Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,
The following is my formal statement and documentation regarding the exonerating circumstance that occurred during the academic period of 2022-2023 and directly impacted my performance at Queen’s University, though it began in July 2022 when I started hormone replacement therapy as the first step in my medical transition as a transgender person. This is something that I had to do after moving away from my family for the sake of my own health and wellbeing, and something that caused an incredible amount of personal psychological stress throughout the following academic year as my relationship to my parents changed and strained dramatically. During my time at Queen’s I was having great difficulty with these family issues, all while being away from home and unsure if I was ever going back. It was an emotional burden that unfortunately could not be avoided.
Due to the transphobia I experienced within my family and in the rural community that I grew up in, being on campus and participating in class was a constant struggle as well, and resulted in extreme social anxiety. Being perceived by my peers as visibly queer, let alone transgender, is something that was a safety risk for the majority of my life. Despite the thriving LGBTQ+ community at Queen’s, those negative experiences I previously had left a lasting impact that I did not anticipate, and that escalated with the transphobia I was currently experiencing from my family at that time.

I would like to note that my attendance in my DRAM 100 tutorials changed dramatically between my first and second semester, and this is a direct representation of how much better my performance as a student is when not under these stresses. Not only did my relationship with some of my family begin to improve after the holiday season (December 2022), but as I continued my hormone replacement therapy I also became more comfortable being around my peers. My academics in DRAM 100 are particularly reflective of being in an outgoing queer friendly and safe environment in comparison to my other larger classes, and how that impacted my participation.
At the present time in June 2023, I can say with no small amount of relief that my mother and stepfather have become incredibly supportive of my transition, and my relationship with them does not have the turbulence that it did during the academic year. It is also my pleasure to disclose that as of June 29th 2023 I will have undergone gender affirming surgery and will be a year on testosterone. I am confident that if I am exonerated and allowed to return to academics in September 2023 with the intention of continuing with my part time studies and pursuing a major in Drama that my GPA and participation will be improved dramatically. I have found a community within the university to thrive in, and I only wish that I had opened myself up to that earlier in the academic year.
To support this statement I’ve also attached some documentation and a statement from my doctor, and would be happy to provide additional journal responses I submitted for DRAM 100 from throughout the year that reference the difficulties I was experiencing with my social and medical transition.
Thank you for taking the time to reconsider my academic standing,
-Jesse Amos (He/Him/They)