Dear Bowdoin Faculty,
We are writing today to ask for your help in making Bowdoin a safe, welcoming campus for students of all genders. Although trans* celebrities show up more frequently on our television screens and Facebook feeds, realistic discussions of the needs of trans* and genderqueer people are usually relegated to queer groups and classes explicitly dedicated to gender. This creates a divided culture wherein many people who would benefit greatly from hearing trans* and genderqueer voices are not directly involved in these conversations. Even though most Bowdoin students and faculty pride themselves on being accepting and welcoming, the majority of trans* and genderqueer students have, at times, felt uncomfortable, unwelcome, and even unsafe in classrooms and around our campus. The most common problem reported by trans* and genderqueer students, especially nonbinary students, is misgendering, or assuming a student’s gender in a way that does not match their true gender identity.
Misgendering often occurs internally, when one assumes the gender of an individual based on the traditional Western binary construction of gender. However, in recent years, a major shift in how our society views gender has occurred. The push for trans* and genderqueer rights and acceptance in both the queer community and the broader population has helped more people to recognize that gender identity is not necessarily related to physiological sex, nor does it necessarily conform to the traditional Western binary of “man” and “woman.” The deconstruction of these concepts has normalized a variety of new identities included under the umbrella term “trans*,” with the asterisk added to represent identities other than binary gender transitions. These identities include, but are by no means limited to, transgender (identifying with a gender other than that assigned at birth, possibly the alternate binary gender), nonbinary (identifying as neither a man nor a woman), and genderqueer (identifying in any way that questions or deconstructs a binary view of gender). While misgendering may not seem to be an issue for many cisgender (non-transgender) people, misgendering a trans* person can trigger feelings of depression, anxiety, and self-hatred associated with gender dysphoria, and implies that the individual’s identity is not valid or respected. Misgendering can also place trans* and genderqueer students in a psychologically taxing position in which they must choose whether to remain silent, suffering the emotional consequences of being misgendered and appearing to accept the misapplied gender as “correct,” or to out themselves and draw potentially unwanted attention to their gender identity by correcting the speaker.
The subconscious process of misgendering is exceedingly difficult to unpack and unlearn. However, misgendering is most harmful—and more easily avoided—when expressed externally, most often by referring to an individual using pronouns, a name, or other gendered language that does not align with that person’s actual gender identity. Trans* and genderqueer students often experience this form of misgendering in class discussions. For example, a nonbinary student may be called upon to provide a “man’s perspective” despite being neither a man nor a woman. Such assumptions cause harm not only by implying the invalidation of the student’s identity, but also by reinforcing the existence of the gender binary and forcing the student into it.
While a true end to misgendering will take significant cultural work, faculty and staff can help by simply asking students themselves for their names and pronouns. This information can easily be included in normal introductions at the beginning of class. For example, a professor who usually asks students to say their names should instead ask for the name and gender pronouns of each student and, if the student so desires, correct any misgendering they witness. Professors may also choose to collect this information from students more privately by adding gender identity or pronoun fields to their student information sheets. Whichever method professors prefer, it is also critical for them to normalize and model this practice by introducing themselves with their gender pronouns (“My name is Professor Smith and I use she/her/hers pronouns”). It can also be beneficial for professors to include their gender pronouns in email signatures and other forms of correspondence with students and other faculty.
Julianna Hauri ’18 (she/her/hers) and Kate Stern (she/her/hers), Director of the Resource Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity, are happy to provide more information and resources. Members of the faculty are also invited to attend Safe Zone trainings, which include in-depth discussions of the needs of queer students.
We recognize that many of these ideas are new and that each of us comes to this discussion with a different level of understanding, and we sincerely appreciate your openness to learning about the issues trans* and genderqueer students face at Bowdoin. It is vital that all of us work together to make Bowdoin a safe space for students of all genders.
This letter was contributed by the following members of the Bowdoin Queer-Straight Alliance and Gender Matters:
Ginny Crow ’18 (she/her/hers)
Julianna Hauri ’18 (she/her/hers)
Chris Hernandez Turcios ’18 (he/him/his)
Michelle Kruk ’16 (she/her/hers)
Erin McKissick ’16 (she/her/hers)
Rayne Sampson ’18 (they/them/their)
Sarah Elizabeth Wilson ’17 (she/her/hers)