TGs on Campus

By Kristina Latham
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University campuses are places where transgenders are becoming more visible and active. Transgendered students and staff are frequently at the forefront of the transgendered movement, using universities' mission of higher learning to foster understanding of gender by the larger society. Positive change is happening at Michigan State University and other universities in Michigan. Transgenders on these campuses have experiences that are interesting and important for mapping a future for all transgenders. The following will examine some recent experiences, both positive and negative, of transgenders on Michigan college campuses.

The Michigan campus with the most transgender organization is Michigan State University. Transgenders there have organized different forms of activism and networking. These services include weekly support group meetings, presentations to classrooms, and educational panel discussions. As a result, a closely knit community of friendship has developed, not only among transgenders, but also between transgenders and the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual community. This is unusual because transgenders on campus often feel lonely and isolated, and frequently cannot meet others like them. Though these services are beneficial, transgenders have also experienced negative consequences because of their openness. Recently, criticism erupted over the inclusion of 'transgender' on a housing questionnaire for incoming students obtaining residence in on-campus housing. When listing gender on the questionnaire, a student can chose male, female, or transgendered. The transgendered category drew the ire of two undergraduate sophomores who wrote letters to the Michigan State University newspaper. The letters condemned both transgenderism and the questionnaire.

The first letter read:
"I am writing to express my revulsion with the Residence Life Student Opinion survey, specifically question No. 17, which reads, "What is your gender?" The responses given are male, female or "transgendered." What on earth does it mean to be "transgendered?" Upon looking it up in two comprehensive dictionaries, I have found nothing. However, based upon my knowledge, the prefix I can deduce is that the University-endorsed survey is attempting to bring acceptance to some perverse notion of gender. How can a reputable University promote this grotesque deviation from morality?! "Transgendered" is a convenient name a few, and VERY few, have given to their warped mental "condition." It sickens me that my University is giving credence to a band of utterly laughable sexual vagrants. Fortunately, though Michigan State has shown declining standards, I will resist the popular trend! And to the great many "transgendered" students, enjoy your heyday, for morality will return and let me assure you, you will be the first absolved of your "title!"
Jennifer A. Granger
Criminal Justice sophomore

A few days later, another letter appeared:
"I received my residence hall review in my mailbox yesterday. Upon filling out the gender column, I came across a funny word - Transgendered. What the hell is that? Furthermore, why is it looking me in the face? Now, being a previous student at a well-known urban university, I saw transsexuals on a regular basis. I am well aware that there are people out there that are a bit confused about who they are. But for a well-known and what I though was an accredited university, I am completely shocked and disgusted that this school would recognize a person's lifestyle as a gender. Keep in mind that I am not in any way slamming or insulting anybody in particular. The fact is, a person's lifestyle is not and should not be considered a gender. If a guy is going to walk around in a dress, I will not consider that as being half-and-half, and quite frankly, nobody else is either. Lesson No. 1: If you have a penis, then you are a boy. If you don't and you have breasts, then you are a girl. There are no ifs, buts or whats about that. I consider myself a very open-minded person, but let's get serious here: What is this university thinking? Not only is the word "transgendered" not in the dictionary, but it's a person's lifestyle, not a person's gender."
Vanessa A. Gualtieri
Marketing Sophomore

Though these letters are negative, one should note that these are extreme reactions, and probably do not represent how most people view transgenderism. The language of these letters leads one to believe the authors know little about the subject, especially the variations of hermaphroditism, in which someone is born with physical characteristics of both sexes. The authors also seem unaware of the degree that gender is a social construct. Transgenders believe that negative reactions come from a lack of knowledge about transgender issues. "It is a topic that most people have not thought about, and therefore they cannot comprehend what we are experiencing" states Deirdre McDaniel. Deirdre is an out transexual on campus and co-facilitator of the Michigan State University Transgender support group. Deirdre and Lisa Lees started the MSU transgender support group in the fall of 1996 when they saw a need to help transgenders on their campus. Michigan State University has a student body of 40,000 students, which accounts for an adequate number of transgendered. The transgender support group is open to anyone, regardless of university affiliation, and many people throughout Michigan attend their meetings. When asked what kind of reactions transgenders receive from others, Lisa states "People are supportive up front, but that doesn't mean they don't harbor negative feelings privately." Lisa Lees is the only "out" transsexual staff member on MSU campus, and she has worked with staff at Michigan State University to increase the well being of transgenders.

Kristina Latham, a transgender social work student at Michigan State University, discovered that Jennifer and Vanessa were roommates when she visited them in person. "I looked up Jennifer's address on the Michigan State University's URL, and she lived next door, so I visited her to make certain her letter was not a forgery or a hoax." Kristina knocked on their door, introduced herself, and was cordially invited in. Kristina states "Jennifer and Vanessa were very hospitable, they offered me candy and refreshments, but when we spoke about transgenderism, they were unapologetic and mostly committed to their genderphobic viewpoints." Kristina visited with them for an hour, but when she tried to help Jennifer and Vanessa understand transgenderism, they steered the conversation to other, unrelated topics. Kristina adds, "I wanted to speak with them in person, to let them see a transgender who is a three dimensional human being and in many ways a person just like them."

Jennifer and Vanessa's letters created a stir among Michigan State University's Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender community, who are well organized, and who showed support for their friends under attack. Many letters were sent to the Michigan State News in response to Jennifer and Vanessa's letters, but only four were printed. Kristina Latham's letter was the first.

Kristina writes:
"In her letter to The State News, Jennifer Granger writes that transgenderism is a "warped mental condition" and "perverse." I wonder if Jennifer is aware that in May 1995, the American Psychological Association recognized Crossdressing as harmless practice and stated that transvestitism is no longer termed an illness. Jennifer also writes that the transgendered are "utterly laughable sexual vagrants." I wonder if Jennifer is aware that many important and respected people throughout history were transgendered. This population includes George Sand, Joan of Arc, Henry III of France, and Queen Christina of Sweden. Additionally, there are currently many respected individuals contributing to the betterment of our society who are transgendered. Althea Garrison, in Massachusetts, for example, is the first transexual elected to the office of state representative. When Jennifer calls the transgendered a "grotesque deviation from morality," it brings to my mind a passage by Nietzsche which argues that "there are no moral phenomenon, but only moral interpretation of phenomenon." Similarly, Jennifer is interpreting transgenderism based on her concept of what morality is. Jennifer has submitted her letter at an appropriate time, given that transgenderism is coming out of the closet on this campus. Though I do not agree with her opinions, I respect Jennifer and I respect her right to express herself as she wishes."
Kristina Latham
Social Work Graduate Student

Margaret Rohde, Co-director of the Alliance of Lesbian-Bi-Gay and Transgendered Students, was another of the fortunate few whose letter was published:
"I am writing in response to Jennifer Granger's letter, "What does it mean to be transgendered?" Well, Jennifer, I can't profess to be an expert on that subject (as you profess to be on "morality"), but I'll try to answer your question. Transgendered people are individuals who feel that their gender label, the one they were given at birth, is inaccurate. The five individuals I personally know at MSU (I'm sure there are others I haven't met) are wonderful and caring people. The presence of these five individuals alone justifies the need for the choice of "male/female/transgendered" on the Residence Life Student Opinion Survey. Since you obviously know nothing about trangenderism, I would like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to the Transgender Panel Discussion, to be held at noon April 11 in Union Gold Room A. You can ask questions of real, live transgendered people and get honest and intelligent answers. They may be able to correct some of the misconceptions you have. Unfortunately, the only one who can correct your bigotry and hatred is yourself.
Maggi Rohde
Microbiology senior

A week later, a letter by another Michigan State student, Sean Granger, who identified himself as Jennifer Granger's cousin was published in the paper stating that Jennifer has a right to free speech and that Jennifer was threatened for expressing her views, though he did not say how. The transgender issue surfaced again in the campus paper when conservative columnist Randy Yeip condemned transexualism, homosexuality, and same-sex marriage. A few weeks later, Vanessa and Jennifer attended the Michigan State University Transgender Panel discussion. This was part of the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Pride Week events in which five transgendered panel members answered questions from the audience. The panel included both male-to-female and female-to-male speakers. It was a well attended and successful event. Vanessa and Jennifer attended the meeting, but dampened the atmosphere by asking the panel negative questions. Lisa Lees, coordinator of the event, successfully steered the conversation away from their negativity. Lisa also extended friendship to Vanessa and Jennifer by emailing them afterwards.

Jennifer and Vanessa's reaction was an isolated event and probably one of the most negative experiences that transgenders have experienced at Michigan State University. For Kristina, this is the only forthright negativity she has experienced in her two years on campus. There were, however, other more subtle examples. "I always wear women's clothes, my eyebrows are plucked, my hair is long, and no one reacts negatively." Kristina adds. "Only when I go out to the bar and use make-up, breast forms, and dress shoes do I get attention, and that is confined to stares and some laughter." Kristina also sits among the audience when Lisa Lees and Milesa Phar speak to University classes. Milesa is the outreach coordinator for Crossroads, which is Michigan's largest outreach organization for transgenders. Sometimes Kristina overhears someone make a comment to another classmate, such as "weird." Once she overheard someone say to a classmate "Hey dad, look how I turned out!" Questions that students ask, however, lead Kristina to believe that students are very informed about transgender issues. Kristina adds "change can seem slow, but we have come a long way in a short amount of time."

"The dimensions of gender is what we want to inform people about." states Melisa Phar. Melisa frequently speaks to students on Michigan college campuses, and she feels it is very important to help students learn about people with this unique gift. Milesa says "many students that we speak to will be future employers, and they may someday encounter an employee struggling with this issue." Melisa also feels that speaking with the public is beneficial because it presents people with something they are probably unfamiliar with or have only learned about from talk shows. "If someone meets a transgender, they may be uncomfortable, but hopefully they will become tolerant and respectful" Melisa states. Milesa is a dynamic speaker, and her presentations establish a relaxed, easy-going rapport with classes. Milesa adds "talk shows have desensitized people to crossdressing to a large degree, but so much of talk show content is sensationalistic. Speaking one-on-one with a college class helps students learn the truth about transgender issues."

A positive event that Kristina experienced occurred as a result of her outreach efforts as an undergraduate at Eastern Michigan University. Kristina initiated outreach with Dr. Youseff in the Psychology Department, who accepted Kristina's invitation for members of Crossroads to speak in his classes. Dr. Youseff continued to contact Crossroads and set up speaking engagements. On the same day that members of Crossroads were speaking before Dr. Youseff's Psychology of Sex class, a man dressed as a woman was reported spying on women in the girl's locker room in the sports building not far away on campus. The incident received coverage in the Eastern Echo, which is Eastern Michigan University's student paper. Consequently, the newspaper reporter approached Dr. Youseff with questions about crossdressing. The professor explained that the person in the locker room was probably a voyeur, using crossdressing as a disguise, and probably was not a real transvestite or transexual. This information was put in the student paper and helped educate readers about transgenders. As a result of the incident, members of Crossroads began work on a task force to meet with the Eastern Michigan Campus Department of Public Safety to inform them about transgender issues. By meeting with and educating law enforcement agencies, transgenders in the future may not be accosted by police for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Openness, outreach and activism has helped promote greater knowledge and understanding of gender by the general populace. Outreach efforts by transgenders on college campuses has also helped create a system of support for this population. Transgenders experience mixed reactions, but they feel the positive effects far outweigh the negative ones. Through increased outreach and positive exposure, transgenders will continue to create a society more tolerant of gender diversity.