1 Running head: TRANSGENDER STUDENT IN COLLEGE 13 TRANSGENDER STUDENT IN COLLEGE Transgender Student in College 34567 University of 45678 Abstract Nowadays, gender identity has become a controversial topic and people have a lot of opinions about. This research paper focuses on exploring what gender identity is, how to help the specific group of people recognize their gender identities, and the issues of gender identity in colleges and universities, as well as how to solve the problems. To understand what your gender identity is, you first need to know the differences between sexual identity and gender identity. Next, you need to know the types of the gender identities. Then, it is the time to figure out what your gender identity is. One can figure out their personal gender identity by theory guidelines, personal experience, and online information searching. In addition, online information searching is the way for those who cannot get support from family, and who identify themselves as a different gender, to get information. Keywords: gender identity, sexual identity, transgender, discrimination, LGBT Transgender student in College Types of Gender Identities Patton, Renn, Guido, and Quaye (2009) combined multiple theories (Bilodeau, 2009; Green, 2006; Bornstein, 1994; Diamond et al., 2011; Lev, 2004; Wilchins, 2002; Beemyn & Rankin, 2011; Saltzburg & Davis, 2010) to state, when gender identity aligns as traditionally expected with biological sex assigned at birth, it is a cisgender identity. Transgender identity may occur when gender identity aligns differently from what would be traditionally expected based on biological sex assigned at birth. An individual may identify with the opposite gender from assigned birth sex, sometimes defined as transsexual identity such as Female-to-Male (FtM), Male-to-Female (MtF), transmasculine, or transfemine, or in a way that blends masculine and feminine identities into a “genderqueer” or other non-binary identity. Based on the data of The Lives of Transgender People, from 3,500 surveys and 400 interviews, many people said it is not easy to describe their gender identities. Not only are there so many different kinds of gender identities that they don’t know which one they belong to, but also some people are not fully belonging to one specific gender identity because one specific gender identity cannot simply describe themselves. For example, one person might identify as one-third male, one-third female, or one-third transgender, which is the way that they belong to. Based on this typical situation, some people simply describe themselves as I am whom I am. Even though it might be hard for them to fully describe themselves, they can use “eight milestones” to help them recognize whether they are transgender or not. How to Recognize Who I Am as a Transgender There are “eight milestones” that can help people to recognize and accept whether they are transgender or not. The milestones are (1) f ...

1. 1
Running head: TRANSGENDER STUDENT IN COLLEGE
13
TRANSGENDER STUDENT IN COLLEGE
Transgender Student in College
34567
University of 45678
Abstract
Nowadays, gender identity has become a controversial topic and
people have a lot of opinions about. This research paper focuses
on exploring what gender identity is, how to help the specific
group of people recognize their gender identities, and the issues
of gender identity in colleges and universities, as well as how to
solve the problems. To understand what your gender identity is,
you first need to know the differences between sexual identity
and gender identity. Next, you need to know the types of the
gender identities. Then, it is the time to figure out what your
gender identity is.
One can figure out their personal gender identity by theory
guidelines, personal experience, and online information
searching. In addition, online information searching is the way
for those who cannot get support from family, and who identify
themselves as a different gender, to get information.
Keywords: gender identity, sexual identity, transgender,
discrimination, LGBT

2. Transgender student in College
Types of Gender Identities
Patton, Renn, Guido, and Quaye (2009) combined multiple
theories (Bilodeau, 2009; Green, 2006; Bornstein, 1994;
Diamond et al., 2011; Lev, 2004; Wilchins, 2002; Beemyn &
Rankin, 2011; Saltzburg & Davis, 2010) to state, when gender
identity aligns as traditionally expected with biological sex
assigned at birth, it is a cisgender identity. Transgender identity
may occur when gender identity aligns differently from what
would be traditionally expected based on biological sex
assigned at birth. An individual may identify with the opposite
gender from assigned birth sex, sometimes defined as
transsexual identity such as Female-to-Male (FtM), Male-to-
Female (MtF), transmasculine, or transfemine, or in a way that
blends masculine and feminine identities into a “genderqueer”
or other non-binary identity.
Based on the data of The Lives of Transgender People, from
3,500 surveys and 400 interviews, many people said it is not
easy to describe their gender identities. Not only are there so
many different kinds of gender identities that they don’t know
which one they belong to, but also some people are not fully
belonging to one specific gender identity because one specific
gender identity cannot simply describe themselves. For
example, one person might identify as one-third male, one-third
female, or one-third transgender, which is the way that they
belong to. Based on this typical situation, some people simply
describe themselves as I am whom I am. Even though it might
be hard for them to fully describe themselves, they can use
“eight milestones” to help them recognize whether they are
transgender or not.
How to Recognize Who I Am as a Transgender

3. There are “eight milestones” that can help people to recognize
and accept whether they are transgender or not. The milestones
are (1) feeling gender different from a young age; (2) seeking to
present as a gender different from the one assigned to them at
birth; (3) repressing or hiding their identity in the face of
hostility; (4) initially misidentifying their identity; (5) learning
about and meeting other trans people; (6) changing their
outward appearance in order to look more like their self-image;
(7) establishing new relationships with family, partners, friends,
and coworkers; and (8) developing a sense of wholeness within
a gender normative society. Based on the “eight milestones”,
people can be able to certain their gender identities or know
how to certain their gender identities. Frequently, people learn
and accept their transgender identities when they are young by
meeting other transgender people. In this way, other transgender
people teach them how to define themselves, or/and sharing
information with them. In addition, learning from life is an
another way for them to know their gender identities, which
including social network and childhood experience.
Knowing from a Young Age
The Lives of Transgender People is a survey that collected from
3,500 surveys and 400 interviews. In this survey, “86 percent of
female-to-male/transgender (FTM/T) individuals, 86 percent of
male-to female/transgender (FTF/T) individuals, 80 percent of
male-to-different-gender (MTDG) individual, and 70 percent of
female-to-different-gender (FTDG) individuals” stated that they
felt their gender differences before twelve. Another study which
was made by Grossman and D’Augelli found that the first time
transgender youth found out their gender difference was
between six and fifteen years old and the average age of
knowing their own gender identities by the age of 10.4. The last
source that I found out that people know their gender identities
different when they were young was Sue Rankin and Genny
Beemyn’s research, who conducted a research study about
people who felt that they weren’t the correct gender when they
were young. The results showed that a fifth of the respondents

4. from their “earliest memories” felt a sense of gender difference.
In their research, Rickey as one of the interviewees, saying that
when he was young, he liked playing with other children men.
Everyone could put “things” in front of themselves while he
couldn’t and he was unable to accept this truth. When he grew
up a little bit and being told by others that he is a girl, he felt
painful because his sexual identity was as a woman, not a man.
This is the first time that he felt a sense of gender difference.
Sue Rankin and Genny Beemyn’s research also showed that
almost 97 percent of participators said by the end of the age
thirteen, they recognized their assigned gender. This is another
piece of evidence that show to us people can feel their gender
difference when they are young.
Except those who transition in their early age, university time
is another heated transition time that many people transition in
this period. However, colleges and universities are the space
that transgender student will be easy to suffer from college
bullying. Seventy-eight percent of transgender students will
suffer from college bulling, and this is one of the reasons why
transgender students are hard to transit in colleges and
universities (Injustice at every turn: a report of the National
Transgender Discrimination Survey).
Transitioning
Instead of finding out their gender identities when they are
young, higher education institutions are the important place for
transgender students to figure out their gender identities.
Gender transitioning is the process of one challenging himself
to define one’s gender identity (Bilodeau, 2009). Transgender
student at higher education institutions have their transition
experience in school. Trevor Leeper shared “their” transition
experience in class. That is: “their” roommate is a genderqueer
and “their” roommate find out Travel is also a genderqueer, who
helps Trevor find out who he really is when Trevor is a
undergraduate student .
However, the transition time in college will be difficult for
students to transit (Pusch, 2005). Because students who has

5. transition time in college will have more stresses than any other
time. Pusch (2005) found that transitioning students were
unwilling to answer their gender questions and they got little
support from campus. Masking is the way that can make them
feel safe during their transition time, and it is also the way that
help them avoid ridicule and humiliation (Pusch, 2005). Thus,
in order to prevent hostility and stigmatization from other
cisgender students who discriminate LGBTQ students, some of
them wearing the “veils” and behaving as a “cisgender” in order
to prevent ridicule and humiliation.
Wearing “veils”
Transgender and gender-non-confirming students may
experience hostility, stigmatization, and harassment during their
college time because of historically attitude and historically
school system. The Lives of Transgender People states that
forty-two percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) were the
main target of campus harassment, while thirty percent of them
who are color states their harassment were based on their color
and twenty-eight percent of female states their harassment were
based on their gender. In campus, there is a large group of
students, treating transgender students and gender-non-
confirming students as “deviant” students and based on this
kind of attitude, some of them decide to wear “veil” to cover
their gender identities. Bilodeau (2009) found transgender
students often mask their gender identities in campus or off
campus as a “cisgender”. It is the way for them to avoid
potential discrimination or harassment from other students. The
idea of “deviant” person is the consequence of wearing “veil”.
Marginalization is the other issue that transgender students and
gender-non-confirming students wear their “veils”. One of the
transgender student that Jalon Falconer interviewed shared a
roommate conflict with Jalon and Jalon shared it in class. In
that transgender student’s case, one of her roommate’s parents
do not allow their daughter live with her because of her gender
identity. She has no choice to keep on living in that room and
she only has two choices. One is living in a single room while

6. the other one is find another room that can accept her gender
identity. Residential life is an important issue for transgender
students or gender-non-confirming students people. One of the
reason is roommate conflict, their roommates might not accept
them. Another important is that most of the rooms in colleges
and universities are only provide men only room or women only
room, while transgender students and gender-non-confirming
students have no transgender room to live. The bull ying
situation and room conflict that transgender students face, many
transgender students decide to wear “veils” in-campus or off-
campus. Expect bully situation that transgender students are
trying to avoid, misidentifying identity is an another situation
that transgender people, which includes transgender students are
trying to avoid.
Initially Misidentifying Identity
People who assigned their gender different can attribute to
themselves as who they were or understand part of who they
are. But many people, especially who grew up prior to 1980,
were lacking gender identity and/or information. Thus, they may
not fully understand what their gender identities really were and
did not have the appropriate language to describe themselves,
which lead to gender confusing and gender mischaracterizing
about themselves. For instance, usually the older male
transgender female treats themselves as cross-dressers, while
the older heterosexual female transgender male treats
themselves as butch lesbians. This is the result of lacking
information and communications.
Sue and Genny’s research showed that more than three-fourths
of the heterosexual female transgender male identified
themselves as butch lesbians because they would like to date
women and dress like men. However, they felt uncomfortable
because they found out that they were much more male then
those butch lesbians. Then, according to those experiences, they
learned more about their individual identities. Except learning
from others, transgender can learn from social network to know
what their gender identities really are.

7. Social Networking Helps Them Know about Themselves
Junco (2014) states that social media is a relatively safe space
for youth to examine their LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender) identities, especially when using a pseudonym (p.
119). Youth can explore their personal differences by reading
online information or communicating with others who
understand their self-identities to get more information and
guidelines. According to the communications and information
seeking, youth can develop their LGBT identities so that they
can identify their LGBT identities. At the same time, using a
pseudonym can help them protect themselves not being founded
and recognized by those they know in the real life. Online
communities are such good and safe places that provide
everything that youth need to help them solve their questions,
which also can help them get involved in the LGBT society and
protect their personal information.
Before social media, it was hard for those who lacked
information or who found it impossible to join in an LGBT
community to get the information to reach out their personal
identities. However, social media provides different kinds of
help and guides them passed the transition time, such as
pseudonym service and information searching services. In a
word, the online space is a safe environment for LGBT to
explore their gender definition and it is also a safe environment
for LGBT to make friends or share their own experience.
Implications for Colleges and Universities
There is a large number of students and educators ignoring this
group of students’ feelings and needs, which causes the result of
overt and unintentional campus discrimination. Grant, Mottet,
Tanis, Harrison and Keisling did the National Transgender
Discrimination Survey, which show to us 90% of transgender
people had suffered from employment discrimination when they
are finding jobs or working, and 78% of them were reported
bullying. John Dugan, Michelle Kusel, and Dawn Simounet
conducted a research study, which was about the hostile
environment that transgender students faced. The results showed

8. us that transgender students are suffering more frequent campus
harassment and discrimination than any other students. At the
same time, when transgender students stay in the campus
community, they hold on a significantly lower overall sense of
campus belonging. Actually, some students who belong to this
group, are willing to be recognized and ask for help in their
institutions. However, campus services are not ready to meet
their needs, and because of this reason, campus services cannot
fully provide support services and create inclusive policies to
them.
The Transgender Law and Policy Institute states that more and
more colleges and universities are paying attention to gender
harassment and discrimination and adding gender
nondiscrimination policies, such as “creating gender-inclusive
bathrooms, locker rooms, and housing options; providing a
means for transgender students who have not legally changed
their names to use a preferred name on public records and
documents; and covering hormones and surgeries for
transitioning students as part of student health”. However, no
more than 10 percent of two- and four-year institutions in the
United States have taken those steps on their campuses. The
only way to help these students is by creating formal training
processes to educators, faculty, staff, and peers. In addition,
educators, faculty, staff, and peers should increase the
awareness of what students really need.
What we need to do
There are two main things that we need to do when we face to
transgender. The first thing is getting pronouns right which is
the way for us to show our respect to them. The second things
are holding a right attitude to transgender. It is a challenge to
those who are closest to transgender to pronouns right their
gender identities. Trans* Ally Workbook states that there are
three steps that we need to follow when someone close us are
transitioning. The first step is check in: relational identities.
When someone is transitioning asking them directly what they
are thinking about their changing relational identities. The

9. second step is reflection: relational identities which is the way
for someone who is transitioning to figure out themselves how
to face to someone they close to. The last step is reflection:
sexual orientation. In this part, you need to consider about your
personal attitude and think about what it means to you so that
you can make you own decision.
University of Southern California LGBT Resource Center states
seven points to faculties, staffs, and students about the right
attitude to trans*. First, Faculties, staffs and students need to be
respectful to trans* rights in defining themselves. Asking their
gender pronouns and preferring name, as well as how to support
them are the second point and the third point respectively.
Giving time, space and needs is the fourth point. Knowing that
it’s okay to make mistakes and knowing available resources on
campus and in the community are the fifth and sixth points
respectively. The last point is accommodating the situation to
the person when it is possible. For example, asking them what
kind of the situation that they feel comfortable?
Except personal activity, such as knowing your own attitude to
transgender, setting up the right attitudes to transgender and
knowing the trans* information, higher education institutions
also plays an important role in this area. University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse allow Tans* students set up their own
organization. Restroom is an another service that University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse has. There are four restrooms in four
different buildings for faculties, staffs, and student who do not
identity along the gender binary. Reuter Hall provides gender-
mixed room to all the faculties, staffs, and students to live.
However, it is not enough because most of the restrooms in
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse are men only and women
only. what school needs to do is providing more facilities and
services to trans* people in university.
Conclusion

10. References
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