Sexual and Gender Diversity Advisory Committee

Report On The Positive Space Two-Year Pilot Project
(May 2000)

for the President's Advisory Committee on Human Rights

The Positive Space Programme has now come to the end of its two-year pilot. It has been overseen by the Sexual and Gender Diversity Advisory Committee [SGDAC]. We have already achieved considerable visibility at York and elsewhere. Indeed, we were proud to learn that Queen's University has adopted York's entire Positive Space Programme, complete with philosophy, graphics, and forms, for their own community.

The Sexual and Gender Diversity Advisory Committee
The SGDAC has been in existence for three years and, in addition to overseeing the Positive Space Programme, has established itself as a focus for issues concerning the GLBT community. The committee consists of a highly dedicated cross-section of York personnel drawn from the administration, student body and faculty. The members for 1999-00 are:

  • Njeri-Damali Campbell, YFS
  • Marc Charrier, Osgoode glbt caucus
  • Cheryl Van Daalen-Smith, Atkinson Nursing
  • Heather Dryden, Centre for Race and Ethnic Relations
  • Debbie Glass, Office of Student Affairs
  • Michael Gilbert, Arts Philosophy
  • Les Green, Arts Philosophy/Osgoode
  • Ronda Hackett, Atkinson Counselling and Supervision Centre
  • Denise Hammond, GSA
  • J. [Wallace], TBLGAY
  • Didi Khayatt, Faculty of Education
  • Scott Pope, Atkinson Counselling and Supervision
  • Avi Rose, Counselling and Development Centre
  • Gill Teiman, Centre for Human Rights and Equity

Volunteers, Orientations and Events
By May 9, 2000, when the Positive Space Programme was approaching the end of the two-years allotted for the pilot, we had close to 150 student, staff and faculty volunteers. To date the Programme has held seven orientations for new volunteers:

  • general call for volunteers at Keele and Glendon - 40 people
  • outreach to specific areas: Security, Counselling, unions, GSA - 20
  • request from YUSA for Stewards' School - 20
  • catch up for people unable to attend others - 10
  • faculty orientation - 15 people
  • faculty orientation - 15 people
  • general call for volunteers at Keele and Glendon - 35 people including graduate students, staff from Career Services and Counselling Centres, and faculty

Four committee members in particular are responsible for the orientations: Heather Dryden for the administrative support, general facilitation, and an overview of the issues; Didi Khayatt for the introduction and background; Scott Pope (with help from Heather) on the expectations of volunteers to support but not be counsellors; and Michael (Miqqi) Gilbert on transgender/transsexual issues.

We have also held a reception for volunteers, and, again in recognition of the contribution of our volunteers, invited two well-known women to make presentations to them. Michelle Douglas, formerly in the Canadian Armed Forces, and Sylvia Durand, still of the Canadian Armed Forces, explained the experiences that resulted in their becoming crucial pioneers in addressing discrimination in a very traditional organization.

Other on-campus workshops requested as a result of the orientations include:

  • a session for CDC, and one for Career Services, by Michael Gilbert
  • a session for CDC interns by Heather Dryden
  • sessions were requested by GSA and the Residence Dons but had to be deferred due to time constraints of the committee members

Communications: listservs
To facilitate communication, we have set up two listservs: one for announcements about the Positive Space Programme [Positive-Vol], and one for discussion on issues of sexual and gender diversity [SEXGEN-D]. These listservs were extensively used for:

  • information and announcements about events, conferences, calls for papers
  • graduate student requests for help with research in various areas
  • information and discussion regarding pertinent legislation
  • information and discussion regarding issues of topical interest in Canada

Off-campus events
We have increasingly received requests for information or training or workshops. This is in addition to the people who simply want to join the Positive Space Programme as volunteers. We have also had requests from outside the University.

  • Professor Khayatt was invited and served as an expert witness on sexuality to a Saskatchewan Human Rights hearing in part because her name was associated with the Positive Space Programme
  • Gill Teiman and Trish Salah, a volunteer, were asked to co-facilitate a session for the Alliance for Employment Equity
  • Heather Dryden, representing YorkUniversity, was asked to serve on the steering committee, of the "Bent on Change" conference planned for November, 2000 in Toronto; several positive space volunteers have since joined the planning discussions
  • Michael Gilbert recently presented a paper on gender at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and will be giving a workshop on counseling gender in June.

General Issues
Furthermore, other issues are regularly brought to the Advisory Committee. In the past two years, we have considered:

  • same sex spousal survivor pension benefits
  • the appropriateness of "spouse" rather than "same-sex partner
  • responding to the Matthew Shepherd murder
  • supporting Professor Loebel to complete his list of courses with Queer content
  • the Canadian Blood Service's screening questionnaire
  • facilitating the reinstatement of a blood-donor drive on campus
  • investigating name change policies (e.g. on transcripts) for transgender students
  • York's presence at pride day

Volunteer Survey
In anticipation of the end of the pilot project, we surveyed the volunteers regarding their experience and opinions of the programme.

  • over 35 people responded
  • some reported a direct effect of having the Positive Space Programme sticker on their door, for example:

"One of my male MA students had a meeting with me but was in distress around issues concerning his sexual orientation. Seeing the sticker he told me everything. We discussed it. And he was far more at ease for our academic oriented exchange afterward."

"No student has asked. However, several people (perhaps 4 or 5 in the time it's been up, a few months) who are from 'outside' York have asked, and I've explained."

"Yes, it has attracted attention - - I have had several of my tutors inquire about it or comment that they were glad to see it - - especially as my office leads to a student computer lab where there is a great flow of students."

"At least four times to my knowledge, I've been approached by students who have wanted to discuss specific matters regarding sexual and/or gender diversity. In each case, the student was in a stressful situation and needed someone in whom to confide. I was able to lend an ear as well as offer further resources."

"I have had questions and positive comments (about the sticker) from students. . . . I see a large number of students for one-on-one advising - - I know several students (approximately 5 over the last year), who felt very comfortable and at ease coming to see me for academic advice - - their comfort level was related to the positive space sticker."

"The sticker has attracted a lot of attention and comment in and around the department, specially as we are proud to say that there are now three stickers on faculty's doors in this very part of the corridor. It has generated discussion over lunch, etc. "

Most respondents, who did not report any traffic as a result of the sticker, commented on its usefulness to provide a welcoming climate and set a positive tone.

In general, respondents were extremely positive about the programme. They reported such benefits as becoming acquainted with other GLBT people on campus, learning and becoming better informed about issues and about resources, and gaining a sense of a positive and supportive community. Respondents were also appreciative, in particular, of the orientations and the activity on the listservs.

Plans for Next Year
Finally, our plans for the coming year include:

  • a major initiative to give YorkUniversity a high profile at next year's Pride Day celebrations. We believe that York is emerging as the university of choice among the TLBG communities due to its increasing scholarship and teaching in these areas, as well as its efforts to provide a supportive and positive climate for students and employees. Our participation in Pride Day will highlight the University's achievements.
  • launching our web site
  • translating our materials and extensive volunteer resource kits into French and to hold an orientation on the Glendon campus
  • supporting and participating in relevant conferences and events such as the "Bent on Change" conference in November, and a graduate student symposium on Trans issues in October
  • continuing our lecture series and possibly initiating a film series

Resources Requested
So far, the Centre for Human Rights and Equity has provided most of the support for these activities. The Office of the President contributed $4000 over two years in seed funding for the Positive Space Programme. SHEACC has done its best to include homophobia issues in its workshops but cannot meet the increasing demand for specific workshops. The committee members have volunteered as much of their time as they could. We believe that the increasing profile benefits the University, but that additional administrative support is required to consolidate and continue the achievements that have been made to date. We propose a half course release for Professor Khayatt, together with an additional $4000 to SGDAC for overheads. The Centre for Human Rights and Equity will continue to provide as much support as it can: Heather Dryden, who has been a member of the committee since its inception, is willing to work more closely with these issues and promote a greater understanding of how they intersect with issues of race, ethnicity, culture and religion.

But the very success of the committee in identifying a need that exists on campus requires that more be done. The demand for more workshops, both general for students, staff and faculty, and specific for campus groups requesting a specialized session, (e.g., York Security,) means that more time is required than is available. In addition, the committee feels that it is advisable that there be a faculty member in a leadership role to address campus and public issues. Given how important she thinks the work of SGDAC is, Professor Khayatt is willing to take on this responsibility.

If given the release time, Professor Khayatt will be able to respond to many of the demands being made, most of which are beyond the scope of a volunteer committee. These include workshops for undergraduate and graduate classes, residence tutors and dons, and student organizations such as the Women's Centre. The workshops being requested of us are to cover issues of sexuality, sexual diversity, and current discourses on the subject. These include issues such as the recent shift from a purely binary conceptuality of sexuality (heterosexuality and homosexuality), of gender (masculine or feminine) and of sex (biological male and female) to a more fluid understanding of the diversity of these identities. Furthermore, it is difficult for any committee to function as a spokesperson, and while Professor Khayatt tries to fulfill this function presently, she is unable to do so to the extent necessary. York's participation in Toronto's Pride activities will require a readily available spokesperson. Off campus, our exchanges must be in accordance with the understanding of changing terminology as it applies to the GLBT communities (adding "q" to GLBT, for example). These are activities that Professor Khayatt is eminently qualified and willing to perform on behalf of York.