Statement Against Trans Erasure
Evelyn Kirkley, Ph.D. / Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies / Director of Women’s and Gender Studies Program
Kate Boersma, Ph.D. / Assistant Professor of Biology
In this issue of The USD Vista, there is a statement of support by USD staff, administrators, and faculty for trans and non-gender-binary (TNGB) individuals in the University community and beyond. You may wonder why this statement is important and how you can be an ally to TGNB friends, family, and other students.
Last month the Department of Health and Human Services proposed a revision of the definition of sex under Title IX, the civil rights legislation that prohibits gender discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal aid. The proposal would redefine sex as immutable, either male or female, determined by one’s genitalia. The sex listed on an individual’s birth certificate would be unchangeable except by genetic testing.
This narrow, binary definition is not accepted by the scientific community, which posits a broader spectrum of gender and sex differences. Moreover, this proposal, if accepted by the federal government, would invalidate the lived experiences of 1 – 2 percent of the U.S. population that identifies as transgender, intersex, non-gender-binary, genderfluid, agender, bigender, trigender, and other gender identities. It would essentially erase 1.4 million Americans and bar them from civil rights protection, including health, military, and educational services. For a community that already experiences harassment and violence at a far higher proportion than average, this proposal would directly impact TNGB USD students, staff, administrators, and faculty.
Please join us on Tuesday, Nov. 20 for a vigil for Transgender Day of Remembrance at 6 p.m. outside the SLP dining hall.
Here are some ways you can join the fight against trans erasure and increase support and visibility of TNGB people. We encourage you to print this list, post it somewhere visible, and act on it!
Listen to and value the experiences of TNGB people. Acknowledge that gender permeates all of our social interactions and that TNGB people must navigate these interactions in professional and personal contexts day after day.
Support your peers, friends, and family to take action to support LGBTQ+ students, and TNGB students in particular.
Educate yourself and your peers on how to respect pronouns in your classes, workplace, and residence.
Assume that TNGB students are in your classes, student organizations, and residence halls, whether you know who they are or not.
Invite USD’s Rainbow Educators to present to your class or student organization. They offer workshops on many topics associated with identities, including sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and class. They will tailor workshops to meet specific group needs. https://www.sandiego.edu/
Know the resources available at USD (www.sandiego.edu/lgbtq/):
LGBTQ+ and Allies Commons in Student Life Pavilion, Room 424.
Undergraduate student groups: PRIDE, LGBTQ+ Womxn of USD, Gender Friends, and Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) at USD.
Graduate student groups: USD PRIDE Law (Law School), USD Unity in LGBT (Business School), and USD Graduate and Alumni Rainbow Connection.
LGBTQ+ Rainbow Processing Group at the USD Counseling Center.
Visibly affirm your stance as an active ally who stands with transgender and non-binary people via social media badges, displays in your office/classroom/residence, or pins/ribbons on your jacket or bag. Your visibility matters.
Donate time or money to programs that support transgender and non-binary communities, such as the San Diego LGBT Community Center (http://www.thecentersd.org/).