Study finds most top universities have trans policies

The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) issued its second annual Gender Equality National Index for Universities and Schools (GENIUS) Index, a survey of the nation's universities and public school districts to examine their policies related to gender identity and expression. One of the key findings of the survey was that among the top 25 schools on the 2008 "America's Best Colleges" list compiled by U.S. News and World Report, two-thirds have non-discrimination policies covering gender identity or expression. Of the 278 colleges and universities surveyed, 147 have trans-inclusive non-discrimination policies.

Brittney Hoffman, coordinator of GenderPAC's youth program, said she was pleased to see how widespread the policies have become, and she said administrators are learning that those policies protect all students whose gender identity or expression may not fit societal expectations.

"We really have seen a growing and more sophisticated awareness of how gender-based discrimination affects all students, and we've really over the past two to three years especially seen these schools respond," said Hoffman.

She said through working with students across the country through GenderPAC's Gender Youth Network she has seen the positive impact of gender-based non-discrimination policies when students feel they have faced discrimination because of their gender identity or expression.

"These students feel so much safer and more empowered to speak out about these incidents and feel comfortable to go to their administrator or dean of students to report these incidents and make sure they're dealt with at the structural level," said Hoffman. She said in a recent GenderPAC survey of 651 college students, 30 percent reported having been harassed or discriminated against on campus because they did not fit expectations about masculinity or femininity; Hoffman said the majority of those who experienced harassment or discrimination came from schools without non-discrimination policies.

The GENIUS Index also found that more than 140 of the colleges and universities studied had gender-neutral restrooms available for student use, and 30 schools offer gender-neutral housing options for students. Hoffman said the survey defined gender-neutral housing as a situation where two or more students of a different sex or gender can choose to live as roommates.

The survey also examined K-12 public school districts across the country. Among the top 25 with the largest student enrollment, as calculated by the U.S. Department of Education, one-fifth have anti-harassment policies based on gender identity or expression. GenderPAC found that more than 100 school districts in 24 states have such policies. None of those school districts are in Massachusetts.