Draft Gender Affirmation Policy open for consultation
The University of Melbourne aspires to be a place where all people are valued and respected, have equal access to opportunities and are encouraged to fulfil their talents and potential. To help realise these aspirations, a draft Gender Affirmation Policy has been developed.
As we acknowledge International Transgender Day of Visibility for 2021, when we celebrate the achievements and contributions of trans and gender diverse people to society, the University invites feedback on the draft Policy from staff and students.
The first of its kind for the University, the Gender Affirmation Policy outlines key principles and actions which help build a safe, inclusive and respectful culture for all transgender and gender diverse members of our community. Further to this, the Policy outlines the processes for transgender and gender diverse people to safely affirm their gender identity and expression at the University.
The draft Gender Affirmation Policy has been developed by the Diversity and Inclusion Policy Review Working Group.
In stakeholder consultations conducted in June and July of 2020, the relationship between the existing Freedom of Speech Policy and the Gender Affirmation Policy was raised as a significant issue by a number of stakeholders.
Consequently, revisions were proposed to the Freedom of Speech Policy to convey a stronger commitment to minimise harmful speech and actions. These revisions were approved by University Council on 17 March this year.
We now seek feedback from our University community to inform the final draft of the Gender Affirmation policy. In particular, we warmly welcome feedback from transgender and gender diverse members of our University community.
The Gender Affirmation Policy is an important step forward and will be supported by the development of structures and processes to better support a safe and inclusive culture for transgender and gender diverse members of the University community.
For educational resources and support services, please explore our Trans & Gender Diverse Resources content on the Pride In Action Network webpages.