1. 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
2. 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?
3. 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)
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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)
9. 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:
10. 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.
11. 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
