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Goals of TTF
We believe that Harvard should change its non-discrimination code to protect students, staff and faculty from discrimination on the basis of “gender identity and expression.”
We believe that Harvard should honor people’s self-articulated gender identity with regard to housing, employment, bathroom use, locker room use, admissions, and health care.
We believe in the dream of a campus that allows for people to safely and securely visibly and vocally articulate their identities as trans, transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, gender questioning, or any other articulation of identity. We also believe that Harvard should respect staff, faculty, students, applicants, and alumni’s privacy with respect to their gender identity and expression.
What it's Like to be Trans at Harvard
Check back here for updates with personal narratives from Harvard Staff, Faculty, Students and Alums.
Many people's stories were compiled in fall 2005 in Trannys Talk Back which we reccomend as reading.
Another place to get information about what it's like to be trans at Harvard is Quench, a zine not exclusively about trans issues but which regularly addresses trans issues.
People involved in trans communities at Harvard also contributed their personal stories to the trans piece that was performed in Harvard's February 2006 production of the Vagina Monologues. You can view the text of the trans piece here.
Issues Facing Trans and Gender Variant People at Harvard
Below, TTF's proposed addition to the Harvard non-discrimination code, a clause that would forbid discrimination against people on the basis of "gender identity or expression" is outlined. Following that, we address several of the problems that trans and gender variant people at Harvard face, and how a non-discrimination code change could address these problems.
What is gender identity and expression (GIE)?
Gender Identity - Inner sense of ‘being’ male or female, both, or neither, includes sense of self. Self-identification.
Gender Expression – presentation of one’s self as masculine or feminine, both, or neither. May or may not align with gender identity.
<LIST EXAMPLES OF GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION>
Gender Binary System - Culturally defined code of acceptable behavior only for 2 gender system of male/female. Men/boys are to exhibit masculine gender presentation, behaviors, and social roles. Women/girls are to exhibit feminine gender presentation, behaviors, and social roles.
Assigned Sex/Gender –assigned at birth based on physical anatomy of genitalia.
(above definitions adapted from gendercrash.com)
Why add GIE to the non-discrimination code?
Including GIE in the non-discrimination policy is a way for Harvard University to formally acknowledge that limited access to Harvard’s resources on the basis of gender identity and expression for students and staff is not acceptable.
What kind of implementation will including GIE in Harvard’s non-discrimination code motivate?
Implementing this change in the non-discrimination code will mean that trans students and staff have fair access/treatment. An established resource for talking about the implementation is the Trans Advisory Group at the College, which includes, Dean Judith Kidd, Dean Suzy Nelson, Dean Paul McLoughlin, Dr. Sara Kimmel, Susan Marine and a small number of student representatives, who are working to realize solutions to make the Harvard campus more trans-friendly. This group is currently addressing a range of issues such as, residential life, registrar concerns, and bathrooms. Below is a brief synopsis of how we believe adding GIE to the nondiscrimination code may help to make these fundamental aspects of college life more equal and safe for students.
Housing
Ideally, students who are not first years should be able to house with fellow students that they choose to live with and this decision should not be confined by one’s sex or gender. Additionally, first year students should be able to identify what bathroom they are most comfortable using and should be given room assignments that allow convenient access to that bathroom on the assigned floor.
Bathrooms
Gender-neutral bathrooms should be available on campus, but policy should state that students and staff can determine which bathroom is best and safest for them.
Documentation
There should be clear and reasonable guidelines provided informing students and staff what steps are necessary in order to change their name or gender within the Harvard University system. Staff and Students should be able to make name and gender changes within the university without the need for medical or legal documentation. Name changes and gender changes, once made with the registrar or human resources office, should be sent through to other databases where names are used in a centralized fashion.
Health Care and Insurance Access
We think that exclusionary criteria for transgender healthcare in student and staff health insurance policies often reduces access to appropriate medical care and/or medically necessary procedures and treatments. However, we know that other schools, like MIT, do protect students and staff of the university by including gender identity and expression in their non-discrimination codes, while still not providing comprehensive health care for those who are seeking to transition (e.g. hormones, surgery, etc.) Hence, we do not think that adding GIE to the nondiscrimination code will automatically necessitate a change in insurance coverage.
How far does GIE non-discrimination extend
A GIE nondiscrimination clause will honor the self-determined gender identity and expression of Harvard students and staff. Harvard must treat all people who are included under the umbrella of the transgender community fairly, including transmen, transwomen, gender queer individuals, men or women who happen to have transitioned earlier in their lives, and non-trans people who identify as men and women.
In all of these cases, implementation is similar; we must honor the self-determined gender identity of everyone in the Harvard community. For example, we must enable people to safely use bathrooms in which they feel comfortable (male, female, or gender neutral), and we must allow people to house with other people that they are comfortable with regardless of gender.
Problems trans students and staff have faced in the past at Harvard
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