Transgender and Gender-Affirming Resources

Ithaca College Non-Discrimination Statement: “It is the policy of Ithaca College that discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, marital status, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or military status will not exist in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, any program, activity, area, or operation of the College.”

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Personal Information Policy

Chosen or Preferred Name Changes

If you are a student looking to change your first name in the Ithaca College system to a chosen or preferred name that is different from your legal name, you can use the “Chosen or Preferred First Name Change” form. This is accessible through IC Workflow and on the Registrar’s Student Forms page. To view your current information, go to HomerConnect and select “My Personal Information.”

What will change: Submitting the “Chosen or Preferred First Name Change” form will update your name immediately in HomerConnect and will take approximately 24 hours to filter to other systems. This process will change your name in most (but not all) IC systems, including but not limited to your email and Canvas display names, the student directory, class rosters, the CAPS system, and your bookstore and library accounts. This updated name will also be used in most (but not all) communications addressed to or on behalf of you (e.g. emails, physical mail, texts).

What won’t change: IC is required to use a legal name on certain communications, such as official transcripts and communications with government agencies. On campus, Student Health Services uses a separate computer system from the college’s, so while they will initially have whatever legal and chosen names you entered the college with, any name changes in the IC system won’t automatically update there; however, you can ask SHS to input any name changes when you schedule your initial appointment or anytime thereafter.

Legal Name Changes

If you have changed your name legally, you can use the “Legal Name Change” form to update your name at IC. This is accessible through IC Workflow and on the Registrar’s Student Forms page. See the section below on “Name and Gender Marker Changes on Identity Documents” for legal name change resources.

Student ID Card Name and Photo Updates

If you change your legal or chosen name in the IC system, you can stop by the ID Office immediately to update your student ID card. You can also update your student ID photo at any time if you want your photo to reflect a change in gender presentation. There is no cost for these reissues, but you will need to turn in your current ID to be issued a replacement. You may take your new photo in the office or upload one via the ID Office Website.

Alternatives to Official Name Changes

If you have a chosen or preferred name that you would like go by on campus, but do not want it to show up in the IC system (and anything else that an official chosen or preferred name change might affect, such as your name on physical mail to your home address), here are some recommendations:

• Inform your instructors, advisors, classmates, and staff on an individual basis, via email or in person. You should be prepared for instructors and staff to use your legal name when initially meeting you since they will be referencing the name in the system, but the IC community works to honor individuals’ chosen names, so your instructors and classmates should be receptive to any updates you give them. To help instructors, advisors, and anyone else you already know you’ll be working with prepare to use your chosen name early on, you could email them or speak to them before the start of class to let them know.
• Both Student Health Services and CAPS have the ability to note your chosen name in their system without it affecting the IC system, so you can ask these offices to input any name changes when you schedule your initial appointment or anytime thereafter.
• You may also encounter a few localized systems where you can change your name without it affecting it in other systems, and you can ask your instructors or IT about those as they become relevant.

Gender Information Updates

To update your gender information in the IC system, you can use the “Update HomerConnect Profile Information” form. This is accessible through IC Workflow and on the Registrar’s Student Forms page. Since Student Health Services and CAPS have their own systems and questions about gender on intake forms, you will need to share any changes with them directly as needed.

Chosen or Legal Name Changes

Employees can view and update their legal and chosen names through the IC HR Cloud in one of two ways, the second of which is also described in the Knowledge Base article on “Employee Personal Information”:

1. In the drop-down menu, expand the Me section, select Personal Information, then select Personal Details. Under Name, click the pencil icon in the upper right corner. Select the Start Date to indicate the date that this name change should take place. Edit your chosen name as needed, and your legal name if you have completed a legal name change.
2. Employees can also edit Personal Details through the Journeys app in IC HR Cloud. Go to Journeys, select Explore, select Person, and under the Lived Name and Gender Change Journey, select Add to My Journeys. The Journey will collect all Personal Information tasks into one task to help you update all personal information at once.

Chosen names will appear in most (but not all) IC systems, including but not limited to your email and Canvas display names, the employee directory, and in letters. This updated name will also be used in most communications addressed to or on behalf of you (e.g. emails, physical mail, texts). IC will only use your legal name when required by certain government documents and reports for benefits and payroll.

Employee ID Card Name and Photo Updates

If you change your legal or chosen name in the IC system, you can stop by the ID Office immediately to update your student ID card. You can also update your student ID photo at any time if you want your photo to reflect a change in gender presentation. There is no cost for these reissues, but you will need to turn in your current ID to be issued a replacement. You may take your new photo in the office or upload one via the ID Office Website.

Gender Information Changes

Employees can change their gender information by submitting this formstack form for employee gender information changes. As IC HR notes on this form, “Employee gender information is used by Ithaca College in limited cases in which it is required, including Payroll, Benefits, and institutional reporting in accordance with IC Policy.”

Know How: The Trans Person’s Guide to Get or Change All of the Life Documents and Essential Paperwork You’ll Need to Make Your Way in the World (Third Edition, 2022)

In 2014, the LGBT Center partnered with Planned Parenthood’s LGBT Health and Wellness program, Out for Health, in Ithaca, NY to create a helpful informational booklet on how to navigate processes for legal name changes and gender marker changes on important identity documents, in New York State and beyond. Check out the most recent edition of the Know How guide and tracking spreadsheet to get started!

Spring 2025 Update: Due to recent and ongoing changes to Federal policy regarding identity documents, we are in the process of revising the Know How guide to focus on New York State processes. In the meantime, please consult the following resources and others for the most up-to-date information:

• Lambda Legal, "Identity Documents for Trans, Nonbinary, Gender-Nonconforming, and Intersex People"
• Advocates for Trans Equality, "ID Documents Center"

Students who identify as transgender, non-binary, or otherwise gender non-conforming may request an accommodation through the Office of Residential Life to access gender-affirming housing. You may voluntarily submit the Transgender and Non-Binary Housing Request form online or simply call the Office of Residential Life at 607-274-3141. Residential Life will work with you to meet your housing needs, regardless of whether you decide to fill out the online form. Consult the Office of Residential Life page on Accommodations for more details on this and other housing accommodations.

The Transgender and Non-Binary Student Housing Request process is separate from the Open Pages RLC application process detailed below.

Open Pages is a Residential Learning Community (RLC) that centers the experiences of transgender and non-binary students, with the goal of providing a safe, inclusive, and educational residential living space for students with minoritized gender identities. The Open Pages housing community was founded in 2022 and is open to any student committed to creating a supportive, safe, and inclusive residential community for transgender and non-binary students.

This community does not replace the Transgender and Non-Binary Housing Accommodation process. Any transgender, non-binary, or otherwise gender non-conforming student can request housing accommodations that best suit their needs through that process. This community provides a space for students who wish to join an intentional community of care.

For more information on Open Pages and the application process, see the Open Pages RLC website.

Ithaca College has gender-neutral restrooms in nearly all campus buildings. Some can be tricky to find, so here are some resources for locating your nearest restroom, with notes about accessibility.

Campus Map of Gender-Neutral Restrooms

On the online campus map, select the Layers feature (on the bottom left), then select “All-Gender Restrooms” to view locations.

Gender-Neutral Restrooms in Campus Academic and Administrative Campus Buildings

Athletic and Events Center (5)

• First floor, Family bathroom
• Second floor, Gender Neutral Accessible
• Second floor, in the back of the VIP Room, near the gender neutral changing room
• Second floor, past the track near the VIP Room, two All Gender single occupancy restrooms

Alumni Hall (2)

• First Floor, 2 Gender Neutral Accessible Restrooms (to the left of the entrance)

Center for Health Sciences (2)

• Third Floor, two all gender, single-occupancy restrooms near the elevator

Cerrache

• First Floor, gendered single occupancy, accessible restrooms

Dillingham Center (2)

• MZ (ground) level, through main entrance to the left, down the stairs gender neutral, accessible
• Second floor, Room 220, through main entrance to the right, up the stairs (or elevator) and down the hall to your right, gender neutral restroom

Egbert Hall (Campus Center) (2)

• Room 245 in Clark Lounge
• Behind Klingenstein Lounge (go through back doors)

Fitness Center (2)

• Top Floor, 2 gender neutral Restrooms

Hammond Health Center (7)

• Basement level, all gender, accessible restroom near LGBT Center
• A second Basement level restroom is gendered, but Gender-Neutral Restroom signage can be affixed as desired
• First floor, 4 all gender restrooms near waiting room (2 accessible)
• Second floor, gender neutral restroom located off the nurses' room (includes tub)

Job Hall (1)

• Room 1, to L of ITS Front Office; accessible

Library (Gannet Center) (2)

• Fifth Floor, 2 Gender Neutral Restrooms

Muller Faculty Center (1) 

• First floor, near the Sociology Office, between Muller 118 and Textor 101

Office of Public Safety (2)

• Immediately to the right when entering the lobby (across from the Dispatcher window)

Park Business School (8, all accessible)

• Room 110
• Room 211
• Room 212
• Room 329 (with shower)
• Room 331
• Room 332
• Room 431
• Room 432

Peggy Ryan Williams Center (2)

• First floor next to the elevators, accessible
• Third floor near the elevators, accessible

Rothschild Place (2)

• Both in the hallway near the middle of the building

Smiddy Hall (2)

• Wheelchair Accessible and Gender specific single occupancy restroom on every floor
• 2nd floor in OT offices, across from 204 (Gender Neutral)
• 2nd floor in Clinic, across from 235 (Gender Neutral)

Textor Hall (1)

• First floor, near the Sociology Office, between Muller 118 and Textor 101

Towers: East Tower (4)

• Basement Level, to right of entrance and elevator, down hallway on left.
• Basement Level, to left of elevator, through door and down hallway on right.
• 13th floor, to the right and the left of the elevator

West Tower (2)

• Basement Level, to the L of entrance, down hallway on the right near W. Tower Conference Room
• Basement Level, to the R of entrance, down hallway on the left

Whalen (2)

• Third floor, "Artist Bathroom," next to Hockett Recital Hall, in the Hockett Green Room (which is to the left)
• Fourth floor "Artist Bathroom," on left in hallway near Nabenhauer, behind Ford Hall

Williams (2)

• Third Floor, two single occupancy (gendered signage), accessible restrooms

Gender-Neutral Restrooms in Campus Residence Halls

EAST TOWER

• Ground Floor North – Single, Half-Bath
• Ground Floor South – Single, Half-Bath
• 8th - 13th floors -4 Single, Full-Bath (including shower), on each of these floors

EMERSON

• 3rd Floor Off-Lobby – Single, Half-Bath (2)

EASTMAN

• 1st floor by 106 - single, signed male but single occupancy

GARDEN 27

• Basement Past the Mailroom – Single, Half-Bath (2)

LYON

• Basement - (2 - one half bath, one with shower)

TERRACE 01

• 2nd Floor near 200 –Group, Full Bath
• 3rd Floor near 300 – Group, Full Bath

TERRACE 02

• 1st Floor by 100 – Single, Full Bath
• 2nd Floor by 200D – Single, Full Bath
• 3rd Floor by 300D – Group, Full Bath

TERRACE 04

• 1st Floor by 118 – Group, Full Bath

TERRACE 05

• 1st floor by 112 - Single, Full bath
• 2nd Floor by 200 – Single, Full Bath
• 2nd floor by 212 - Single, Full bath

TERRACE 06

• 1st Floor by 122 and 103 – Single, Half-Bath (2)

TERRACE 07

• 2nd Floor by 216 –Group, Full Bath (no lock)
• 3rd Floor by 316 –Group, Full Bath (no lock)

TERRACE 08

• 1st Floor by 123 and 103 – Single, Half-Bath
• 2nd Floor by 201 – Single, Full-Bath
• 3rd Floor by 302 – Single, Full-Bath

TERRACE 09

• 1st Floor by 104 and 122 – Single, Half-Bath

TERRACE 10

• 1st Floor by 104 and 123 – Single, Half-Bath

TERRACE 11

• 1st Floor by 122 – Single, Half-Bath

TERRACE 12

• 1st Floor by 123 – Single, Half-Bath

TERRACE 13

• 235 – Single, Half-Bath
• 234 – Single, Half-Bath

WEST TOWER

• 2nd - 13th floors - 4 Single, Full-Bath (including shower), on each of these floors
• Ground Floor North – Single, Half-Bath
• Ground Floor South – Single, Half-Bath

Additions? Changes? Let us know! Please email lgbt@ithaca.edu with any changes to this list.

The LGBTQ Center works to connect students with campus, community, national, and online resources for gender-affirming care. In short, students can access gender-affirming mental health care and surgery referrals on campus through the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and gender-affirming voice care through the Gender Affirming Voice and Communication Clinic. Other forms of care such as hormone therapy, trans-competent sexual and reproductive health services, and other local referrals are available through Planned Parenthood in downtown Ithaca. Students can also schedule an appointment with Student Health Services or consult with the LGBTQ Center staff to discuss various options for gender-affirming care providers in Ithaca and New York State.

Ithaca College and Local Services

Student Health Services: Ithaca College does not currently offer gender-affirming hormone therapy (also known as HRT) on campus; however, you can schedule an appointment with Student Health Services (a.k.a. Cayuga Health at Ithaca College) to discuss your options for finding care in Ithaca.

Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): Students can access trans-affirming, confidential counselors and therapists on campus through CAPS. Some CAPS providers are available to write letters of support for gender-affirming surgery after a certain number of sessions—you can discuss this possibility during your initial consultation. CAPS is separate from Student Health Services; CAPS services are free and will not be billed through your insurance.

Gender Affirming Voice and Communication Clinic at Ithaca College: Established in 2011, the Gender Affirming Voice and Communication Clinic began as a partnership among the Sir Alexander Ewing-Ithaca College Speech and Hearing Clinic, the LGBTQ Center, and Planned Parenthood, and is part of the clinical programming within the Graduate Program of Speech-Language Pathology. This program provides voice and communication modification therapy to people of all gender expressions. The clinic is free, but there is a waitlist. Contact the Ewing clinic for more information.

Planned Parenthood in Ithaca: Planned Parenthood is one of the Ithaca community’s most popular resources for gender-affirming care and is available to IC students. Located downtown, Planned Parenthood provides Gender-Affirming Care services such as hormone therapy, surgery referrals, transition-related support (legal, social), and trans-competent sexual and reproductive health services. There are fees for these services, but Planned Parenthood works with many insurance providers and provides financial assistance to some patients. You can privately and easily book a Planned Parenthood appointment online for select services or call 607-273-1513 to book an appointment or ask any questions you may have about services and costs. If you have any issues securing a timely appointment or have more detailed questions about gender-affirming care, Planned Parenthood has a helpful Patient Navigator for LGBTQ+ Services—contact the LGBTQ Center for more information.

national and online resources. 

Mental Health and Crisis Support

• Trans Lifeline Hotline: 877-565-8860; “Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support phone service run by trans people for our trans and questioning peers. Call us if you need someone trans to talk to, even if you’re not in a crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans.”
• BlackLine: 800-604-5841; “Call BlackLine® provides a space for peer support, counseling, reporting of mistreatment, witnessing and affirming the lived experiences for folxs who are most impacted by systematic oppression with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme Lens. Call BlackLine® prioritizes BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). By us for us.”
• Trevor Project: 866-488-7386; “Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.”
• LGBTQ National Hotline: 888-843-4564; “All of our support volunteers identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ family, and are here to serve the entire community, by providing free & confidential peer-support, information, and local resources through national hotlines and online programs.”
• National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network

Gender-Affirming Care

• Point of Pride: “Point of Pride provides financial aid and direct support to trans folks in need of health and wellness care.”
• Planned Parenthood, “What do I need to know about trans and nonbinary health care?”
• Planned Parenthood, “What do I need to know about sexual health as a trans or nonbinary person?”
• Erin in the Morning, “Informed Consent HRT Map”
• Trans Lifeline Resource Library: Health Care

Gender-Affirming Voice Care

• Renée Yoxon: a gender-affirming voice teacher with online content for vocal masculinization, feminization, and non-binary expression (Find Yoxon on YouTube and TikTok, and check out their Freebies page)
• Seattle Voice Lab: While their trans voice lessons are not free, they offer free content on TikTok and Discord)
• Books you can check out through the IC Library or Interlibrary Loan:
• Jackson Hearns, L., & Maddigan, P. (2018). One weird trick: a user’s guide to transgender voice.
• Mills, M., & Stoneham, G. (2017). The voice book for trans and non-binary people: a practical guide to creating and sustaining authentic voice and communication.

Self-Care

• Rest for Resistance: “We create healing spaces for LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals, namely queer & trans people of color (QTPoC), as well as other stigmatized groups such as persons with disabilities, sex workers, immigrants, and those living at the intersections of all of the above.”
• Point of Pride, “5 Self-Care Tips to Start Trying Today”
• Gender Justice Leadership Programs, “Trans Wellness Zine”

If you’re looking for something more specific, feel free to message us at lgbt@ithaca.edu!

Gender-Affirming Closet: Established in 2023, the Gender-Affirming Closet is donation-based, completely free, and open to the IC community! Housed within the LGBTQ Center in Towers Concourse 110, our closet has clothing, shoes, and accessories to help you feel your best. The closet is open weekdays, 9am to 5pm, whenever the Center is open. Shop the closet as much as you like! We only ask that you fill out a small survey each time you visit so that we can see how this resource is serving our community. We accept clothing donations (in great or excellent condition, please) in the bin outside of the LGBTQ Center entrance—thank you for your support!

Binders and More Program (BAM!): In Fall 2024, the LGBTQ Center is piloting a program to offer IC students access to free chest compression garments or tape, for those who cannot financially or safely obtain them. Any IC student in need is eligible to receive either one chest binder or two rolls of tape per academic year, and requests are filled in the order that they are received. Please note that this pilot program has limited resources, but we will try to fill as many requests as possible!

• Instructions: To access the Binder Program, please fill out the Binder Program Request Form; there may be a waitlist, but the LGBTQ Center will email you as soon as you are next on the list. We will have sample binders for you to try on (sizes XS-5XL) and sample tape to look at, all in a wide range of skin tones.

This program does not require you to submit proof of need. If you are able to safely and financially access a binder on your own, we recommend shopping online at gc2b.

Wherever you access your binder, please check out these binding safety guides from Point of Pride and gc2b.

Do you have a used binder in good shape to donate to another student? Consider donating it to our Gender-Affirming Closet!

Looking for information on how to support trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals on campus and in your communities? Here are some resources to help get you started!

General Resources

• GLAAD, “Tips for Allies of Transgender People”
• Straight for Equality, “Trans and Non-Binary"
• Trevor Project, “Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People”
• Human Rights Campaign, “Be an Ally - Support Trans Equality”
• GLSEN, “Pronoun Guide”
• HRC, “Get the Facts on Gender-Affirming Care”

Higher Education Resources

• Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals, “Promising Policies and Practices for Supporting Trans and Nonbinary People in Postsecondary Education” (2024)
• Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals, “Supporting Trans and Queer Students of Color” (2016)

Other Resources

• Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) (formerly the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF))
• Transgender Law Center
• Sylvia Rivera Law Project
• Trans Lifeline
• TransLatin@ Coalition
• The Okra Project
• TJI Justice Project
• Black Trans Travel Fund