As of a few days ago, per a notice sent from the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University, employees are encouraged to attend training to learn “how to properly behave towards trans and non-binary colleagues and students.”
FSV UK is preparing a seminar on the topic which is modeled on presentations given by Western universities.
The term “trans” refers to people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth; the term “non-binary” refers to those individuals who identify outside of the gender binary, meaning they do not consider themselves either women or men.
The entire training will be held as a webinar, which will be led by organizers from the non-profit Transparent. While the event itself is not mandatory, the faculty asks “those departments that deal directly with students and staff to send at least one representative to the webinar.”
Among other things, the representatives will get acquainted with the training on topics regarding the gender non-conforming community. “We will try interactively how to behave in situations that could occur on the campus to trans and non-binary people,” the material says.
The seminar is organized directly by FSV UK, which considers itself supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, as per their official statement.
“For example, we have included the symbolism of the rainbow flag in the promotional materials of FSV UK. Similar workshops are a way to better inform colleagues at the faculty about developments in this area,” said Klára Hyláková, a spokeswoman for the faculty.
Hyláková also noted they encounter overall positive reactions in connection with their support of the LGBTQ+ community, though, according to Echo24 sources, not all educators are excited about the measures.
Still, a faculty spokesperson explains that this is the first event of its kind at Charles University and that the faculty would be happy to see other parts of the institution inspired by the webinar.
“FSV UK has long strived to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for all students and staff. This year, we have included inclusiveness among our official values.
As educational institutions, we are aware of the importance of disseminating information. The motivation for organizing the webinar was to provide our staff with resources in an area they may not have been familiar with so far, and to help transgender and non-binary students and colleagues feel understood and accepted,” he explains.
Established more than two years ago, the Charles student association within the UK deals with LGBTQ+ topics, bringing together dozens of members.
Among its various objectives, the club promotes greater diversity in education and organizes thematic meetings for members every Tuesday.
