Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students
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March 2021 Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students Dr Esther McIntosh and Dr Sharon Jagger Centre for Religion in Society York St John University Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students Dr Esther McIntosh and Dr Sharon Jagger Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without generous financial assistance from the Church Universities Fund and York St John University. The application was supported by Dr Richard Bourne, Revd Dr Christina Beardsley, Revd Dr Rachel Mann and the Revd Garry Neave. We are grateful that they believed this research was necessary and valuable. The research was carried out at Anglican Foundation higher education institutions in the UK, and we are thankful for the Cathedrals Group universities network. We are indebted to all the university chaplains, priests, staff and students who participated in questionnaires, interviews and storyboards, and to the LGBT+ networks who promoted our research, especially Marije Davidson, Kalen Reid, Revd Jane Speck and Kaden Kellett- Jones. We would like to thank all the participants who read the draft report and contributed to the report workshop during the global pandemic (COVID-19). Your online engagement was vital to ensuring accurate and fair representation with practical and impactful outcomes. In particular, the final report has benefitted from detailed attention and feedback given by Revd Dr Christina Beardsley and Dr Michael Bonshor. We would have preferred to gather with you all in person and hope to do so in the future. This report makes recommendations for chaplains and other support networks in education and beyond. It is underpinned by the trans and non-binary activists and authors who have been challenging exclusion for years. Without you, and the trans and non-binary folk who trusted us with their stories, this report would not have been possible. We hope the recommendations assist in creating more person-centred, inclusive, and empowering educational environments for gender-diverse staff and students. For enquiries or to request a workshop, email: [email protected] and [email protected] To cite this report: McIntosh, E. and Jagger, S. (2021) Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students. York: York St John University. Original artwork © The Fox Fisher 2 Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students Dr Esther McIntosh and Dr Sharon Jagger Contents Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................5 Introduction: The Aims and Scope of the Research .......................................................................11 Background .............................................................................................................................................16 The Social and Cultural Context ....................................................................................................16 The Legislative Framework .............................................................................................................18 Trans and Non-Binary Folk and Christianity ..............................................................................20 The Higher Education Context ...................................................................................................... 24 Literature about Chaplaincies .......................................................................................................30 Findings Summary ................................................................................................................................ 35 The Survey .......................................................................................................................................... 35 Participation through Displays ...................................................................................................... 43 Interviews with Chaplains ...............................................................................................................48 Church Positioning and Debates ..............................................................................................48 Churches and ‘Safe Space’ ........................................................................................................ 54 University and Church Cultures ................................................................................................ 59 Resisting Negative Church Messages ..................................................................................... 62 Student and Staff Bodies ........................................................................................................... 67 Chaplaincy as ‘Safe Space’ ........................................................................................................ 72 Relational Stories within Chaplaincies .....................................................................................74 Interviews with Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students ..................................................... 78 Interviews with Rachel Mann and Christina Beardsley............................................................88 The Culture of the Church of England and the Lived Experience of Trans Priests .......88 The Wider Cultural Challenges and Support for Trans Persons ........................................ 95 3 Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students Dr Esther McIntosh and Dr Sharon Jagger Signs, Symbols and Language .................................................................................................. 97 Chaplaincies as a Place of Support..........................................................................................98 Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 101 Listening To and Working with Trans and Non-Binary People ............................................. 103 Learning as a Continual Process ................................................................................................ 104 Conversing on Matters of Faith ................................................................................................... 105 Influencing ........................................................................................................................................ 106 Being Visible and Accessible ....................................................................................................... 106 Collaborating ................................................................................................................................... 109 Resourcing ........................................................................................................................................ 110 Recommended Reading..................................................................................................................... 112 References ............................................................................................................................................ 113 4 Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Staff and Students Dr Esther McIntosh and Dr Sharon Jagger Executive Summary This project was funded by the Church Universities Fund and York St John University; it sought out and listened to the views of trans1 and non-binary students and staff, chaplains from Anglican Foundation universities, and two prominent trans priests in the Church of England. Interviews provided a set of rich narratives focussed on the lived experiences of trans and non-binary folk on university campuses and in church environments. Chaplains provided details regarding their current knowledge and practices, and the potential for developing their support to trans and non-binary staff and students. All the recommendations in this report are underpinned by the principles of amplifying and listening to trans and non-binary voices, and we suggest chaplains build an iterative listening process into their work to ensure trans and non-binary people define what support they would like and how it can be delivered effectively. A significant theme we set out to explore is how chaplains help Christian trans and non- binary people negotiate their faith in the face of ambivalent and ambiguous messages circulating within the media and the Church of England. Revd Dr Rachel Mann and Revd Dr Christina Beardsley discussed the current Church climate, the debates around provision of a liturgical welcome for trans people and the factionalised atmosphere that creates polarising arguments. Chaplains often signpost trans and non-binary students and staff to local churches that are considered inclusive and welcoming, whilst recognising that individuals within churches can compromise the belonging of trans and non-binary people even in officially welcoming churches. Our discussion extends to campus-based faith groups some of which are perceived to be conservative in theology and doctrine, creating barriers to trans and non-binary Christians. We discuss the discourses involved in the creation of 1 Throughout this report, we have aimed to use ‘trans’ as an adjective rather than a noun – trans folk, trans activists, trans community and so on. We have used the two-word form of trans women and trans men rather than the one-word forms, which, for many, have associations with trans-exclusion; although, some trans folk do use the one-word forms. In addition, we have used ‘trans’ to denote and include