Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

Governor Newsom signed SB 447 into law on September 13, lifting a ban on state-funded travel to states with anti-LGBTQIA+ laws. The new law replaces the ban with an anti-discrimination campaign directed toward those states. Effective immediately, state funds may be used for travel to all states and the Provost’s office will not factor a destination state’s discriminatory laws when approving or not approving travel requests. Travel to states under the ban occurring prior to the repeal may not be reimbursed with state funds. Travel that occurred September 14 or later will be supported.

This is an abrupt reversal of a policy that deeply impacted our campus and the CSU system, particularly the ability of faculty to travel to pursue research and scholarship opportunities. Many of us have been feeling overworked and overburdened recently, and dealing with one less bureaucratic frustration certainly feels like a relief. But, as we move forward to the post-travel ban era, please remember the tense national atmosphere that brought about the ban and be sensitive to our colleagues and students who may be experiencing heightened feelings of isolation and marginalization as California shifts gears in its pursuit of civil and human rights. 

When AB 1887 was originally passed into law in 2016 enacting the travel ban, it had a simple purpose that now seems a little optimistic: to pressure a handful of states that had passed laws discriminating against LGBTQIA+ people to change those laws. But what seemed at the time to be a few isolated incidents of harmful legislation has escalated into frightening movement of 26 states passing laws designed to isolate, humiliate, and intimidate people—including children—based on their identities. Meanwhile, more discriminatory laws are being introduced and school boards nationwide, including in California, are approving policies that further endanger and dehumanize LGBTQIA+ youth. 

Clearly, the threats that the travel ban sought to stop are far from behind us. I ask that you keep the values of our campus in mind as you travel about the country. And remember that you have colleagues who may be unsafe travelling to regions hostile to their existence. Reinforce that we all belong—here, nationwide, and everywhere. 

Carlos Nevarez,

Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs