Transgender Student Not Permitted to Speak in U of A Class


By: Administrator | Updated: May 4, 2012


http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=537212





A canceled student lecture causing some controversy at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. The possible reason? The student is transgender. 

Our affiliate KNWA reports Jennifer Braly is a transgender student at the school and has been speaking to students about gender identity disorder for the past two semesters.

But Braly says the school canceled her most recent lecture, at the last minute, with no explanation.

Please correct this.

AR
Arkansas, Abbreviation

AK
Alaska, Abbreviation

Wow, they didn't even care enough to proofread their official statement? The same apostrophe error twice in one short section of text. Doesn't look good, coming from a uni.

Quote from: SarahLynn on May 06, 2012, 11:45:56 AM
Please correct this.

AR
Arkansas, Abbreviation

AK
Alaska, Abbreviation

Done, title corrected.

Z - News Admin

UA-Fort Smith silences student
Transgendered woman told to stop class lectures.
by Cheree Franco

http://www.arktimes.com/gyrobase/ua-fort-smith-silences-student/Content?oid=2213640

Over the 2011-2012 academic year, Jennifer Braly, a University of Arkansas at Fort Smith psychology major with a 3.58 GPA, has given roughly 20 guest lectures on gender identity disorder (GID) to psychology and sociology classes on campus. Her lectures are meticulously researched and accompanied by a power-point presentation, but Braly's true qualification — what sets her lectures apart from other undergraduate reports — is her personal experience with GID. Braly was born a male, but a year ago, at age 36, she began taking hormones, had her name and gender changed on legal documents and assumed her new identity as a female.

Braly says her lectures have been well received, and several students have gone out of their way to e-mail positive feedback. One professor, Dr. Nicha Otero, wrote a letter of recommendation, chronicling the merits of her presentation, and its success at "open[ing] the doors to a greater understanding and appreciation of this too often misunderstood disorder."

But on April 19, Braly received an e-mail of a different sort from Dr. Rita Barrett, the chair of the psychology department:

The second article posted here suggests a greater level of duplicity among the college's administration, and the need to cover their tracks to save face.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

Thanks for the correction Zythyra.

As for the article I agree it definitely sounds like they are covering their tracks Jaime. I mean how did she give all those previous lectures without a survey. We must put the weight of the world on some arbitrary piece of paper. Good on Braly for how she handles herself though.

Transgender Student Sues University of Arkansas
BY Diane Anderson-Minshall
May 13 2012 11:19 AM ET

http://www.advocate.com/node/147999

By all accounts, Jennifer Braly is a good student. The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith psychology major carries a 3.58 GPA, according to the Arkansas Times, and has been a popular guest lecturer in psychology and sociology classes. Braly, 36-years-old and transgender, has given about 20 faculty-sanctioned lectures on gender dysphoria, and at least one professor has written her a letter of recommendation saying Braly's talks "open the doors to a greater understanding and appreciation of this too often misunderstood disorder."

But, according to both the Times and the student newspaper, the Lion's Chronicle, Braly was recently forbidden by school administrators from giving any more guest lectures, even when the professor's have requested her to do so. Several professors supported Braly, one even cancelling her class instead of hosting it without the student lecturer. Braly, who sued the university earlier this year for discrimination in both restroom and housing policies, thinks the ban on her speaking to classes may be a way for the university to silence criticism of their transgender policies.