[ a l l i a n c e] at Cornell College

To: Members of the Cornell College Community.
From: The undersigned.

Cornell College values diversity and provides an inclusive and welcoming environment for many in the Cornell Community. To this end, Cornell has a non-discrimination statement in which it promises to protect students, staff, and faculty from discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national origin, or disability. We would like the College to extend the same welcome and promise of fair treatment to transgender people.

We are seeking an addition of "gender identity and gender expression" to the non-discrimination/equal opportunity policy of Cornell College, in order to further respect, accept and encourage diversity on our campus within the context of today's pluralistic society. By recognizing the difference between physical or born sex and gender and acknowledging that discrimination can and does occur against people based on their gender identity and gender expression we hope to keep Cornell an inclusive environment.

The term "gender identity" refers to an individual's fundamental sense of themselves as masculine or feminine, and male or female. The phrase originated in psychiatry, and commonly refers to transsexual or transgender people: those who want to change, or have changed, their sex or genders.

Throughout the world, and certainly in our nation, people who identify themselves as transgender, as well as people who are perceived to be transgender, are subject to overt forms of discrimination. Frightening examples of this discrimination can be found in the areas of employment, housing, education, emergency medical care, and protection by law enforcement officials as well as many others.

Brandon Teena, a person who was born biologically female but self-identified as a man, was raped and beaten in Nebraska on Christmas Day in 1993. Not only was he specifically targeted by his attackers because he was transgender, but local law enforcement chose not to act on the reported assault and rape because of anti-transgender bias. The County Sheriff referred to Brandon as "it" and did not allow the county deputies to arrest the attackers. Later that same week the two men that had raped and beaten Brandon found him again and shot and stabbed him to death. (Omaha World-Herald, April 21, 2001; Associated Press, Oct. 5, 2001; New York Times, April 21, 2001; Chicago Tribune, April 21, 2001.)

This is just one example of what we would like to think is an extreme scenario, but it is far from the only incident of this nature. Between November of 2001 and 2002 there were 20 deaths in the US that law enforcement officials and transgender activists together claim to be motivated primarily by bias against a person who had transgressed the gender role they were expected to fulfill based on their physical or born sex (Reports of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs [www.avp.org]).

The term "gender expression" refers to things like clothing and behavior that manifest a person's gender identity. These manifestations can include, but are not limited to posture, hair style, dress, vocal inflection and so on.

Institutions and municipalities in our area and throughout the nation are moving to recognize that discrimination against people based on their gender identity and gender expression does exist, does occur and needs to be addressed in policy language. Both the University of Iowa and the City of Iowa City protect people on the basis of gender identity. In 1995 there were 13 jurisdictions that protected on the basis of gender identity and/or gender expression -- in 2001 there were 56. The states of Minnesota and Rhode Island protect on this basis as do many of the cities that Cornell students come from (Boulder, Chicago, Denver, etc.).

Because people in our society who do not live up to someone else's idea of being a "real man" or "real woman" face strong discrimination, bias and hatred, we feel that it is important for Cornell College to have policies that foster acceptance and understanding for people on this basis.

In an effort to support people who are severely marginalized, we ask for the addition of language to the non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy of Cornell College that would protect people on the basis of both gender identity and gender expression.

Thank you for your time in this matter,

Addy Free, Sophomore Class Rep., Student Senate
Bill Adams, President, Men Against Violence
Laura Arnold, Leader, Womyn's Action Group
Andrea Arzuaga, President, Black Awareness Cultural Organization
Towanda Birmingham, Chair, Sister 4 Sister
Jan Boney, Associate Professor, French Dept.
Elizabeth Bowman, Chair, Organizations Committee, Student Senate
Elizabeth Ditlevson, Vice-President, Student Senate
Lane Dunlop, Education and Online Communications Technologist
Tina Fetner, Assistant Professor, Sociology Dept.
Brooke Ford, President, Alpha Sigma Pi (Arrows)
Todd Gehrke, Assistant Director of Student Life
Judy Goetschius, Secretary, Residence Life Office
Chris Johnson, Director of Intercultural Life
Matt Johnson, Director of Residence Life
Carol Lacy-Salazar, Chair, Council on Multiculturalism
Gayle Luck, Professor, Education Dept.
Jennifer Quindry, Leader, Womyn's Resource Group
Nancy Romalov, Visiting Professor, Women's Studies Dept.
Steve Wieland, President, Cornell Greens

Groups in Support Include: Alliance, Alpha Sigma Pi (Arrows), Cornell Greens, Council on Multiculturalism, Men Against Violence, Sister 4 Sister, Student Senate, Womyn's Action Group, and Womyn's Resource Group.

If you have absolutely any questions or would like to voice your support for this policy initiative, please contact Addy at a-free[at]cornellcollege[dot]edu.