Nonkosi Xaba, junior researcher at UP’s Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, extols the virtues of the University’s Trans Protocol.

“We are, all of us, in a constant [state] of negotiation with the political and cultural forces attempting to shape us into simple, translatable packages” – transgender writer Thomas Page McBee

Universities have come a long way from solely teaching the gospel and self-fulfilment, and praising God. Even in the modern-day secular world, where culture has replaced scripture, to understand universities as institutions that are capable only of teaching people how to make a living is to greatly undermine the work, influence and community of a higher education institution.

However universities have a greater ambition. We may hear about it at commencement addresses during graduation ceremonies and sense it on the side lines at sporting events (and in the lecture halls of the Humanities Faculty). That ambition is to teach us what matters, who we are, where our society should be headed and how to be happier and have fulfilling lives. Sometimes universities are best positioned to address the problems at their doorstep. Only a university that dedicates itself to solving pressing societal challenges will be assured of the support of its community, and will attract top talent, philanthropic money and research funding for a better future.

In their traditional sense, universities have gender-segregated spaces, from restrooms to student accommodation, and as a binary-gendered public space, universities have a history of delegitimising trans and gender non-binary identities. Much like many other social institutions, upon entry into a university, individuals are required to choose from identities that are understood within society but which may not resonate with them (Thorpe, 2017).

In 2022, the University of Pretoria (UP) adopted the Trans Protocol as a guideline to respond to the needs of trans, intersex, gender non-conforming and non-binary staff and students. While several stakeholders were involved in drafting and championing the document, it were the calls of autonomous students that were heard. Stakeholders included UP’s Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender; the Transformation Office; UP and Out; #SpeakOutUP; the Department of Residence Affairs; the Student Counselling Unit; the SRC; and the SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights.

The broader aim of the protocol, which supports and strengthens the institution’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, is to eradicate discrimination against affected individuals, and to build an inclusive, affirming environment and institutional culture at UP. The university space is important to everyone’s physical and mental well-being – I would go a step further and say that the university is a unique space that is crucial to assisting young people to practise exercising autonomy in order to get a better sense of the world while providing a safe space in which to do so.

The Trans Protocol is an important stepping stone to the University’s discourse on gender narratives. But what does the roll-out of such a protocol look like? It involves people being able to identify as trans in a university community. Students at UP now have the opportunity to receive administrative support if they require a name or title change. By allowing more gender expressions on online platforms where students are able to identify with preferred names and have a list of pronouns to align with, the University is acknowledging that students may be in the self-learning stages.

Consistent anti-stigma and anti-discrimination work can explore the question of gender-neutral bathrooms – making them accessible across campuses – as well as strategies for students who find themselves in residences where their gender identity is at odds with their expression.

Through the collaborative co-creation of safe spaces at UP, we can go beyond being an institution that provides access to professional opportunities to one that also provides supportive organisations, such as #SpeakOut and #Up&Out, as well diverse alumni communities that can expand students’ social networks even further – creating social support systems that can persist throughout their lives.

While there is much work ahead of us, I am proud to be associated with an institution that welcomes the transformative calls of its students and swiftly aligns with the needs of its community. This is something worth appreciating. I encourage all members of the UP community to familiarise themselves with the Trans Protocol.

Reference: Thorpe, A. (2017). ‘Where Do We Go? Gender Identity and Gendered Spaces in Postsecondary Institutions.’ Antistasis, 7(1). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/antistasis/article/view/25468