A group of students would like to see “gender identity and expression” become a protected category in Iowa State’s nondiscrimination policy.

Gender identity refers to an individual’s emotional and psychological sense of being male or female, and gender expression is the external presentation of that identity.

A person’s gender is not defined the same way as a person’s sex — although male or female sex is biologically determined, male or female gender is personally and socially constructed.

“It is necessary because there are individuals in this world and also on this campus who do not fit traditional gender expression and identity,” said Jen Sanford, president of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Ally Alliance. “We are basing this on the principle that gender is different from biological sex.”

She said discrimination because of gender identity and expression is often based on physical appearance, when a person displays characteristics traditionally attributed to the opposite sex.

“There have been things all across the country right now, for example where a woman refuses to wear makeup at her job and is fired,” Sanford said.

“It’s not just clothing, it’s the way in which you portray your gender.”

R. Ellen Semran, coordinator of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services, said the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, which handles discrimination complaints, could refuse to act on a complaint of gender identity and expression discrimination. She said although she does not think the university would turn a blind eye, a “gray area” exists.

“We want to advocate for it so if gender-based discrimination happens, something is going to be done about it,” she said.

Semran said several of Iowa State’s peer institutions have already amended their nondiscrimination policies. The University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin system now protect gender identity and expression, she said.

Semran said she helped begin the campaign to amend the University of Wisconsin policy when she was a student there in spring 2004.

On Feb. 10, the policy was officially changed by the Wisconsin Board of Regents for all 26 campuses in the University of Wisconsin system, she said.

Sanford said the campaign at Iowa State will initially focus on petitioning the university administration.

“We’d like to see ourselves, with a good number of student and faculty support, speaking to the administration by the end of the semester,” she said.

Semran said they hope to collect more than 1,000 signatures by April 15. She said it is too early to tell how the university administration will respond, although she hopes to work in cooperation with the university.

“The approval has to come from [ISU President Gregory Geoffroy] and the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office,” she said.

Carla Espinoza, associate vice president of human resource services, said many complaints over gender-based discrimination could be handled by the sections of the policy on sex and sexual orientation.

“If the students or Ellen have information to the contrary or examples of where our current policy has not effectively responded to the issues, I would be very happy to hear and try to work through some of those concerns,” she said.

Espinoza said she would have to know more about the proposed change to the policy before she could comment on whether she would support it.

Semran said the parts of the policy preventing discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation, while important, do not address instances in which a person’s gender and sex are not aligned.

“We’re expected to be masculine males or feminine females, when someone’s gender does not match up with their sex, that’s when discrimination and violence may happen,” she said.