Austin, TX
UT Austin students defend women’s and LGBTQ rights
Texas college students arise for ladies’s and LGBTQ rights.
(Battle Again! Information/workers)
Austin, TX – On Thursday night, October 29, a bunch of round ten college students gathered on the College of Texas at Austin campus to rally for ladies’s and LGBTQ rights. Led by the Austin College students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the rally centered on scholar calls for of the UT Austin administration, calling on the college to offer free menstrual merchandise and contraceptives in all campus loos. College students are additionally demanding the college declare itself a sanctuary campus for trans youth in gentle of legislative assaults earlier this 12 months in opposition to trans youth receiving gender-affirming care.
The protest included the decision and response chant: “Abortion is? Healthcare! Contraceptives are? Healthcare! Gender-affirming care is? Healthcare!”
Fawn-Rose Brown from the group OSTEM (Out in STEM) spoke first: “Everybody deserves bodily autonomy,” they stated. “The state of Texas in addition to many different states are barring us from these rights. Whereas the town of Austin has decriminalized abortion, the final time I checked most abortion suppliers in Austin are nonetheless certain by the state and aren’t working. How are of us who can get pregnant speculated to get an abortion if not one of the clinics are working?”
Ashley Awad spoke for SDS: “UT has the second largest endowment within the nation second solely to Harvard. President Hartzell makes $1.25 million a 12 months. That’s ridiculous, don’t you agree? So we should demand a chop from the highest! Lower the pay of high directors by even slightly bit, they usually may simply use the funds to offer free and well-stocked menstrual merchandise and contraceptives in each constructing on campus.”
Scholar audio system identified the truth that UT at Arlington has already dedicated to offering free menstrual merchandise in campus loos as a direct results of strain from the Progressive Scholar Union.
In reference to this, Awad concluded: “I believe we will all agree that it’s inexcusable for UT Austin to not do the identical factor. Contemplating the place of energy and affect UT is in, I believe that it’s time for this stuff to alter, don’t you?!” Awad’s query was met with cheers from all the opposite college students on the rally.
