Socially-Just

Learning Environments
for Trans Students
PRESENTED BY SHANTEL IVITS, BASIC EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR
Mistakes: A great way to learn!
 Introductions

Whats your name?

What pronouns do you use?

What courses do you teach?

Learning Goals

Gain strategies for

Expand our creating a Know the
understanding of welcoming legal rights of
gender diversity environment trans students
What are the benefits of
making VCC a safer,
more welcoming place
for trans people?
Understanding
Gender Diversity
Gender Identity Match Up
Transgender
An umbrella term used to describe
a wide range of people whose
gender identities differ from the sex
they were assigned at birth.
Cisgender
Used to describe people whose
gender identities are the same as
the sex they were assigned at birth
Trans Woman

A person who identifies as a woman

and was assigned male at birth
Trans Man

A person who identifies as a man

and was assigned female at birth
Person of Trans
History
A term used by people who
transitioned from one gender to
another and no longer consider
themselves to be transgender.
Two-Spirit
A term used by some Indigenous
societies on Turtle Island to
describe people with diverse
gender identities, gender
expressions, gender roles, and
sexual orientations.
Genderqueer
Refers to people who identify
outside of the male-female binary.
They may identify as a mix of
male/female or as a third gender.
Intersex
Intersex people may have: external
genitalia which do not closely
resemble typical male or female
genitalia; the genitalia of one sex and
the secondary sex characteristics of
another sex; or a chromosomal make-
up that is neither XX or XY.
Drag Queen /
King
Refers to people who dress in a
showy or flamboyant way that
exaggerates gendered stereotypes,
often for entertainment purposes.
Creating a
Welcoming Environment
Setting a Tone on the First Day of
Class

Create a welcoming environment from the first day: were a diverse

class and everyone is welcome here: people of all races, all religions, all
genders, all sexual orientations, and all abilities.
We have diverse opinions and beliefs. We are all entitled to our opinions
and beliefs. People dont have the right to create a hostile learning
environment. A VCC, we respect each other no matter what our
differences.
Learning to work with diverse people is a skill. Its part of the
curriculum.
Use the students chosen name
Ask about pronouns

Respectful Awkward

What pronoun do you use?

Are you a man or a woman?

Practice using singular they

(They / Them / Theirs)

Whose coat is this?

I dont know, but they have good taste.
Offensive Language

Stop Saying Say this instead

Intersex
Hermaphrodite
Crossdresser
Transvestite

Trans or
Transsexual Transgender (unless a person self-identifies as
Sextranssexual)
change

Gender affirming surgery

Transgendered

A trans or a transgender
Trans or Transgender
Have you had the surgery?
Trans or Transgender
(just dont ask)
Messing Up Gracefully

apologize, but dont overdo it

affirm the importance of safer spaces for trans people
commit to doing better
Reflect on your curriculum

Are there ways that your curriculum talks about gender in ways that
erase trans people?
For example, in health related disciplines:
Use language that doesnt assume that all/only women have certain
body parts and all/only men have certain body parts
Refer to people with specific anatomy when talking about procedures.
Eg. People with a cervix need pap smears; people with a prostate may
need a prostate exam; people who can get pregnant may want to use
contraception
Legal Rights
of Trans Students
Chosen Names vs. Legal Names

Chosen names should be used: Legal names are used for:

To address the student in person official transcripts

On class lists

On the students ID card

reports to government
In the students email address diplomas and certificates
tax receipts
Washrooms

Trans people in BC have the right to use the washroom that

corresponds with their gender identity
This applies regardless of whether someone has had surgery and
regardless of what their ID says
Genderqueer / Non-binary people have the right to use the washroom
they feel safest in
Trans people may choose to use a gender-neutral or all-gender
washroom for safety reasons
Clothing

Except where inconsistent with security, health and safety concerns, all
trans people have the right to dress, be uniformed and groom
themselves in attire that reflects their gender identity and preferred
gender expression.
This right applies in practicums and work placements, as well.
The College has a legal responsibility to provide
an environment free from discrimination,
harassment, and bullying

Bullying Harassment Discrimination

Excluding or ignoring a person
Undermining a persons work
Belittling a person
Excessively criticizing a person
Humiliating or insulting someone
Threatening someone
Persistent rudeness
Persistent exclusion
Deliberately outing someone
Allowing an environment that is
hostile or unwelcoming
Forcing someone to stay in the
closet
Perpetuating negative
stereotypes

Refusing to use someones Literature that promotes hatred

chosen name and pronouns of trans people
Saying trans women arent real
women
 You have a trans woman in
your class.
Other students avoid sitting
next to her or being her
partner.
One group of students is
Scenario rude to her, exchanging
looks and laughing at her
behind her back.
What can an instructor do
to create a welcoming
learning environment?
If a student tells you about
harassment:

Provide privacy
Listen actively
Reassure them that you are there to help them work toward a resolution
Take notes during or after the meeting
Discuss options: refer to Arbiter or Student Issues, have a mediated
conversation, request an apology, file a written complaint, involve Security
or police if necessary, talk to counselling, etc.
Explain your next steps: Youll consult the Department Head and/or
Arbiter of Student Issues
Discuss confidentiality
Learning Goals

Gain strategies for

Expand our creating a Know the
understanding of welcoming legal rights of
gender diversity environment trans students
Rock, Stick, Leaf

A message that
Something that Something that you want to leave
rocked your world will stick with you with the group