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Equal Opportunity and Inclusion
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EOI & TITLE IX GUIDANCE: June 2021

University of North Florida Office of Equal Opportunity & Inclusion Newsletter

 

VOL. 1 , ISSUE 4
JUNE 2021

Top Stories in this Issue

  • PRIDE Month
  • Transgender Statistics
  • Understanding the “T” in LGBTQ 

What is Pride Month?

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on gender orientation, gender expressions or gender identity. June was selected for Pride Month because it was the month of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. It is a movement that celebrates sexual diversity. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, June has been used to celebrate sexual diversity and to protest against discrimination and violence within the LGBTQ Community by increasing society’s awareness of the issued faced by the Community in the quest for dignity, equal rights, and self-affirmation.

Transgender Statistics

  • 30 percent of transgender people report being fired, denied a promotion, or experiencing mistreatment in the workplace due to their gender identity.
  • 31 percent of transgender people experienced mistreatment in a place of public accommodation, including 14 percent who were denied equal services, 24 percent who were verbally harassed, and two (2) percent who were physically attacked because they were transgender.
  • Transgender people experience unemployment at three (3) times the rate of the general population, with rates for transgender people of color up to four (4) times the national unemployment rate.
  • 29 percent of transgender people live in poverty, compared to 14 percent of the general population.

 SOURCE: National Center for Transgender Equality 2015 US Trans Survey 

Understanding the “T” in LGBTQ

A Personal Conversation with UNF Community Members Who Identify As Transgender

EOI spoke with Haiden Baier (transgender man) who serves as Program Assistant & Osprey PERCH Fellow in the LGBTQ Center and Jasmine Graham (transgender woman) who serves as a graduate assistant in the psychology department about their experiences at UNF. Both are alumni and were able to speak from both the student and employee perspective. Watch the interview.

Vocabulary

Sex: refers to one's biological status as either male or female, and is associated with physical attributes and external and internal anatomy.

 

Gender: refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that society considers appropriate for men and women.

 

Gender identity: refers to a person's internal knowledge of their personal sense of being a man or a woman, or someone outside of the gender binary.

 

Sexual orientation: describes a person's enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to another person.

 

Transgender: term used to describe people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

 

Transgender Woman: lives as a woman today, but was thought to be male at birth.

 

Transgender Man: lives as a man today, but was thought to be female at birth.

 

Intersex: people who have reproductive anatomy or genes that don't fit typically definitions of male or female.

 

Non-binary: people whose gender is not male or female.

 

Cisgender: people whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.

 

Gender dysphoria: medical diagnosis for some who experience serious emotional distress that affects the health and everyday life of transgender people created by the difference of their gender identity and their birth gender.

 

Important Facts

Transgender is an adjective and should never be used as a noun. Never add an "ed" to the word transgender.

 

Being transgender is not an illness, but many transgender people need to deal with physical and mental health problems because of widespread discrimination and stigma from society. These experiences are not caused by the transgender identity but as a result of the intolerance many transgender people have to deal with from their communities.

 

When deciding what questions to ask transgender persons ask yourself these questions first:

  1. Do I need to know this information in order to treat them with respect?
  2. Would I be comfortable if this question was asked of me?

If the answer to either one is no, DO NOT ASK the question.

NEVER ask about their "real" name.

NEVER share photographs of them before they transitioned.

NEVER ask them what hormones they are or are not taking.

NEVER ask questions about surgeries they may or may not have had.

 

Questions/ Answers

How many people identify as transgender?

According to the Center for Transgender Equality, there are approximately 1.4 million transgender adults in the United States.

 

What is transitioning?

This is the period of time during which a person begins to live according to their gender identity, rather than the gender they were thought to be at birth. This process looks different in each person. Possible steps in the gender transition process may include changing clothing, appearance, and name or pronouns used. Some people change their identification documents, i.e. driver's license, passport to reflect their current gender. Some people undergo hormone therapy or other medical procedures to change their physical characteristics and make their body reflect their beliefs about themselves.

 

How do I know what pronouns to use when speaking with transgender people?

ASK! You can start with informing others of your pronouns first and then asking them what pronouns they prefer. You can wait to see what pronouns are used by others in the conversation and then use the same ones.

 

What do I do if I make a mistake and use the wrong pronoun?

Apologize and move on.

 

How To Be An Ally

  • Educate yourself about transgender issues by reading and educating yourself and by consulting with transgender experts.
  • Speak out in support of transgender people and transgender rights.
  • Think about how you use gendered language and use gender neutral language whenever possible.
  • Push for support and inclusivity, not simply tolerance.
  • Use the names and pronouns the individual prefers.

 

Resources

GLAAD  

N on-governmental media monitoring organization

https://www.glaad.org/transgender/resources  

 

National Center for Transgender Equality  

Non-profit social justice advocacy organization

https://transequality.org/

 

GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders) 
Non-profit legal rights organization that provides legal advocacy for the LGBTQ community 

https://www.glad.org/

 

Lambda Legal  
Advocacy and legal support for the LGBTQ community                      

http://www.lambdalegal.org/

 

Workplace Fairness
Provides employment information for transgender people
https://www.workplacefairness.org/gender­identity­discrimination

 

Equality Federation
Directory of state-­based organizations advocating for LGBTQ people
http://www.equalityfederation.org/members/

 

INVESTIGATIONS

Current EOI Investigations 

 

Total 25
Open 20
Closed this month 5
Referred to OSAR 1

Note: Case must be closed by EOI before it can be referred to OSAR

 

Total EOI Investigations 

2019-2020 125
2020-2021 (7/1/20 - 5/20/21) 104
20-21 Title IX/ Sexual Misconduct 41
20-21 Title VII - Race/ Color 26
20-21 Title VII - Religion 2
20-21 Title VII - Disability 11
20-21 Retaliation 7
20-21 Other Discrimination/ Harassment 17

 

EOI Office Staff Directory

Director and Title IX Coordinator

Marlynn Jones, Esquire

Marlynn.jones@unf.edu

 

Title IX & Civil Rights Investigator

Christina Chatman

Christina.chatman@unf.edu

 

EOI Coordinator

Katie Haft

K.haft@unf.edu

 

EOI Coordinator

Fantei Norman

Fantei.norman@unf.edu


Office of Equal Opportunity & Inclusion
1 UNF Drive, Building 1, Suite 1200, Jacksonville, FL 32224
904-620-2507
Edited by: Marlynn R. Jones, Esquire