SFBU is committed to supporting its LGBTQIA+ community and is aware of the high rates of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and violence this community faces. Title IX provides important protections to LGBTQIA+ students and employees who experience discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation that impedes their access to education and a safe work environment. Title IX also protects all SFBU community members who experience sexual violence.
These Title IX protections exist irrespective of the gender, gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation of the Complainant or the Respondent. This includes instances where the Parties involved are of the same gender.
Sex includes sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression.
Title IX also protects SFBU community members, including those who identify as transgender and gender nonconforming, from gender-based discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. These concepts are defined below.
Harassment based on protected characteristic: Gender
Includes any unwelcome verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct against a person based on their sex (protected characteristic), which includes sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression.
Discrimination based on protected characteristic: Gender
Includes any adverse action taken against a person based on their sex, including sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression.
Gender-based harassment and discrimination may or may not be sexual in nature. Such misconduct could include acts of aggression, intimidation, or hostility based on gender, gender expression, or gender stereotyping, or threats of non-consensual disclosure of a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation (i.e., “outing”). This could also look like harassment or discrimination based on a person not conforming to stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity (e.g., a student not being allowed to present in class because they are not dressed in a gender conforming way).
Reporting LGBTQIA+ Discrimination
The Title IX and Equity Office is available to receive and respond to reports of sex and gender based discrimination, including those related to discrimination against those in the LGBTQIA+ community at SFBU.
If you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and have experienced discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation based on any other protected status, you may report to the Title IX and Equity Office.