Op-ed: 6 Steps to a Trans-Friendly Campus
GENNY BEEMYN, AUGUST 13 2013, 7:00 AM ET
http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2013/08/13/op-ed-6-steps-trans-friendly-campus
Let's face it: most colleges and universities do not do enough to support trans students. To their credit, more than 620 colleges have added "gender identity or expression" to their nondiscrimination policies. But beyond a nondiscrimination clause, few campuses have taken further steps to ensure that trans students do not experience institutional discrimination.
For a campus to be truly trans-inclusive, it must change policies and practices that exclude trans students or place them in unsafe or uncomfortable situations. This August, Campus Pride launched the Trans Policy Clearinghouse to identify trans-supportive policies and practices being implemented at colleges and universities across the country. It also provides resources to help students better advocate for trans-supportive changes at their colleges. The following six best practices come directly from research determining what campuses are doing to become more trans-friendly as well as from the detailed resource listing provided on the policy clearinghouse.