By Rhydian Morris
Trans students rejoiced today as NUS officially voted to create a full-time Trans officer and autonomous trans campaign at the NUS 2016 national conference. The motion passed without much controversy, a stark difference to the 2015 conference where the motion failed due to a large number of absentions.
The road to a trans officer has been contentious with the autonomous Lgbt campaign last year voting down the motion at their conference. The motion was then brought to national conference where it was voted down on the basis that “national conference should not overrule the decisions of the autonomous lgbt campaign”.
The tide has changed over the past year with a majority of candidates for NUS election showing support for the introduction of a new Full-time position to represent trans students, with many including the support in written manifestos, including the two presidential candidates of Megan Dunn and Malia Bouattia.
The new role will be paid and have parity with similar full-time roles in the organisation. Hannah Stewart the current Swansea Union Lgbt women’s officer posted on facebook following the result “NUS has made history in creating an autonomous Trans campaign as well as a Full Time Trans Officer!”.
