” Ganier said. “We’re a marginal group and it’s hugely important that the ASI is really mindful of other organizations on campus.”
The secretary will serve as chair of the LGBTIQ Council and help ensure that students who are LGBTIQ will achieve equal rights on campus.
In other ASI Senate news, a resolution titled “Open Lunch” went through its second reading.
The proposed “Open Lunch” resolution would mean that no classes would be scheduled between the hours of noon and 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays as part of an experiment to permit CSULB students to attend club meetings.
The resolution requested all faculty, academic department chairs, deans of the various colleges, and CSULB President F. King Alexander to schedule the period and have this time “set aside for the extracurricular use of the CSULB student body.”
Students are encouraged to express their opinions on the “Open Lunch” experiment by contacting their respective college’s senator.