Create More Welcoming, Safer Campuses for LGBTQ Students

Genny Beemyn, Director, Stonewall Center

UMass Amherst (They/Them/Their)

Allison Subasic, Director, LGBTA Student Resource Center, Penn

State University (She/Her)

Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director, Campus Pride (He/Him)

Lisa Tannenbaum, Kognito (She/Her)

Creating More

Welcoming, Safer

Campuses for LGBTQ

Students

� Campus Pride is the

leading national

organization for LGBTQ

and ally college students

and campus groups

building future leaders and

safer, more LGBTQ-friendly

colleges and universities.

The organization provides

resources and services to

thousands of college

students and nearly 1400

� campuses annually.

@CampusPride

@Kognito1

#LGBTQonCampus

Research

A recent study* of students at about 100 colleges and

universities nationwide found that:

�one-third of the Queer-spectrum respondents

�thirty-eight percent of the Trans-spectrum respondents

said that they seriously considered leaving their

institution because of the challenging climate.

*Rankin, S., Blumenfeld, W. J., Weber, G. N., & Frazer, S. (2010). State of higher

education for LGBT people. Campus Pride.

Decreased Persistence

Substance Use & Abuse Among LGB People

(Weber, 2008)

F(1,7

57) = 1

0.18

F(1,757) = 4.40

p < .01

Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm

Liu, R. T., & Mustanski, B. (2012). Suicidal ideation and self-harm in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and

transgender youth. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 42(3), 221-228.

Practice

Administrative Policies

▼ Add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or

expression” to the college’s main nondiscrimination

policy.

� 1149 colleges have LGB-inclusive nondiscrimination

policies.

� More than 720 colleges have trans-inclusive

nondiscrimination policies.

How to Add “Gender Identity”

Successfully to Nondiscrimination

Policies

� learn the different steps for changing the nondiscrimination

policy

� identify the key decision makers at each step of the process

� educate these decision makers and other important

administrators (the directors of Human Resources, Student

Activities, Judicial Affairs, Residence Life, Athletics,

International Student Office, Admissions, Veteran’s Office, etc.)

about anti-trans prejudice and the experiences of trans

students

� educate and involve LGB/LGBT student groups as advocates



Policies� decide what arguments will work best with different decision

makers (an important student need, a human rights issue,

keeping up with peer institutions, in line with state and/or city

ordinances)

� involve as many trans students, staff, faculty, and alumni as

possible

� find ways to involve individuals who may not be out as trans in

the process at their comfort level

� identify and cultivate influential cisgender allies (student

leaders, administration officials, deans, department chairs,

etc.)

� seek resolutions of support from the student government,

faculty senate, staff council, and diversity committees

� anticipate possible questions and concerns (such as someone

who appears male in a women’s bathroom or locker room;

what the legal ramifications will be) and be prepared to

respond to them

� turn to other people working in this area as needed



Policies

Administrative Documents

▼ Enable trans students to have a name other than their legal

first name on institutional documents (ID cards, class

rosters, directory listings, unofficial transcripts, diplomas,

etc.) upon request.

▼ Enable trans students to change the gender marker on

their campus records upon request (i.e, without

requiring proof that students have modified their

bodies or changed their birth certificates).

�About 75 colleges have a “preferred name” option and

about 50 have a gender change option. Note: many trans

individuals are offended by the use of “preferred.”

Gender-Inclusive Restrooms

▼ Have a written bathroom policy that protects trans

students from discrimination. Sample policy:

“The University of Massachusetts, Amherst strives to create and

sustain a campus environment that supports and values all

members of our community. One aspect of creating a supportive

environment is providing safe, accessible, and convenient

bathroom facilities. Students, staff, faculty, and campus guests

should use the bathroom facilities that correspond to their sex or

gender identity, or utilize bathrooms that are designated

gender-neutral or gender-inclusive.”


▼ Have a policy requiring at least one gender-inclusive

restroom (a bathroom open to students of all genders)

in all newly constructed or significantly renovated

buildings, including residence halls.

▼ Have single-occupancy men’s and women’s restrooms

converted into gender-inclusive ones by installing

locks and changing signs.

▼ Have gender-inclusive restrooms in at least half of the

administrative and academic buildings on campus.


▼ Have bathroom signs that do not use

male and female stick figures:

http://www.mydoorsign.com

▼ Have an online list/map of campus

gender-inclusive restrooms.

Health Services

▼ Offer a student health insurance policy which covers

ongoing counseling, hormones, and gender-affirming

surgeries for trans students.

� At least 56 colleges cover hormones and gender-

affirming surgeries for students and 19 cover just

hormones.

▼ Develop and make available a list of area therapists

experienced in working with trans people.

Housing

▼ Enable trans students to self-identify on their housing

application.

▼ Have a written policy that enables trans students to be

housed in keeping with their gender identity/

expression.

▼ Provide an LGBT-focused living space, LGBT theme

floor, or LGBT/Ally living-learning program.

Housing

▼ Offer a gender-inclusive housing (GIH) option

(housing in which students are assigned to rooms

without regard to gender) that is open to both

incoming and returning students.

�This option should be separate from an LGBTQ-theme floor.

�Recognize that GIH is not the same as trans housing.

� It should be offered in different parts of campus and, if possible, in different types of housing (doubles, suites, apartments).

Housing

� Apartment-style GIH is likely to be the most popular, but shared rooms should also be an option, especially if the apartment-style housing is more expensive.

� GIH should include gender-inclusive bathrooms/ showers.

� About 150 schools offer some form of GIH.

▼ Require residence life staff to regularly offer

activities and post educational material to raise

residents’ awareness of trans experiences.

Organizational Inclusion

▼ Develop a policy for trans students to be able to

participate in intramurals and rec sports.

� UMass Amherst Policy: "When an activity makes gender designation,

individuals may participate in the activity based on their gender

identity. If an individual's gender identity does not fit within the binary

framework of man/woman or the person is in the process of

transitioning to a different gender, participation in a particular gender

designated activity will be handled on a case by case basis."

▼ Enable trans students to join fraternities and sororities

and other gender-segregated campus organizations

in keeping with their gender identity.

Programming and Education:Basics

▼ Establish an LGBTQ safe zone/ally training program

and require all Student Affairs staff, Public Safety

officers, and other front-line personnel to regularly

attend a training.

▼ Develop an LGBTQA Speakers Bureau.

▼ Incorporate LGBTQ topics into orientation sessions for

new students, staff, and faculty.

▼ Regularly sponsor LGBTQ speakers, performers, and

other programs.

Programming and Education: Other Suggestions

▼ LGBTQ Studies program

▼ Mentorship program

▼ Discussion and support groups

▼ Lavender Graduation celebrations and other award

and recognition ceremonies

▼ Intersectional programs to meet the diverse needs of

all students

▼ Collaborations with Athletics, the Multicultural

Center, the Counseling Center, religious groups,

local organizations, K-12 schools, etc.

▼ Offer additional educational workshops (LGBT and

other identities, Trans 101, etc.).

▼ Host LGBTQA regional conferences.

▼ Assist students with attending other regional LGBTQA

conferences.

▼ Advise LGBTQA student groups.

▼ Provide LGBTQA leadership retreats.

▼Develop a campus resource library of current books,

magazines, and educational dvds in the LGBTQA

center or in the main library.


▼ Offer student internships in offices for credit or work

study.

▼ Work with graduate programs to develop graduate

assistantships and internships in the LGBTQA center.

▼ Work with alumni to create career connections,

programming endowments, and scholarships.

▼ Create a student advisory board to the LGBTQA

center.


Valuable Lessons Learned

� Mentor and advocate for students, not friends

� Students can be activists, administrators cannot

� Administrators can advocate. Know the difference

� Be professional. Do not burn any bridges on campus. Follow up and say

‘Thank you’

� Create a strong alumni base. It may come in handy

� Teach students to do programming and help with advertising

� Work collaboratively with students

� You will never please everyone all the time

� Do not take things personally, which can be difficult when it is identity work

� Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate

� You can not do it all, start small and focus on doing a great job on each

program before moving on

� Treat speakers and guests well, like family

Resources

Campus Pride Trans Policy Clearinghouse:

www.campuspride.org/tpc

LGBTQ Architect

http://architect.lgbtcampus.org

LGBT-Friendly Campus Pride Index:

www.campusprideindex.org

Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource

Professionals:

www.lgbtcampus.org

Q & AFeel free to type in or ask questions of the

presenters…

Further Questions?

Feel free to email us.

Allison: [email protected]

Genny: [email protected]

Shane Windmeyer:

[email protected]

Lisa Tannenbaum: [email protected]

Create More Welcoming, Safer Campuses for LGBTQ Students

Education

Transcript of Create More Welcoming, Safer Campuses for LGBTQ Students