Xtra – November 13, 2010
Trans student protests school gender policies: But mixed messages leave media and university adminstrators scratching their heads
By Nick Logan

Michelle Rayner’s first day of classes at Fredericton’s St Thomas University (STU) was meant to be a new beginning. Instead, she started her first year off, on Sep 13, with a punch in the face after entering a women’s washroom on campus. The alleged assailant thought she was a man.

The 22-year-old Rayner describers herself as androgynous and identifies as transgendered. So, she says, a quick trip to the toilet isn’t so simple in a world of gender-designated lavatories.

“It’s kind of an anxious part of the day, for something that should be so normal,” she explains. “Anyone that is androgynous, we deal with that on a daily basis.”

Rayner wants the university to re-think gender policies concerning the school’s facilities and provide gender-neutral toilets, but the administration is in the dark this week as she speaks principally to local media.

“We were only made aware of this yesterday (Wednesday, Nov 10) afternoon,” says STU’s director of communications. That was when a press release, sent by Rob Frenette, Rayner’s “publicist” and the co-founder of BullyingCanada.ca, arrived in inboxes of media outlets around the city.

STU spokesperson Jeffrey Carleton insists the administration wants to be a part of this dialogue to assure all students are safe and comfortable on campus.

Click here to see his picture.