STOP QUEERPHOBIC ATTACKS ON THE QUEER DEPARTMENT BY THE QUT STUDENT GUILD

The QUT Student Guild Queer Department has been active for decades in the fight for queer (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and questioning) student's rights, both on and off campus. The Queer Department exists as part of the QUT Student Guild, and was created to challenge queerphobia on campus and support queer students along with the wider student Guild. This year, however, the Queer department has experienced a number of attacks on our ability to organise effectively as a department. In September this year, the queer space phone, a vital resource for the safety of queer students was cut off by Guild President Daniel Doran, and after challenging the legitimacy of this action, the queer department is now being billed for phone use to a budget which cannot possibly accommodate the cost - we have effectively been cut off. Since the introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism, the Queer Department budget has been slashed to one tenth of what it was. Phone access is essential to a queer department as a guarantor of safety in queer spaces on campus (queer students have been the subjects of violence and abuse), as well as an organising tool for building the queer collective and campaigns to tackle queerphobia. Without a phone paid for by the Student Guild, we can longer guarantee the safety of queer spaces, support students effectively, or continue to organise and network.

We have also recently been told that the end of year Queer event, a speakout prior to the Federal Election and queer formal, will not be able to use the QUT Gardens Point Guild Bar unless we cover costs of staff, security, and use of sound equipment. In all arrangements previous, bookings have been free, and it has been acknowledged that Guild space and resources should exist to support students and support Guild departments. The absorption of these small costs could be easily made by the wider Student Guild, an organisation worth eleven million dollars. We believe the Student Guild should be supporting an active, political department that is involving students in its activities, not removing departmental necessities and making profit from our events.


The queer department facilitates a queer collective which meets each week to democratically decide the activities of the department. We have recently voted up the demands on the attached petition.


Please take the time to add your support.



PETITION TO THE QUT STUDENT GUILD COUNCIL

WE DEMAND:

that all Queer Department telephone costs be taken out of the Student Guild General Governance budget;

that Student Guild services and spaces - such as the bars and BBQs - be prioritised for use by Student Guild departments;

that bookings and usage of all Student Guild equipment and space by departments within the Student Guild be free of charge, that the Student Guild absorb the costs of things such as staff, security and cleaning for such bookings, and that all profit from events above such costs be donated back to the department/s hosting the event.

This petition is a starting point to garner support for our demands and our department. We will continue to take action until our demands are met.