Higher Education Takes Higher Ground
~ 50 Colleges and Universities Offer Gender-Based Protections ~



WASHINGTON (March 16, 2006) Tufts, Iowa State, Cornell and UCLA have more in common than co-eds and classes. According to new findings by the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC), they are part of a growing list of institutions of higher education that ban discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression for both students and employees.

GenderPAC has identified 50 colleges and universities that now extend gender-based protections to their students and staff. Nearly half of these institutions adopted the protections in 2005. California?s Occidental College and Washington?s Evergreen College recently became the 49th and 50th institutions, respectively, to take an official stand against gender discrimination.

GenderPAC conducted its research as part of its new Gender Equality National Index for Universities and Schools (GENIUS) initiative, which tracks colleges and universities that have adopted gender protection policies. More information about GENIUS, including a complete list of all of the identified institutions, is available on GenderPAC?s web site at www.gpac.org/genius.

"All students should be able to apply to college confident that their self-expression will be respected; and that once they are a student, they are in a safe and accepting environment,? said Matthew Pohl, an alumnus of Tufts University, which added gender identity and expression protections to its policies in 2005.

The new policy states that Tufts University does not discriminate "on the basis of... gender identity and expression... in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other university-sponsored programs."

Pohl specifically transferred to Tufts because of its reputation of being more accepting and supportive of all students after experiencing physical and verbal abuse in high school and during his freshman year of college at another institution.

As a member of GenderPAC?s GenderYOUTH Network, Pohl played an active role in Tufts? policy change. The Network is active on 39 campuses in 24 states, combating bullying and discrimination caused by gender stereotypes through peer-to-peer mentoring, grassroots organizing and community education.

?Youth have consistently lead the way on this issue - raising awareness and helping get these landmark non-discrimination polices passed," said Sam Sewell, GenderPAC's Youth Program Director. "These student leaders understand that students should not be bullied, and employees should not be fired, simply because they don't measure up to someone else's unfounded standard for masculinity or femininity - especially in a learning environment."

Policies that include gender identity and expression clauses protect virtually every student, including those who are gay, transgender, or simply gender non-conforming, according to GenderPAC. Female students who are viewed as ?too aggressive? or ?unfeminine;? and male students who are the target of locker-room ?boys will be boys? antics because they are seen as unaggressive are among those who benefit from these new policies.

"As more and more students are expressing their gender in new and exciting ways, it's important for them to know that they still have the right to be treated as fairly as all other students,? said Shawn Coleman, a graduate student at Iowa State University and youth member of GenderPAC's Board.

"Gender identity" refers to a person?s sense of being male or female, while "gender expression" describes how people manifest feeling masculine or feminine through how they look, act, or dress.


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The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) works to ensure that children can reach their potential without barriers imposed by stereotypes, every person has an equal chance to pursue their career and succeed in the workplace without discrimination, and schools and communities are safe places to learn, grow and succeed.

Its GenderYOUTH Network is a collaboration of youth in 25 states combating bullying and discrimination caused by gender stereotypes through peer to peer mentoring, grassroots organizing and community education.