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Transsexual coed tells UP prof: I am not a ‘he’


A transsexual student at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City has complained against a professor for allegedly acting with religious prejudice toward the coed's identity, sparking an online debate on freedom of speech. The case involves European Languages student Hender Gercio, a self-described “transsexual woman" who had “undergone a gender transition," who filed a complaint against French language professor Dominique del Corro. Gercio filed a complaint against Del Corro on February 7. Gercio is a former President of Babaylan, an officially-recognized organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in UP. According to an incident report, the professor allegedly ignored Gercio's requests to be addressed as a female in class because it is against her religious beliefs. “She also told me that she cannot separate being a Christian from who she was as a teacher. She then continued that she believed that homosexuality was a sin, and it was due to this reason that she cannot allow herself to address and accept me as female," Gercio said. In a Facebook note entitled "Stop Transphobia/Homophobia in UP Diliman!" Gercio said “My pronouns are MY pronouns. I don't care who your God is, but I will not let you take my gender identity away from me." Del Corro declined GMA News Online's request for an interview, explaining that Gercio still sits in her class. She said she would consider giving a public statement only when the semester is over. Gender equality on campus The 2003 edition of the UP-Diliman Faculty Manual says the teaching staff enjoys academic freedom provided “that no instructor in the University shall inculcate sectarian tenets in any of the teachings, nor attempt directly or indirectly, under the penalty of dismissal by the Board of Regents, to influence students or attendants at the University for or against any particular church or religious sect or political party." In the incident report, Gercio said of Del Corro: “In judging my female gender identity as ‘invalid’ just because I am transgender, she definitely does not promote gender equality." Gercio added: “I am therefore demanding, in behalf of all present and future transgender students of this public and non-sectarian university, for my chosen gender identity to be affirmed and respected." The student said this includes the use of female pronouns and other feminine forms of address in class. Defending the professor In a Facebook note, some classmates of Gercio defended the language professor's right to assert her views. The students who wrote the note entitled “On Mutual Respect" said Gercio’s insistence to be addressed as “she," or “elle" in French – while upholding the transsexual student’s rights – is a violation of Del Corro’s “sense of self as an evangelical Christian." The students noted that Del Corro addressed Gercio by their classmate's first name "Hender." The students noted: “While it is true that Ma’am Nikki [Del Corro] is the authority figure in the classroom, she has never used her authority to influence the class or Hender herself. Her own address of Hender as il did not stop the rest of the class from referring to Hender as elle and, again, neither did she try to." The note said: “Language and speech have immense power. For Hender, not being addressed as elle is the denial of her identity, her sense of self, the sacredness of her belief, whereas for Ma’am Nikki [Del Corro] words that she chooses, the words that come out of her mouth, this same address of Hender as elle, is a violation of her own sense of self as an evangelical Christian, which puts above all else the authority of the bible. If we don’t understand either of these beliefs, if we think one or the other is ultimately wrong, we attempt to inform each other. Failing conversion on either side, we agree to disagree." Appealing to UP’s thrust to respect a plurality of beliefs, the students implored, “All of this began with a stalemate between the insistence and resistance of two people who represent a multitude of beliefs and ideas. Let it end at an impasse. Let it remain so." Other netizens defended the actions of Del Corro. “I’m not LGBT but in UP, academic freedom also applies to teachers, not only to students," an anonymous user posted on the blog of UP Babaylan. “We believe that what you are doing is wrong," went another comment, referring to Gercio’s request to be addressed as a female. “So why do you force us to address you as if we condone it? It is against our beliefs. So please, respect that." Letter-exchange Ladlad party-list, an advocate of the LBGT community, provided GMA News Online with copies of the letters between Gercio and UP-Diliman European Languages Department chairperson Wystan de la Peña. In a letter dated February 22, De La Peña referred to a meeting with Gercio on February 18 to discuss the student’s complaint. Without providing specifics, De La Peña said, “With the conversation that ensued in the presence of one of your teachers and in the face-to-face exchange we had, I deem I have already provided a response to your letter of 07 February 2011." In a note explaining what transpired at the meeting, Gercio said De La Peña claimed that he "cannot require Ms. Del Corro to address me as female since my legal gender remains to be male." Gercio recounted that in their meeting, De La Peña stated that “Del Corro did not violate any of the university rules (i.e. academic freedom, code of ethics)" particularly when “there was no university policy addressing transgender students." Gercio wrote another letter to De La Peña on February 24 asking for "transparency, efficiency, and accountability," as De La Peña did not put the explanation in writing. “Documentation is essential in every formal meeting. Although I recall the ‘conversation’ and ‘face-to-face exchange’ I had with you, they would not suffice as a reference when I escalate my case," Gercio said. GMA News Online has been unable to reach the UP-Diliman European Languages Department as of posting time. ‘Not the genitalia’ Ladlad party-list chair Bemz Benedito, in an interview with GMA News Online, asserted the right of an LGBT member to identify his or her gender. “It’s not the genitalia that will decide who we are," Benedito said. “Some of us are trapped in a man’s body, but our minds are of a woman." Also a transsexual from male to female, Benedito said Ladlad is considering bringing up the issue with either the Commission on Higher Education or the Commission on Human Rights, as Garcia's case is not unprecedented. “It happens in other schools and offices, too," the Ladlad chair said. Benedito said Ladlad would have filed a criminal complaint had the anti-discrimination bill – still pending in Congress – been enacted into law. This bill, filed by Bayan-Muna party-list representatives Teodoro Casiño and Neri Javier Colmenares, seeks to outlaw discrimination on the basis of gender identity, defined as “the personal sense of identity characterized, among others, by manners of clothing, inclinations, and behavior in relation to masculine or feminine conventions." Back in 2008, party-list group Akbayan also filed a similar bill. – MRT/VVP, GMA News

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