This Thursday NUS will be hosting a Company Law Meeting in order to ratify the passing of Motion 605 – ‘A full time paid NUS Trans Officer and an autonomous NUS Trans Liberation Campaign’. We have come so far as a student movement to get to this point. The motion finally passed through NUS LGBT+ Conference despite efforts in previous years to block it and last year it was passed through National Conference. UEA Students' Union was present at both of these historic moments, the same year we decided to create the LGBT+ Trans and Non-Binary Officer role of our own.

Working alongside each other we have seen our own campus transform and blossom into a more inclusive environment for all its officers -  we have successfully campaigned for gender neutral toilets across campus, gender neutral graduation dress codes, the option of ‘Other’ in our University’s gender registration and a comprehensive guide to ‘transitioning’ at UEA.

But we are lucky, we know that not all Student Unions have the liberation officers or the resources that we do. That is why we are urging all Student Unions who can’t make the meeting to submit a proxy vote to the Melantha Chittenden (NUS LGBT+ Officer). UEA Student Union will be present in the room, voting for a full time Trans Officer because we do not want to see the hard work and activism of our trans students ignored. We urge all Student Unions to send a proxy vote, for their student body and the national student movement.

If you wish to appoint a proxy, NUS must receive written notice by completion of this form by 5:00pm on 13 December 2016 in email to [email protected]

Proxy form can be downloaded here.

Written by Lee Brown (LGBT+ Officer, Trans & Non-Binary) and Sharmin Hoque (LGBT+ Officer, Open Place)