Enforcing the deadname

A“deadname” refers to the name that a transgender individual no longer identifies with; it is the name they are assigned at birth. Paré navigates the incompetency of Mcgill’s Administration in accommodating the needs of transgender students. The author describes the excruciating three weeks Paré had to endure reading their deadname in the Mcgill Outlook title bar every day, multiple times a day. This experience had a draining effect on the author’s mental health because of the constant reminders of their pre-transition life. Mcgill’s current preferred name policy (when it works) is limited to students’ classlists, Mcgill emails, and mycourses. Outside of those three platforms, there is nothing. The policy fails to recognise trans people’s lived gender identity as well as failing to meet Mcgill’s legal obligations to accommodate trans students under the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedom, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity. These failures harm trans students psychologically and emotionally, and make us vulnerable to discrimination, harassment, and violence. Echoing the author’s voice: trans rights are human rights and the Mcgill Administration needs to take initiative in assessing their needs and providing sustainable support.