Well Intentioned Misunderstandings Transgender Equality Good intentions alone do not create good policy (conclusion) They tried… Good intentions and misunderstanding Well intentioned misunderstandings:

The language used in the proposed university policy ‘Supporting Trans Students and Staff’ does not adequately represent the identities and experiences of transgender students. Our project focuses on the responses of trans students and how they can be integrated to create a more representative policy. Policy currently under draft Abi

Why this is important More than a third of trans university students (36 per cent) have experienced negative comments or conduct from staff in the last year. One in seven trans university students (14 per cent) have considered dropping out or have dropped out of a higher education course due to experiences of harassment or discrimination from students and staff in the last year. (Stonewall Trans Report 2018) Just in the UK Abi

Process and findings We researched the existing Equality and Diversity policy and proposed policy regarding trans students. Recorded experiences and gained opinions of trans students on the current and proposed policy. Our final product is a video using photographs and the recordings as well as posters for our stall in the forum. We faced many issues such as accessing the policy (our access was initially denied), working around issues of consent for using trans students experiences as well as our video file corrupting. Cait and Pascale Half of our group recorded experiences and gained opinions of trans students on current policy whilst the other half

Posters

Photos The photos taken by Pascale and Cait represent places at university that trans students might face discrimination and that play a part in their experience as trans students. We also captured elements of the human body such as hands and feet as they represent the fact that discussions of trans rights and policy is more than language, discussion and research. These policies deeply affect the physical, as well as emotional, experiences of trans students, this is reflected in the experiences of our interviewees. Cait and Pascale

Our video Cait and Pascale

Findings from research The current Equality and Diversity policy is non-specific to transgender students and purely derived from the Equality Act 2010. The 2010 Equality Act names ‘gender reassignment’ as a protected characteristic so only refers to people who are undergoing medical transition, something not all trans people want or are able to do. Many students we spoke to did not know what the Equality policy is or even that it existed. For Luke Outdated terminology such as “gender reassignment surgery” (in equality act) - refers only to those who have undergone surgery this is problematic/wrong for a number of reasons: 1. To receive surgery that is free (ie: on the NHS) requires a lengthy process including appearing before a board who decide whether you are eligible. 2. Many transgender people do not actually want to undergo surgery either because it is long/painful also due to the fact that being transgender is concerned with identity and does not necessarily mean someone wants to change their physical form

Definition of transgender in the proposed policy ‘Trans’ is an umbrella term used for people who identify themselves as Transgender, Transsexual or Transvestite. The term ‘trans’ can be used to describe: - People who propose to undergo, are undergoing or have undergone a process of gender-reassignment - People who identify themselves as someone with a different gender from that assigned to them at birth, but who may have decided not to undergo medical treatment - People who choose to dress in clothing typically worn by the other sex For Luke

No trans person consulted by our inquiry group agreed with this definition of transgender. For Luke

Their response was inconclusive. We asked the University whether they are consulting transgender students on the proposed policy. Their response was inconclusive. For Abi

Objections to the proposed policy Primary objection - the inclusion of transvestite in the definition of trans. Being transgender is about identity, whereas the term ‘transvestite’ is an outdated term to refer to people who wear clothes not typically associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. It describes gender expression rather than gender identity. “The University should aim to keep safe students who are gender non-conforming but it does not typically come under the definition of trans” The proposed policy focuses heavily on medical transitioning as opposed to social transition. The proposed policy uses binary language such as ‘other sex’ which is reductive (conflates sex and gender). For Hannah Make clear the quote refers to transvestites. Fourth point - which is a misunderstanding of where many trans students are in their transition. Last bullet point - it does not reflect the identities of non-binary students and excludes intersex students. HANNAH

We propose that the University use the definition of trans provided by Stonewall, the largest LGBT charity in the UK. An umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer (GQ), gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, two-spirit, bi-gender, trans man, trans woman,trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois. (Definition from Stonewall official website) HANNAH

Additional suggestions The distribution of the trans inclusion booklet to all Exeter campuses Make trans-inclusive resources more easily accessible online Include trans inclusion as part of staff training and in personal tutor sessions The further consultation of both trans students and staff in the proposed policy The university should also make clear when they will implement the new trans specific policy as currently it states coming soon but is, according to the equality and diversity department, in the very early stages of development. For Hannah For once Penryn is at the forefront on a social issues Explain the trans inclusion booklet - distribution online possible mention of the booklet being online in personal tutor in sessions in freshers week (save environment) HANNAH

GOOD INTENTIONS ALONE DO NOT CREATE GOOD POLICY Everyone