TO QUASH fears of discrimination, the University of the Philippines issued a set of guidelines aimed to safeguard the welfare of gay students.

Ma. Theresa Payongayong, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, signed the provision entitled “Guidelines on Affirming Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students’ Names, Pronouns, and Titles.”

The term TGNC refers to people whose gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth (e.g., men who were assigned female at birth) and those whose gender expression does not match their gender identity (e.g., masculine women), respectively.

The guidelines provide that the university shall maintain “an enabling, gender-fair, safe and healthy learning and working environment for the members of the UP community.”

Payongayong said that the provision also conforms with UPD Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo’s vision of “an inclusive, diverse and public service-oriented UP.”

“These are in line with the UP Diliman vision of a modern, globally engaged, inclusive, and nurturing educational and research institution that advances sustainable, ethical, and innovation-driven, and people-oriented national development in the best traditions of honor, excellence and public service,” she added.

The university’s Center for Women’s Studies urged members of the UP community to ask for the learners’ lived name, pronouns and titles, regardless of their transgender status.

To enact a system-wide university anti-discrimination code, CWS also noted that further recommendations to have a transgender-affirmative academic information system will push through.

The information system will recognize usernames and email addresses of faculty and students based on their lived names.