Suggested distribution Welfare officers and staff, liberation officers and equalities staff
Trans students and accommodation Key Points Recent legislation provides the impetus for institutions to consider the needs of trans students, specifically in relation to accommodation provided by universities for first-year students.
NEC Contacts Daf Adley Lucy Brookes daf.adley@ nus.org.uk lucy.brookes@nus .org.uk
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Legislation came into force in 2008 which gives protection from discrimination and harassment on the grounds of gender reassignment in the provision of goods, facilities and services
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The Forum on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Post16 Education suggests that in the light of this: - education providers in post-school sectors have a legal duty to take active steps to prevent discrimination and harassment on the grounds of gender reassignment, and;
Staff Contact Geraldine Smith
- it is good practice to extend such equality measures to all trans people, whether or not they undergo permanent gender reassignment or apply for legal recognition.
geraldine.smith@ nus.org.uk •
Trans students may be indirectly discriminated against by being expected to access and utilise facilities which correspond to the gender assigned to them at birth or which force them to decide between using either male or female facilities.
The definition of ‘trans’ NUS uses trans as an umbrella term to describe a broad range of different identities, the most well-known of which are probably transsexual and transgender. Most trans people feel that their gender identity is different to the gender that they were assigned at birth. For example, this might mean that someone feels they were born in the wrong body, or that someone doesn’t identify with male or female identities at all. Trans students may express their gender in a way that is noticeably different from the norm, or they may appear no different to any other student. Why does accommodation matter? Starting university and moving into student halls is often the first time a young person has lived away from their family home. This can be a difficult experience for any student as they adjust to a new way of life, but it can also be an opportunity for many to explore their identities or express themselves in ways they felt unable to at home. Feeling safe and comfortable in student accommodation is vital, and with the amendment of the Sex Discrimination Act this year (2008), some trans students are now legally protected against discrimination in regards to the provision of goods, facilities and services such as student accommodation. Where do trans students fit into equality legislation? The law only protects a small minority of trans people, those who are intending to undergo, have undergone or are undergoing gender reassignment surgery (transsexuals). Transsexual people are protected by sex discrimination legislation. Despite the fact that transsexuals require diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder in order to access medical interventions to alter their