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As officers of the Lambda Alliance — the College of William and Mary’s organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allied individuals — we are proud of our fellow students for electing Jessee Vasold ’11 as the Class of 2011 Homecoming queen. This election demonstrates our student body’s dedication to diversity.
Since zir election, many have wondered why Vasold ran for Homecoming queen. Vasold identifies as gender-queer, an identity that is outside the traditional man-woman gender binary. If ze is not a woman, why would someone nominate zir for a position traditionally designated for women? Vasold frequently presents zir gender as feminine; for those who feel uncomfortable using gender-neutral pronouns (ze and zir), ze prefers the feminine pronouns (she and her).
Friends and classmates of Vasold wanted to celebrate zir commitment to our school without relegating zir to a traditionally masculine category, which ze has repeatedly rejected. The president of the Class of 2011 asked students to nominate someone who embodies the most Tribe Pride. Vasold certainly fits that category.
Vasold was nominated because of zir involvement and leadership within many campus organizations. Ze is especially dedicated to making our community safe for all students, especially those of sexual and gender minorities. Ze is the coordinator for the Safe Zone project, the Student Assembly undersecretary for LGBT affairs, a former co-president and active member of the Lambda Alliance, a representative to Interfaith Council and a founding member of Feminists Unite.
There are those who have expressed their concern that the result of this election reflects poorly on the College. Some have wondered what the alumni will think. While, of course, alumni and donors are important, we believe that the current and future students of the College should be our primary concern. Furthermore, this may shock those concerned, but many alumni have expressed great pride at Vasold’s election.
We consider this event a positive reflection of the College. By electing a transgender student as a
Homecoming queen, we show that the College is a truly welcoming and affirming place for all people. This makes the College more appealing to prospective students and more competitive as a liberal arts university. Particularly for some LGBTQ students, the college selection process can be very heavily influenced by perceptions of the atmosphere at each school.
Vasold’s visibility and advocacy on campus provide tangible evidence for such students that the College can be a safe place for them. Moreover, diversity is a primary goal of our university according to our Strategic Plan. The election of a gender-queer student to a traditionally gendered role truly supports this commitment. Further steps are still needed to ensure that the College provides equal opportunities to all.
Vasold’s election has prompted numerous valuable conversations about gender, especially transgender identities. Contrary to what some have indicated in discussions about the topic, Vasold is in no way the only person who identifies as gender-queer or uses gender-neutral pronouns. Zir gender identity, which challenges the notion that there are only two acceptable genders, is rare yet increasingly common within transgender and queer communities.
Additionally, despite what some media outlets have indicated, Vasold is not a transexual woman, nor is ze a gay man. Ze is also not an it, a term which denies zir personhood. For many, the idea of non-binary genders and the use of gender-neutral pronouns can be daunting, but the most important thing is to respect the self-identification of all individuals. When in doubt, it is usually more polite to ask than to make assumptions about a person’s identity.
We hope Vasold’s election opens doors for further discourse regarding all types of gender identities and expressions. If we approach this issue respectfully and with open minds, we can encourage the College community to become a more affirming place for all students. Congratulation to Vasold, Benton Harvey (Class of 2011 Homecoming king), and the rest of the Homecoming Court.
E-mail Andie Schwanz and Ginny Hutcheson at ahschwanz@wm.edu and vhhutcheson@wm.edu.
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15 Comments
I’m an alumus of W&M
I’m an alumus of W&M (1980) now in LA and would love to see some W&M students on a website I recently created, and which is featuring a question this week: “Why do you feel people oppose same-sex marriage?”
The site is www.streetrebuttal.com
Here’s a highlight vid (81 seconds) from last week’s question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DhUwaMwrxE
Basically, the site features a question each week that is of national interest, and invites responses exclusively in the form of video uploads of 60 seconds or less. Users then rate the videos and comment, and a consensus emerges over time showing support (or not).
I tried to reach some W&M students through a couple of professors, but haven’t been successful yet. Would love to see some of you on the site (and pass it on).
Any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me directly: johnrothwellmartin@gmail.com
Best
Thanks Jessee! Everyone
Thanks Jessee!
Everyone at the Halloween party loved my Jessee Vasold costume.
Congratulations! You really
Congratulations!
You really showed our oppressive society.
It is unbelievable how much press this gender minstrel show has generated.
As an alumni attending
As an alumni attending Homecoming this year with the Class of ’64, our 45th reunion, I was proud and pleased to learn of the selection of your Homecoming Queen. And I didn’t hear even a ripple of dissent among my classmates, although some found it curious. I continue to be impressed by the progressive attitudes evidenced by your student body and faculty and reassured that W&M is continuing to lead the nation in forward thinking. In the world of the early 60’s, W&M was a community bound by endless unreasonable rules which we spent time getting around. Today you freely express what you believe and know to be right, particularly regarding the treatment of all human beings. I’m a long-time PFLAG member and supporter of a gay son who some years ago chose Yale over W&M, with one reason being the very conservative attitudes at W&M. That does not appear to be the case today.
Your campus has grown beautifully as has the student body, while retaining some valued traditions. Thank you for being such an outstanding example of the wonderful progress of our College! Enjoy every minute of your W&M experience…in a flash you’ll be having a ball at your 45th reunion and comparing notes on the fun you shared!
Best regards for great success! PDE
What a terrible pun.
What a terrible pun. Control yourselves next time please.
Which person at the top of
Which person at the top of this page is the transgender individual?
Neither; read the byline.
Neither; read the byline.
People say that he/she and
People say that he/she and his/her are gender-specific pronouns, and therefore we need addition pronouns ze/zir for those that don’t choose to identify within the binary gender structure that has gotten people by for millennia. I disagree. Here’s an (albeit quickly conceived) example. I’ve always had cats. When I speak of my cats, I refer to them by with the pronouns he/she and his/her. Do I believe that these cats have any gender? No. I use those pronouns because they refer to that creature’s sex. If it then follows that sex determines pronouns, then these pronouns are sex-specific and not gender-specific. Therefore, those with “gender” that doesn’t fit within the traditional male/female model need not bother adding new words to the language. Merely lower your pants, look between your legs, and assess the situation from there.
I would; however, understand the creation of new pronouns for those with a gender that doesn’t fall within the categories of male/female. For example, ze/zir might be a great way to refer to those born with both male and female sexual organs. But that is a sexual definition, which is based on biological evidence.
In short, gimme a break. You’ve all gained access to an institution of world class learning – something millions will never see – but you make a mockery of that by using your status as such an institution to draw national attention to the addition of words to the English language so that the fringe-gender types can feel comfortable. I’m glad to see that William and Mary will be remembered as that institution that made the world a better place, one micro-minority at a time. What utter narcissism.
What sex someone is
What sex someone is doesn’t really determine their interactions with others in everyday life. Instead, you engage with others based on gender presentation and expression. You assume what pronouns to use based on your perceptions of others’ gendered appearance, which means pronouns refer to gender. While most people have a gender identity that is aligned with their assigned sex at birth, not all do. Merely looking in your pants cannot tell you your gender, so it cannot tell you what pronouns to use.
Not to mention, the “binary gender structure that has gotten people by for millenia” isn’t quite as universal as you seem to think. Cultures and societies across time and place have had varied conceptions of gender and sex, and not all systems divide humans into only two separate groups.
Most intersex individuals, although not all, identify as either men or women. Non-consensual third gendering is marginalizing and denies people the right to define themselves. Jessee’s gender doesn’t fit the binary, so ze uses pronouns outside the binary system.
It is not narcissistic to try to make life more comfortable and safer for others. New words are added to the language all the time, and although pronouns are somewhat different, it isn’t redicousl to try toi create a way to talk about gender that doesn’t deny people the right to their identities. “Fringe-gender types” are people and they deserve respect just like those who have more normative genders. I’m not sure why you believe that either Ginny or I is using our status “as such an institution” to do anything. This column represents the views of Ginny and myself, not William and Mary.
It would be great to remember the College as a place that made the world safer and better for all sorts of people. Just because a group is small does not mean members do not deserve to have their voices heard.
I find “ze” much too
I find “ze” much too close to “he.” It’s still radically oppressive. Instead, I would prefer to be called “!” or “?”. Those symbols more accurately reflect how I feel as a person on a daily basis without the seething hate underlying the average “harmless” word.
Ze is also quite close to
Ze is also quite close to she. There are people who want to create completely other systems, and that’s fine as well.
If someone seriously said to me that ze would like to use “!” or “?” as pronouns, I would try to do so, if that person told me how to pronounce them!
I don’t actually think you are being serious because of the phrasing you used, but if you are, I apologize. Pronouns might not seem important to someone with a cisgender identity, but to those whose genders don’t fit the binary, incorrect pronouns deny them their identities.
Just because something isn’t a problem for you doesn’t mean it isn’t one for someone else.
Just because people have
Just because people have problems doesn’t mean that they need to burden others with them.
Glad to see the university
Glad to see the university can handle this easily.
I hope the university can handle support for occupied Palestinians too! William and Mary had a very lively campaign to boycott South Africa years ago; hope it can also have a campaign to boycott Israel. We all saw Gaza destroyed recently, and some of us would like to do something about it.
Stay on point.
Stay on point.
thanks andie and ginny for
thanks andie and ginny for writing this article; hopefully, this will clear up any pronoun/definition misunderstandings. also, thank you jessee for being such a positive role model for this campus and others. i’m really proud of all three of you!