FEATURES: Interview with McMaster’s first transgender department chair // PAGES

McMaster appoints first transgender department chair to PNB

Sit down with Mel Rutherford to discuss his journey and plans for 2021-2022

Andrew Mrozowski

Editor-in-Chief

On June 24, the department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University internally announced that professor Mel Rutherford would be stepping into the position of department chair. This is a monumental decision, as Rutherford is now the first transgender department in McMaster history.

“I’m really hoping that some students will find it useful to see a role model and to know that a transgender person can chair a department,” said Rutherford.

Rutherford began his teaching career at McMaster in July of 2002. The following year, in June 2003, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage in the province. “The existing common law definition of marriage violates the couple’s equality rights on the basis of sexual orientation under [the charter],” wrote the judge who presided over the case.

Rutherford got married in August 2003 with many of his colleagues from the PNB department in attendance.

“We immediately began planning our wedding once that decision came. [W]e invited the faculty and the staff of the psychology department to our wedding. Of course, for most people who were there, that was the first same-sex wedding they’d ever been to. I wore a tuxedo and my father was my best man,” said Rutherford.

While this seemed like a win for the professor, there were still many trials ahead. Quite literally, Rutherford took the province of Ontario to court. The Rutherfords decided to have a baby using donor sperm; however, prior to this case, only one parent in a same-sex relationship was able to put their last name on a birth certificate. The other would have to adopt the child after birth.

In Rutherford v. Ontario, Rutherford made the case that this violated section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it was discriminatory against an individual’s gender and sexual orientation. The judge ruled in favour of Rutherford stating that heterosexual

“I’m really hoping that some students will find it useful to see a role model and to know that a transgender person can chair a department.”

Mel Rutherford

Chair, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour

parents using reproductive assistance are able to have both last names on a birth certificate, therefore by comparison, the law should extend to homosexual couples.

“It was a precedent setting case and because of that case, same-sex couples who have a baby using donor sperm can put their names on the birth certificate without one of them having to adopt the baby,” said Rutherford.

In 2008, Rutherford took a year-long research leave. It was this time away from campus, that enabled him to fully transition. Midway through his leave, he emailed the faculty of PNB and told them he would now be going by he/him pronouns. Rutherford also took time to visit campus and tell both his graduate students and the chair of the department about his transition.

“Everyone was very supportive and when I got back to town in June, people were using my new pronouns . . . they were my friends before I transitioned and they were my friends after I transitioned. For me, my experience of transitioning at McMaster was really smooth,” said Rutherford.

As of July 1, Rutherford has assumed the role of department chair for the Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour. Much of his focus outside of his duties will be geared towards having conversations to improve queer visibility on campus. In the past, the professor has played an active role in queer activism on campus. On November 2018, Rutherford led a discussion during the Women and Gender Equity Network’s Trans(forming) Mac week. The event hosted workshops and talks with a focus on transgender visibility. It also provided many resources for trans folks to better navigate in academia and campus life. Rutherford’s spoke 8 | FEATURES www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, July 20, 2021

“It was a precedent setting case and because of that case, same-sex couples who have a baby using donor sperm can put their names on the birth certificate without one of them having to adopt the baby.”

“[T]hey were my friends before I transitioned and they were my friends after I transitioned. For me, my experience of transitioning at McMaster was really smooth.”

towards how he navigated academia as a trans person.

In February 2019, Rutherford was selected to be the McMaster Women in Science and Engineering’s mentor of the month. The professor was able to give a talk called “Queer-in’ Academia” centred around how his career and personal life have intersected, giving tips along the way for folks who might find themselves in similar situations.

Although Canada has recently improved their vaccination rates, many Pride festivities that would typically occur during the month of June took place virtually this year. Not only this, but many queer events in Hamilton that would normally occur have been cancelled due to social distancing guidelines.

“It’s hard because Pride is a celebration and Pride is a community building event. Community building is really difficult on a Zoom call . . . I think the whole pandemic and remote interaction was kind of a reset [for the queer community]. So I think as we’re opening up, we’re going to find out what it’s like to be queer in Hamilton all over again,” said Rutherford.

Much criticism of the 2SLGBTQIA states that while there has been a noticeable uptick in acceptance for the community, there is still a large discrepancy in acceptance for cisgender versus transgender individuals. Studies have found that racialized trans and non-binary folks are at a higher risk for harassment. Rutherford recalled queer history before the Stonewall Riots, a landmark protest led by Black, trans women and spoke to this divide.

“One thing to notice is that trans and gender-queer people have long been a big part of the queer community. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, for example, will be remembered with a monument, the Stonewall National Monument, for the role they played in the Stonewall Riots that are widely recognized as the beginning of the contemporary queer civil rights movement. It was the attempted arrest of two drag queens that triggered the Cooper Do-nuts Riot ten years before Stonewall. At the time it was illegal to appear in public wearing clothing that didn’t match the gender listed on your ID. I think some amount of exploration with gender presentation has been a part of queer culture for a very long time,” explained Rutherford.

When asked if he had any advice to give to sudents struggling with their sexuality, Rutherford had this to say:

“I really believe that it gets better. The more you reach into the community and feel comfortable with the community . . . I just think it gets better.”

“I really believe that it gets better. The more you reach into the community and feel comfortable with the community . . . I just think it gets better.”