I'm writing to you on behalf of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Friends student group at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.  We would like to know if you - either your group, or representing yourself as an individual - would be interested in joining our project by co-sponsoring our resolution.

We're interested in working together with the OU Housing to promote a new option for students living on campus: an option of gender-blind/gender neutral housing.  We think the current housing availabilities would be enhanced with such an option, solving a lot of problems for students who are gender-nonconforming, intersexed, or transgendered, by providing them a place to live that is guaranteed to be friendly and affirmative to their gender expressions.  This would also be a place where gender-normative students could, if they chose, arrange to room with roommates or suitemates who happen to be of the opposite sex.  Obviously, this wouldn't work for everyone.  But we're interested - and maybe you're interested - in giving all students an option.

Mr. Dave Annis, Director of Housing and Food Services, has expressed his enthusiasm for working with students on this issue by inviting us to write a resolution for the gender-blind housing option, which he could then present to University and Student Services.  We have a resolution drafted, which we have attached, and which we hope to present to him within the next couple of weeks.  Once we present it, Mr. Annis has offered to give his advice on it, including suggesting any edits on it which he thinks might help him negotiate it with University and Student Services.

Until we are asked to edit or remove any parts of the resolution, our plan is to present Mr. Annis with the widest possible range of ideas to work with, including both the reasons for instituting such an option and the ways to implement such an option.  In that sense, our drafted resolution is incomplete.  In inviting you to co-sponsor the resolution, we're also asking for you to bring your own ideas to the discussion.  We think that inviting student and community voice to this issue is the only way to promote enthusiasm and make change together.

Are you interested?

Jessie St. Amand

OU GLBTF President