Trans Resources

The Office of LGBT Life provides a growing clearinghouse of resources for the Trans community of Emory. Below you will find links and overviews of services, policies, and programs put in place to make campus accessable to and inclusive of the Trans community.

Hiring Policy
Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy
Workplace & Classroom Resources
On-Campus Housing-UPDATED FOR 2011!
Counseling
Health and Wellness
Coming Out as Trans
Gender Neutral Restrooms
Name Change with Registrar
Name Change on LearnLink
Office of LGBT Life Resources
Local and National Links

Hiring Policy
The Office of Equal Opportunity Programs ensure that Emory University operates in an environment which is free from discrimination and harassment. Emory University's Equal Opportunity Policy includes gender identity and gender expression.

Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy
Discriminatory harassment of any kind is not appropriate at Emory University. The Univesity therefore includes gender identity and gender expression in its Discriminatory Harassment Policy. View the full policy here.

Workplace & Classroom Resources
It is important for supervisors and faculty to understand important issues that can impact trans staff and students. Here are resources that can help create inclusive and welcoming classrooms and workplaces at Emory.

Human Rights Campaign Training Video for Corporate Leaders, Understanding Transgender Issues: Donna Rose's Story
Human Rights Campaign manual, Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace

Here are a few other readings that may be helpful in creating an inclusive environment:
Serving the Health Care Needs of Transgender Students By Brett Genny Beemyn

Serving the Needs of Transgender College Student by Brett Beemyn

Transgender Issues on College Campuses by Brett Beemyn, Billy Curtis, Masen Davis, and Nancy Jean Tubbs

Suggested Steps to Make Campuses More Trans-Inclusive by Brett Beemyn, Andrea Domingue, Jessica Pettitt, and Todd Smith

On-Campus Housing
New housing policy for 2011:  The President's Cabinet approved a pilot of gender-neutral housing for 2011-2012 in the Clairmont Residential Center. With over 120 spaces and using juniors and seniors as a test population, Emory will learn how to support students choosing this housing option.  The policy reads:
 “For the 2011-2012 academic year, students in their third or fourth year may participate in a pilot gender-neutral housing option where they request a roommate of any sex or gender. Such requests will only be considered in two-bedroom apartments in the F Building of the Clairmont Residential Center (CRC). Like any roommate request, Residence Life and Housing will only honor mutual requests.”

Click here for the Emory Wheel article on the policy.
Click here to view the Fox 5 video with Dean Bridget Riordan.

For all students:
The Office of Residence Life & Housing seeks to accommodate students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The general policy of this office is to house students and assign roommates based on a student's biological sex. Students who identify as transgender and prefer a special housing accommodation may request such an accommodation.

Housing accommodation assignments are made on a case-by-case basis that recognizes the variability of individual needs and preferences and the fact that appropriate accommodations may be limited in number. As for all applicants for housing, no guarantee can be made that all stated preferences can be met. For full consideration, requests should be made at the start of any application period.

Prospective or current students who are interested in gender neutral housing are asked to contact one of the following staff members to discuss housing options available:
Joni Tyson
Countess Hughes

You may also contact the Assistant Dean for Campus Life and Director of LGBT Life, Michael Shutt, for more information.

Counseling
Coming soon!

Health and Wellness
As of the summer of 2010, the Emory University student health insurance plan includes coverage for mental health care and hormonal therapy. These benefits were proposed by the President's Commission on Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Queer Equality. Read the full proposal here.

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association created a document titled, "Top 10 Things Transgender Persons Should Discuss with their Healthcare Provider."

Coming Out as Trans
There are a variety of resources you will want to explore if you or a loved one is coming out as trans. Here you will find a growing list of local and national resources.

Online resources:
A Guide to Coming Out Transgender

Gender Neutral Restrooms
Emory Design and Construction Guidelines
Universal Design Guidelines-Page 7
"Single Occupant/Family Restroom: Every project, except for residential projects, must consider
one single occupant unisex ADA compliant restroom adjacent to and visible from the public areas
of the building that can also be used as a child changing room."

Gender Neutral Restroom map coming soon!

Name Change with Registrar
Students who identify as transgender or genderqueer may not want their legal names used because a person’s name is often tied to their gender. The University currently does not allow for an official name change in the university systems without a court order. To meet the needs of students, the Registrar is able to change students’ first and middle names to their first and middle initials. The intent is that the change to initials will preclude assumptions of sex/gender and the students can present themselves publicly as they wish.  This practice also allows the Registrar to maintain a name that is substantially legitimate as opposed to a new identity that is not legally recognized or documented. Students interested in making this change should contact the Michael Shutt, Director of the Office of LGBT Life, to start this process.

Name Change on LearnLink
You do not need to have a legal name change in order to change the name that appears on LearnLink. This change will only occur on LearnLink and will not be reflected in roll sheets, OPUS or registration information. Once your name is changed on LearnLink, users will no longer be able to search for you under your previous name. Your Emory email address will not change with the name change; it will remain as your original address. When sending emails from your LearnLink account to outside email services (Hotmail, Yahoo!, etc.), the new name will appear as a sender. For example, if John Smith changes hir name to Jane Smith, the sender information will appear as Jane Smith jsmith@emory.edu.

In order to change your name on LearnLink, you need to email Kathy Hayes (LL Admin) requesting that your name be changed. She can have your name changed in as little as five minutes, depending on her schedule.

Office of LGBT Life Resources
The Office of LGBT Life has a library with a growing number of trans resources. Here are a few examples:
Magazines: Transgender Tapestry
Videos: Southern Comfort; Transgeneration; Transamerica; Toilet Training
Books: Trans Forming Families; From Female to Male; Gender Outlaw

For a full list of library resources, click here.

Local and National Links
Local
Atlanta Gender Explorations
Youth Pride's "Trans and Friends" Group
Southern Comfort Conference (Atlanta)

National
National Center for Transgender Equality
Trans-Health
Transgender Law Center
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Lambda Legal