This week students from the University Currently Known As Rhodes (UCKAR) started a hashtag #JustAnotherTransJoke after an invigilator allegedly made a transphobic joke during an exam session.
The hashtag, #JustAnotherTransJoke, was started by a black trans student. Mishka Wazar, one of the students who was at the lecture venue said the invigilator who was facilitating an exam from the university’s extended studies department told the students in the venue to ensure that men strictly used the men’s bathroom while women used the women’s bathroom and that she hoped that there were no boys in dresses in the exam venue. [Editor’s note: Mishka Wazar is also an intern at The Daily Vox]
A number of students were unhappy about these comments and they took to social media to raise awareness against transphobic jokes that trans folks have to deal with.
“Trans bodies are complicated” #JustAnotherTransJoke
— Phumelele nkomozake (@PNkomozake) October 31, 2017
“O, you mean that she-male?” #JustAnotherTransJoke
— Dolfie (@SheldanDolf) October 31, 2017
Some tweeted about how university spaces are reluctant to ensuring that trans bodies are included.
“Trans bodies are complicated” #JustAnotherTransJoke
— Phumelele nkomozake (@PNkomozake) October 31, 2017
Gender neutral reses are just not feasible #JustAnotherTransJoke
— Dolfie (@SheldanDolf) October 31, 2017
Trans jokes are never funny #JustAnotherTransJoke
— Nkoli Fassie (@NkoliFassie) October 31, 2017
The university’s communications manager, Veliswa Mhlope told The Daily Vox that it had received complaints from students about the invigilator and an investigation is currently underway.
*Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article erroneously stated that Mishka Wazar was one of the students who started the hashtag. It was in fact, started by another student. This has been corrected.
