Regent’s Park has announced a trans inclusion statement, linking issues of trans inclusion and identification with its harassment policy. It is the first college to recognise self-identification as a “personal” belief and a protected characteristic.
Regent’s Park “condemns all forms of unlawful discrimination, victimisation, bullying, harassment and hate crime perpetrated against trans people” and has committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment. The college recognises that there are differences between assigned sex and gender identity expression and “will at no time” discriminate on this basis or during the process of gender reassignment.
The 2010 Equalities Act already protects trans indiviudals from “discrimination (direct or indirect), victimisation, bullying or harassment”. The Act goes on to describe the protected characteristics of such a trans indiviudal as one “who is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone a process (or part of a process) of reassigning their person sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex”.
Regent’s Park further recognises that “gender assignment” has “personal rather than exclusively medical dimensions”. Their protection is extended to those who are perceived, even incorrectly, as having a protected characteristic of gender reassignment.
Whilst incidents will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, inappropriate behaviours towards trans people will include persistent misgendering, denying the existence of trans people, and physical violence of any kind.
The college is also committed to fostering good relations between groups with a protected characteristic and upholding freespeech: “Lawfully expressed gender-critical beliefs must be held in balance with the dignity and respect of trans people, and with the College’s statement of commitment to trans inclusion.
“Regent’s Park College respects the right of trans people to choose whether or not to participate in discussions or debates. Regent’s Park College also respects the rights of those holding gender-critical beliefs which are to be protected, provided their expression does not constitute harassment as not respecting the rights and freedoms of others.”
Read the full policy here.
