Advocating for Transgender and Non-Binary Affirmative Spaces in Graduate Education

Abstract

Nearly 50% of graduate students report experiencing emotional or psychological distress during their enrollment in graduate school. Levels of distress are particularly high for transgender and non-binary graduate students who experience daily discrimination and marginalization. Universities and colleges have yet to address and accommodate the needs and experiences of transgender and non-binary graduate students. Given the multitude of challenges these students may face, educational settings should not present additional barriers to educational success and well-being. In an effort to improve graduate education for transgender and non-binary students, we add to the existing scholarship on affirming work with transgender undergraduate students by addressing the unique concerns of graduate students. We utilize a social-ecological model to identify sources of discrimination in post-secondary education and to provide transgender- and non-binary-affirming recommendations at structural, interpersonal, and individual levels. For practitioners who wish to do personal work, we provide guidance for multicultural identity exploration. A table of recommendations and discussion of ways to implement our recommendations are provided.

Student Affiliates of Seventeen (SAS) 2020 Report: Transitioning to Leadership in a Historic Year

“…In addition to increasing student membership, this pillar also reflects our focus on strengthening the professional identity of counseling psychologists in training. Presidential initiatives of SCP's President Singh, to which SAS contributed, focused on realizing an SCP membership body that more accurately reflects society, as well as aspiring to become a profession liberated from anti-Blackness and other forms of racism (Hargons et al, 2017Hunter et al, 2020, antagonism toward transgender and nonbinary people (Knutson et al, 2020;, anti-immigrant bigotry and discrimination against those who are undocumented (Chung, 2013;D17CounselingPsych, 2019c), and other interlocking forms of oppression (Singh, 2020). We discuss these in our overview of SAS's advocacy and organizational development efforts.…”