Introduction: Transgender History at Rutgers

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender history at Rutgers "came out" in August of 1969, when Lionel Cuffie founded the Homophile League on College Avenue. The League, as it came to be called, was the first openly homosexual organization in the state of New Jersey and the first post-Stonewall gay college student organization in the country. "Gay," as we know, was a broad bed in those early days. It was inclusive of the garden variety same-sex-loving folk, polymorphously-perverse-loving folk, and gender-defiant folk. At the same time that "gay" was broad, it was also narrow, for same-sex preference was the most accepted form of nonconformity within our communities in those days. So, bisexual and transgender people (transsexual, cross-dressers/transvestites, butches, femmes, sissies, and other gender-benders) were mostly closeted, except for a few outrageously brave individuals who passed, cross-dressed, refused to enunciate a sexual preference, and founded autonomous organizations while expanding their space within existing lesbian and gay organizations.

We can fast-forward to 1990 to Judith Butler's Gender Trouble, which questions the "foundationalist fiction" of gender, and then to Leslie Feinberg's novel Stone Butch Blues (1993) and Kate Bornstein's memoir Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us (1995) to find trans people giving expression to their identities and their experiences.

In 1996 the University Senate at Rutgers voted to include "Gender Expression" in the University Nondiscrimination Policy. However, as an alternative, University Counsel, after consulting with gay and lesbian faculty, advised the Executive Vice President Joseph Seneca to administratively interpret the Policy to include and protect transgender/transsexual students, staff, and faculty within the existing categories of "sex" and "sexual orientation."

The Gender Identity Taskforce and Our Charge

The Gender Identity Taskforce (the Taskforce) was charged in 2005 by the Vice President for Student Affairs to oversee the creation of safe and welcoming campus environments for self-identified Transgender students in Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick/Piscataway in the areas of Housing, Residence Life, Facilities, the Office of the Registrar, Recreation Services, Health Services, Counseling Services, and in other related areas, in accordance with the gender expression protections granted transgender/transsexual students and employees within the University's Nondiscrimination Policy (see below, under current policies, practices, and resources). The Taskforce will act as a "Safetynet" for any student who identifies as Transgender and is seeking services, resources, support, and accommodations at Rutgers. Contact Cheryl Clarke, Chairperson, using the contact information listed below.

Current procedures and practices:

In 1996, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Joseph Seneca, upon recommendation of University Counsel, interpreted administratively The University's Nondiscrimination Policy to include Transgender persons in the protections granted within the categories "sex" and "sexual orientation."

Housing takes a case-by-case approach in its provision of services to students who identify as transsexual, transgender, or in transition between genders.

The Registrar allows Rutgers students and alumni to change their names on all records with the Registrar upon presentation of two pieces of valid identification. Current students may change their names on Rutgers University I.D. cards at no cost only if changes are in effect with the Registrar or Payroll. Students should understand that once their names have changed with the Registrar, they will be changed on all official documents, including those sent to their home addresses.

Facilities maintains an updated listing of all "unisex"/single stall restrooms on the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus, and Facilities will include a gender neutral restroom in all new construction.

What is a Liaison: Liaisons have been designated in Housing, Facilities, Residence Life, Health Services, Office of the Registrar, and other areas to specifically assist Transgender-identified students who may request services within the particular area.

One of the challenges the Taskforce still faces is in identifying the size of the Transgender student community. However, difficulty in quantifying the community in no way limits the changes that must occur in order to make Rutgers a more welcoming community for all students expressing their genders nontraditionally. Please contact Cheryl Clarke at 732-932-1711 or cclarke@rci.rutgers.edu with questions.