Austin, TX – On Thursday evening, October 29, a group of around ten students gathered on the University of Texas at Austin campus to rally for women’s and LGBTQ rights. Led by the Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the rally focused on student demands of the UT Austin administration, calling on the university to provide free menstrual products and contraceptives in all campus bathrooms. Students are also demanding the university declare itself a sanctuary campus for trans youth in light of legislative attacks earlier this year against trans youth receiving gender-affirming care.

The protest included the call and response chant: “Abortion is? Healthcare! Contraceptives are? Healthcare! Gender-affirming care is? Healthcare!”

Fawn-Rose Brown from the organization OSTEM (Out in STEM) spoke first: “Everyone deserves bodily autonomy,” they said. “The state of Texas as well as many other states are barring us from these rights. While the city of Austin has decriminalized abortion, the last time I checked most abortion providers in Austin are still bound by the state and aren’t operating. How are folks who can get pregnant supposed to get an abortion if none of the clinics are operating?”

Ashley Awad spoke for SDS: “UT has the second largest endowment in the country second only to Harvard. President Hartzell makes $1.25 million a year. That’s ridiculous, don’t you agree? So we must demand a chop from the top! Cut the pay of top administrators by even a little bit, and they could easily use the funds to provide free and well-stocked menstrual products and contraceptives in every building on campus.”

Student speakers pointed out the fact that UT at Arlington has already committed to providing free menstrual products in campus bathrooms as a direct result of pressure from the Progressive Student Union.

In reference to this, Awad concluded: “I think we can all agree that it is inexcusable for UT Austin not to do the same thing. Considering the position of power and influence UT is in, I think that it’s time for these things to change, don’t you?!” Awad’s question was met with cheers from all the other students at the rally.

#AustinTX #LGBTQRights #UniversityOfTexasAustin

Austin, TX – The Miakan-Garza Band of the Coahuiltecan people is calling for the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) to return three stolen sets of ancestral remains, so that they can be properly buried in the tribe’s Reburial Grounds in San Marcos, Texas. The university currently has the remains stored away in cardboard boxes in a warehouse at the Texas Archeological Research Center Laboratory, along with over 2400 other indigenous remains labeled as “culturally unidentifiable.”

In a letter to UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell, Dr. Mario Garza, on behalf of the Miakan-Garza Band, wrote: “The University of Texas upholds and perpetuates white supremacy and colonialism by denying our ancestors a proper burial so they can continue their spiritual journey.” The letter lists many reasons why the university has no right to refuse to return the stolen ancestral remains.

The Miakan-Garza Band initially contacted UT-Austin about the remains in 2016, and after four years of many emails, letters and meetings, the university finally replied with their decision to reject the tribe’s request. The university’s refusal comes in spite of significant documentation provided by the Miakan-Garza Band that clearly shows why they have legitimate claim of the ancestral remains. The university’s decision also ignores the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) process. Others, including Texas State University and even the federal government, have returned stolen remains under similar circumstances.

“UT keeps coming up with new excuses why they won’t return our ancestors,” says Dr. Mario Garza. “We can refute every single excuse; and it all comes down to doing the right thing.”

The Miakan-Garza Band organized a teach-in and ceremony on September 7 outside of the Texas Archeological Research Center Laboratory at the UT-Austin’s JJ Pickle Research Campus. Around 40 attended in person, and thousands viewed the online livestream. The tribe also calls on any supporters of their cause to join in a letter-writing campaign to tell UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell to return the stolen remains. Further information on the letter-writing campaign can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/774290413400614/.

#AustinTX #PeoplesStruggles #IndigenousPeoples #UniversityOfTexasAustin #MiakanGarzaBandOfTheCoahuiltecanPeople