A conservative student organization said the University of Alabama has allowed it to narrow the school’s typical anti-discrimination policy and avoid specific support for transgender students.

The group Young America’s Foundation, which has been on campus since 2019, initially applied for renewal as a student organization in February and was rejected by UA’s student life division for not including the phrases “gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity” in its anti-discrimination policy.

According to UA’s anti-discrimination policy, in place since 2016, student organizations must allow anyone on campus to become a member.

Trenton Buffenbarger, a political science senior, complained about the rejection to UA’s president. He copied Attorney General Steve Marshall on his email. One day later, university administrators approved the removal of the phrases.

Buffenbarger insists the group, with about 50 active students, allows anyone to attend events.

“We aren’t advocating for discrimination against anyone,” he told AL.com. “We’re advocating for the deletion of the language. And that’s really all we’re advocating for.” He said he doesn’t equate deleting the words to discrimination.

“YAF doesn’t subscribe to gender ideology,” Buffenbarger said. “YAF doesn’t subscribe to gender expression, all that jazz. We don’t believe it exists as an actual category. We are not putting it into writing in our constitution.”

The phrase “gender ideology” is a “charged term commonly deployed by anti-trans commentators and activists that implies trans people, merely by being trans, are participating in a political activity or have a political agenda,” according to the Trans Journalists Association.

Buffenbarger said “the state attorney general requested he be added to the email chain for extra pressure” in an article for the national YAF organization titled, “Gender Ideology Comes for Alabama YAF and Soundly Gets Defeated – You Can Win the Same Way!”

UA’s Strategic Communications Department told AL.com in a statement: “Membership in registered student organizations is open to all UA students except in cases of designated fraternal organizations exempted by federal law from Title IX regulations concerning discrimination on the basis of sex.”

Bryce Schottelkotte, president of UA’s Queer Student Association, said she’s “deeply disheartened by UA’s decision in allowing an exception for YAF.”

“Allowing this exception is contradictory to everything the University stands for, and directly opposes the claims of equity and inclusion outlined in the Capstone Creed,” Schottelkotte said.

In November, the university published a proposed revision for the Capstone Creed that would change the phrase “promote equity and inclusion; foster individual and civic responsibility” to “embrace and uphold the dignity of all; foster individual, collective and civic responsibility.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs were banned from state-funded organizations, including Alabama colleges and universities, in October. State law specifically bans any state funding to go towards programs for any DEI initiatives and forces people to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender assigned at birth.

After the law went into effect, DEI offices closed in colleges statewide and UA shut down its LGBTQ Safe Zone and Black Student Center.

YAF’s new policy statement says, “membership in registered student organizations shall be open to all students of The University of Alabama, without regard to race, religion, sex, ability status, national origin, color, age, or veteran status except in cases designated fraternal organizations exempted by federal law from Title IX regulations concerning discrimination on the basis of sex.”

The Trump administration signed an executive order in February barring states from allowing transgender women and girls to play in women’s sports. Marshall and several Alabama politicians were present at the signing of the order.

Schottelkotte said the YAF decision “sends a powerful message to the students at UA – that the administration will cave in to demands when faced with any pushback.

“This decision shows that the University is not willing to truly stand with its marginalized communities when the going gets tough, and I am saddened to learn that a university I love and defend is unwilling to defend me back,” she said.

AL.com requested comment from Marshall’s office.