Pitt to form ad hoc committee for transgender policies

The University Senate has plans to form an ad hoc committee as early as next week to look into… The University Senate has plans to form an ad hoc committee as early as next week to look into and create policies regarding transgender people at Pitt.

Michael Pinsky, president of the University Senate, met with Pitt’s Anti-Discriminatory Policies Committee (ADPC) multiple times over the course of the spring semester about gender-discriminatory issues. He then decided to create an ad hoc committee, based on a report generated from the ADPC’s research into transgendered facility use.

“The ADPC identified a significant issue involving students, faculty and staff at the University of Pittsburgh. Specifically, how we are going to handle the personal side of transgender students and staff regarding bathroom facilities, locker rooms and housing,” Pinsky said.

The ADPC does not make policy, but instead advises the University Senate — which serves to keep communication open between students, faculty and administration ­— on topics relating to discrimination and inequality.

Last month, that committee unanimously passed a resolution recommending that the University allow students to use gendered bathroom facilities according to personal gender identity rather than natal sex.

But the University opposed the recommendation when it declared that Pitt’s transgender students would be required to use only the bathroom facilities that correspond to the sexes listed on their birth certificates.

The ADPC will still deal with implementing the school’s nondiscrimination policy, but transgender issues will no longer be its primary focus.

Pinsky said that Pitt formed the new ad hoc group to look into transgender issues for several reasons.

He said that although the ADPC had gathered and analyzed data about transgender housing, bathroom and locker room use, the information collected was too broad to address these specific issues.

In addition, Pinsky said, the ADPC itself was polarized.

“There was significant internal dissent within members of the committee as to the final product,” Pinsky said.

Pinsky plans to task the new committee with three goals: examining the state’s transgender policies, examining the present policies at other reputable institutions in the state and surrounding regions and incorporating the recommendations and advice of societies that have previously addressed transgender issues.

“The goal is to specifically review what’s out there in the community and make … a reasonable set of recommendations,” Pinsky said.

The committee will create a set of policies “which takes into consideration the needs and safety of the transgendered population as well as the concerns of the rest of the University — faculty, students, staff and students’ parents.”

Membership in the new panel will be by appointment only.

Pinsky said the goal of utilizing membership by appointment is to foster neutrality in the committee by ensuring a broad range of representation — including members of administrators, staff, faculty and students. Pinsky said that although he hasn’t determined how many people will serve on the committee, he hopes to have the roster finalized by next week.

“I want neutral and intelligent people who are willing to objectively look at the issue to allow transgender individuals to thrive at the University,“ Pinsky said.

ADPC president Jane Feuer forwarded questions about the new committee to Irene Frieze, a psychology and women’s studies professor at Pitt.

Frieze and Anthony Infanti, a law professor and an associate dean for Academic Affairs, have been named co-chairs of the nascent committee.

But the constant bomb threats around campus have halted the committee’s progress, Pinsky and Frieze said.

“Given all the problems at Pitt right now, it appears that we have temporarily tabled finalizing the committee,” Frieze said.

Pinsky and the University Senate elected to hold off on the committee’s meeting and development until Monday in order to stabilize the University before acting. At the meeting, Pinsky will announce the full roster and charge the appointees with their duties.

Emilia Lombardi, an assistant professor at Pitt’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology and a transgender woman, said she was pleased with the creation of the group.

“While the idea of having a group to specifically focus on transgender issues is nice, I wish it could have arose from a better set of circumstances,” said Lombardi, who is leaving the University this summer for reasons unrelated to the school’s policy regarding facility usage. “There have been many issues regarding trans inclusion that have been coming to the ADPC over the years. Having a specific group to address a broad range of issues I feel would be useful in the long run.”

Pinsky expressed hope and certainty of a swift resolution to the related issues — housing, bathroom and locker-room use — and he said he is confident in the new committee’s ability to devise appropriate policy recommendations.

“I fully think that we can resolve this very quickly to the satisfaction of the transgender students and the rest of the community,” Pinsky said.