<div dir="ltr"><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Justin Kilian</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jkilian@umass.edu">jkilian@umass.edu</a>></span><br>Date: Sat, Sep 20, 2014 at 6:19 PM<br>Subject: Winning a Trans Woman Inclusive Policy at Smith!<br>To: "Angie M. Tissi" <<a href="mailto:atissi@amherst.edu">atissi@amherst.edu</a>>, Angie Tissi <<a href="mailto:atissi@umass.edu">atissi@umass.edu</a>>, Pride Alliance <<a href="mailto:pridealliance@amherst.edu">pridealliance@amherst.edu</a>>, Jishava Patel <<a href="mailto:jishava@umass.edu">jishava@umass.edu</a>>, <a href="mailto:erimmer@hampshire.edu">erimmer@hampshire.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:alevin@hcc.edu">alevin@hcc.edu</a>, Sarah Fraas <<a href="mailto:sfraas@smith.edu">sfraas@smith.edu</a>>, Jason McGourty <<a href="mailto:jmcgourty@smith.edu">jmcgourty@smith.edu</a>>, <a href="mailto:ewcmail@admin.umass.edu">ewcmail@admin.umass.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:info@masstpc.org">info@masstpc.org</a>, <a href="mailto:nycii_v@rusellma.net">nycii_v@rusellma.net</a>, <a href="mailto:outnow@comcast.net">outnow@comcast.net</a>, <a href="mailto:GenQ@communityaction.us">GenQ@communityaction.us</a>, <a href="mailto:TREE@communityaction.us">TREE@communityaction.us</a>, <a href="mailto:unity-of-the-pioneer-valley-owner@yahoogroups.com">unity-of-the-pioneer-valley-owner@yahoogroups.com</a>, <a href="mailto:PFLAGPV@valinet.com">PFLAGPV@valinet.com</a>, <a href="mailto:przone@valinet.com">przone@valinet.com</a>, <a href="mailto:stonewall@stuaf.umass.edu">stonewall@stuaf.umass.edu</a>, Stonewall Center Speakers Bureau <<a href="mailto:swcspeak@stuaf.umass.edu">swcspeak@stuaf.umass.edu</a>>, <a href="mailto:ventureout.geo@yahoo.com">ventureout.geo@yahoo.com</a>, <a href="mailto:geo@external.umass.edu">geo@external.umass.edu</a>, UMASS ISO <<a href="mailto:iso.umass@gmail.com">iso.umass@gmail.com</a>>, <a href="mailto:cepadirector@stuaf.umass.edu">cepadirector@stuaf.umass.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:lindah@wost.umass.edu">lindah@wost.umass.edu</a>, Linda Hillenbrand <<a href="mailto:lindah@umass.edu">lindah@umass.edu</a>>, <a href="mailto:stpec@sbs.umass.edu">stpec@sbs.umass.edu</a>, Sonny Nordmarken <<a href="mailto:snordmar@umass.edu">snordmar@umass.edu</a>><br><br><br><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><img src="cid:ii_i06vva330_14886cd68ed0ee7f" width="663" height="525" style="margin-right:0px"></div><span style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"></span><br style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><i>Q: Trans women at Smith?</i></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><i>A: Trans women at Smith.</i></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center">We are Q&A, a group on Smith College campus dedicated to an inclusive<br>admissions policy for trans women.</div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center">-</div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" color="#134f5c"><b>What is the current policy?</b></font></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><br></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">A woman who is unable to obtain all female gender markers on her transcripts, teacher and guidance counselor letters of recommendation, and midyear academic report cannot attend Smith. Although the Common App requires legal sex as listed on a birth certificate, Smith has an unofficial practice of advising trans women to “just check female” on the Common App, but this “policy” is nowhere to be found on the official Smith website or on its admissions brochures.</span><br></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><font color="#134f5c" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>How is the current policy problematic?</b></font></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">It's incredibly difficult, time consuming, and often impossible to change one's documents so that they have all female gender markers, especially as a high school student, and especially for low-income women. Most states allow individual school districts to decide if students can change the gender markers on their documents. A </span><a href="http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/ntds_full.pdf" style="color:blue;text-decoration:none;font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;margin:1px;line-height:17px;display:inline-block" target="_blank">recent national study</a> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">of trans high school students (of all genders) by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force found that less than half of students are able to get their documents changed. Additionally, Ada Comstock Scholars, who are not traditional-aged students, have explained to us that many schools will also be unable to change gender markers on outdated or paper records.</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><b style="color:rgb(19,79,92);font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">What does an inclusive admission's policy look like?</b><br></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">Because we recognize that the avenues the government provides to affirm one’s gender legally are inaccessible to most prospective Smithies, Q&A’s ultimate goal is that all trans women can apply to Smith College regardless of legal or surgical status or the support of their schools and families. Mills College, a women's college in California, does not "check" gender markers on application materials at all. Recently, Mount Holyoke has also adopted a self-identifying admissions policy. No issues have been reported relating to these policies.</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><font color="#134f5c" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>How can I help?</b></font></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">You can get involved in a number of ways:</span></font></div><div style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:center"><ul><li style="margin-left:15px;text-align:left"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">Call any responsible Smith officials <a href="http://smith-q-and-a.tumblr.com/getinvolved" target="_blank">using this phone script</a> (or call and leave a message of your own creation!). Believe it or not, every call counts!</span></font></li><li style="margin-left:15px;text-align:left"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">Email any responsible Smith officials. Every email counts too!</span></font></li><li style="margin-left:15px;text-align:left"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">Attend the "Transforming Education: Trans Women's Inclusion at Smith" Panel on September 26th, from 4:30 - 6:00, in the Neilson Library Browsing Room on Smith College campus.</span></font></li><li style="margin-left:15px;text-align:left"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">Sign up for further updates surrounding our events and talks with Smith administration at<a href="mailto:transwomenatSC@gmail.com" target="_blank">transwomenatSC@gmail.com</a></span></font></li><li style="margin-left:15px;text-align:left"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">Inform others and spread the word!</span></font></li></ul><div style="text-align:left"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><div style="text-align:right"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/transwomenatSmith" target="_blank"><img src="cid:ii_i06x1lg02_14886eb88f0ee438" width="132" height="132" style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;margin-right:0px"></a><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/transwomenatSC" target="_blank"><img src="cid:ii_i06x2pu53_14886ec54c63f50f" width="131" height="131" style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica;margin-right:0px"></a><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica"> Visit <a href="http://smith-q-and-a.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">our website</a> </span><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:helvetica">for more information!</span></div><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br><br><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><font color="#000000" face="helvetica"><span style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px"><br></span></font></div><div><font color="#000000" face="courier new, monospace" size="1"><span style="letter-spacing:1px;line-height:17px">Any questions? Contact <a href="mailto:gramsey@smith.edu" target="_blank">gramsey@smith.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:swerthmann@smith.edu" target="_blank">swerthmann@smith.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:jmcgourty@smith.edu" target="_blank">jmcgourty@smith.edu</a>, or <a href="mailto:etizard@smith.edu" target="_blank">etizard@smith.edu</a> for more information!</span></font></div></div></div>
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