Student groups aim to expand non-discrimination policy

MSA and Triangle Coalition want to gain grassroots support.

By Eva Dou

Published March 12, 2009

The Missouri Students Association Senate and Triangle Coalition have launched a grassroots campaign to try to get transgender protection added to the university non-discrimination policy.

Amending the UM system's non-discrimination policy requires the approval of the Board of Curators, which has historically been reluctant to change the policy. MSA President Jordan Paul said students are trying to increase the proposal's chances by securing support from MU students and administrators first.

"You have to go (from the) ground up and get everyone on board, so when the board does it, it's almost just a formality," Paul said. "We're trying to show a clear message of support."

People who are transgender are not protected by the university's current policy. The proposal would add "gender identity and expression" to the protected categories of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability and status as a protected veteran.

In coming weeks, MSA members will petition MU schools, departments and subsidiaries to add the clause to their individual non-discrimination policies.

Paul said so far he has approached Athletic Director Michael Alden about the athletic department's non-discrimination policy. Paul said Alden plans to check into it.

Students will also weigh in on the topic.

MSA will hold a referendum April 6-8 on whether to add gender identity to MSA's non-discrimination policy. In preparation for the referendum, MSA and Triangle Coalition will distribute pamphlets, buttons and stickers about the referendum to students.

The goal is to inform students so the referendum will reflect true student opinion, MSA Multicultural Issues Chairwoman Alex Holley said.

While the referendum would not affect university policy, Triangle Coalition President Asher Kolieboi said proof of student support would be helpful when approaching the board.

"It would send a strong message," Kolieboi said.

Students have started an online advocacy campaign called Include Me MU, which operates through a blog, Facebook page and Twitter account.

"We want students to know about the current policy," Triangle Coalition Vice President Erin Horth said. "People who are transgender can be fired or discriminated against and they have no recourse."

Chancellor Brady Deaton supports the proposal, but students said it might be more difficult to get the curators' approval.

Chief Diversity Officer Roger Worthington said one obstacle is that many people don't understand the difference between sexual orientation, which is protected by university policy, and gender identity, which is not.

Sexual orientation refers to a person's innate sexual attraction, while gender identity is a person's emotional and psychological sense of being male or female.

Paul said his goal is to raise support this semester and submit the proposal to the curators in the fall. But the process could outlast Paul's one-year term.

The last effort to amend the non-discrimination policy took eight years. In 1995, pressure from state legislators prompted the curators to remove "sexual orientation" from the list of protected categories, according to previous Maneater reports. The board reinstated the clause in 2003 after intensive student and faculty lobbying. Several legislators responded with threats to withdraw the university's state funding.

With this history, students said generating grassroots support before going to the curators is crucial.

"We would want a comfortable majority (of the colleges and departments) on board," Paul said.