Inclusion is spreading on the University of Oklahoma’s campus as more staff and professors take on the title of “Ally”
Students taking a look around OU’s campus might see rows of stickers clinging to faculty and staff doors that say “LGBTQ ALLY”. While many may embrace the title of “ally”, you may wonder how does allyship transfer to the classroom? One example is pronoun usage. Over the years, many classrooms at OU have started implementing pronouns into their first-day-of-school introductions.
For some students, this increase in pronoun usage goes unnoticed, but for LGBTQIA+ students, small changes like pronoun inclusion can change their entire college and classroom experience for the better.
The University of Oklahoma’s Gender and Equality Center (G.E.C.) has been an instrumental part of the increase of inclusive language in classrooms. In their presentation entitled LGBTQIA+ Faculty Aspiring Ally Presentation, their staff teach the foundational steps of allyship, which G.E.C. staff member Jerry Lessley described as a three-hour introduction to ally-ship.
“We focus on understanding key elements of identity development, as well as how that relates to folks within the LGBTQ-plus community. We also reflect on ways that society has kind of socialized us into thinking through binary understandings of self and identities and things like that. And then how that can prevent challenges and be harmful to folks within the community,” Lessley said.
Statistics show that only 31% of college students nationwide feel their campus administration address LGBTQIA+ issues. The G.E.C. puts intense value into increasing inclusion on campus as it can affect students’ experience connecting to the campus community.
“I think, first and foremost, feeling accepted and welcome on a campus that is essentially going to be your home for on average four and a half years…that’s paramount to a student’s experience, and how well they’re going to not only enjoy college but also perform here at college. I think it provides a sense of inclusiveness…also just a sense of overall safety and affirmation, that they are allowed to be who they are, and that there’s a community of people here who support and celebrate them,” Lessley said.
Many professors on campus have been making changes to their classrooms to make the environment more inclusive to all, including Women and Gender Studies instructor Melinda Chen.
“I use pronouns in the classroom- it’s helpful for students to feel more engaged in the class, particularly those folks who identify as non-binary, trans. Even if you don’t identify as trans or non-binary and you identify as cisgender, you’re still being included because you’re recognizing that there are other people in the classroom who may have differences, but that those differences are okay. So getting students to feel more welcome in the classroom is hugely important for classroom engagement throughout the semester,” Chen said.
For many trans or non-binary students, a campus can be a difficult place to navigate, from gendered bathrooms to gendered dorms, leaving ample opportunity for OU faculty and staff to make sure their classroom is a safe place for students to be themselves and learn on an even playing field. More information on the LGBTQIA+ Faculty Aspiring Ally Presentation and other trainings can be found on the G.E.C. Trainings website. Campus LGBTQIA+ resources are available on the University’s Gender and Equality Center website.