ABSTRACT
This chapter reflects the author journey toward gender-inclusive facilitation. It begins with an examination of self and her socialization into binary gender systems. The chapter includes work on understanding genderism, cisgender privilege, and ways these are enacted on college campuses and in educational contexts. It discusses four primary characteristics and related examples of genderism. First, a forced social labeling process sorts and categorizes all individuals into male or female identities, often at an institutionalized level. Second, there is social accountability for conforming to binary gender norms with related punishments. Regarding the third characteristic, genderism focuses on personal marginalization being enacted through an overt and covert privileging of binary systems. Finally, the fourth characteristic of genderism occurs when binary systems promote invisibility of gender nonconforming identities and isolation of transgender individuals, making transgender identities inaccessible. Further, gender-inclusive facilitation must also address issues related to overly simplistic explanations of gender and power.
