The Earned Income Tax Credit Helps Lift People Out of Poverty

"Call Me Caitlyn"

Peter Hammer, Director of Director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School, opened a recent article for Jurist magazine with the words "Call Me Caitlyn." In this detailed examination of the intersection between the law and transgender individuals, Hammer wrote, "Few human needs are greater than the desire to belong and to be called by your true name. There are few traumas more severe than being shamed, ostracized and socially outcast. john powell and his colleagues at the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society have highlighted the universal significance of othering and belonging and the importance of expanding the circle of human concern."

Hammer argued that the framework of "othering" and "belonging" provides a powerful way to embrace the concerns of transgender persons. While the rights and social acceptances of transgendered persons are among the last to be addressed in modern society, the largely positive reception of Caitlyn Jenner is another milestone in a long struggle for acceptance. Yet, there remain many transgendered persons, particularly of color, whom are victims of violence and Othering by simply trying to be who they are. This article addresses the realities of the lengths that transgendered persons must go through to live a peaceful life without having to constantly explain their gender and identity to a larger society. Read the Jurist piece.

Putting the Haas Institute on the Map