Column:

Request for equality neither ridiculous nor radical

Focusing on transgender policies shows responsibility and commitment to equality.

By Lindsay Eanet

Published March 12, 2009

Ladies, gentlemen and those of you who say "screw you" to the gender binary, I demand satisfaction. That is why I am challenging Maneater political columnist Marcus Bowen to a duel.

It only makes sense to solve our grave ideological differences this way, since Bowen's views, judging by his last column, are so insultingly archaic and out-of-touch that I wouldn't put it past him to be up for a good old-fashioned duel.

But the purpose of this column is not to go all "Expelliarmus" on Bowen. Rather than waste my time trying to argue, I want to use what he wrote to talk to you about why the issues at hand are neither ridiculous nor radical.

And I want to talk to you about privilege. It's easy to call the struggle for someone else's rights "ridiculous" when you yourself have never been harassed for just being who you are. What irks me about people like Bowen discussing matters of gender (or race or sexual orientation) is that all too often they fail to see their own privilege.

And it's easy to call an issue frivolous when it doesn't affect you. I am not a member of the transgender community and I acknowledge I cannot speak directly to that experience. But I've had friends who are, who have been harassed at school and had their houses vandalized. This isn't about creating some "peaches-and-cream Utopia," as Bowen suggested in his column. This is about equality, about safety and about doing the right thing.

The members of Include Me MU, a group promoting Transgender rights, are not asking for any sort of special treatment, nor are any other marginalized group on this campus. But the truth is, as long as safety is a factor and any group of students feels "less than," steps need to be taken to ensure everyone feels comfortable, so they can learn how to make money and be productive members of society.

Due to the prevalence of trans-panic and its tendency toward violence, according to the Human Rights Campaign, one study suggests transgender individuals might face a one in 12 chance of being murdered -- one in 12. Just let that sink in for a second. The transgender community at MU might be a small one, but that doesn't mean they are any less deserving of a collegiate experience that is safe, happy and free from harassment.

And the truth is, these changes aren't radical or detrimental to anyone. Changing the policy won't cost anything or hurt anyone. Not only have many colleges and universities added gender identity to their non-discrimination policy, but also the transition team for the Obama administration was the first presidential operation to include gender identity in its policy. The times, they are a-changin', and it's only natural that we should change with them.

And this would hardly be the first time a university has made adjustments to its facilities on behalf of its students. Several years ago, the University of Michigan-Dearborn added footbaths in some residence hall bathrooms to accommodate Muslim students.

As for the issue of the curators, this is exactly why we need a voting student curator. Without the efforts of students such as Phyllis Williams and Asher Kolieboi, the administration would not have been made aware of the issues affecting transgender students. There probably wouldn't have been a section about gender identity issues on the Campus Climate Survey (which you all should fill out if you haven't yet).

And this goes well beyond the issues surrounding transgender students. Without the work of thoughtful, committed student groups, the administration would not be aware or able to implement solutions to the problems that affect more than just a few of us. Thanks to Pat Margherio and Ben Datema of Sustain Mizzou, we have the beginnings of a cost-and-energy-saving sustainability initiative that will help everyone at MU in the long run. Thanks to the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, the curator bill, while voted down again, at least had a fighting chance. To suggest students are incapable of working with administration to pave the way for positive changes is not only inaccurate, but also downright insulting.

To the members of Include Me MU, I commend your work so far and wish you the best. To the rest of the student body, whatever issues matter to you, no matter if they seem "ridiculous" to some people, you are capable, so keep on fighting.

As for you, Mr. Bowen, consider this my slap of the dueling glove. But since I don't believe in actual violence, let's make it water pistols at dawn.