More Than a Name

  At the start of a new semester, each professor has a preferred method of breaking the ice. Getting the entire class involved can be challenging, and introducing everyone to each other can change the atmosphere of the classroom to a friendlier environment.

  One familiar ritual is the roll call. Every student’s name is called out loud, and the professor might mispronounce a name or two.

  Imagine hearing a name with which someone no longer identifies with and having them respond to it. This is an uncomfortable reality that transgender individuals contend with regularly.

  Kysirai is a transgender student at Hillsborough Community College, she shares some of her recent experience with this issue on campus.

  At the start of each new semester, she has to take the time to speak with each individual professor to let them know her preferred name and pronouns. While this usually goes over smoothly, some people do not fully grasp the importance of the matter. One professor refused to use Kysirai’s name due to legal implications.

  Since HCC is a public state college, there are certain laws that must be followed in regard to using legal names on school documents.

  However, calling students by nicknames in class is a common occurrence, so it is a simple matter of respect in regards to using a transgender student’s preferred name.

  Brandi Beckett is an HCC alumna and a transgender woman. She is currently attending Mount Holyoke College, an Ivy League sister school.

  Her experience within the walls of Mount Holyoke has been surprisingly welcoming and progressive. “At the beginning of each class, the professor would address the class and ask the students their preferred names and pronouns, and even though it is an all-female school, some students identify with male pronouns or with no gender.”

  At HCC, Beckett encountered issues due to the legality of her name. Whenever she signed in for an event on campus, she was required to use her former name on record.

  She found a way around this by writing her past name in parentheses within her preferred name, but the lack of respect was palpable.

  Both Kysirai and Beckett began transitioning shortly after starting at HCC, and each had similar experiences of positive reinforcement from their peers and colleagues.

  Most of the issues they faced on campus were based on the misuse of pronouns and the required usage of their previous names.

  Social Justice League, Dale Mabry’s resident anthropology club, aims to make the college experience a safer, more inclusive one by increasing awareness of transgender student rights.

  In solidarity, SJL has drafted a petition requesting that students be granted the ability to indicate their preferred names and pronouns within WebAdvisor.

  Those interested in signing the petition may do so at the link provided below. The transition is for everyone involved, not just the people in question.