LGBT Issues in Higher Education: Creating a More Inclusive Environment

June 3, 2014MNYSC-HERC Diversity Conference 2014, New York

Panelists:

Shane Snowdon, M.A.

Founding Director, Center for LGBT Health & Equity, University of California, San Francisco;

Director, Health & Aging Program, Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Suzanne Goldberg, J.D.

Director, Center for Gender & Sexuality Law; Herbert and Doris Wechsler Clinical Professor of Law, Columbia University

Moderator: Kuheli Dutt, Ph.D.Assistant Director, Academic Affairs & Diversity,

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University

Challenges Facing LGBT Employees

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All available at lgbtmap.org

Challenges Facing LGBT Employees

• Joking, judgments, ostracism, harassment• Lower compensation, worse assignments, less advancement• Less mentoring & fewer role models• Bias & lack of outreach in recruitment/hiring• Lack of institutional protections & support• Unequal benefits & policies

A Closer Look at LGBT Workplace Challenges

Available at hrc.org

A Closer Look at LGBT Workplace Challenges

• To be or not to be . . . out – 53% are not out at work– 35% have lied about their personal lives at work– 33% are distracted by negative work environment– 20% are “exhausted” from hiding at work

• Feeling unwelcome– 20% have looked for another job because of this – 10% have left a job

How Can Your School Extend a Welcome?

Challenges Facing LGBT Students

• Navigating outness (especially with faculty & in athletics, fraternities, first-year residences)• Finding friends & partners• Finding role models & handling networking• Limited or no family support• Feeling unsure about career & family prospects• First-year concerns: “Will I be welcome, safe & supported?”

LGBT Youth: A Snapshot

LGBT youth (13-17) as a group experience more:• Bullying• Abuse• Depression• Homelessness• Drinking• Smoking• Drug use

Recent HRC Surveys Go Into Detail . . .

Visit hrc.org to peruse or downloadfindings from 10,000 youth nationwide

Quick Glimpses of School-Related Findings

Quick Glimpses of School-Related Findings

“Biggest problems” for LGBT students: non-acceptance by family, bullying at school, fear of being out

“Biggest problems” for non-LGBT students: trouble with class, exams, grades

Quick Glimpses of School-Related Findings

The Good News

How Can Your School Fulfill This Hope?

Institutional Equity for LGBT People on Campus

• Nondiscrimination policy with both “sexual orientation” & “gender identity”• Clear complaint process, with regular monitoring• Inclusion of LGBT people in diversity efforts– Leadership statements– Diversity plans– Webpages– Holiday commemorations

Equity & Support for LGBT Staff & Faculty

• Assurance that same-sex spouses will be treated just like different-sex spouses

• Health coverage for domestic partners • Health coverage for transgender needs• Equal domestic partner retirement benefits,

FMLA, COBRA, discounts, housing, etc.• LGBT training for HR, chairs, managers, search committee members & others

Equity & Support for LGBT Staff & Faculty

• Recruitment & hiring inclusion – Targeted outreach – LGBT nondiscrimination tagline– LGBT-inclusive employment info

• LGBT-inclusive employee climate survey• LGBT faculty & staff focus groups• LGBT employee resource group

Expanding the Circle (ciis.edu)

Equity & Support for LGBT Students

• Inclusion in admissions events & materials• LGBT training for admissions, counseling,

housing, other student affairs staff, leadership, faculty, residence staff & others

• LGBT-inclusive student survey• Creation of an LGBT office/center, which will

provide a WIDE range of services & programs

Higher Ed LGBT Professionals (lgbtcampus.org)

Campus Pride (campusprideindex.org)

Campus Pride (campusprideindex.org)

Transgender Employees & Students

• Include “gender identity” in nondiscrimination policy & train EEO/complaint staff

• Provide health insurance coverage• Be prepared to support transitions– Training, both proactive & reactive– Designated HR/student affairs point-person– Records changes: email, ID, payroll/academic– Unchallenged bathroom access

HRC (hrc.org/resources)

Campus Pride (campusprideindex.org)

Climate Recommendations (glma.org)

LGBT Issues: A Law and Policy Perspective

LGBT Legal Landscape: Title IX and legal protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity

related to education, employment and hate crimes 

LGBT Issues from a Law and Policy Perspective

1. Anti-LGBT Harassment and Violence

From the Department of Education’s April 2014 guidance:

Does Title IX protect all students from sexual violence?

Answer: Yes. Title IX protects all students at recipient institutions from sex discrimination,

including sexual violence. Any student can experience sexual violence: from elementary to professional school students; male and female students; straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students; part-time and full-time

students; students with and without disabilities; and students of different races and national origins

LGBT Issues from a Law and Policy Perspective

2.  In the classroom:• Hostile comments by teachers/students; •Refusals by students to participate in LGBT-related programming

3. Participation in student organizations and issues related to inclusion

4. Athletic programs: • Locker rooms;• Coach conduct;• Transgender students 

A Selection of Resources on LGBT Issues in Higher Education

The Legal Landscape

For maps showing legal protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity related to education,

employment, and hate crimes throughout the United States: http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/maps-of-state-laws-policies.

 

Anti-LGBT Harassment and Violence:

For extended discussion of Title IX’s gender misconduct rules: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/qa-201404-title-ix.pdf

.

 

A Selection of Resources on LGBT Issues in Higher Education

Athletic Programs

For extended discussion and recommendations of best practices, see the It Takes a Team project:

http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/en/home/athletes/for-athletes/know-your-rights/coach-and-athletic-director-resources/about-itat

.

For discussion of policies related to transgender athletes in particular, see On the Team: Equal Opportunity for Transgender

Student Athletes: http://www.wiaa.com/ConDocs/Con550/TransgenderStudentAthleteReport.pdf

.

A Selection of Resources on LGBT Issues in Higher Education

 In the classroom and on campus

Because the law is evolving quickly, there are relatively few that are fully up to date. One that addresses a number of

issues related to sexual orientation is Mitchell and Eckes, Sexual Orientation and the College Campus, 254 Education

Law reporter 19 (2010).

Contact:

Suzanne Goldberg

Suzanne.goldberg@law.columbia.edu

 

To access the slides for this presentation please see:http://www.hercjobs.org/metro_ny_southern_ct/

resources_for_member_institutions/documents/index.html 

(provided in info packet)

Thank You!