Begin forwarded message: *From: *"Dr. Sam Winter" <sjwin...@hkusua.hku.hk> *Date: *April 16, 2012 1:04:59 PM GMT+07:00 *Subject: **URGENT FROM SAM WINTER: SIGN THE "CHANGE.ORG" PETITION. SAVE TRANSGENDER RESEARCH AT HKU *
*(apologies for cross posting) Dear everyone Sam Winter here. The research, teaching, advocacy and community work I do in transgender health and rights is under imminent threat ! I invite you to sign a change.org petition at http://tinyurl.com/7kx7y8f . Go to the site and click the 'About this Petition' link to display full details of what is happening. Briefly, the situation is that my Faculty's Human Resources Committee (FHRC) has decided that, despite performance rated as excellent in all areas, I must be removed. The ostensible reason? I am approaching 60. But plenty of people continue to work here in HKU after that age. So why did FHRC refuse to allow me to? It is the area of work I am in. A key aspect of this case is that my immediate manager (my Head of Division) is a staunchly conservative Catholic who argued that the type of diversity I work in is not an aspect of diversity with which her (and my) division (of learning, development and diversity) should be involved. If you want to be reminded about the work I do please click on *http://web.hku.hk/~sjwinter/general/index.htm *Please visit the 'change.org' petition calling on the VC to take action to save this work. http://tinyurl.com/7kx7y8f. *****Please share the link among your own networks.**** And if you want to write to my Vice Chancellor about this issue there is a sample letter you can use (you will find a link 'Petition Letter' on the change.org page) . ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want an update? Here it is ................. I sent an appeal to the Vice-Chancellor (aged 61), enclosing 219 letters of support from past students. The Vice Chancellor's reaction was to write to my Dean, the Chairman of the FHRC, asking if (in his opinion) procedures had been properly followed by the Committee. Notice that the VC was only interested in procedures, not in the Committee's decision. My Dean answered by saying that he thought FHRC had followed procedures. The Vice-Chancellor has rejected my appeal. He made not mention of, nor did he appear to be interested in, written support from 219 students. My full-time employment at HKU is therefore due to end in 10 weeks. I have worked here for 28 years. Astonishingly, it now turns out my Dean was in a minority in his own FHRC. He energetically supported extending my employment beyond 60 ,,,, but he was out-voted! ...out-voted by people who clearly believed it was not in HKU's best interests that I should continue teaching, research, community work and advocacy at HKU in the area of transgender. STOP PRESS: I am seeing the Vice Chancellor for a face to face meeting tomorrow. At that meeting I will be making a strong case for being allowed to continue teaching, research and community work as a full-time member of Hong Kong University. Thanks again Sam *** *Sam Winter, B.Sc., P.G.D.E., M.Ed., Ph.D. Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong. Member (by election) of IASR (International Academy of Sex Research) Member (by election) of the Board of Directors of WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health). Director, TransgenderASIA: research, education and advocacy for Asian transpeople. Mailing address: Room 419, 4/F, Run Me Shaw Building, Main Campus, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Direct Office Tel: (+852) 2859 1901 **TransgenderASIA* website at http://web.hku.hk/~sjwinter/TransgenderASIA/ *Sexuality and Gender: Diversity and Society* course website at http://www.fe.hku.hk/sgds/Welcome/Welcome.html *CV* at:* *http://web.hku.hk/~sjwinter/general/ * *
