{ Inclusive Practices for Gender Identity and/or Gender Expression: Supporting Transgender* Student Success Saby Labor Women’s & LGBTQ Student Services Coordinator and Retention Specialist Metropolitan State University Academic and Student Affairs Leadership Conference | Friday, May 30, 2014 Minnesota State Colleges & Universities My preferred pronouns: She/her/hers They/them/theirs

 Guiding Assumptions  Learning Outcomes  Common Language  Global, Federal, State & Local Context  Strategies for Recruitment, Retention, and Transgender* Student Success  Community Resources  Taking Action – Making a Commitment Overview

 Transgender* students are enrolled at MnSCU institutions  Not all transgender* students are able to live their identities visibly  Allies are absolutely vital to the health and wellbeing of transgender* communities Guiding Assumptions

 Provide an overview of terminology pertaining to transgender* students  Examine policies and trends at higher education institutions across the nation  Provide recommendations for strategies that support recruitment, retention, and success  Provide resources for transgender* services and education Learning Outcomes

 Gender Identity – refers to a person’s innate, deeply felt psychological identification as male or female, which may or may not correspond to the person’s body or designated sex at birth (meaning what sex was originally listed on a person’s birth certificate).  Gender Expression – refers to all of the external characteristics and behaviors that are socially defined as either masculine or feminine, such as dress, grooming, mannerisms, speech patterns and social interactions. Social or cultural norms can vary widely and some characteristics that may be accepted as masculine, feminine or neutral in one culture may not be assessed similarly in another. Common Language

  Transgender* - An umbrella term for people whose gender identity, expression or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth, including but not limited to transsexuals, two spirit, androgynous people, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming people. Transgender is a broad term and is good for non-transgender people to use. “Trans” is shorthand for “transgender.” Source: National Center for Transgender Equality

 MTF (Male-to-Female or Transwoman) – A term for a transgender individual who currently identifies as a woman.  FTM (Female-to-Male or Transman) – A term for a transgender individual who currently identifies as a man. Common Language

 Lack of language to capture complexity of gender and gender variant people  Lack of empirical research on transgender college student population  Adherence to gender binary categories is limiting  Confusing “sex” with “gender” as categories masks Context

Global Context Source:

Federal State Local System Institution Federal, State & Local Context

Federal Gender Identity/Expression was added to Title IX legislation in 2012 as a protected class

Federal, State & Local Context State 16 states and D.C. have gender identity nondiscrimination laws  Minnesota was the first state to implement in 1993

Federal, State & Local Context Local  Minneapolis - first city/jurisdiction to protect gender identity in 1975  St. Paul - 7 th city or jurisdiction to protect gender identity in 1990

Federal, State & Local Context System MnSCU added gender identity and gender expression in 2012 to 1B.1 policy

Institution Federal, State & Local Context 731 (16%) colleges and universities have nondiscrimination policies that include gender identity or gender expression Source:

{ Preferred Name Preferred Name Preferred Gender Preferred Gender Facilities and Signage Facilities and Signage Housing Housing Outreach Outreach Strategies for Recruitment, Retention, and Transgender* Student Success

Impacted Areas  Preferred Name Practices  Preferred Gender Practices  Health Insurance  Facilities & Signage  Greek Life  Housing  Financial Aid & Payroll  Visa Status & Immigration  Athletics  Campus Vendors

Preferred Name Practices   76 Colleges Enable Students to Use a Chosen First Name, Instead of Their Legal Name, on Campus Records and Documents (such as ID Cards, Course Rosters, and Directory Listings) Source:

Preferred Name Practices  Informal First Name field in ST1001UG

Preferred Name Practices  Recommendation: Move “Informal First Name Field” to primary location and rename “Preferred Name”

Areas Impacted by Preferred Name Practices  Class Rosters  ID Cards  Student employment records  Diplomas  Commencement programs  Transcripts  Admissions application  Websites  Directories  Desire 2 Learn  Accounts  Safety and Security processes  Medical and health records  Classroom rosters  Institutional communications

Preferred Gender Practices   47 Institutions Enable Students to Change the Gender on Their Campus Records without Evidence of Medical Intervention   8 of these Institutions Do not require Supporting Documentation Source:  When creating templates or surveys, consider the following:  What purpose does this data serve? Do we REALLY need data on sex/gender?  Use alternative question forms for “the sex/gender question” Example: Male Female Female Transgender Transgender Other: _____ Other: _____  Use the person’s preferred gender pronoun Example: She/her/hers He/him/his He/him/his They/them/theirs They/them/theirs

Facilities and Signage  Restrooms  Locker Rooms  Housing  Study Abroad  Off-site travel  Campus Maps

Student Health Insurance   51 colleges and universities cover hormones and gender reassignment/confirmation surgeries for students.   20 Colleges and Universities Cover Just Hormones for Students Source: University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Gender-Inclusive Student Housing   150 Colleges and Universities Have Gender-Inclusive Housing Housing in which students can have a roommate of any gender   In Minnesota:   Augsburg College, 2011   Carleton College Generally not open to first-year students; available throughout campus   Macalester College, 2005 Available in a number of residence halls; open to all students   In Wisconsin:  2013  University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, 2013 Available in suite-style housing   University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2013 Available in the “Open House Gender Learning Community”   University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 2013 Available in a suite-style residence hall Source:

Campus Vendors Chick-fil-A, 2012  Voting against new Chick-fil-A restaurants on campus (Northeastern University)  Petitions to remove Chick-fil-A from campus unions (12+ campuses)  Administrators issuing public statement that views are not that of the institution (Oakland University, University of Louisville & Emory University)  “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” and “National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A” (Arkansas)

Communicating Inclusive Policies and Practices  Websites  Trans Resource Guide  University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Amherst  University of California, Riverside University of California, Riverside University of California, Riverside  FAQ’s  Indiana University, Bloomington Indiana University, Bloomington Indiana University, Bloomington  Digital Booklets  CSULA Guide to LGBTQIPA+ Life on Campus CSULA Guide to LGBTQIPA+ Life on Campus CSULA Guide to LGBTQIPA+ Life on Campus  Admissions and Outreach Materials

Recruitment Strategies  LGBTQ College Fairs  Pride Festival and Parade  Co-sponsoring Community Outreach Events  Admissions and Outreach Material  Admissions Liaisons  Communicate Inclusive Policies and Practices  Campus Pride Index

Student Outreach

{ Transgender Checklist for Colleges and Universities Assessing Your Campus Policies and Practices

Trans Checklist for Colleges & Universities  Language and Processes  Physical Access  Organizational Inclusion  Health Services  Education

{ Twin Cities Twin Cities National National Additional Resources

Transgender Resources  Campus Pride Trans Policy Clearinghouse  Transgender policies at colleges and universities   Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance  Education and Training  Campus Resource Guide 2014 Campus Resource Guide 2014 Campus Resource Guide 2014  Hosts the  Hosts the Minnesota OUT! Campus Conference (MOCC)  Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition  Shot Clinic  Trans-Inclusive Trainings for Health Professionals  Syringe Exchange  (612)  Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN)  Education  Youth Leadership Development  Advocacy  (612)  Transgender Commission, University of Minnesota Twin Cities   Education and Training  Gender –Inclusive Policy  University of Minnesota  Hosts the  Hosts the University of Minnesota System Wide Summit on GLBT Issues  Metropolitan State:  LGBTQ Ally Training Program  Trans* Ally Training Program  Gender and Sexuality Workshops  Student Advocacy  GLBT and Ally Scholarship  Gender-Inclusive Policy  (651)

Saby Labor (651)