The LGBTQIA+ Housing Resolution has passed in the Associated Students of California Lutheran University senate, 14 for and three opposed.

The resolution states, “The ASCLU Senate strongly encourages the administration of California Lutheran University to exert efforts towards formalizing in writing their current practice of working with LGBTQIA+ students to find housing placements that best suit their needs.”

The resolution has three parts. One is an added alteration to the housing application to assess if students of the LGBT community need special housing considerations. Another is to write Residence Life’s current practice in addressing housing issues for LGBT students. A third is to add a statement of inclusion to the Residence Life web page.

“We owe it to ourselves as an institution to really show [our current practices] off,” said Michelle Cerami, ASCLUG senior senator and resolution author.

Originally brought up in a senate meeting Jan. 31, the resolution was voted to be revisited in a future meeting. On Feb. 6, a week later and with no text alterations, it was passed.

“It was nice that it passed, and that senate was overwhelmingly on board with it,” said Ryan Moguel, ASCLUG junior senator. “For [Cerami] it’s been a lot of meetings, a lot of drafts and making sure the need is real.”

Cerami said she has been working extensively on finalizing the resolution since November 2017 with Director of Residence Life Chris Paul and other staff and faculty on campus.

A lot of what the resolution stands for is rooted in her own personal housing experiences as well as the experiences of the students she mentors as a first-year peer advisor and students she meets as president of P.R.I.D.E. Club.

“I’ve talked to different people on campus in order to make sure that everyone agrees with the contents and that everyone is on board,” Cerami said.

Paul attended the Feb. 6 meeting as a point of interest.

“One of my goals is to have roommates have better experiences, and I think this is a move in the right direction,” Director of Residence Life Chris Paul said in the senate meeting.

Cerami said the passing of a resolution means that ASCLU President Daniel Lacey would take the text forward to the Board of Regents and other administrators for consideration.

By Molly Strawn
News Editor