'Trans'-forming gender

Last weekend in Fresno, Calif., Tony Covarrubias was one of seven young men vying for the title of prom king. But this prom coronation was different from others around the nation: Tony, born Cinthia, identifies as transgender.\nAfter Covarrubias’ classmates nominated him, administrators at Fresno High School reversed district policies that allowed only biological “males” and “females” to compete for the titles of prom king and queen, respectively. School officials made the decision to comply with a 2000 California law that protects students’ ability to express gender identity at school.\nTony explained: “My freshman year I just started feeling different. When I decided to change to be like this, all of a sudden I said, ‘Wow, I feel OK. I feel like finally I’m being me.’”\nGender identity is one’s subjective sense of one’s own “sex.” It is often strongly and unambiguously felt, yet it is difficult to prove. Nevertheless, gender identity is just as real as one’s physical gender, and largely unchangeable. Transgender people often feel “trapped in the wrong body” because outward appearance does not match their internal identity .\nTony’s participation in the prom court is a positive sign that society is growing to accept more diversity in gender expression. And the story reminds us to be conscious of avoiding policies and decisions that confine gender to a narrow binary based on biology and rigid social expectations for behavior and appearance. But a long road lies ahead for comprehensive transgender rights.\nAll students deserve a safe and welcoming learning environment, but transgender youth do not frequently enjoy this right. A nationwide survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found that 90 percent of transgender youth felt unsafe at school, 55 percent reported physical harassment, and 81 percent reported being sexually harassed because of their gender expressions.\nIU has made small steps toward an inclusive and welcoming environment for a growing number of transgender students. Residential Programs and Services changed many restrooms to gender-neutral to provide transgender residents with safe bathroom access. A handful of restroom conversions is a wonderful – but minimal – step in the right direction.\nUnfortunately, the living spaces in our residence halls are still gender-segregated, and therefore unwelcoming, even threatening, for transgender students. Many official University forms demand that students mark their “sex” rather than recognizing a diversity of gender identities. New buildings on campus still go up with gender-segregated restroom facilities.\nMost alarmingly, the University does not include gender identity and expression in its nondiscrimination policies (the city of Bloomington does). A university committed to inclusion, diversity and education cannot excuse such an omission. Including gender identity in University nondiscrimination policies would recognize the complexity and breadth of gender and, more importantly, provide a foundation for future institutional changes.\nWe’re not there yet. But hopefully IU will soon be an educational institution whose policies and practices recognize the needs of all students – an institution that even potential prom kings like Tony would be proud to call home.