The University’s recent decision to offer more open, gender-neutral housing suggests that — at least on an institutional level — the University is attempting to become more welcoming for transgender students. While institutional changes like these are crucial to ensuring all students can thrive at the University, they cannot be the entirety of the effort to make Grounds more diverse and inclusive. Social changes, led by students themselves, are another vital aspect of the effort. Although CIOs such as the Queer Student Union do great work to “provide a safe and supportive social space” for transgender students, individual students can and should do their part to make this space more inclusive.
First, a brief discussion of terms may be beneficial. Gender identity refers to the internal, personal and invisible assignment of gender. For many of us, the answer is obvious: I’m a girl, and as one writer notes, the idea of saying that I’m anything other than female feels about as ridiculous as asserting I’m a dinosaur. Gender presentation refers to the way we choose to dress and present ourselves to others, and often matches gender identity — but not always. Someone might choose to dress in gendered clothing, but that doesn’t mean anything about the way they identify themselves.
The distinction between these two concepts means we can’t always assume to know someone’s gender. Luckily, this area of potential confusion is pretty easy to clear up. I can tell someone my gender identity outright, so they don’t have to make assumptions based on what I wear or how I look. I could say, “I’m Jordan, and I use ‘she/her’ pronouns.” For me, and for most students at the University, the clarification is not necessary. Our gender identities generally match how we present. But for those students whose identity and presentation don’t match, their gender identity is often conflated (incorrectly) with their gender presentation.
With these definitions in mind, students at the University should make conscious effort to make room for gender nonconforming individuals. This effort has both a passive and an active element. First, students should avoid making assumptions about gender. The judgment is often unconscious and automatic — but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to recognize and correct. Secondly, students should clarify their own gender if they want others to know what it is. The act could be as simple as indicating what pronouns should be used on the first day of a class discussion or including pronouns in an email signature, like these University of Vermont medical students did. This helps normalize the idea of clarifying pronouns, regardless of whether someone identifies as cisgender or transgender.
Some might argue this effort is overkill, considering transgender students make up only a small percent of the population. A recent survey by the UCLA School of Law found that about 1.4 million Americans identify as transgender, which is about 0.6 percent of the population. While the number of transgender youths is difficult to determine, young people ages 18-24 were more likely than older people to identify themselves as transgender. Although transgender individuals are relatively rare, they are profoundly affected by institutional and social discrimination. According to the 2013 study of American public schools, “37 percent [of LGBT youth] feel unsafe because of their gender expression.” Furthermore, “55 percent [of LGBT youth] were verbally harassed because of their gender expression.” A 2011 survey of transgender individuals found nearly 47 percent reported attempting suicide at some point in time, while only about 4 percent of the United States population as a whole has attempted suicide. Overall, the effort students at the University would have to put forth to normalize pronoun clarification would be relatively minimal and could have a profound impact on both transgender students and cisgender students who want to be creative in their gender presentation.
This is not a plea for political correctness or stifling discourse in the name of “safe spaces.” This issue is about the real and severe effects that social and institutional discrimination has on gender minorities. Transgender students at the University are not free from this hate: Last spring, anonymous transphobic messages appeared in chalk all around Grounds. When we don’t assume gender and clarify that our own gender should not be assumed, we make room for people to express themselves however they like and show support for a group that is frequently targeted and marginalized. Especially with something so personal as gender, people deserve the chance to define themselves on their own terms.
Jordan Arnold is a Viewpoint writer.
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