Saby Labor Women’s & LGBTQ Student Services Coordinator and Retention Specialist

1. 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 My preferred pronouns: She/her/hers They/them/theirs

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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 Common Language

7. 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

8. 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

9. Global ContextSource: www.catalyst.org

10. Federal, State & Local Context

11. Federal Gender Identity/Expression was added to Title IX legislation in 2012 as a protected class Federal, State & Local Context

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

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

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

15. 731 (16%) colleges and universities have nondiscrimination policies that include gender identity or gender expression Source: www.campuspride.org/tpc Federal, State & Local Context

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

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

18. 76Colleges 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: http://www.campuspride.org/tpc-records/ Preferred Name Practices

19. Informal First Name field in ST1001UG Preferred Name Practices

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

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

22. 47Institutions 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: http://www.campuspride.org/tpc • 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 Transgender Other: _____ • Use the person’s preferred gender pronoun Example: She/her/hers He/him/his They/them/theirs Preferred Gender Practices

23. Restrooms • Locker Rooms • Housing • Study Abroad • Off-site travel • Campus Maps Facilities and Signage

24. 51 colleges and universities cover hormones and gender reassignment/confirmation surgeries for students. • 20Colleges and Universities Cover Just Hormones for Students  Source: http://www.campuspride.org/tpc University of Massachusetts, Amherst Student Health Insurance

25. 150 Colleges and Universities Have Gender-Inclusive Housing Housingin 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: • 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: http://www.campuspride.org/tpc Gender-Inclusive Student Housing

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

27. 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 Recruitment Strategies

28. Student Outreach

29. Assessing Your Campus Policies and Practices Transgender Checklist for Colleges and Universities

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

31. Additional Resources Twin Cities National

32. Campus Pride Trans Policy Clearinghouse • Transgender policies at colleges and universities • www.campuspride.org/tpc • Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance • Education and Training • Campus Resource Guide 2014 • Hosts the Minnesota OUT! Campus Conference (MOCC) • Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition • Shot Clinic • Trans-Inclusive Trainings for Health Professionals • Syringe Exchange • (612) 823-1152 • Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN) • Education • Youth Leadership Development • Advocacy • (612) 208-9762 • Transgender Commission, University of Minnesota Twin Cities • www.umn.edu/glbta/trans • Education and Training • Gender –Inclusive Policy • University of Minnesota • 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) 793-1544 Transgender Resources

33. Saby Laborsabrina.labor@metrostate.edu(651) 793-1544