YUSU LGBT Officer Emma Brownbill has officially resigned. The Democracy Committee now plan hold a by-election before the end of term.
YUSU President Tim Ellis commented: “Emma has resigned from her position as LGBT Officer and we will be holding a by-election within the next two weeks to refill the position as soon as possible. We are extremely keen to refill the position and make sure that LGBT students are properly represented promptly.”
The role is part-time and involves representing LGBT students across the University, and liaising with students, relevant officers, staff and departments. The LGBT Officer also chairs a committee that organises the activities of the LGBT Network and these positions are also currently vacant.
Excluding LGBT Officer, there are 12 vacant positions on the committee, all of which can be held by up to three people who must all self-define as the demographics of the position they are running for.
Ellis continued: “Unfortunately, we have seen an extremely disappointing amount of nominations for LGBT committee in this round of elections. All these positions will be up for election in an Open Meeting of the LGBT Network as soon as possible and I would urge LGBT students to attend and stand for positions to ensure that they are being properly represented at York.”
YUSU Welfare Officer Bob Hughes shared a similar sentiment: “Although the lack of nominations for the committee is not ideal, we are holding an open meeting to encourage as many people as possible to stand for the positions so that we can soon have a working committee that can can start planning campaigns and representing LGBT students across the University.”
But former LGBT Officer Brownbill refutes claims that the LGBT community is under-represented. Speaking to Vision, Brownbill explained: “Those elected or co-opted to any of the Campaign Network committees since last year will hold their positions until the end of the current YUSU elections.
“In the case of LGBT that includes multiple demographic reps, six sets of JCRC reps and an acting secretary. In the event that positions are unfilled after elections, the bye-laws allow for co-options by a vote of any Open Meeting of the Campaign Network concerned.”
Brownbill also spoke to Vision regarding the reason for her resignation, stating: “I feel it is a necessary step down to allow me to focus more fully on achieving positive change for LGBT students at York.”
She continued: “During my time in office it has become increasingly apparent that the Union as a body has no active interest in maintaining the wellbeing of its part-time Officers, and as such it is no longer tenable for me to hold a position which suggests that the Union is set up to protect the wellbeing of our students more generally.”
Although specualtion surrounding Brownbill’s resignation had suggested that she’d found recent criticism hard to handle, Brownbill denies this fact. Complaints raised against Brownbill were voiced in a heavily criticised article written by Nouse earlier this month which talked of “an anonymous complaint” to YUSU.
But talking to Vision, Brownbill vehemently denied that her resignation has anything to do with “the phenomenally unsubstantiated nonsense that Nouse printed a few weeks ago.”