Working Group Co Option

Hunter S

The USI LGBT working group is now Co opting members for the remainder of the term. If you or any of your society members would be interested then send a short manifesto to usilgbt@gmail.com outlining why you feel you can be of benefit to the campaign.


What exactly is the campaign?

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Campaign has been in existence within USI since 1993. The main aims of the LGBT Rights Campaign are to:

* Combat homophobia
* Promote equality, acceptance of diversity & awareness of LGBT issues
* Support LGBT students & societies in colleges around the country
* Ensure that the national & local Students' Union respects the needs of LGBT students in terms of the provision of services.

With the help from a Working Group (WG), the USI LGBT Rights Campaign has been and continues to be involved in the following:

* Running an Anti-Homophobia campaign to challenge bigotry & discrimination.
* Informing students of the issues of the LGBT campaign.
* Providing comprehensive training for LGBT students to enable them to take action on their own campuses i.e. run anti-homophobia days, Pink Training etc.
* Supporting & assisting in the formation of Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender societies within the Irish third level education sector.

I hope that helps and we look forward to your application.

Deadine for application is 5pm on the 16th of Januray


Sonya Donnelly
Chair USI LGBT WG

http://usilgbt.blogspot.com/

Boston

How does the working group actually operate? With regards meeting up, deciding what to do, and carriying out mandates.

In light of reacent depatures, how effect is the USI's campaign?

I persume you run the campaign now, since charlie is gone, how many of the orginal elected group remain?

Hunter S

All bar one of the origional group remain., plus two members already Co opted.

I dont run the campaign as such, im the chair of the working group, so i coordinate their movements and ill be organising Standing Conference.


The working group generally operate through email interaction, but we do have meetings every few months. Minutes of our recent meeting will be emailed to socities in the next two days and outlines where the campaign is on mandates etc.

In light of Charlies departure the campaign is carrying on as normally as it can, and its given a bit of a kick to the Working group to get some work done before Standing Conference, which will be held in Waterford this year.

Hope that helps

Sonya

Boston

I'd have taken part but for my college work load. It would be nice to get an update on how things are going. I look forward to reading the minutes.

Hunter S

Ive been sending updates to the college email addresses, have they not been passed on?

Boston

That would be a no on the part of trinity, at least I'm not getting anything anyway. The op option notice was forwarded onto the committee.

lgbisoc-committee@csc.tcd.ie

is the email address. All attachtments must have the word TCD in them, or the whole email will be deleted by the college spam filter.

damien

It's a pity you get funded from USI. Your work is much needed and should get much wider support than it gets. USI must at this stage, be a right handicap, since all it is to me is a talking shop of epic proportions populated by future failed politicians. USI is a total waste of time and a bigger waster of money than the Govt.

I have to say that looking back at all these past motions at standing conferences, they are mostly "look at me I'm a clever" type proposals which even if implemented wouldn't be given help to run them by those making the proposals. EDIT: I just checked for 2005, am I right in stating there were 35 different proposals? FFS!

I don't know if it is possible but you should bring out a rule that if someone proposes a new campaign then they also have to join a sub-committee and bring in 4 others to run that campaign. Farm out the work to the gas bags, then see will they commit.

That there are so little people on the current working group and many have left is a tragedy and must be quite frustrating. For shame on every LGBT soc in every college who happily sent people to standing conference, who happily make proposal after proposal and then have the audacity to do fck all until next standing conference apart from bite at your heels like the jack russels they are.

LegacyUser

I have to say that looking back at all these past motions at standing conferences, they are mostly "look at me I'm a clever" type proposals which even if implemented wouldn't be given help to run them by those making the proposals. EDIT: I just checked for 2005, am I right in stating there were 35 different proposals? FFS!

Quite a few of the motions passed over the past year are indeed unworkable in the current climtae in USI, others are totally unworkable in any climate. However the working group hope to have made it through about 20ish motions by standing conference, most of the others would be quite difficult to work through but we will be working on them up to the end of the current term (June).

The campaign is now effectively a part time one and motions to go around leading workshops around Ireland on lesbian sexual health in colleges and liasing with other LGBT groups are not possible, however we have tried our best to work with what weve got..ie we have produced a document on this sublect so college can run their own workshops with a little help.

USI is a total waste of time and a bigger waster of money than the Govt.

I dont agree, i belive a national student body is very much needed in this country, unfortunately most of the time is spent by student reps fighting with each other rather than getting anywhere. Hopefully a new constitution spells a new era for USI.

Although for the LGBT campaign it looks like at every turn there is an attempt to downgrade it to part time, its failed now three times, how many more time will it have to be fought for?

damien

HunterSony wrote:

i belive a national student body is very much needed in this country,

But one doesn't exist. The only thing USI seems to do is have their annual march to complain about fees and then they attend free dinners for the rest of the year. Nothing national about that.

unfortunately most of the time is spent by student reps fighting with each other rather than getting anywhere.

Then it *is* a waste of time and a waste of money. Talking shops that cost colleges how many thousands of euros per year?

Hopefully a new constitution spells a new era for USI.

A new constitution. Reminds me of the "Jesus is coming, look busy" saying. USI and their culture are rotten to the core. I for one don't believe a constitution will do anything to bring about real change. Napalm them all and bring in people who are in it to make the lives of students better and not to play politics and schmooze with the vinters.

Although for the LGBT campaign it looks like at every turn there is an attempt to downgrade it to part time, its failed now three times, how many more time will it have to be fought for?

When LGBT socs and LGBT students don't commit to helping out in the campaign, then maybe it should be dropped. Why not put forward a motion to disband the LGBT campaign?

LegacyUser

Why not put forward a motion to disband the LGBT campaign?

Because it would probably pass.....

damien

*Evil smile begins*

Annasopra

Although for the LGBT campaign it looks like at every turn there is an attempt to downgrade it to part time, its failed now three times, how many more time will it have to be fought for?

actually I think there have been at least 6 or 7 attempts to downgrade it - this poses a problem in that the LGBTRO has to put all their energies into fighting against any attempts

But one doesn't exist. The only thing USI seems to do is have their annual march to complain about fees and then they attend free dinners for the rest of the year.

what free dinners?

LGBT socs and LGBT students don't commit to helping out in the campaign

do they not? - surely the fact the campaign still has (notionally speaking) a full time officer tells me different

That there are so little people on the current working group and many have left is a tragedy and must be quite frustrating.

many have left? only 1 plus the LGBTRO left!

EDIT: I just checked for 2005, am I right in stating there were 35 different proposals? FFS!

So you're criticsing people for not being proactive and then when they are!

damien

Johnnymcg wrote:

do they not? - surely the fact the campaign still has (notionally speaking) a full time officer tells me different

Where by notionally you mean "does not", then yes, you'd be right. I still wouldn't class 7 LGBT students, out of potentially 100s or 1000s, working their asses off to carry out the 35 wishes of many gasbag LGBT socs as showing that LGBT students and socs are committed to the USI LGBT campaign.

many have left? only 1 plus the LGBTRO left!

That would be 2, out of "only" 9 that were there?

So you're criticsing people for not being proactive and then when they are!

Being proactive is not tabling 35 motions, (lots of moronic "I want to play politics" ones at that) and then not committing to do anything. My definition of being proactive is actually doing something and not having ongoing debates on defining definitions for a better definition of something undefinable in the current worldview of what making a definition is.

But it appears we have different defintions of what "proactive" is as well as "only" and "notionally".

Boston

Johnnymcg wrote:

do they not? - surely the fact the campaign still has (notionally speaking) a full time officer tells me different

How is it a full time position? It's unpaid, and it's vacant.

In response to damien, I fully intended intended to join the working group, however wasnt' give the oppertunity to untill now, which is completely unsuitable for me.

Annasopra

LGBT socs and LGBT students don't commit to helping out in the campaign

do they not? - surely the fact the campaign still has (notionally speaking) a full time officer tells me different

what I was trying to say here was that there have been many many attempts to get rid of the LGBT campaign or to downgrade it, - I know many many LGBT students who fought against that - in that sense they commited to helping out the campaign ie to fight attempts to get rid of it.

That would be 2, out of "only" 9 that were there?

There are 7 directly elected students to the working group every year. It would be unworkable to elect hundreds. Your previous suggestion was that many had left - I don't call 2 many. I also don't think a working group with large numbers would be practical.

damien

Johnnymcg wrote:

what I was trying to say here was that there have been many many attempts to get rid of the LGBT campaign or to downgrade it, - I know many many LGBT students who fought against that - in that sense they commited to helping out the campaign ie to fight attempts to get rid of it.

Kind of smacks of hypocrisy and tokenism then. Wanting the campaign for the sake of it and while it does exist on paper it doesn't seem to do anything due to only a few people putting in the time.

There are 7 directly elected students to the working group every year. It would be unworkable to elect hundreds. Your previous suggestion was that many had left - I don't call 2 many.

2 out of 7 are gone. Between a quarter and one third left before the next election. "Only".

I also don't think a working group with large numbers would be practical.

Sub-committees and sub-groups to work on one of the 35 proposals put forward at standing conference aka the "our partciular appendage(s)* are larger than your soc's appendages meetup" Of the particular college socs who tabled all of those motions, how many joined the LGBT Working group or are on a sub-committee?

*I'm being somethingist I would bet for failing to recognize that some people don't have those particular appendages. I wish I could apologise.

Hunter S

7 members can be elected to the USI LGB WG at Standing Confernce every year and 6 can be co-opted during the year, constitutionaly no more can be on the working group.

This year 7 were elected at standing conference, one left and two were co-opted at the start of the year. We hope to co opt about 4 more in the next week for the remainder of the year.

Each CO is allowed 5 motions at St Con every year and the RO and other officers on officer board are allowed 2, thus the amount of colleges that turn up effects the amount of motions.