[GPCA-SGA-Votes] Vote on ID #164 is about being inclusive of non-binary Greens

[June Brashares]

For over a year, Greens whose gender identity does not fit the Male /
Female binary framework have talked with me and other members of the
Coordinating Committee (CC) about addressing the problem of how they are
excluded from being candidates when there is an election that is limited to
"Male" seats and "Female" seats for the CC.


Approving the Bylaws Interpretation ID # 164
<http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election>
will mean that we can conduct the CC election in an inclusive and fair
manner.



A lot has been done over many months that has established expectation for
this. At CC meetings in March, April and May, the CC progressively
developed and approved this bylaws interpretation and its method for
conducting the election.

In March, the announcement calling for candidates for the upcoming CC
election included the intention to welcome non-binary candidates.

The notice to the SGA at the start of the discussion period on May 7th
re-iterated the aim of the CC as it announced:
ID #161 - Election: Coordinating Committee, 12 seats for the term July 2018
- June 2020 (secret ballot) http://cagreens.nationbuilder.
com/sga_election_coordinating_committee_12_seats

The SGA vote administrators prepared the election in accordance to the
notice and decisions of the CC.



*Unintended error and choice for going forward:*

Then there was an unintended error that this bylaws interpretation was not
on the agenda to be voted on by the GA on June 9-10 as it should have been.
The bylaws interpretation has been put to this SGA to be voted on June
18-24.  Because of the timing, that isn’t consistent with our bylaws.

However, the bylaws also state the CC election must be held June
18-24. Changing
the CC election process now would create changes to the election timing
which would not be consistent with our bylaws.

At this point, which ever path we take it will be outside of the bylaws in
some way.



The GA / SGA is the highest decision-making entity of the Green Party of
California.  It is appropriate that you/SGA decide which path best reflects
the spirit of the bylaws and our Green Party values. In voting yes or
no on Bylaws
Interpretation ID # 164
<http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election>
the SGA resolves this and determines which way we go.



Bylaws Interpretation ID # 164
<http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election>
is about justice for non-binary candidates to be included in our CC
elections.  As the May 7th notice to the SGA at the start of the discussion
period stated, “the CC has concluded that the decades-old Green Party of
California bylaws were not intended to exclude any Greens who are
non-binary.”


A vote of NO would return us to the past process of having to conduct the
CC election in a way which excludes candidates outside of the Male /Female
binary and does not recognize the full spectrum of gender identity of our
Green membership.

A vote of YES on Bylaws Interpretation ID # 164
<http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election>
provides
a mechanism for conducting this current CC election in an inclusionary way.




June Brashares,

member of the current CC,

candidate for CC term 2018-2020,

& Sonoma County SGA delegate
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