This is a guest post from Brittney Hoffman, a GenderYOUTH Program Manager for Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) in Washington, DC, she can be reached at Brittney.Hoffman{at}gpac.org

I never really had to think about my gender identity or expression. I identify as a female, which so happens to correspond to my assigned sex at birth. I have long hair. I feel comfortable wearing skirts (and pants). I wear make up.

When making a decision about which restroom to use, the only pause I ever had to take was outside the bathroom door waiting in the inevitably long line for the “women’s” restroom. It wasn’t until college when I started to ask different questions about my gender and the gendered environment around me.

I had a lot of friends in college whose gender identity was no longer a given. Short hair, strong bodies, pants and ties – these women challenged my own gender stereotypes and those of their campuses and cultures. During my four years on campus, I was often asked to accompany my friends to the restroom in a dorm, a dining hall, a gas station or a restaurant. For a while, I just thought it was the usual group trip to the bathroom to chat about the failures that were our dates or to laugh about some mundane detail of our day.

But one time, I didn’t want to go. I was preoccupied, busy, tired. My friend looked at me, took my hand and said, “But I need them to know that I’m a girl.” Without me, she said, she couldn’t pass, and if she didn’t pass she didn’t feel safe.

In a recent survey conducted by the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) reports that nearly 1/3 of the students who responded reported experiencing harassment for not meeting expectations for femininity or masculinity. One in four respondents of color reported similar instances of discrimination and harassment. Gender, race, and sex continue to intersect in these moments of miscommunication, prejudice, and violence. These were not isolated incidents – this is an epidemic. And it affects all of us – gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, straight and questioning.

Inspired by my friends’ experiences with gender-based discrimination both on college campuses and in the “real world,” I dedicated my academic and professional careers to the pursuit of gender and human rights. After completing my degree, it was time to put theory into practice, so I came to GenderPAC to advocate on behalf of all students to learn, grow and succeed – whether or not they meet expectations for femininity or masculinity.

As the Program Manager for the GenderYOUTH program, I work with over 1,000 progressive youth leaders working to create GenderSAFETâ„¢ campuses – safe, supportive and equitable for all students. And, similar to my experiences with my close friends, so many of the youth involved with the network report similar stresses, anxieties and fears of gender-based harassment on campus, including concerns about school policies, availability of gender-neutral restroom and gender-neutral housing options.

GPAC is gearing up to publish the 3rd edition of the GENIUS Index (Gender Equality National Index for Universities and Schools) to track and evaluate the efforts of colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts to prohibit discrimination and promote awareness of gender identity and expression in their policies. YOU can contribute to the Index, and hold your school accountable for a safe campus environment, by completing the GENIUS 2008 Survey at www.gpac.org/GENIUS2008survey.

Just over ten years ago, not a single college or university was talking about gender inclusion. Today, according to the GENIUS Index, there are 160 colleges and universities with “gender identity and expression” protections in their non-discrimination policies, including 80% of the Top 25 Universities in the U.S. More than 140 campuses provide gender-neutral restrooms. And 30 campuses provide gender-neutral housing options. This movement may be new, but it shows no signs on stopping.

When educators, school administrators, and students come back to school this fall, it’s time to start asking some bigger questions about gender and the gendered environment they create or perpetuate. Many of our nation’s top colleges and universities have acted to alleviate gender-based violence and harassment—when will the rest?

Do your part to combat gender stereotypes and gender-based violence in schools by filling out the GENIUS Survey at www.gpac.org/GENIUS2008survey.