A policy document launched in Trinity College today commits the university to protecting students and staff from gender-based discrimination.
The ‘Gender Identity and Gender Expression Policy’ document outlines new guidelines to create an inclusive college atmosphere for trans individuals, including the removal of unnecessary gender distinctions from university documents, and provision of accessible guidelines to staff and students seeking to update their personal college records to match their gender expression.
It also recognises identification of an individual as trans without the individual’s permission as a form of harassment.
College, through the policy, further commits to supporting staff and students considering or undergoing medical procedures relating to gender reassignment.
Awareness of trans issues will also be incorporated in training programmes for frontline staff and student representatives under the new guidelines.
Speaking at the launch, Prof Martine Cuypers, a lecturer in the Department of Classics and the former chair of the Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) board, said the policy was based on the idea of “self-determination” for all staff and students.
“It would have been unimaginable to have this kind of document when I first arrived in Trinity,” she said.
The policy, which was drawn up through consultation with staff and student representatives over the course of two years, was approved by the College Board on June 25th, and is the first of its kind in Irish third-level education.
