By DAN FAGAN
According to a “Gender Inclusion 101” training video produced recently for students and facility at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, misgendering someone (calling someone by the wrong pronoun) is an act of violence.
“Gender is a very complex and personal topic,” says Casey McMillan, during the video that runs for 72 minutes.
McMillan begins the video describing herself as someone with pale skin and using the pronouns she/they. McMillan is the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility professional for the Department of Equity and Compliance for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
“It’s important for our campuses and communities to be safe and welcoming places for people of all genders and we will share how participants can be active allies to the LGBTQ21A+ community,” said McMillan.
The YouTube channel for the Department of Equity and Compliance for the University of Alaska has but one subscriber.
The lengthy video mostly features college-age kids complaining about being misgendered.
“It is constant and such a prevalent part of our society,” said one student. “Being misgendered happens countless times in a day and that builds up really quickly. It can be difficult for a person to hear over and over again because it invalidates your identity over and over and over again. “
Another student on the video took issue with the term “preferred pronoun.”
“It’s not a preference, it’s who we are. You need to use those pronouns. It’s literally an extension of me like an arm or leg. It’s just as much a part of me as a vital organ. My identity, although you can’t see it, needs to be validated just as much as the fact that I have five fingers and five toes.”
Another student on the video compared misgendering with violence: “Misgendering a trans person is an act of violence, and it is. It’s an act of psychological violence. It’s a denial of one’s personhood.”
Along with the “Gender Inclusion 101” video, posted two weeks ago and having had only four views as of this writing, UAF has published a brochure entitled: “Gender Diverse UAF: Understanding and supporting transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming Nanooks.”
One section of the brochure is entitled: “Potty in Peace.” It reads: “If you’re using the restroom with another person, regardless of their gender identity, please respect their privacy, respect their identity, carry on with your day, protect them from harm.”
The section offers a map of gender inclusive bathrooms on the Fairbanks campus.
Another section reads: “Intentionally using the wrong pronoun or misgendering someone is harassment. If you are not sure which pronoun to use, ask the person what pronouns they use or introduce yourself with your pronouns. This acts as a prompt for them to do the same. It’s also acceptable to use the singular pronoun ‘they’ to describe someone you don’t wish to assign a gender.”
The brochure also tells students to, “Show your pride support for the queer community by adding a UAF pride badge to your e-mail signature.”
The brochure chastises students who call a trans person by their old name after they transitioned to a new gender.
“It is deeply offensive and disrespectful to continue using a transgender person’s old name when referring to them. Always use a transgender persons chosen name.”
UAF also has an inclusive language list. You should not use the word homosexual. But referring to someone as gay is OK.
Instead of addressing a crowd with “ladies and gentlemen,” students should say “honored guests.”
Words like mailman, fireman, and policeman are offensive. Instead, students are instructed to use mail clerk, firefighter, and police officer.
Instead of saying female or male, it’s appropriate to use “assigned female male at birth.”
Only 20 percent of full-time UAF students get their degree on time. That’s well below the national average.
College Factual, an organization ranking universities, listed UAF as 1,079th among 2,241 colleges and universities across America in 2023.
When it comes to funding, Alaska’s University system receives a larger share of its budget from the state than any other land-based university in the country.
Dan Fagan is a reporter for Must Read Alaska. His email is [email protected].
