Liberal USyd Student Pollie Claims Non-Cis Gender Identity To Win Paid Gig

Sure, the Australian political establishment seems to cook up a new SNAFU every other week, but the University of Sydney’s student politicians sometimes make this nation’s leaders look like… a nation’s leaders.

During last night’s Student Representative Council elections, a student only ever known to have identified as a cisgendered male claimed not to be in order to become the SRC’s joint general secretary. 

Alex Fitton made the vow in order to attain the role (which pays a cool $12,000), along with fellow student Dylan Williams. The SRC’s regulations stipulate that if the position is jointly held, one general secretary must not be a cisgendered male; as such, Fitton declared a non-cis gender identity. 

University paper Honi Soit reports SRC members called out “shame” as Fitton made the move. 

Huge upset as Alex Fitton (Liberal) has crossed the floor for the General Secretary ballot. All bets are now off #repselect pic.twitter.com/ofAk9wL97j

— Naaman Zhou (@naamanzhou) October 19, 2016

While the result hasn’t yet been confirmed by the SRC, Fitton indicated a willingness to sign a statutory declaration confirming a non-cis gender identity, despite apparently never identifying as anything other than a cisgendered male. 

According to the SRC’s standing legal committee Cameron Caccamo, Fitton is yet to provide the appropriate information. Caccamo also took to Twitter after the vote as part of a discussion that highlights how contentious Fitton’s move is:

@littledreamer_ look, if he didn’t take five or so minutes to decide that was the only way to get elected I may be more sympathetic

— Cameron Caccamo (@CJCaccamo) October 19, 2016

Fairfax report they also contacted several sources familiar with Fitton about the issue, none of whom indicated the Liberal Party staffer has ever declared to be anything but cis. 

They also quoted a source close to Fitton, who said “he ran for an affirmative action position by pretending to be a woman,” and that “they all call each other ‘the boys’.”

We’ll keep you posted on how this one turns out.

Last year’s #repselect was dramatic in a performative way this year’s #repselect is dramatic is an ominous, soul destroying kinda way

— it zerby (@VZerbst) October 19, 2016

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald / Honi Soit.
Photo: Alex Fitton / Facebook.