Non-discrimination policy lacks transgender specifications

The Triangle Coalition is raising awareness about transgender concerns.

By Evan Spaulding

Published Feb. 16, 2009

Unbeknownst to many students, faculty and staff on campus, there is a group of people who are still vulnerable to discrimination in the UM system.

Although the UM system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability or status as a qualified protected veteran, transgender people are not protected under the notice of non-discrimination.

Triangle Coalition President Asher Kolieboi said this is a problem with dire ramifications.

"The issue is, because gender identity and gender expression are not included in the non-discrimination policy, that leaves faculty, staff and students at risk to be fired or denied admissions," Kolieboi said.

Triangle Coalition is a student organization consisting of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students.

Kolieboi said the crux of the problem lies in awareness and education of the administration and transgender issues on campus extend beyond the code of non-discrimination.

Four Front, a coalition of campus minority groups, met with Chancellor Brady Deaton two weeks ago where they discussed issues relating to diversity on campus and transgender concerns.

"Somebody brought up the idea of unisex bathrooms in buildings that are being renovated, and he didn't even know that bathrooms were an issue for trans people," Kolieboi said.

The Triangle Coalition has been working to educate those on campus about transgender issues, but the burden of responsibility is now on the MU administration, and the coalition's next move will be to increase the administration's awareness about transgender issues, Kolieboi said.

"I think it's a problem when a whole community agrees on something but the people who are chosen to represent the community aren't listening," Kolieboi said. I think we also need to branch out to other campuses because it's not just Columbia, Mo., that's being affected by this, it's the UM system."

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs said in 2003, when the administration incorporated sexual orientation into the non-discrimination policy, they were under the impression all members of the UM system were being adequately represented.

Although there is strong interest among transgender people on campus, no formal steps have been made toward making gender identity a part of the code. Scroggs said the administration has passed along to the Board of Curators the lack of gender identity in the non-discrimination code.

"What we've discussed doing now was to try to get each of the academic colleges and departments on campus to develop their own non-discrimination statement that include language regarding gender identity," Scroggs said.

Missouri Students Association President Jordan Paul said Scroggs' method would also be his avenue of approach to the situation.

Paul said this is the way that sexual orientation was added to the UM policy, wherein the various colleges and departments on campus would adopt individual non-discrimination policies so functionally the UM system would have incorporated gender identity into the policy and making it official would be a formality.