I applaud MSU for adding gender identity to the harassment clause of their anti-discrimination policy, but chide the administration for not including gender identity in the discrimination clause.

President McPherson's stated reason ("MSU approves policy banning gender identity harassment" Lansing State Journal 12/6) that harassment is easier to define than discrimination may be true, but how is that justification for not also including gender identity in the discrimination clause? Every other term mentioned in the harassment clause is included in the discrimination clause; only gender identity is left out. What kind of message does that send to people?

McPherson's reasoning that gender identity does not have a clear definition does not hold up. Does race have a clear definition? Or sexual orientation, or sex or gender?

So a transsexual person like me now cannot be harassed at MSU, but we can still be fired, denied employment, denied advancement and generally denied equal treatment. This strikes me as being on the same level as saying, "be nice to your slaves."

Lisa Lees
East Lansing resident