B Y K E R I A N N C L I N T O N

Transgender College Students:Their Stress, What is Being Done to Help

and What Can Be Done to Help

Research Question

Transgender college students can face a number of additional stressors which can impede on their

academic and social success. This study will look to answer the following questions:

1) What additional stressors can transgender students be faced with in their undergraduate careers?

2) What effects do these stressors have on their social and academic success at their college?

3) What are colleges currently doing to help relieve some of this stress for this population?

4) What else can be done by colleges to help relieve some of this stress?

Background of the Problem

With countless studies and research performed on the gay and lesbian student community, very few have been done on the transgender student community. The “T” in LGBT typically gets forgotten or considered the same as the LGB when they face many different and serious problems.

“Transgender students face much higher levels of harassment and violence then LGB students. And these

high levels of victimization result in students missing more school and receiving lower grades”

(Greytak, 2009, p. 6)

Significance of the Problem

According to the National Center for Transgender Equality:

97% of transgender people have been harassed on the job

19% of transgender people have been homeless because of their gender identity

41% attempt suicide

61% were physically assaulted (64%of those were sexually assaulted)

15% leave school in k-12 or in higher education due to severe harassment

Info from Existing Literature

Little is researched on specifically college transgender individuals, although is a more on k-12 and adults.

Anxiety and Depression are high in this population

Harassment is high in this population

No clear numbers of this population in colleges

Hypothesis

The following areas on campus can cause high stress and anxiety

- Roommate/Housing

- Bathrooms / Locker Room s

- Health Insurance

- Harassment

- Name Changes/Outing/Documents

- Future Job Placement

- Lack of Resources

- Going home

Example from Afar

Andraya Williams suspended for using the women’s restroom at Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC

March 19, 2014

Asked for ID after exiting bathroom

Escorted off campus

Where?

Transgender Undergraduate College Students and the following Vermont colleges:

The University of Vermont (UVM)

Johnson State College (JSC…go Badgers!)

Castleton State College (CSC)

Lyndon State College (LSC)

Who: Transgender?

Non cisgender

Transgender (trans)

Transsexuals

Bi-Gender

Intersex

Genderqueer

Male-to-Female(MTF)

Female-to-Male(FTM)

Pre-Op/Post-Op/Non-Op

Stealth/Passing

Cross-dresser

Gender-Variant

Other

Transgender is an umbrella term used to represent individuals who identify as a gender different from what was

assigned to them at birth. It includes but not limited to:

When?

There will be an initial survey at the beginning of the school year.

From that survey, 3-10 individuals from each college/university will be asked to participate in 2 interviews per year until 1 year-post completion or leave from current college. These students will identify under the umbrella term of transgender.

Compensation will be offered.

Resources

Greytak, E. A., Kosciw, J. G., Diaz, E. M., & Gay, L. (2009). Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools. Gay, Lesbian And Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

“National Center for Transgender Equality: Resources.” http://transequality.org/Resources/index.html