SexGen York has launched an initiative that will provide professors with students’ preferred names so that they will not have to reveal their legal names in class lists, student IDs, and Moodle.
According to Michael Gilbert, chair of SexGen York, a committee devoted to advising students on issues of gender diversity and sexual orientation, trans and other students who go by a different name will be able to avoid being outed by forms of administration. “In class lists, both [your preferred and legal name] will be present, but the one the student prefers will be downloaded on the class list,” says Gilbert.
It is still has to go through various levels of York administration before it can be implemented, says Brandon Vieira, a member of the SexGen York committee and the external coordinator of TBLGAY. Vieira says he is fighting for this new rule because York doesn’t accommodate trans students enough.
“When you talk to teachers and if you generally explain it, they’ll go by [your preferred name], but I don’t think you should have to explain it to them and go through that whole process,” says Vieira. Vieira also says professors can forget and read the names off of the class lists and accidentally out someone. Miriam Smith, a York professor who specializes in LGBT politics, supports the initiative. She says the change will prevent confusion that professors deal with when going through class lists.
Smith, who usually does attendance by handing out a sheet for students to write their name on, finds that students tend to forget they are registered with a different name and afterwards, she has to speak to them privately.
“It often happens, if a student is using a name in class that doesn’t appear on the class list, then I have to speak to the student to clarify their identity,” says Smith. Trans student Bridget Liang, a Centre for Women and Trans People at York board member, says from personal experience that the name issue is very stressful.
When it comes to forms for applying to grad school, Liang has to disclose title and gender and dispel suspicions of forgery. “When I hear [my legal name being] called out in a class, that’s when I start getting stressed because you’re hearing something you’re not used to hearing anymore,” says Liang.
Victoria Alarcon
Assistant News Editor
