To the UBC community,
This letter is intended as a set of guidelines towards the creation of a queer- and trans-friendly, and broadly socially-just, learning environment.
We begin with the acknowledgement that the authors of this letter are settlers on this land, which is the unceded, ancestral, traditional, occupied, and stolen land of the Musqueam (Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) First Nation. The justice that we try to envision in this letter is invested in the reinstatement of indigenous sovereignties. That is, broad social respect and recognition of indigenous communities’ rights to govern their own lands, including the land on which UBC is situated.
In order to create a set of guidelines for a just learning environment, we must first recognise that the classroom as well as the pedagogies and knowledges within it are political. What we mean by this is that not everyone gets to access education, and not everyone gets to teach. Those who do get to learn or teach, what is taught, and how, are influenced by histories of gender, race, class, and coloniality among other factors. Bearing this in mind, we all have a responsibility as a learning community to try and make UBC as accessible as possible, and to be as respectful of one another as we can. The rest of this letter will discuss some ways that we can make our campus and classrooms friendlier for queer and trans students.
How we introduce ourselves and address each other can set the tone for how safe and inclusive our relationships feel. Addressing people by the names that they use to refer to themselves is an important first step towards safety and inclusion. Sometimes people may use more than one name, or might have a name that isn’t what you would expect when looking at them; these do not diminish the importance of respectfully addressing them how they would like. In a similar vein, people use a variety of pronouns for a variety of reasons, including feeling comfortable in their gender. Like with names, people might use many different pronouns, choose to only go by their name, or use pronouns that aren’t what you would expect when looking at them; these also do not diminish the importance of respectfully addressing them in the manner they would like. There are contentions around they/them pronouns and ‘neopronouns’ like zie/hir, in particular; please bear in mind that ensuring your peers’ safety and comfort should always take precedence over policing the “correctness” of one’s language. All healthy languages evolve and change over time, and using these pronouns is by no means a slippery slope to no longer being able to communicate. If you do not know the name of a colleague or peer, ask them. “Official” lists such as class lists may contain the wrong name for a variety of reasons, from bureaucratic oversights, to having different names in English and their first language, to being in the closet. Similarly, asking people their pronouns is also important; while you don’t know their pronouns, a convenient workaround is to use gender-neutral they/them pronouns until you are able to ask them! A nice way to make people feel safe sharing their names and pronouns is to offer your own when first introducing yourself if you feel safe doing so, since this signals that you understand the importance of respecting how people would like to be addressed. Professors in particular hold the power and authority to do this safely, and to influence the classroom culture by doing so!
When someone shares their name, pronouns, their gender, sexuality or other personal information about themselves, recognize that, unless otherwise specified, this information was shared with you alone — respect this confidentiality. While sharing information about someone, or repeating a name might seem trivial, this is not necessarily the case. There are a variety of reasons why someone might not wish for this information to be shared, and, be it for reasons of safety, privacy, or any other reason, this is an individual’s decision and that should be respected. If you are unsure which name or pronouns to use to address someone, or what information about a person’s identity it is okay to disclose in a particular context, asking is the best option!
There are many reasons why someone might choose not to disclose personal information. Regardless of the reasons, it is important to remember that no one is obligated to share any personal information about themselves in any circumstance. If someone chooses not to share a name, pronoun, or piece of their identity with you don’t press them to disclose this information to you, even if you don’t think that you are doing so out of negative intentions. What is important is that people feel comfortable and safe! That said, if you notice that people around an individual are using pronouns or names other than the ones you have been using, it is always okay to ask the person what they would like you to refer to them by, ideally in a private setting so as not to risk outing them. That said, no matter what they tell you, respect their wishes. The information that you receive upon initially meeting a person is not static; people may change the pronouns or name that they use after they have introduced themselves to you.
In addition to respecting people’s consent and privacy regarding how they are addressed and what information is shared about them, it’s also important to respect people’s boundaries in conversation. Bear in mind that people around you may have differing experiences, and might at times be uncomfortable or unable to discuss certain topics, especially in the context of personal traumatic experiences. It is always a good practice to check in with others when approaching sensitive topics, so that people can either avoid conversations if they are not safe to have them at that particular moment, or can be mentally prepared going into the conversation. Some topics that are often sensitive for queer and trans people are discussions of homophobic and/or transphobic violence, sexualised violence, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and rejection within the family, among others. A content warning when approaching these topics already goes a long way in ensuring our safety and wellbeing by preventing us from being caught off-guard. Content warnings need not be complicated, and can be as simple as stating “I’m about to talk about ____. Please prepare yourself for this topic, let me know if you are not ready to discuss this right now.” In a classroom setting, you could also open up the option for peers to leave the classroom if they are not prepared for the topic so that others who are ready to engage with it can still proceed with the conversation.
Finally, it’s worth remembering that we’re always in a process of getting better at being inclusive of one another, and that we will make mistakes along the way. In the event of being “called out”, it can feel like a personal attack on one’s character. However, it’s important to remember that no matter how uncomfortable the callout might make you feel, the person doing the callout is probably doing so because of hurt built up not only from the immediate “incident”, but also from facing similar hurtful incidents day-to-day. So while it might feel unpleasant, and can be discussed and processed further in another more-appropriate setting with others who have the energy to facilitate your processing, the callout is primarily a place to listen instead of react, to validate the hurt person’s pain, and to learn how to be a better friend, peer, and/or ally going forward.
With thanks and in solidarity,
Social Justice and Action Committee
The Pride Collective at UBC
