C4 i4IN6JV NH I )LT\NLYIFTHYL F t)T LIL F .HF1 ( Thursday, November 20, 2014 michigandaily.com GOVERNMENT State gender identity protections uncertain ALLISUN FARAND/Daily LSA senior Andrea Gillespie discusses sexual assault policy and campus climate at a roundtable discussion as part of the "It's On Us" week of action at the Ford School of Public Policy Wednesday evening Campaign toed sexual assault promotes diaogue Amendments to civil rights legislation face challenges on both sides of the aisle By SHOHAM GEVA Daily StaffReporter Among the many points of con- tention between the two amend- ments to the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act currently before the Michigan legislature, a pri- mary one is the inclusion of gender identity and expression. Gender identity is defined as an individual's psychological sense of their gender, according to the Human Rights Campaign. For transgender people, their gender identity is different than their bio- logical sex assigned at birth. Gen- der expression refers to the way individuals display their gender identity. The first bill, introduced in Sep- tember by Rep. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) and Sen. Rebekah War- ren (D-Ann Arbor), proposes pro- tections forsexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. Both are not explicitly included in the current act, which shields Michigan residents from discrimi- nation on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status and marital status. The bill that Rep. Frank Foster (R-Petoskey) introduced last week, on the other hand, only calls for the inclusion of sexual orientation. The Democrat-introduced amendment would protect, for example, an employee whose gen- der identity does not match their biological sex from getting fired for identifying as transgender. State Republicans, most promi- nently Speaker of the House Jase Bolger (R-Marshall), have said the inclusion of gender identity and expression is unnecessary because transgender individuals are already offered protections under the mandate against sex discrimination in state and federal civil rights laws. Democrats, on the other hand, have said the amendment is neces- See IDENTITY, Page 2A 'It'S On Us' about 70 University students joined the conversation held roundtable talks on campuses nationwide. The sessions corresponded with the garner ideas White House's National Week of Action to promote the "It's By EMILIE PLESSET On Us" campaign - a recently DailyStaffReporter established federal initiative to raise awareness and end sexual In a three-night roundtable assault on college campuses. policy discussion examining Spread over three nights, and critiquing the University's each discussion engaged dif- approach to sexual assault, ferent age demographics, tar- geting underclassmen and upperclassmen for the first and second night, respectively. The third night provided an open forum. "Students can discuss their individual role as students to help prevent sexual assault on campus," said LSA senior Jacob Abudaram, an event co-orga- nizer. "But also address some of the places where University policy is in position to address the issue and where the Univer- sity can be doing better." The "It's On Us" campaign, launched by President Barack Obama in September, reached out to colleges across the coun- try to host events that promote the campaign and conversa- tions about sexual assault pre- vention and awareness. About 200 campuses across the coun- try are holding eventsthis week See CAMPAIGN, Page 3A CAMPUS LIFE What the F mag. hosts TEDx on gender norms MOCHAS & MUGS - fy Women explore complexity of topic via interdisciplinary approaches By EMMA KINERY Daily StaffReporter In an effort to examine gen- der from a different perspective, about 50 students attended a TEDx event on Wednesday titled "Deconstructing Gender Assump- tions," organized by What the F, a feminist magazine on campus. To gauge varying views of gen- der, the event took a sweeping view of sex and gender from a bio- logical, literary, social and person- al light. It began with a screening of Northwestern University Pro- fessor Alice Dreger's TED talk "Is Anatomy Destiny?" which intro- duced the idea that on a biologi- cal level, males and females are not very different; instead, gender is a societal idea. However, this viewpoint then becomes muddled when considering intersex indi- viduals. TheTED talk was followed by a reading of Jamaica Kincaid's short story on gender roles in the 1970stitled "Girl."Itlisted norma- tive statements that her mother told her while growing up like "Always eat your food in such a way that it won't turn someone else's stomach" and "This is how to hem a dress when you see the . hem coming down and so to pre- vent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming." Following the presentations, audience members talked about their experiences with gender acquisition, with the discussion facilitated by What the F staff. Gender acquisition is the process through which children learn gender. At one table, LSA senior Bella Gaeta said when she got a black belt in martial arts as a girl, her aunt encouraged her to practice more feminine activities. LSA freshman Iris Partlan's response addressed the contradictions in that statement. See TEDX, Page 3A RITA MORRiS/Daily LSA junior Christine Yu paints her own mug at "Mochas and Masterpieces" at the Ann Arbor Arts Center Wednesday. CODE OF CONDUCT Student prepares for legal action against University ANN ARBOR Council discusses Rossercase responses AAPD shooting of citizen to be reviewed by Mich. State Police By JACK TURMAN Daily StaffReporter Following the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Aura Rosser of Ann Arbor by police Nov.9, the investigation is now being con- ducted by the Michigan State Police. Rosser was killed at a home on the 2000 block of Wine- wood Ave. in Ann Arbor. According to Ann Arbor police, officers were dispatched to the home after areported domestic disturbance. Rosser reportedly confronted the responding officers with a knife and was shot once after an officer dis- charged a firearm. Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto provided informa- tion about the shooting during the public commentary por- See COUNCIL, Page 3A Student questions procedures that led to suspension By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily StaffReporter After being suspended from completing an internship in July, Social Work student Ta- Kara Roquemore and those representing her say she is now prepared to take legal action against the University unless she is allowed to continue the job. Roquemore said she was dismissed from her field work - the final required step in attaining her degree - last semester, after police charged her with resisting arrest and obstructing justice in May for an incident that took place Nov. 27, 2013. After being charged, Roque- more said she notified the School of Social Work and the field liaison in charge of her internship. "When I ended up telling U of M and.my field liaison about it, they ended up saying, 'OK, See BAMN, Page 3A WEATHER HI: 26 TOMORROW LO:10 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM New Single: Common, "Trouble in the Water" MICHIGAN DAILY.COM/BLOGS INDEX NEWS ......................... 2A CLASSIFIEDS ............... SA Vol. CXXIV, No. 30 SUDOKU....................3A SPORTS .......................6A 02014TheMichiganDaily OPINION....................4A B-SIDE ......... . ......1 B miclioondoily.com A q I