I was looking at Pitzer’s campus visit form and was taken aback that they ask if the student is cisgender or transgender (among other options). I assume they are trying to be inclusive, but it outs the student before they ever set foot on campus, and some applicants may wish to remain stealth. Thoughts on this?
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If a student doesn’t wish to be outed, they can select one of the other (cisgender) options. I’m not sure I see a problem here - it allows each person to decide how they want to be identified by others in the school community - if they want to be identified as cis gender by others, then they are free to select that. If they want their trans acknowledged by others, they can select that. This feel like a fake problem.
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That’s not how it works. A trans student wouldn’t identify as CISgender.
It does seem like a problematic question to me too. I wouldn’t like it.
If they did not want to “out” themselves, they would have that option. That was what the OP was concerned about. Anyone can identify however they feel comfortable. If they are not ready for others to know their identity as trans, no one is forced to come out. This just gives them the choice to identify as trans. But if they are not ready to do that publicly, no one is forcing them.
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Reflecting further, maybe I didn’t fully understand the prompt on the visit form. So are they being asked for gender identity and then whether that gender identity is cis or trans? Or are they just being asked whether they are cis or trans? I can see the problem if it’s the first, but not if it’s the second.
They are being forced to identify as one or the other. Why is Pitzer doing this? Why not just ask the gender and leave it at that. Most forms now just ask if a person is “male,” “female,” “prefer not to say,” or “other, fill in the blank”. I have never seen a form that asks if I am a CISgender person or a Trans person. Seems very wrong to me.
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And seems most places have something along the lines of “prefer not to answer.” Seems like that at least should be there in that case.
Some schools ask the question because of inclusive housing.
Sounds like from the OP that there were multiple options to choose from, not just a few and the school was trying to be inclusive. I also agree that there is no requirement that a student answer honestly if they aren’t out yet.
It isn’t a “fake” problem. If a student’s first interface with a school involves lying, what happens when it is application time and perhaps enrollment. I would not feel comfortable with that.
I truly do think they are coming from a good place, but it seems othering. I think my student would panic if they were forced to choose from the dropdown menu either “Cisgender Woman” or “Transgender Woman.” She would want to just be able to say “Woman.”
I think its a problem they could resolve easily by adding more categories, including a “I’d prefer not to say” (there is the option of “another identity,” but that doesn’t feel applicable either.
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Yes, I can see what you’re saying. As mentioned above, I think I was imagining the options differently from what may actually be the case.
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I just did a tour of Pitzer with my son, who happens to be trans. I’m pretty sure the form allows for a ‘prefer not to say’ answer. I don’t remember feeling he was forced to provide any info he didn’t want to. I was pretty impressed with Pitzer’s overall sensitivity to this issue.
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I’m really not sure there are colleges that are more inclusive, empowering, and accepting of different identities than Pitzer. Current students (including trans students) are involved in the day-to-day governance of the school.
But I wouldn’t encourage any student who thinks they are being othered or forced or are uncomfortable with something, before a first visit, to continue with the application process.