The position of queer/trans / takataapui students and staff in Higher Education in Aotearoa

1. The position of queer/trans /takataapui students and staff in Higher Education in Aotearoa A presentation by James Burford at the 2012 Queers in Tertiary Education Hui Epsom Campus OUSA Queer Support Coordinator Doctoral candidate – Auckland University j.burford@auckland.ac.nz

2. Outline 1.) Map of Services supporting queer/trans/takataapui students and staff in higher education institutions in NZ. 2.) A New Zealand model of service provision: OUSA Queer Support. 3.) International experience with creating institutional change on HE campuses. 4.) Goals for moving forward.

3. Mapping current services Auckland - Auckland UNIQ, UNIQ Albany, Rainbow Group, queer rep AUT – Out @ AUT UNITEC- LGBT group WINTEC – Queer rep Waikato – ASKEW Massey - UNIQMUW, Massey LGBT Group Victoria -UNIQ Vic Canterbury - UNIQ Canterbury Lincoln ? Otago - OUSA Queer Support, queer friendly staff network, UNIQ Otago. National: UNIQ National Queer Rights Officer The only permanent paid position across the country is OUSA Queer Support.

4. KEY DETAILS: Service establishedout of ‘UNIQ Coordinator’ role, since at least 2006. Provided by: Otago University Students Association OUSA which as of 2011 is funded by Otago University. Service held by: Student Support Centre (SSC) alongside student advocates. Staff hours: (0.5 EFTS) Annual Budget: $9838.00 (Excluding staff hours) MAIN PROJECTS: Queer resource library (books, DVDS, magazines) Information (referrals and resources) One-on-one support – peer support model. Training volunteers/interns(community capacity building) Weekly support group SPACE. On-campus training – eg residential colleges, student health. Off-campus training, social agencies, womens prison, sexual health providers. Guest lectures – education, social work, medical school. Queer friendly staff network. Events, tea parties, video screenings, art/poetry making, awareness raising. Local and national networking Regular column in Critic – Student Magazine

5. what are the impacts of OUSA Queer Support? Direct Creates queer/trans jobs Queer-/trans students have a safe space on campus Queer -/trans students have an advocate to support them in disputes with the university, tenancy, Studylink, academic grievances etc. Queer students have specific access to pastoral care The proliferation of queer resources within our community There is an identifiable queer go-to person on campus All staff have access to queer professional development. Indirect – “collateral benefits” We have a community owned space in Dunedin – which the community can use free of charge eg. Transedin, researchers, speech therapists working with trans students. We have a staff member to can sit on governance committees to represent the interests of queer students for eg. Marketing, health, leadership committees We create a network of well trained, well supported students who volunteer for queer proejcts on campus and outside in the wider community – classic participatory, ground up, community development.

6. International research on providing queer resource centers on campus. • 1990s rapid increase in attention to LGBT climate issues + creation of LGBT centres at many institutions in USA. • Universities as workplaces – campus equal opportunity policies. • Research shows institutions with equal opportunity policies more likely to have LGBT centres. • Often students have been the agents who have made change on campuses – has impacts on students who must not only get education but change institutional systems. • It takes LGBT staff to collaborate with students to create long-term change in institutional climates. • Concerns of trans students: healthcare, residence halls, bathrooms, locker rooms, records and documents, public inclusion, and programming, training and support. (Beemyn, 2008) • Institutional invisibility • Safe zones ( Poynter, Tubbs 2007)

7. Why staff are so important in making change for queers in Higher education? • Continuity - Staff and faculty may remain on campus for many years • Connections – staff are likely to be connected to allies in administrative, decision making positions. • Resources – staff have access to offices, staff rooms, phone lines, coffee making facilities, funding, institutional knowledge.

8. Why students are so important in making change for queers in Higher education? • Energy – students can bring fresh energy, enthusiasm and approaches. • Connections – students are likely to be connected a range of different allies • Resources – students have access to wide numbers of other students, large networks on social media, time.

9. Why straight/cis allies are so important in making change for queers in Higher education? • Broaden the issue – sexuality and gender connects to everyone, is an equity issue that effects us all. • Connections – allies are likely to be connected a range of different people across the campus. • Safety – sometimes it is easier for cis/straight allies to speak out. It also helps to spread the load of making change and prevent burn-out in queer communities. • Political – it shows that queerness is about affinity, rather than identity. We welcome others aligned to our cause.

10. My vision: • My proposal is to create Sexuality/gender resource centers across all Higher Education Institutions in NZ. • These resource centers should be connected through a national network which shares resources, and promotes best practice queer community development. • Staff could form a special caucus of the Association of Student Advocates in NZ.

11. How to do this? Steps to creating a LGBT resource centre (Georgetown & Oregon state ) • Undertake research , create lists of incidents to show relevance. • Formulate proposal • Petitioning by students/staff • Public speeches • Letters of support, selling ribbons • Ask student magazines & Q press to write in support • Teach-ins • Host a debate on the usefulness of a resource centre • Use model of existing campus offices – Maori, PI, disability centres, student unions, academic advisors. Ask for their support. • Funding can come from small increases to student fees, eg. $10,000 is not a lot of money, but can make a huge difference.

12. Contact j.burford@auckland.ac.nz q.support@ousa.org.nz Find Queer Support on Facebook!