Professional Development Plan: Transgender Community at Centrist College Western Michigan University Paige Schoenborn Vicki VanPatten Kaysee Stevenson

Disclaimer For the purpose of this presentation, we will be  using the term “trans*” instead of transgender.  This term is preferred because it is inclusive to all the gender identities within the trans* community (Quaye, 2014).  

What is Centrist doing now? Basic Diversity & Inclusion Trainings Residence Life Resident Assistants receive diversity and inclusion training Resident Assistants do monthly activities with all members of their halls Campus Activities Many groups/speakers/entertainers come to the college to speak and do workshops for diversity LGBT Center One staff member Inclusive space

What can be done better? Development of Trans* Students Training Create an inclusive community Offer programming that focuses on reducing hate crimes & empowering trans* students in their daily lives and identity development (Rentz, 2011) Training For both students and staff Mandatory & optional Not just one training for all LGBT (it is necessary to come to the understanding that there are many different individuals in this community) Counseling Services One staff member trained as specialist for trans* students All counseling staff members trained in LGBT

Action Plan Professional Development Lecture Series 3 Sessions 2 hours each Led by LGBT professional staff Required for all faculty, student affairs staff and all first-year students

Professional Development Lecture Series Session 1: Understanding the Trans* Community Session 2: Facing Challenges in the Trans* Community Session 3: Taking Action for the Trans* Community

Session One: Understanding the Trans* Community 1. Overview 2. Defining Terms 3. Main goals for Centrist

Overview Trans* is not a sexual orientation, it is a gender expression Trans* is often lumped into LGBT, with LGB representing sexual orientation, although they are very different Language is essential when communicating with these students, it is important to understand terminology and use it correctly (Jourian,2015)

Session One Devors’ Transsexual Identity Development Model “The path toward a stable and solid sense of gender identity for trans individuals is one that is significantly informed by the process of self-discovery, mediated by the reactions of others, both trans* and cisgender, in the individual’s life” Trans* individuals begin their identity development by comparing their gender to others, this leads to their understanding of transgenderism, and is seen when observing pop culture, individuals in the community, the Internet, and the reading Trans* students develop after a period of confusion Trans* students benefit from contact with other members of the trans* community Trans* individuals become comfortable with their gender identity through acceptance and integration, they then can demonstrate pride of their trans* identity “Witnessing and mirroring” enables trans* students to witness positive images in their community and enact on their own trans* identity (Vanderburgh, 2009 as cited in Quaye, 2014)

Session One Defining Terms: gender: the sociohistorically and culturally constructed roles and attributes given to people, often based on their assigned sex gender identity: a person’s own self-conception of gender Examples include: woman, man, genderqueer, transgender, etc. gender expression: performance and enactment of gender, Examples include: masculine, androgynous, feminine, etc. sexuality: involves sexual behaviors (the actions in which one engages with oneself or others) sexual orientation:  encompasses one’s romantic, sexual, and/or emotional attractions to others (All definitions cited from Quaye, 2014)

Session One: Understanding the Trans Community trans*: individuals who subvert the gender binary and/or whose gender identity conflicts with their sex defined at birth (Bornstein & Bilodeau as cited in Quaye, 2014) transexual:  an individual who lives some or all of the time in a sex different from their biological sex (Quaye, 2014) crossdresser: those who wear clothes typically associated with the “opposite” gender (Quaye, 2014) drag queen / drag king: those who crossdress within a specific performance context (Quaye, 2014) (drag queen refers to males dressing as women, drag king refers to women dressing as males) gender radicals / Genderqueers: those who identify outside of binary gender or sex systems all together (Gagne as cited in Quaye, 2014) cisgender: those who experience a match between the match the gender they were assigned at birth, their bodies, and their personal identity (Schilt & Westbrook as cited in Quaye, 2014) (All definitions cited from Quaye, 2014)

Session Two: Facing Challenges in the Trans* Community Common Misconceptions Housing

Session Two: Facing Challenges in the Trans* Community Common Misconceptions Dyadism Definition: dichotomy of gender (the only categories are male & female) (Jourian, 2015) Heterosexism - The assumption that “everyone is heterosexual” (Jourian, 2015) This increases problems for trans* students Trans* is a sexual orientation (lumped with LGBT) Trans* is not a sexual orientation Trans* is a gender expression Gender transition is the ultimate goal for all trans* students (Quaye, 2014) While many students choose to undergo gender change surgeries, this is not necessarily the choice for all trans* students It is important to be open to this surgery, but not encourage it for students who do not want this to be part of their journey

Session Two: Facing Challenges in the Trans* Community Housing Policies that have a dichotomy of gender (only male and female) for housing, are not inclusive to the trans* community Housing needs for trans* students must be decided on a case-by-case basis, but overarching policies (requiring reasonable considerations for trans* students) help the community although they may not solve all problems Need to respect that some trans students do not want to disclose their biological sex Possible solutions On applications, offer a “self-identified gender” prompt to include trans* students Have a specific residence hall community specifically for trans* students Ongoing professional development related to transgender students (for residence hall staff) All cited from (Beemyn, 2005)

Session Three - Taking Action Preferred Name Policy / Self-Identified Gender Policy Additional support services

Session Three - Taking Action Preferred Name Policy Additional field after legal name indicating their preferred/chosen name if different than legal name Ex. Legal Name: John Smith, Preferred Name: Jennifer Smith Required field on all applications (admissions, housing, scholarships, student employment, student organizations, etc.) Self-Identified Gender Policy Additional field after biological sex indicating their self-identified gender if different than biological Ex. Biological Sex: Female, Self-Identified Gender Identity: Male

Session Three - Taking Action Additional Support Services More professional staff to work specifically with trans* students This staff should be different than the LGB services staff members to ensure that trans* receive adequate support (often gender identity is confused with sexual orientation) Programming, Housing, Academic Support Services, & Counseling Trans* Community Space for students on campus to go if they do not feel comfortable in other communal areas or prefer a safe place to gather with other trans* students / meet other trans* students Designated for inclusion of all gender identities

References Beemyn, B., Curtis, B., Davis, M., Tubbs, N., & Sanlo, Ronni L. (2005). Transgender issues on college campuses. New Directions for Student Services,2005, 111, 49-60. doi: 10.1002/ss.173 Harper, S. R., & Quaye, S. J. (Eds.). (2014). Student engagement in higher education: Theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations. New York, NY: Routledge. Jourian, T.J. (2015). Evolving nature of sexual orientation and gender identity. Loyola University, Chicago. Rentz, A. L., & Zhang, N. (2011). Rentz's student affairs practice in higher education. Springfield, IL: C.C. Thomas.