Portland State University's Sexual and Gender Equality Task Force (SAGE) and the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity have revised Portland State's affirmative action statement to include "gender identity" and "gender expression." This change reflects the state's non-discrimination legislation, effective January 1, 2008.

Starting January 2008, non-discrimination legislation based on sexual orientation, including gender identity and gender expression, will go into effect statewide in Oregon. In accordance with state policy and to help protect the rights of Portland State's 25,000 students and more than 3,500 faculty and staff, PSU has decided to add gender identity and gender expression to the University's affirmative action statement.

"Adding gender identity and gender expression to the University's affirmative action statement is a landmark in human rights," declared Christa Orth, SAGE co-chair and Women's Studies instructor. "Portland State has one of the largest transgender and gender-queer student populations in the country and we are proud of our diversity."

Reid Vanderburgh, a leading transgender therapist, said the Portland metropolitan area has one of the largest transgender populations in the United States. Vanderburgh explained that gender identity is an innate identity in every person, emerging during the toddler years. "For most people, 'male' or 'female' is a good-enough fit, but sometimes people are mis-categorized at birth and eventually feel the need to transition physically so that their bodies more closely match their gender identities," said Vanderburgh. "Gender expression, on the other hand, is the 'performance' of gender - what we choose to wear, how we do our hair, whether or not we wear makeup/jewelry-and exists on a continuum of masculine to androgynous to feminine."

"Both the City of Portland and Multnomah County have gender identity non-discrimination laws pertaining to employment, housing, and public accommodations," explained Martha Balshem, special assistant to the president for diversity. "PSU is inclusive and committed to creating a campus that supports full participation from people of diverse sexual and gender identities in all aspects of campus life."

SAGE reports directly to the Office of the President's Diversity Initiative at Portland State University. Members represent the diverse nature of the University community, including people of all genders, and are drawn from faculty, staff, and students who support SAGE's objectives. SAGE's mission is to create a campus climate that values and promotes diversity at Portland State University. For more information about SAGE visit www.sage.groups.pdx.edu.

For more information, please contact Stephenie Jahnke, program administrator, PSU Conflict Resolution Graduate Program, at 503-725-9175 or jahnkes@pdx.edu.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#07-125)

Source: Alex Crossfield (503-725-4932)
PSU Office of Human Resources and SAGE Co-Chair