This Date in UCSF History: Seeking Same-Sex Equity

Originally published in Synapse - The UCSF student newspaper Nov. 17, 1988. 

UC currently allows only opposite-sex couples who possess a marriage license to rent apartments in university-owned family housing.

The UC Student Association (UCSA) is concerned about this policy, and feels that it may be discriminatory against same-sex couples, in direct contradiction to UC policy adopted in 1983.

That policy prohibits discrimination by UC on the basis of sexual orientation “in any of its policies, procedures, or practices.”

The UCSA is studying the prospect of petitioning the UC Board of Regents to allow same-sex couples and their dependents to live in UC Berkeley family housing. Such a plan was originally proposed at UC Irvine, but the student government there said, in effect, ‘Get Berkeley to go for it first.’

If such a proposal were tendered, it would be based on an "affidavit of domestic partnership" designed to ensure that the policy would not be abused by people who maintain casual relationships.

Several other universities, including Stanford, Yale and Columbia, have policies that permit same-sex couples to occupy family housing. And at least two municipalities, Berkeley and West Hollywood, extend insurance benefits to same-sex partners of municipal employees. The same-sex partners of employees of the Associated Students of UC Berkeley also enjoy such benefits.

Before going ahead with its plan to approach the regents about offering same-sex equity in UC Berkeley housing, UCSA is seeking input about this issue from students, faculty and staff at other campuses.

We feel that this is an important issue, which deserves the attention it is getting from UCSA, as well as your input.