The Justice

The University recently approved changes to its non-discrimination policy to include the protection of individuals on the basis of "gender identity and expression." The change was written and proposed by members of TransBrandeis, a division of Triskelion.

Brandeis is the 53rd university in the country to adopt a gender identity and gender expression non-discrimination policy, TransBrandeis co-chair M. Simon '07 said.

Simon and co-chair Kate Moore '06, who worked this semester on altering the policy's wording, said that in addition to adding "gender identity and expression," the phrases that had been in parenthesis after "sexual orientation," including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and heterosexual, were removed.

Simon said these terms don't cover everybody and that "transsexual was just wrong because it's not a sexual orientation."

Simon said there's no way to tell how many transgender students are on campus, but that it doesn't matter.

"There's at least one [transgendered student at Brandeis], so it's an issue," said Trisk Board Member Andrew Wiechert '06.

This change affects Brandeis as an institution, not just the queer community, Simon said.

After receiving the proposal from Triskelion, Albert F. Cahn '07 Board of Trustees Union Representative, sent it to Debra Gratto, associate vice president of Human Resources, last month. After a Board of Trustees policy review committee approved the changes, University President Jehuda Reinharz signed off on it April 5.

Gratto said the changes are consistent with the current policy and were approved rapidly.

"It's a non-issue for us, a minor change," Gratto said. "From our perspectives, this was really correcting and being more accurate as to the desires of the community."

Simon said the revised policy will appear in next year's Rights and Responsibilities handbook.

Clare McBee (GRAD) a TransBrandeis member who assisted in the policy revision, said the group's work reflects a trend among trans-activist groups across the country that are proposing the inclusion of gender identity and expression to university, state and national non-discrimination policies.

Continued...

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