Kourt Osborn, the 22-year-old transgender student denied housing at Southern Utah University, filed a formal grievance with the University on Friday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Originally reported on InterstateQ.com on Dec. 14, Kourt’s experience with discrimination at the University has now reached into the mainstream press.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune:
Neuman Duncan, SUU’s housing director, says the school is not discriminating against transgender students, but simply following a policy to ensure the comfort and safety of all students.
“He has not transgendered completely so we are unable to assign him men’s housing. It’s a housing policy that we require transgender students to provide a letter from a doctor that says they have undergone all necessary treatments and hormone therapy has been completed,” says Duncan. “Where they’re in the process [of gender transition] I have no place to put them.” Equality advocates criticized SUU’s policies as “old thinking” that uses irrelevant criteria for determining gender.
“That they would requires someone to have surgery to live in the dorm is just wrong. It’s absolutely irrelevant. They don’t ask anyone else for proof of gender. They shouldn’t be checking his genitals,” says Mara Keisling, executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Universities shouldn’t be making medical decision for students. That should be left up to patients and doctors.” On Friday, Osborn filed a formal grievance with SUU. Thanks to publicity about his case, a Cedar City resident has offered her basement apartment, but he still hopes SUU revises its housing policies and apologizes.
The Advocate has also reported on the story on its website.
Related Posts:
- Southern Utah responds to denial of transgender student housing Dec. 18
- Update: Trans Utah student – Press release from Equality Utah and Utah Pride Center Dec. 17
- BREAKING: Transgender student denied campus housing at public Utah college Dec. 14
Technorati Tags: utah, southern utah, suu, cedar city, kourt osborn, equality utah, utah pride center, national center for transgender equality, transgender, campus housing, college
December 19th, 2007 at 7:29 am
[...] « Update: Trans Utah student – Press release from Equality Utah and Utah Pride Center | Transgender student files formal grievance, more response from Southern Utah [...]
December 19th, 2007 at 7:31 am
[...] Transgender student files formal grievance, more response from Southern Utah Dec. 19 [...]
December 19th, 2007 at 7:31 am
[...] Transgender student files formal grievance, more response from Southern Utah Dec. 19 [...]
December 19th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
20 December 2007
Dear SUU Housing and Residence Life,
I am writing to protest your unfair and discriminatory handling of a housing application from SUU student Kourt Osborn as reported recently in the local press and globally through the Internet.
You housing policies are discriminatory against Transgender people because
1. Nobody else is required to prove the medical status of their genitalia before being considered for housing – only transgender people.
2. Nobody else is required to have surgery before being accepted for housing – only transgender people.
By acting in such an authoritarian and discriminatory fashion you are preempting decisions about the treatment of gender dysphoria which are more rightly the private and confidential business of the student and their doctor.
I find it a shame that your unfair and discriminatory policies and clear lack of flexibility and apparent lack of willingness to find any solution except one which caters to your entrenched institutional prejudices is now damaging the reputation of your institution world wide.
Yours Sincerely
Frances Monro