Student representatives from the San José State Associated Students’ (A.S.) The Board of Directors voted in support of a letter after failing to pass a resolution that would have shown their support for transgender rights.
In the letter obtained by The Spartan Daily, the A.S. Board of Directors listed five actions they want to take to support the trans community on campus and within the wider CSU system.
— “Advocating against legislative efforts that discriminate against trans and nonbinary student-athletes, including opposing ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’ and H.R.28.”
— “Supporting the passage of a constitutional Transgender Bill of Rights to safeguard trans individuals' rights in education, healthcare, employment, and public accommodations.”
— “Encouraging the CSU system and higher education institutions to uphold policies that protect transgender students from discrimination and affirm their right to continue competing in collegiate sports.”
— “Calling for the introduction of federal legislation protecting transgender and nonbinary athletes and service members, countering exclusionary policies like ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.’ ”
— “Ensuring CSU-wide resources, training programs, and policies provide comprehensive support for transgender students across all campuses.”
Geoffrey Agustin, director of communications, said A.S. has not announced when the letter will be publicly available, but the letter will be accessible to the public after it has been signed by Vice President Chima Nwokolo.
Katelyn Gambarin, director of legislative affairs, said she is glad that directors voted unanimously in favor of the letter.
“I'm very happy that the letter passed, but . . . I still hope that our board can work towards passing a resolution, just because that's more substantive for our organization as a whole,” Gambarin said.
The A.S. Board of Directors originally tried to pass a resolution on Feb. 26 that would have advocated for the same actions and upheld the same goal to support trans rights and participation in sports, but the board did not garner enough votes to pass it, according to a Feb. 27 article from the Spartan Daily.
Gambarin said both resolutions and letters from the board communicate its stance on an issue, but letters are more private and sent individually to legislators and stakeholders in the CSU system.
“The letter could still have an impact on the legislators who receive it, but we have no way of knowing that,” she said.
Gambarin also said the letter is not an official piece of A.S. legislation like the resolution, but it was easier to pass.
Two-thirds of the directors need to vote in favor of a resolution for the board to pass it, according to the A.S. bylaws.
On Feb. 26, ten directors were present to vote on the resolution, according to previous reporting from the Spartan Daily. Five voted in favor of passing the resolution, two voted against it and three chose to abstain or withhold their vote. They needed eight votes to pass the resolution.
“I'm glad that the letter passed,” Gambarin said. “I feel like the failing (failure) of the resolution led to a lot of conversations that should’ve been probably had earlier regarding why people were reluctant to pass the resolution.”
Unlike a resolution, other matters, including letters, can be approved with a majority vote where more than 50% of the board votes in favor of an action item, according to A.S. bylaws.
Gambarin also said the vote for the letter was not done with a roll-call, allowing the directors to show their support without having their names directly attached to their individual votes.
“I can't really speak to (other directors’) personal reasons for (how they voted), but I do know that there was some concern about them voting in favor because of Trump’s recent crackdowns on people who speak out against issues that go against what he believes in,” she said.
Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student from Columbia University, a Palestinian activist and immigrant from Algeria, was arrested on March 8 and is being accused by the White House of allegedly distributing fliers that promote Hamas, according to a March 16 New York Times article.
He also has not been charged with a crime, according to a March 17 article from the New York Times.
Khalil can be deported, or go through what is also known as removal proceedings, under Section 237 (a) (4) (C) (i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to a government notice obtained by the Washington Post.
Under Section 237 (a) (4) (C) (i), the Secretary of State said it has “reasonable ground” to believe that his presence and activities within the U.S could potentially have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the country, according to the same notice.
Gambarin said she can’t speak for other board members but the majority of the directors who voted against or chose to withhold their vote are international students.
“I know that he’s (Trump) been probably cracking down on these people, regardless of their immigration status and just making it that much harder for people to utilize their free speech,” Gambarin said.
Oli Harter, a second-year animation student, said he empathizes with international students because of the fear many transgender people experience daily.
Harter who is transgender also said this does not mean transgender rights should not be prioritized.
“The international students who are on the board chose to be there and I have a ton of empathy for them but that does not give them the right to deny my community the rights that we deserve,” Harter said.
In 2024, 52 anti-trans bills passed in various states throughout the U.S. and 51 have been signed into law, according to a webpage from Trans Legislation Tracker.
Jordan Robinson, a third-year aerospace engineering student and an event coordinator for Turning Point USA at SJSU, said he does not agree with the resolution, but he will continue to remain respectful towards the trans community and those who are in favor.
Turning Point USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to build an organized and active conservative grassroots activist network through high school and college campuses throughout the nation, according to its webpage.
“We are called to love one another and pray for those who oppose us, so this is what I will do,” Robinson said.
Geoffrey Agustin, the A.S. director of communications, said the relationship between A.S. and the student body was not great after the board failed to pass the resolution.
Agustin also said it was refreshing to see more students speak up at their last meeting and he hopes the relationship between the board and the student body improves over time.
“I'm really glad that the failure of the resolution caused some students to wake up in the sense that they started coming to us, they started commenting, they started reaching out to their representatives, because that's what they should be doing,” Agustin said.
“They should be reaching out to their student reps about something they're passionate about.”
