AFACCT 2023 Conference

1. Beyond “what are
your pronouns?”:
Engaging with Trans
and Nonbinary
Members of Our
College Communities
Anthony Moll, MFA, Assistant Professor
Olivia Rines, PhD, Assistant Professor
Harford Community College

2. A Little About Us
• Olivia Rines (they/them) earned their PhD in Linguistics & Applied
Linguistics from Arizona State University. They are a member of
Harford Community College's (HCC) Safe Zone committee and a
faculty advisor for HCC's LGBTQI+ student organization, the
Rainbow Alliance.
• Anthony Moll (they/them) is a PhD candidate at Morgan State
University and holds an MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts
from the University of Baltimore. They have over a decade working
for LGBTQI+ rights organizations, and they currently co-chair
HCC's Safe Zone committee. Their debut memoir about serving in
the U.S. military during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," won a Lambda
Literary Award in 2019.

3. Objectives
Offer a wider understanding of the current
challenges facing trans and nonbinary students,
staff and faculty
Provide some ideas for how to create welcoming
communities on our campus

4. Terminology
Disclaimer
• While our focus is on transgender and nonbinary
individuals, this group is often discussed as part of a
larger community. The term ‘LGBTQ+’ may be used
at times in this presentation to accurately represent
the research at hand.

5. Some Context
• Arizona bill forces teachers to get parental consent
before using student's preferred pronouns.
• 11 states have already introduced bills targeting
transgender health care in 2023.
• 2 Texas bills would restrict lessons about sexual
orientation and gender identity in public schools.
• ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law brings worry, confusion to Florida
schools.
• Asheville's 1st trans school board member resigns
following anti-LGBTQ attacks.

6. What challenges do trans and nonbinary faculty, staff,
and students face at your institution or more broadly?

7. Supporting Nonbinary and Transgender
Students

8. Supporting Nonbinary and
Transgender Students
• When LGBTQ+ students view college faculty and staff as supportive,
they:
 “feel safer at school,
 report less absenteeism,
 experience less victimization based on their sexual orientation and gender
identity,
 feel like they belong in their school community,
 and maintain higher grade points average” (Russell et al., 2021).
• Exposure to the LGBTQ+ community and experiences may “help
reduce intolerance and prejudicial attitudes towards LGBTQ
individuals” (Snapp et al., 2015).

9. What strategies
have you
incorporated to
support
transgender and
nonbinary
students?

10. Classroom Basics
• Gender-inclusive introductions
 Ask students for their name and pronouns using a written introductory
activity. (Verbal introductory activities can feel threatening.)
• Establish social norms for the classroom early in the semester.
 Rather than ‘top down’ discussion of values, invite students into a
conversation about shared values in the classroom.
 Intervene when student conduct violates the established social norms.
• Correct misgendering quickly and without assigning blame.
 Example in reference to a student who uses they/them pronouns:
 Student: I agree with what she said…
 Instructor: What they said. Please continue.

11. Inclusive Curricula
• Course content should reflect diverse identities: “Students should be
able to be seen and be able to see others” (Myers, 2021, p. 128).
• Major Changes (Zamani-Gallaher & Choudhuri, 2011):
 Incorporate contributions from transgender and nonbinary people.
 Integrate LGBTQ+ topics into the curriculum.
 Create special topic queer studies courses.
• Minor Changes (Myers, 2021):
 Use inclusive language and practices.
 Strive for diverse representation in hypothetical and real-world examples.
 Do not presume students are cisgender and heterosexual.
 Normalize inclusion of material on transgender and nonbinary identities.
• Research, reading, and retooling will be required but can be made easier
by partnering with those who share your commitment to inclusion
(Myers, 2021).

12. Supportive Interactions
• Engage in professional development to learn more about supporting
transgender and nonbinary individuals.
 Example: Nonbinary and transgender students face specific challenges
with systems that default to their legal name. Learn about how such
barriers can be dismantled and share this information with all students.
• Learn where inclusive spaces (restrooms, locker rooms, etc.) are
located, and direct inquirers to all options.
• Understand and operationalize the college policies in place to
support transgender and nonbinary students, faculty, and staff.
 Intervene when college policies are violated and report violations.

13. Supportive Interactions
• Encourage engagement in LGBTQ+ college groups.
 SafeZone at HCC for faculty, staff, and student representatives
 Rainbow Alliance at HCC for students
• Foster visibility for the LGBTQ+ community through:
 Displays, pamphlets, flyers
 LGBTQ+/ally pins
 Pronouns in email signature
 LGBTQ+ event advertising
• Collect information on support services available for nonbinary and
transgender students and provide this information as needed.
 Students feel supported and safer when they know how and where to
access this information.

14. Thinking Bigger (Jaekel, 2021)
• Cultivate nonbinary and transgender resources and resource centers.
• Collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity to understand
patterns of persistence and retention.
• Create mentorship programs that pair seasoned members of the
college with new members.
• Develop an LGBTQ+ taskforce with diverse representation.
• Complete a climate assessment that captures the experience of
transgender and nonbinary individuals, including how they
experience intersecting forms of oppression.

15. Supporting Transgender and Nonbinary
Faculty and Staff

16. Another Note on Terminology
• I'll be using the term "trans and nonbinary," but it's
worth noting that nonbinary identities are often included
under the umbrella category of trans. Here I use both
terms not to exclude, but to highlight that educators of
both categories experience the sorts of challenges I'm
discussing here.
• "Gender non-conforming" is a term sometimes used as
synonymous with "nonbinary," but also more broadly
represents people whose gender expression/identity does
not conform with normative cultural expectations of
binary gender.

17. A principle: we best support
our students when our
own needs are met.
When we (educators of any sort) face discrimination in the
workplace, be it legal, microaggressions, threats of
violence, or anything in between, we are distracted from
being the best scholars, educators and community
members we can be.
Something important to know: trans, nonbinary and
LGBQ+ educators are under attack (sometimes literally)
across the country, and a lot of us are terrified.

18. What I mean:

19. Challenges to
consider

20. Job Search and Hiring
Consider:
• Where one feels safe (physically and legally) to find work
• Disclosing/presenting during the interview process
• Being outed in letters of recommendation
• Trying to figure out how welcome trans & nonbinary folks are on campus
and in the surrounding community (both local policy & culture)
• Evaluating employment benefits like insurance coverage, which can be a
deciding factor for some trans and nonbinary candidates

21. Campus Policies
• Are nondiscrimination policies that protect LGBTQ+ faculty enumerated, or is there
an assumption that other policies cover this?
• Insurance & Medical Care
• Does your Title IX coordinator understand how recent guidance from the executive
branch covers gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation?
• What challenges do your colleagues face accessing facilities on campus?
• What are the legal & legislative concerns your trans/nonbinary colleagues are
following?
• Digital misgendering: Are there processes in place to change name and gender
markers in technological systems? Where are the gaps?
Solutions: enumerated policies that protect & affirm trans and
nonbinary people, provide clear guidelines for updating college
information systems, and outline systems of accountability and
resolution

22. A Culture of Affirmation
• Do trans & nonbinary employees feel safe at your institution? How do you
know? What about in the community beyond your college?
• Do your colleagues feel safe beginning their social and medical transitions
at your institution? What might they need to feel supported in doing so?
• Will the college defend and affirm trans faculty if they are harassed by
anti-trans activists in public/online?
• Do staff and faculty feel supported when they experience transphobia
from students? Impact on student surveys of instruction?
• Does leadership publicly support the LGBTQ+ community on your
campus?
• Does the culture of "not rocking the boat" prevent shortcomings and
violations of policy from being addressed?

23. What successes have you seen
at your institution when it
comes to supporting trans and
nonbinary members of the
campus community (students,
staff & faculty)?

24. References (Rines)
• Jaekel, K. S. (2021). Supporting LGBTQ students through precarity: Policies and
practices for inclusion. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2021(196), 33-42.
https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.20481
• Myers, A. (2021). Supporting transgender students. University of New Orleans Press.
• Russell, S. T., Bishop M. D., Saba, V. C., James, I., & Ioverno, S. (2021). Promoting
school safety for LGBTQ and all students. Policy Insight from the Behavioral and
Brain Sciences, 8(2), 160-166. https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322211031938
• Snapp, S. D., McGuire, J. K., Sinclair, K. O., Gabrion, K., & Russel, S. T. (2015).
LGBTQ-inclusive curricula: Why supportive curricula matter, Sex Education, 15(6),
580-596. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2015.1042573
• Zamani-Gallaher, E. M. & Choudhuri, D. D. (2011). A primer on LGBTQ students at
community colleges: Considerations for research and practice. New Directions for
Community Colleges, 2011(155), 35-49. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.456

25. Works Cited (Moll)
• Bussey, Timothy. "Title IX and Transgender Student Rights: Where We are and What to
Expect Next." Innovative Educators. Go2Knowledge, 2021.
• Bilimoria, Diana and Abigail J. Stewart. "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': the academic climate for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender faculty in science and engineering." NWSA Journal,
vol. 21, no. 2, summer 2009, pp. 85+. Gale Literature Resource Center.
• Matson, Lawrence and Stephanie Mckendry. Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary
Students and Staff in Further and Higher Education : Practical Advice for Colleges and
Universities. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019.
• Richmond, Marisa. “Why Colleges Need to Hire More Trans Faculty: They Serve as Role
Models for Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Students.” The Chronicle of Higher
Education, vol. 62, no. 8, Oct. 2015, p. B29.
• Seelman, Kristie L. “Recommendations of Transgender Students, Staff, and Faculty in the
USA for Improving College Campuses.” Gender & Education, vol. 26, no. 6, Sept. 2014, pp.
618–35
• Siegel, Derek P. “Transgender Experiences and Transphobia in Higher
Education.” Sociology Compass, vol. 13, no. 10, Oct. 2019.