The Undergraduate Student Congress added the words “sexual orientation, gender identity and sexual identity” to a bill suggesting that OU’s non-discrimination policy be updated.

The bill that passed Graduate Student Senate on Sunday was introduced to Congress recommending that the OU Board of Regents add “personal expression of sexuality” to their equal opportunity statement.

After debate, congress amended the bill to also recommend that “sexual orientation, gender identity and sexual identity,” be added to the statement.

Representative Forrest Bennett shared a letter from a freshman expressing concern that “personal expressions of sexuality” is too ambiguous of a term to be truly effective.

The wording of the bill protects nearly all forms of sexuality including protecting people from being discriminated against for not being monogamous, Graduate Student Senate Secretary Derrell Cox said.

“I’m trying to address some of the other forms of discrimination that occur in regard to human sexuality,” Cox said.

It was a long process to come to the wording that was used, Cox said.

“We don’t just want equal rights for gays and lesbians, we want them for transgender and transsexuals [and others] ... This resolution encompasses all of their rights,” Stidham said.

In addition to talking about human sexuality, Congress passed a resolution to encourage OU Housing and Food Services to put condom dispensers in the residence halls.

Engineering Representative David Ward, who co-authored the bill, didn’t know where the machines would be placed if the resolution is successful.

“We don’t have any say where it’s going to go. That’s up to Housing and Food,” Ward said.

Congress also appointed a new officer to fill the absence left after Congress Secretary Brittany Pritchett resigned earlier this month.

Brett Stidham, Business Representative, was elected as the new UOSA Undergraduate Congress Secretary at the meeting.

Stidham ran against Social Science Reps. Joe Ahrabizad and Jason Robison.

Stidham said his most pressing priority was improving communication within the congress and to the public.

“I’m really happy about the candidates here; this is one of the best candidate pools I’ve seen,” said Forrest Bennett, University College representative, who nominated Stidham.

Stidham is currently chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and budgetary chairman and began taking the meeting minutes immediately following the election.