Limiting discussion, hindering a legacy

Dahlia Sory used to be a student who wasn't afraid to speak out. With recent policies affecting classroom discussion, the Texas Tech senior has begun to feel stifled in the face of LGBTQ+ discrimination. 

In the wake of a Texas A&M University professor being fired over a viral video in which the instructor was discussing gender identity within a children’s literature class, Texas Tech University quickly enacted a set of policies which has since limited discussion surrounding gender and sexuality. Teachers have been advised to only recognize two genders within the classroom. 

Previous Texas Tech University System Chancellor Ted Mitchell released a letter to university presidents on Sept. 25 stating that all affiliates will only recognize two genders within the classroom as to comply with federal and state law. This officially made Texas Tech the first university in Texas to place limits upon freedom of speech in higher education. Students themselves received no notification of this policy through university communications. 

Sory grew up in a small, South Texas town where she faced discrimination, always watching her back. Texas Tech had offered her a new community, one where she was visibly proud to be queer.

“I started hormone replacement through the student health pharmacy,” Sory said. “I still go there every month to pick up my prescription, but now, I'm worried.”

Recent Texas legislation has already impacted many Texans who either identify as transgender or are involved in the LGBTQ+ community. A series of bills that were established in June have greatly affected gender affirming care and documentation. 

“I can't legally change my gender in Texas,.” Sory stated. “I have to be careful what I say and who knows and how I act and how I pass. Passing is a shield.”

It is unclear at this time whether or not gender affirming services, such as hormone therapy,  provided by Texas Tech’s Student Wellness Center will be further impacted by the university’s new policy and the state's on-going legislation. 

While the university has been vague about defining the limitations of discussing gender and sexuality within a classroom setting, students all across campus have begun to notice changes being made to their current curriculum. 

Classes dealing with topics related to race, ethnicity and gender have been cut or are being revamped in order to comply with the after effects of SB 17, which heavily impacted DEI related programs and organizations back in 2023 across higher education. 

Now human sciences are unsure whether or not they can teach basic fundamentals of human biology, behavior, and psychology due to these policies. 

“I study human behavior, so I feel like it's very limiting if we're not going to learn about more than just people who identify as female or male,” said Jenni Hernandez, a third-year psychology student at Texas Tech.

Having just recently started her upper level classes, Hernandez quickly noticed how professors visibly became uncomfortable whenever they had to discuss gender and sexuality. She talked about how professors would often refer students to the textbook and move on.

In a statement provided by the American Psychology Association they said that reducing access to mental health support for transgender populations perpetuates more harm. There is a need to continue research and education within gender-diverse people to make sure psychologists can provide necessary care.

Texas Tech itself has not directly censored content within these classes but rather professors are taking measures to ensure they won’t be punished as they navigate what they can and can not teach. A webpage where faculty could submit questions about the directive repeatedly stated that instructors should avoid “drawing unwanted attention” by toeing the line of the new guidance. That webpage has since been unpublished. 

“This feels like it's very censoring to the First Amendment, like they don't want to hear about certain policies or certain things about other genders,” Hernandez said. “It just seemed very hypocritical in a way.” 

Through the confusion and turmoil, Sory explained how there are still visible signs of support for members of the LGBTQ+ community on campus through ally spaces, the Texas Tech Gender and Sexuality Association, and members of the Student Wellness Center who continue providing adequate care. 

Still, what once felt like a welcoming community for Sory, now feels different. She said she is conflicted over being associated with the university. 

“I'm going to be a Texas Tech alum and I'm going to take that with me,” Sory said. “And now that this is happening, I find it a little bit harder to be proud of that.”

Sory is expected to graduate in the spring with a bachelor’s of science in renewable energy.

“I would not gladly accept a diploma with my dead name on it against my wishes,” she said.