Transgender is a new topic on Harvard's campus. This fall the undergraduate BGLSA added a new initial to its name, making it the BGLTSA. Some would say that they just added one more letter to what is already alphabet soup. I readily admit that the name�Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered and Supporters Alliance�is a mouthful to pronounce, but as far as I am concerned, we can add twenty more letters if this will allow more queer folks to feel included. The added T stands for "transgendered," an umbrella term which includes transsexuals, intersexuals, drag queens and kings, cross-dressers and alternatively gendered people (see Abbreviated Guide to Gender Terms below).
So is this one more step toward ultimate PC-ism? Many feel that all these names and labels are extraneous, but the fight for transgender identity, equality and recognition is far from won here and far from started in so many places. What does it mean to be transgendered at Harvard? For me, it means that I am a member of a hall of twelve men, eleven males, that I am a member of Radcliffe, that I watch how I dress and look and I get comments in class, laughs in the hallways, comments, elbows, pushes and jokes in the dining hall and on the paths. It also means that I and the other transgendered students here are not protected under Harvard's non-discrimination policy.
This year, the transgender task-force, with the support of the BGLTSA, has begun to fight for the inclusion of transgendered people in the non-discrimination policy. We feel this can be best achieved by adding the phrase "gender identity" to the statement which now includes race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status or disability. There are many who feel that this policy is broad and inclusive of the transgender community, and that by adding the phrase "gender identity" we are only serving to make narrower categories, actually allowing more discrimination to occur. It is interesting to see that this was and is the same argument used by those who oppose the inclusion of the phrase "sexual orientation." A Chrysler official, speaking about the inclusion of "sexual orientation" in the company's non-discrimination policy said, "We have a non-discrimination policy that includes everybody. To single out any particular group limits the policy�making it so that there will always be someone who feels they are not protected." Clearly the gay community, as well as numerous corporations and municipalities, feel otherwise. Likewise, the tide is turning for transgendered rights. Already five cities and one state include transgendered people in their non-discrimination policy.
In order to convince the University that our cause is just and valid, time, money and commitment are needed. The process for changing the non-discrimination policy is a long one, involving discussions with the deans, faculty, and finally the corporate board of the University. We, as undergraduates, need as much help from alumni/ae, graduate students and members of the LGBT community in order that our cause be heard and considered. Any person interested in supporting our cause, whether with letters, resources, contributions or even suggestions for tactics, is more than welcome to contact us at BGLTSA, P.O. Box 381187, Cambridge, MA 02238.
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