2021
Anti-Racist Advocacy
Recently, judge and jury delivered guilty verdicts in the case against Derek Chauvin, the cop who murdered George Floyd in summer 2020. Prior to Chauvin, only seven cops had been convicted of murder since 2005, despite thousands of police killings having occurred during that time. Though this result was a partial measure of accountability, shortly after we had another reminder that the U.S. criminal justice system is anything but that, when an officer in Ohio murdered 15-year-old Ma’khia Bryant just a few minutes after the reading of Chauvin’s verdicts. In addition, the verdicts come shortly after the police murders of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago and 20-year-old Daunte Wright in the same city where George Floyd was killed. Black women and trans folx, including Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade (both murdered in 2020), have also been targeted by and struggled against police violence for decades, as have other communities of color. Yet this is just one part of the violences experienced daily since the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade, as documented by the 1619 project, and the start of the European era of colonization in 1492. Yet we must also recognize and celebrate resistance, survival, and joy of marginalized peoples as part of an anti-racist struggle. We must also creatively imagine and fight for black, brown, and indigenous futures. As an organization, GeMWGS will hold ourselves and our WashU administrators accountable to fulfilling the University’s 2020 Commitments to Racial Equity and pushing beyond that promise to rethink and reformulate the structures of the institution itself. If you’re interested in helping us in this work, please get involved in our events and view our handout on anti-racist resources and actions, linked below.
View a handout of anti-racist resources and actions you can take here.
Trans Advocacy
Increasingly more and more bills targeting our LGBTQ community, and the trans community in particular, are moving forward, and fast. Missouri continues to lead the country in the number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced, particularly those that aim to prohibit trans youth from receiving gender-affirming healthcare and playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. The Association of Gender Minority and Women Graduate Students (GeMWGS) has put together a handout of ways to advocate for trans youth and trans folx more broadly at both a governmental level and with WashU administration. It includes basic information about the current bills, call scripts, letter and email templates, and contact information for Missouri state representatives and WashU leaders. Below you can also find information about how to create trans-inclusive classrooms and work environments more generally. Please use your voice to fight alongside trans people for their basic needs and safety!
Download the handout about how to advocate for trans folx right now!
Learn more about trans advocacy by downloading the Trans Education Service, LLC Presentation from “Supporting Trans Students” (March 2021) Out of respect for Jaimie Hileman (TES, LLC) and her work, please do not circulate this presentation outside of the WashU community.
2019
Disability Advocacy
In April 2019, WashU officially dissolved the the Policy and Practice Committee Dedicated to Issues Affecting Students with Disabilities, without the committee ever having convened. In May of that year, GeMWGS campaigned with letters to Chancellor Martin for him to re-convene the committee and give fuller support to students, staff, and faculty with disabilities. GeMWGS also presented related concerns to the Standing Committee for Facilitating Inclusive Classrooms in Spring 2021. This advocacy is still an ongoing effort, as Disability Resources remains largely understaffed and underfunded.
2018
Trans Advocacy
The Dept. of Health and Human Services has proposed a legal redefinition of gender, which would impact about 1 million people nationwide. The Association of Gender Minority and Women Grad Students (GeMWGS) has put together a PDF/flyer of information to help the WUSTL community get involved in supporting trans rights at the national, regional, and local levels. It includes call scripts and numbers, local community resources, and tips for creating inclusive classrooms.
In solidarity,
The Association of Gender Minority and Women Graduate Students
Download the PDF here: #WontBeErased.genderinclusive-1hsunhx
Advocacy for Gender and Sexual Violence Survivors
In 2018, just as GeMWGs was beginning its first year as an official WashU organization, Brett Kavanaugh was undergoing hearings and would eventually be confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice, despite testimony from Dr. Amy Blasey Ford that he had sexually assaulted her decades before. The media coverage held important similarities, as well as racialized discrepancies, with that of Anita Hill, J.D.’s testimony of sexual harassment against now sitting Justice Clarence Thomas in the 1990s. GeMWGS supports and believes survivors of gender and sexual violence and is in ongoing conversation with WashU’s Title IX office as well as the Center for Rape and Sexual Violence Prevention. We also have a list of resources for survivors of gender and sexual violence, as well as other types of discrimination, on our website.
