Camosun often boasts that it is progressive as far as inclusion and diversity goes. Camosun’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion policy states that “Inclusion is the process through which we build a community where the diversity of human experiences, perspectives, and identities is recognized and respected. Inclusion fosters belonging. It affords everyone the right to participate and strengthen the collective well-being of our communities.” Sounds good, but this broad definition doesn’t define direct initiatives or detail how exactly the college will foster their values.
When I was fresh out of a private Christian school, I felt that Camosun was inclusive by comparison. I was impressed that each student’s pronouns were asked for along with their names. My standards weren’t high, considering that at the time I was fresh out of an institution that normalized gender-based violence and discrimination. Also, I wasn’t as educated on gender-based prejudice as I am now. I didn’t realize at the time that it was wrong for my professor to say, “If I can’t tell what your pronouns are from looking at you, put up your hand and let me know.” (No student raised their hand.)
Although the LGBTQ2S+ community has gained more widespread acceptance since the legalization of same-sex marriage in July 2005, that doesn’t mean the general population doesn’t have internalized prejudices. Historically, media has often skewed LGBTQ2S+ and transgender individuals as the butt of the joke . The general population internalizes these prejudices.
Students may be cautious giving their pronouns to professors, as they are putting themselves in a vulnerable position. Additionally, asking professors to include their pronouns on their syllabus doesn’t guarantee that they’ll remember and respect students’ pronouns. “Slip-ups” are a common occurrence.
An inclusive environment is necessary to foster egalitarianism in an educational setting.
Also, transgender individuals whose appearance doesn’t fit into the traditional gender binary are at risk for questioning by self-appointed bathroom police. This fear of interrogation may cause transgender individuals to not be comfortable or feel safe using the binary washroom options.
Gender-neutral washrooms also aren’t available in every building. When there is an all-gender washroom in a building, the wait time to use it is often very long due to cisgender students using them to vape, go to the washroom privately, or just get some personal space. I have friends who’ve had to wait upward of 20 minutes to use the washroom, just to have someone walk out scrolling through something on their phone.
Also, the number of gender-neutral bathrooms that are available doesn’t reflect the amount of students who use them. Camosun loves to brag that it is focused on inclusion, yet these claims ring hollow when students have to search to find a universal washroom. Then, once finding the washroom, it may not have a working lock or be out of sanitary supplies, such as toilet paper, which both myself and friends have seen in the Wilna Thomas Building.
The lack of respect to people outside the gender binary is evident in the lack of care put into keeping gender-neutral washrooms hygienic.
The college has made efforts toward inclusion, but there’s still a long way to go before gender-based discrimination is eradicated.