Transgender Student Rights

Marriage equality is becoming a reality in more and more states (and countries), but same-sex marriage isn't the only necessary step to have true matrimonial equality for LGBTQ people. Unfortunately, LGB cisgender (non-transgender) people and their allies can sometimes forget the issues with marriage for many trans people. Due to rigid requirements for changing gender/sex on official documents (and sometimes simply inability to due so), some trans people are excluded from marriage and the marriage debate. We must remember what true marriage equality entails, and not forget trans people and their partners.

Read more about trans issues in marriage here.

Physical violence against LGBTQ people, and trans people in particular, has long been a problem. Too often headlines report of a trans murder victim, and too often the cause is hatred and misinformation. The headlines about the murder of D.C. resident Lashai McLean are, unfortunately, not unusual, and we hope the cause is not simply the victim being transgender.

To match these headlines comes a study regarding hate crimes, and those against LGBTQH (H standing for HIV-Affected) individuals. The study suggests that anti-LGBTQH violence may be increasing, especially against trans women.

As activists, we can help reduce these numbers. The more silence there is around transphobia and hate crimes, the easier it is for these problems to occur. By speaking out and educating others, misconceptions can be cleared and acceptance built. Keep this violence in mind come November, during the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Many activists and thinkers are reconsidering whether "transgender" should be used as an umbrella term, especially considering the broad range of terms covered by "transgender" and the different experiences of transgender people. Like many other concepts and terms in the LGBTQ community, there are strong opinions on both sides.

In  Mercedes Allen's article on the debate "The Death of the 'Transgender' Umbrella,” Mercedes does a great job summarizing the debate and examining different viewpoints. Read the article here.

What do you think?

Congratulations, and thank you! Transgender Student Rights has now reached 7,000 likes on its Facebook page, our  most reliable way of quantifying support. Thanks to all of you who clicked, commented and shared our way to this milestone! TSR is the second-largest transgender-specific page on Facebook, just behind our friends at the National Center for Transgender Equality. (They're 25 away from 9,000 at time of writing - could you take a moment and like them?)

Thanks so much for your support! Continually improving our resources to transgender students is rewarding in itself, but your support is icing on the cake of fulfillment. We couldn't have done it without you!

Transgender Student Rights (TSR) applauds the University of Southern Florida (USF) for changing its housing application to be more accommodating of transitioning students. According to USF's dean of Housing and Residential Education, "College is a time when [students] may be able to make a smoother social transition and begin living life as a new gender and we want to make sure students have that opportunity on our campus." You can read more about the changes from this USF News report.

The various factors at play in the wake of this decision are limitless, but it's hard to avoid discussing the media's reaction to the news. Local news channels such as this one feature one male reporter walking out of a woman's bathroom while discussing the "most controversial" part of the plan. The same video clip features a student bashing the plan as "unacceptable" and as saying that he'd be "disgusted by" living with a transgender student. Is this reporting biased against the plan, or is this fair reporting that provides arguments from both sides?

And while the local media's coverage of this and other transgender issues may be cause for concern, it's certainly an improvement of more ignorant and offensive reporting of days gone by.

What do you think?