University Housing and Transgender Students: Issues and Practices

1
University Housing and Transgender Students
Issues and Practices

• Paula Liseo and Melissa Powers, Wesleyan
  University
• Middletown, CT

2
Transgender students and gender sensitive-housing

• Present background information
• Highlight some models of transgender student
  housing policy
• Evolution of policy development at Wesleyan (a
  work still in progress)

3
We will end by

• Discussing challenges to institutions
• The duty of care to students
• Balancing both of these
• A bit of reflection on your own campus climate

4
Defining Gender Variance

• What is the difference between sex and gender?
• Sex is the physical anatomy and biology
• Gender is a psychosocial construct
• Gender encompasses all human behavior, including
  sexuality.

5
This slide is static, gender and sexuality are
not.

• Gender and sexuality are fluid and can vary
  across time, in individuals and in human society.

• Although sex is not as fluid as gender, this too,
  can sometimes be altered though surgery.

6
Gender Identity Gender Sensitivity

• Gender identity is someones sense of their own
  gender, which is communicated to others by their
  gender expression.
• Gender can be expressed through behavior,
  clothes, hairstyle, voice, body characteristics,
  occupation etc.
• Ze and hir

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What have you considered or reconsidered around
your gender identity?
Many kinds of people, regardless of social
identity, exhibit forms of gender variance.
(taken from http//intraa.tgcrossroads.org/connect
ions/story/?aid812iid32 Indiana Transgender
Rights Advocacy Alliance.) Developed by Gender
Education Advocacy, Inc.
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Gender oppression

• Some variance is socially acceptable
• However

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Oppressive systems are maintained through

• Institutional structures
• Perpetuation of misperceptions and negative
  attitudes (media)
• Sexism
• Heterosexism
• Homophobia
• Transphobia
• The worst, logical extension of intolerance in
  these areas results in violence.

10
It is important for staff to realize that

• Transgender students may present themselves in
  any of a wide range of situations of gender
  variance or gender transition.
• And not all people presenting gender variance
  consider themselves transgender.

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What does Transgender Mean?

• Is an umbrella term used to describe visibly
  Gender Variant people who have gender identities,
  expressions, or behaviors, not traditionally
  associated with their birth sex.
• Transgender can mean anyone who transcends the
  conventional definitions of man and woman and who
  uses a wide variety of terms to self-identify.

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Gender Vectors

• Transgendered people are often categorized by
  their Gender Vector which describes the direction
  of their change. The vectors are male-to- female
  (MTF) and female-to-male (FTM).
• Transgender is not a sexual orientation it is a
  politicized sexual identity.

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To how many students does this apply?

• Roughly one in 2000 people, in the U.S. now
  completes a social, hormonal and surgical gender
  transition during their lifetime.
• However, more people complete hormonal and social
  transitions without having sexual reassignment
  surgery. Some estimates are 1500.

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To how many people does this apply?

• That means that if ¼ of all transitioners attempt
  to do so during their high school and college
  years, then a large, state university of 20,000
  students might have at least 4 to 8 transitioning
  or transitioned students at any given time.
  Typically FtM transitioners may be out in some
  LGBT circles while most MtF students will not.

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But

• People seldom notice the transitioning students
  because they will try hard to pass and are
  thus, invisible.

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Where do transitioning students concerns
intersect with student services?

• Everywhere, but particularly
• Housing
• Health Services
• Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Protection
• Updating of Student Records
• Safety
• Career Services

17
As a provider of housing services, how can you Be
an Ally?

• Dont make assumptions about a trans persons
  sexual orientation
• Ask what pronouns the person prefers
• Be aware of confidentiality, disclosure, and
  outing.

• Dont assume what path a trans person is on
  regarding hormones or surgery.
• Listen to and celebrate transgender voices.
• Kindly educate others and publicly challenge
  gender assumptions.

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Why Have Gender Neutral Housing?

• Allows all students to live in a comfortable
  arrangement
• Not just for transgender students

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Whos Talking About It?

• Established Programs
• Sarah Lawrence College
• University of Southern Maine
• University of Pennsylvania
• Swarthmore College
• Oberlin College

• Inquiries
• Duke University
• University of Hartford
• University of Nebraska
• Ithaca College
• Emerson College
• Cornell University

http//www.transgenderlaw.org/college/index.htm
http//www.genderblind.org/research.pdf
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Housing Stock

• Residence Halls singles, 1-room doubles, 2-room
  doubles, forced triples
• Program Houses singles, 1-room doubles, 2-room
  doubles
• Apartments single and double bedrooms (1 to 5
  people)
• Woodframes singles (1 to 6 people)

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Room Types
Housing Type Single Rooms Double Rooms
Residence Halls 579 385
Program Houses 237 49
Apartments 446 20
Wood Frames 574
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Upper-class Housing Policy

• Co-ed Housing
• No restrictions for roommates
• May sign-up in co-ed groups for General Room
  Selection
• After Room Selection, assignments are generally
  by legal sex

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Timeline
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

• Transgender students guaranteed a single if they
  contacted ResLife and could afford higher cost of
  single.

24
Timeline
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

• Universitys non-discrimination plan revised to
  include gender identity and gender expression.

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Timeline
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

• Gender-blind hall created for students who
  requested that gender not be a factor in roommate
  assignment.

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Timeline
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

• First-year students could request a
  gender-neutral assignment in any first-year
  housing area and room type.

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Timeline
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

• First-year students could petition to not be
  assigned based on legal sex. Petition reviewed
  by committee.

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Timeline
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

• First-year students may check box if they prefer
  to not be housed by legal sex.

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First-year Housing Policy

• Complete a Housing Preference Form online
• Must check a box requesting an exception to the
  policy of assigning a roommate on the basis of
  legal sex.
• Director calls each student that request an
  exception to discuss needs and available options.

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Why Gender Neutral Bathrooms?

• Some people do not identify as male or female
• You cannot tell by looking at someone what
  she/he/ze feels about her/his/hir gender identity
• People might be questioning their genders and
  might feel uncomfortable in single-gendered
  bathrooms.

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Guidelines for Multi-Gender Bathrooms

• Minimally, each residence hall unit should
  designate a multi-gender, a female, and a male
  bathroom.
• Gender designations assigned at the beginning of
  each year.
• Bathrooms will be clearly marked.
• RAs will guide their floors in a discussion about
  these designations

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Next Steps

• Fine tuning of current process
• Continuing student involvement
• Information on web site

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Discussion

• What are challenges to institutions when
  facing/meeting needs of transgender people?

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Discussion

• What are issues associated with the duty of care
  for students identifying as transgender?

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Discussion

• How do you reach a balance? What are you
  currently balancing?

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Discussion

• Other Questions?
• Presented byPaula Liseo Melissa Powers
  pliseo_at_wesleyan.edu and mpowers_at_wesleyan.edu

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Self quiz-how are transgender student needs being
met on your campus?
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References

• http//intraa.tgcrossroads.org/connections/story/?
  aid812iid32
• http//www.lynnconway.com
• http//www.transgenderlaw.org/college/index.htm
• http//www.genderblind.org/research.pdf
• 2007 Genius Index-Gender Equality National Index
  for Universities and Schools
• www.gender.org
• Beyond the Binary Housing Gender Identity
  Robin Hershkowitz and Brandon Buehring