July 29, 201214 yr Oxford University changes dress code to meet needs of transgender students Oxford University has rewritten the laws governing its strict academic dress code following concerns that they were unfair towards transgender students. Under the new regulations, students taking exams or attending formal occasions will no longer have to wear ceremonial clothing that is specific to their gender. It will mean men will be able to sit tests in skirts and stockings and women will have the option of wearing suits and bow ties. The laws, which come into force next week, follow a motion put forward by the university's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer society (LGBTQ Soc) was passed by the student union. Jess Pumphrey, LGBTQ Soc's executive officer, said the change would make a number of students' exam experience significantly less stressful. She told The Oxford Student newspaper: "In future there will be no need for transgender students to cross-dress to avoid being confronted by invigilators or disciplined during their exam." ______________________________________________________________ RE: use of the term LGBTQ Some of the issues surrounding the word queer were discussed in the Are You Queer? thread recently. I can understand some homosexuals using queer to describe themselves or applying it to a kind of homosexual lifestyle or academic study - they are free to do that if that's what they prefer. However, I have always imagined a person describing him or herself as queer is either a gay or a lesbian. Now it seems that is not necessarily so. So who are these queers who wish to differentiate themselves from established usage? ______________________________________________________________ http://www.guardian....s?newsfeed=true
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