Trans Students at HSU--Statement of Concerns

We feel it is important to gather as a community to express our concerns. So, some of the trans students at HSU have gotten together several times throughout the spring and summer and have exchanged e-mails to discuss issues trans students face. Our numbers are often underestimated, because we tend to avoid making our identity as trans people known. However, trans students are attending Humboldt State University as they have been for many years and probably will be as long as the institution is open. While we condemn all discrimination, violence and harassment, as trans people we can not speak for all students that experience the effects of prejudice; we can only speak for ourselves. Through a lengthy consensus process, we have drafted this Statement of Concerns. We would like to bring to your attention some concerns with which trans students at HSU are currently dealing:

Since 1999, members of our community have experienced at least one major expression of anti-trans hate per year at HSU including death threats, rape or attempted rape, and physical assault. Unfortunately, this trend shows no signs that it is changing. When this hate has been reported to the University Police Department, they have demonstrated a high degree of professionalism that should be an example to law enforcement elsewhere. However, university administrators have been reluctant to express support for trans survivors, condemn these actions or work to prevent them from recurring.
We do not feel safe on campus due to the current level of physical and verbal harassment on campus combined with lack of support from the administration; We are reluctant to identify ourselves and open ourselves to possible discrimination by administrators or other members of the HSU community by reporting hate violence, harassment and discrimination.
Problems exist with the administration and faculty due to their lack of education. Trans students need an educated staff to help resolve issues such as use of language that is stigmatizing, demeaning and inappropriate for academic situations in the classroom.
Currently, trans members of the HSU community aren't clearly included/protected by HSU's anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies even though both the California Penal Code and the California Education Code are clear about protecting trans people.
Student Affairs, Residence Life, and Counseling and Psychological Services offer little or no support for trans students dealing with a variety issues we face.
Student affairs, housing and other offices at Humboldt State have no policies to guide them when dealing with trans students. Some trans members of the HSU community perceive staff members' courses of action are based on whatever way the wind is blowing and whatever mood the staff member is in at that moment.
The student body also lacks education on trans phenomena, lives, and experiences. There is virtually no inclusion of trans phenomena, lives and experiences or Transphobia in the curriculum. Often when it is included in the cubiculum is outdated or inaccurate.

We urge administrators at Humboldt State University to:

Stand in solidarity with ALL those who experience acts of hate both as an individual and as a representative of Humboldt State University. We hope this would include openly condemning acts of hate and actively working to support those who experience them -- including trans people.
Create a hate violence prevention program that addresses all forms of hate violence including anti-trans hate.
Create mandatory diversity training for all faculty and staff that includes anti-transphobia material.
Add the definition of gender found in section 422.76 of the California Penal Code to university harassment and nondiscrimination policies: "gender" means the victim's actual sex or the defendant's perception of the victim's sex, and includes the defendant's perception of the victim's identity, appearance, or behavior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the victim's sex at birth.
Work with trans organizations and trainers to develop training materials for LGA's and AC that address the issues trans people face.
Encourage Student Affairs, Residence Life, counseling center, and other staff to undergo professional development opportunities that recognize the full spectrum of trans experiences and trans people separate from gay, lesbian and bisexual people rather than lumping us together, while still recognizing us as a part of a gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer community.
Develop a gender identity working group of student, faculty, and staff to draft and propose policies that would guide staff working with trans members of our HSU community.
Encourage inclusion of accurate information about trans phenomena, lives, and experiences in the curricula.

The following definitions apply to the above statement of concerns.

Trans: a politically constructed aggregate identity taken by many different people who may not have anything in common other than we face the same form of oppression called genderism. As trans people our common experience of discrimination based on genderism has brought us together and united us even though as individuals we may see and experience gender and genderism in very different ways. At HSU, some of the different types of trans people are intergendered individuals, transsexual men, transsexual women, transgenderist, and intersex individuals.
Genderism: a system of oppression which dictates all people do or should conform to the stereotypes (including those on personal identity, self expression and social roles) associated with the gender that has been assigned to the individual (usually this is done shortly after birth).
Transsexual: a person who identifies and lives as the gender other than what they were raised.
Intergendered: identifying as neither of the two traditional genders.
Transgenderist: someone that lives with little or no medical intervention as a gender other than what was assigned shortly after birth.
Intersex: being born with a biology that differs from that described in standard medical definitions of male and female.