Transgender Student Not Permitted to Speak in U of A Class
By: Administrator
Updated: May 4, 2012
A canceled student lecture causing some controversy at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. The possible reason? The student is transgender.
Our affiliate KNWA reports Jennifer Braly is a transgender student at the school and has been speaking to students about gender identity disorder for the past two semesters.
But Braly says the school canceled her most recent lecture, at the last minute, with no explanation.
Dr. Laura King, the teacher who asked Jennifer to come speak to her class, believes a student complaint led to the lecture being canceled.
However, the university released a statement on their website saying:
"while there were miscommunications, the cancellation of the class and postponement of the students speech had absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter or the students status."
Jennifer says now the university is making her use an approved survey in order to continue speaking. The survey will check the need for more information on gender identity and get student feedback on the lecture.
Our affiliate KNWA reports Jennifer Braly is a transgender student at the school and has been speaking to students about gender identity disorder for the past two semesters.
But Braly says the school canceled her most recent lecture, at the last minute, with no explanation.
Dr. Laura King, the teacher who asked Jennifer to come speak to her class, believes a student complaint led to the lecture being canceled.
However, the university released a statement on their website saying:
"while there were miscommunications, the cancellation of the class and postponement of the students speech had absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter or the students status."
Jennifer says now the university is making her use an approved survey in order to continue speaking. The survey will check the need for more information on gender identity and get student feedback on the lecture.
Comments
I thought campi were suppose to be placed of extended learned where freedom of expression was allowed. Since this university grounds is located in the Bible belt this must hold true. Once again the society has blinders on to new concepts of science and social interaction. I guess the religious right wins this battle but they still have not won the war. In the near future freedom of ideas will follow like a raging river though the Bible belt and the UAFS campus. People will not be silent forever. New ideas must be explored otherwise society will become stagnated. Being a transsexual myself live in the Buckle of this region understand the close minds of the inhabitants. Coming from an advance culture the Chicago metro area there are freedom of expression all over the scholasticism realm, what a culture shock. Jennifer Braly, a University of Arkansas at Fort Smith psychology major and has a 3.58 GPA. Ms. Braly is more than qualify to instruct the class on this issue. Being a trans woman going through the treatment can give a personal as well a educational view on this subject. She was trying to open to minds of the youth to the world of gender variance. A world in which she and I had no choice in joining we were born with this genetic difference. But I am not complaining. Minds need to expand outside the realm of a dogmatic doctrine so we can as a nation stop the discrimination against our people. The people whom protested against her must think it is alright to have discontentment against all people that are different. Also congratulations Jennifer on winning the bathroom issue now UAFS has joine partly the new century.
thomas t.
May 25, 2012 at 9:47 am
