Providing Support to Transgender Students On Campus

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Recommended: Discrimination against transgender rights

As support for the LGBT population arises across the United States, colleges and universities have responded by creating positive spaces and environments for students. However, in some cases, not all populations are served adequately. A population specifically, transgender students, sometimes do not receive the same support gay, lesbian and bisexual students receive. An issue facing LGBT Services at DePauw University is providing adequate services to transgender students. Providing educational programming, gender neutral restrooms, faculty education, and counseling for transgender students could increase support for students who identify as transgender.
Review of Literature
Currently, there is not considerable empirical research about the experiences students who identify as transgender face. The research conducted reveals a poor climate on campuses for transgender students. A significant amount of information published regarding transgender student inclusion discusses strategies colleges and universities can utilize to improve campus climate for students. Few studies have been conducted to verify improvements a campus makes to accommodate transgender students. The literature presented discusses the experiences of transgender students coming out, the climate on campus, and ways colleges and universities can improve the climate on campus.
Experiences Coming Out
Pusch (2005) conducted a qualitative study to examine the coming out and transitioning experiences of college male-to-female (MTF) and female-to-male (FTM) students. Pusch (2005) collected data over a seven-month timespan using a listserv and private emails. Within the listserv, participants introduced themselves and discuss issues important to them with follow-up ...

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...B.G. (2005). Making campuses more inclusive of transgender students. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education, 3(1), 77-87.
Beemyn, B., Curtis, B., Davis, M., & Tubbs, N.J. (2005). Transgender issues on college campuses. New Directions for Student Services. 2005(111), 49-60.
Dugan, J.P., Kusel, M.L., Simounet, D.M., (2012). Transgender college students: An exploratory study of perceptions, engagement, and educational outcomes. Journal of College Student Development, 53(5), 719-736. doi:10.1353/csd.2012.0067
McKinney, J.S. (2005). On the margins: A study of the experiences of transgender college students. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education. 3(1), 63-75.
Pusch, R.S. (2005). Objects of curiosity: Transgender college students’ perceptions of the reactions of others. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education, 3(1), 45-61. doi:10.1300/J367v03n01_06.

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