The University of North Carolina Council of Student Body Presidents met for an emergency meeting Monday night to discuss what the UNC System will do in response to the passing of House Bill 2.
Zack King, president of the Association of Student Governments, proposed a bill earlier this week that condemns Gov. Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly for passing such legislation. The bill was passed by a unanimous vote from all 12 university student body presidents who were present for the meeting.
“The UNC Association of Student Governments believes that trans men are men, that trans women are women, that all students should have the agency to self-determine their gender identity, and that one’s gender identity should be the determining factor as to which bathrooms should be used on and off campus,” the Formal Response and Condemnation of HB2 stated.
The bill also mentions the possible loss of $4.58 billion due to Title IX violations, reversing the progress of nondiscrimination against the LGBT community and citing that Title IX protects transgender students.
“This law affects all UNC System schools and public schools by banning trans students from choosing the bathroom that matches their gender identity and bans the further construction of gender neutral, family bathrooms on campuses, a particular effort of many student governments on our campuses,” the bill reads.
King said the next steps for the council are to take the situation to court. The Council of Student Body Presidents will either file their own lawsuit or join the lawsuit already pending against the governor, UNC Board of Governors and the North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper.
“Courts are the only true way to get anything done,” King said. “We can openly discuss the problem, but we have to get the law on our side.”
King also said the student body presidents across the UNC System will press for their chancellors to take a more opposed stance on the ruling. However, King said he was pleased with Chancellor Randy Woodson’s statement on HB2.
“I was happy that the chancellor addressed the university’s need for diversity,” King said. “His statement was incredibly supportive. I understand we need to follow the law. But I don’t think we need to put students in harm’s way. We’re not calling for a blatant disregard of the law. We’re just asking people to change their way of thinking.”
King said in a statement that the issue would not stand in court, and it will not stand on campus.
“My friends, myself included, openly wept at the news and at rallies the next night,” he said in a statement. “When your life is political fodder and your rights are in limbo, it’s certainly not an environment for healing, even following the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.”
King encourages all students who are affected to speak out.
“I urge affected students on our constituent campuses to actively oppose the provisions of HB2 and continue to use gender-neutral bathrooms or specific bathrooms that align with your gender identity as appropriate,” King said. “If anyone, especially in our trans community, is harassed on or off campus, speak out.”
There is an anti-HB2 UNC System bathroom sit-in scheduled for Friday at noon. More details about which bathroom on campus it will be held in will be published when announced.
