JHU SGAThe 114th Session

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Establishing an Lgbtq+ Student Caucus

Bill / Bylaws amendment · 114th session · dated October 27, 2026 · updated November 3, 2026

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Senate
of the
Student Government Association
of
The Johns Hopkins University
{ S-B.114.10.27.26-4 }
A Bill to Amend The Bylaws of the Senate
Establishing An LGBTQIA+ Student Caucus
Introduced by: Student Athlete Representative Sophia Baleeiro
Sponsored by: Executive Secretary Honora Muratori and Sophomore Class President and Student Services Committee Chair Veda Kommineni
Presented for First Reading this 27th day of October in the year 2026

SECTION 1. TITLE.

This Act may be referred to as the “LGBTQIA+ Student Caucus Establishment Bill”

SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS.

  1. SGA — The term “SGA” shall refer to the Student Government Association of The Johns Hopkins University.
  2. JHU, Hopkins - The terms “JHU” and “Hopkins” shall refer to the Johns Hopkins University.
  3. LGBTQIA+ Student – the term “LGBTQIA+ student” or “LGBTQIA+” shall refer to any student who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or otherwise deviating from cisgender or heteronormative standards.

SECTION 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

  1. FINDINGS:
    1. There is currently no designated seat for LGBTQIA+ students
    2. LGBTQIA students may be included in the category of “students with unique challenges and perspectives.”
    3. Foundational Abilities and Academic concerns often apply differently to transfer students than they do to students who directly matriculate to Johns Hopkins.
  2. PURPOSES:
    1. Establish a Caucus Senator position with the intention of representing LGBTQIA+ Student interests.

SECTION 4. AMENDMENTS

SENATE BYLAWS
CURRENT LANGUAGEPROPOSED LANGUAGE
4.1.3.5 LIST OF CAUCUSES 4.1.3.5 The following list contains groups currently allocated a Caucus Senator and can be updated pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Constitution. 4.1.3.5.1 Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi-American Students4.1.3.5.2 Black and African-Origin Students. 4.1.3.5.3 Disabled Students. 4.1.3.5.4 First-Generation/Limited Income Students. 4.1.3.5.5 Hispanic/Latine Students. 4.1.3.5.6 Women and Gender Minority-Identifying Students. 4.1.3.5.8 Student Athletes.4.1.3.5.8 Transfer Students.4.1.4.2.5 CAUCUS SENATORS4.1.4.2.5.1 Within 48 hours of notification of the vacancy from the President of the Senate, the President of the Senate will send out an email to the presidents/co-presidents and treasurers/co-treasurers or designated contacts of all campus groups assigned to the represented group with a vacant Caucus Senator position with a description of the role and SGA requirements with an application form. Notice must be given to the student body within 72 hours of notification of the vacancy from the President of the Senate. Any undergraduate student may nominate themselves. These designated groups are as follows for each represented group:4.1.4.2.5.1.1. Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi-American Students: Inter-Asian Council (IAC)5.1.4.2.5.1.2. Black and African-Origin Students: African Students Association (ASA), Black Student Union (BSU). 5.1.4.2.5.1.3. Disabled Students: Advocates for Disability Awareness (ADA), Student Disability Services (SDS). The contact for SDS will be the Senior Director of Student Disability Services at Homewood and Executive Director of Student Disability Services. 5.1.4.2.5.1.4.First-Generation, Limited-Income Students: Johns Hopkins Underrepresented in Medical Professions (JUMP), Hop-In. 5.1.4.2.5.1.5. Hispanic/Latinx Caucus: Latino Estudiantil (OLÉ). 5.1.4.2.5.1.6. Women and Gender Minority-Identifying Students: Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance (DSAGA), Sexual Assault Resource Unit (SARU). 5.1.4.2.5.1.7. Student Athletes: All D3 or D1 athletic groups on campus will be contacted. 5.1.4.2.5.1.8. Transfer Students: Transfer Student Union (TSU) and the Department of Student Transitions.4.1.3.5 LIST OF CAUCUSES 4.1.3.5 The following list contains groups currently allocated a Caucus Senator and can be updated pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Constitution. 4.1.3.5.1 Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi-American Students4.1.3.5.2 Black and African-Origin Students. 4.1.3.5.3 Disabled Students. 4.1.3.5.4 First-Generation/Limited Income Students. 4.1.3.5.5 Hispanic/Latine Students. 4.1.3.5.6 Women and Gender Minority-Identifying Students. 4.1.3.5.7 Student Athletes.4.1.3.5.8 Transfer Students.4.1.3.5.9 LGBTQIA+ Students.4.1.4.2.5 CAUCUS SENATORS4.1.4.2.5.1 Within 48 hours of notification of the vacancy from the President of the Senate, the President of the Senate will send out an email to the presidents/co-presidents and treasurers/co-treasurers or designated contacts of all campus groups assigned to the represented group with a vacant Caucus Senator position with a description of the role and SGA requirements with an application form. Notice must be given to the student body within 72 hours of notification of the vacancy from the President of the Senate. Any undergraduate student may nominate themselves. These designated groups are as follows for each represented group:4.1.4.2.5.1.1. Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi-American Students: Inter-Asian Council (IAC)5.1.4.2.5.1.2. Black and African-Origin Students: African Students Association (ASA), Black Student Union (BSU). 5.1.4.2.5.1.3. Disabled Students: Advocates for Disability Awareness (ADA), Student Disability Services (SDS). The contact for SDS will be the Senior Director of Student Disability Services at Homewood and Executive Director of Student Disability Services. 5.1.4.2.5.1.4.First-Generation, Limited-Income Students: Johns Hopkins Underrepresented in Medical Professions (JUMP), Hop-In. 5.1.4.2.5.1.5. Hispanic/Latinx Caucus: Latino Estudiantil (OLÉ). 5.1.4.2.5.1.6. Women and Gender Minority-Identifying Students: Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance (DSAGA), Sexual Assault Resource Unit (SARU). 5.1.4.2.5.1.7. Student Athletes: All D3 or D1 athletic groups on campus will be contacted. 5.1.4.2.5.1.8. Transfer Students: Transfer Student Union (TSU) and the Department of Student Transitions.5.1.4.2.5.1.9. LGBTQIA+ Students: All university groups related to LGBTQIA+ life at Hopkins including but not limited to the Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance, Athletes Ally, and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

SECTION 6. CONSTITUTIONALLY-MANDATED NON-LEGISLATIVE ADDENDUM

  1. FIRST SENATOR REPRESENTING THE CAUCUS
    1. Rain Cheng – Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2028
  2. PURPOSE OF REPRESENTATION:
    1. To ensure that the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ students are consistently identified and considered within the SGA independent of administrative and national trends.
    2. This representation exists to elevate the perspectives of students who are a minority at JHU and have experiences that may differ from those who do not identify as LGBTQIA+.
    3. The Senator representing LGBTQIA+ Students will serve as a dedicated advocate, liaison, and point of contact for concerns relating to equal treatment, campus integration, assistance with housing, and equitable access to university resources.
  3. GOALS OF REPRESENTATION:
    1. Advocate for assistance for accommodations as needed in housing, administrative changes, and health services relating to gender and sexuality.
    2. Strengthen collaboration with Student Health and Wellbeing, the Office of Institutional Equity, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Student Affairs to reduce administrative barriers that impact LGBTQIA+ students.
    3. Promote initiatives to enhance social belonging, including orientation programming, peer networks, and community-building opportunities tailored towards LGBTQIA+ students, working alongside existing RSOs.
    4. Identify gaps in University communication or programming that affect LGBTQIA+ students, especially around access to gender affirming healthcare, name changes, confidential psychiatric services, and assistance JHU can provide without alerting family members.
    5. Maintain regular communication with LGBTQIA+ RSOs, relevant offices, and individual students to ensure their perspectives inform Senate decision-making.
  4. NEED FOR REPRESENTATION:
    1. LGBTQIA+ students make up a sizable portion of JHU’s undergraduate population, and yet are without official representation on advisory councils or governing bodies. They face a number of issues, both administrative and social, as well as familial, which they are expected to face alone without proper information dissemination.
    2. There is currently no designated seat within the Senate to represent LGBTQIA+ student interest. While LGBTQIA+ students may run for other Senatorial positions, no other position is designated to advocate for the recurring issues faced by LGBTQIA+ students. Establishing formal representation ensures concerns are not overlooked and that the University and SGA remain accountable for supporting social integration, as well as access to mental and physical healthcare which will promote overall wellbeing.
    3. There are many decisions or actions made by SGA, especially relating to Housing, Student Affairs, Programming, and Diversity, which could benefit from the voice of a LGBTQIA+ student, who may have a different experience within each of these categories.
  5. SIGNATURES OF 40 INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS:
    1. Adrianne Lin
    2. Aine Dooley
    3. Lemon Doroshow
    4. Rosie Chen
    5. Kai Martin
    6. Hannah Kagan
    7. Silvana Solsoloy
    8. Leo Nakayama
    9. Josh Eckstein
    10. Eli Lesher
    11. Simiao Li
    12. Nina Markovsky
    13. Christine Wang
    14. Humberto Martinez
    15. Jessica Chen
    16. Yvette Shu
    17. Lia Feye
    18. Jason Konadu
    19. Aishani Garg
    20. Esther Marroquin
    21. Isabella Wang
    22. Taiyo Tagami
    23. Emilie Suri
    24. Suwen Ren
    25. Naivy Martinon
    26. Lakshya Mutha
    27. Olivia Lowry
    28. Harshitha Ram
    29. Kristen Alvey
    30. Yosef Schnitzer
    31. Zachary Sinha
    32. Anuhya Chilakapati
    33. Mariela Abramson
    34. Eleanor Dundas
    35. Sophia Tyrell-Knott
    36. Jennifer Ma
    37. Audrey Kertscher
    38. Kyra Huckelbridge
    39. Kathryn Xia
    40. Aishani Chatterjee
    41. Natalie Bernstein
    42. Spoorthy Reddy
    43. Sophia Mills

SECTION 5. ACTION ITEMS.

  1. To be done by Rain before 12/1/2026:
    1. Inform the President of the Senate of desired accountability mechanisms.
  2. To be done by Secretary Honora Muratori before 11/05/2026:
    1. Update Bylaws accordingly.
  3. To be done by President of the Senate Jazzlyn Fernandez before 11/05/2026:
    1. Update SGA Website and internal records of membership accordingly.

The Amendment is hereby ADOPTED/LOST by a vote of X to X with X abstentions.

Upon passage, we have hereunto set our hands and caused the seal of the Senate to be affixed to this bill indicating the Senate’s assent and thus officially designated the bill’s adoption as law.

Signatures of Enactment:

__________________________________ Sumire Sumi Student Body President of the Johns Hopkins SGA
__________________________________ Shreemann Patel Student Body Vice President of the Johns Hopkins SGA
__________________________________ Jazzlyn Fernandez President of the Senate of the Johns Hopkins SGA
__________________________________ Honora Muratori Student Body Secretary of the Johns Hopkins SGA
__________________________________ Amy Xu Student Body Treasurer of the Johns Hopkins SGA
__________________________________ Grace Guan Student Body Chair of Programming for the Johns Hopkins SGA

Signatures of Ceremony:

__________________________________ Honora Muratori Student Body Secretary of the Johns Hopkins SGA
__________________________________ Sophia Baleeiro Vice Chair of Civic Engagement, Student Athlete Caucus Senator
__________________________________ Veda Kommineni Sophomore Class President and Student Services Committee Chair