Bosch and Pursley publish chapter on transgender inclusion

Director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center Matthew Antonio Bosch and Associate Director of the Center for Leadership Dana Pursley published a chapter in the book “Trans People in Higher Education” which hits shelves in February. The text was released by SUNY Press.

Edited by Genny Beemyn, director of the Stonewall Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and coordinator of Campus Pride’s Trans Policy Clearinghouse, the book addresses the experiences of transgender college students, faculty and staff in a single volume for the first time.

While more transgender students, faculty and staff have come out on U.S. college campuses today than ever before, many still report enduring harassment and discrimination. Others avoid disclosing their gender identity because they do not feel safe or comfortable at their schools. Beemyn brings together personal narratives and original research to give readers both individual and large-scale perspectives, which provide unprecedented insight into the experiences of transgender people in higher education. These contributions reveal that despite an improving environment, transgender people continue to face widespread interpersonal and institutional opposition on campuses across the country.

Some of the first published research focusing on nonbinary transgender undergraduates and transgender graduate students is included, in addition to the most comprehensive research to date of trans students at women’s colleges and of trans academics. "Trans People in Higher Education" also examines the sexual health of transgender students, the treatment of transgender people by individuals with institutional authority, and the strategies and lessons learned from one college that successfully became more transgender inclusive.

Bosch and Pursley’s chapter, “Rising like a Phoenix: One Institution’s Journey through Trans and LGBTQIA Inclusion” follows the journey of Elon through multiple stages of inclusion, citing examples where LGBTQIA and specifically trans-identified students, faculty, staff and alumni benefitted from these growing inclusion efforts. Their chapter details the collaborative partnerships, leadership across the university, institutional strategic planning, and resources dedicated to improving services and programs for LGBTQIA students, serving as a model for other colleges, particularly other private and Southern colleges.