Two years ago, we released an edition of Ally Tips emphasizing the importance of respecting pronouns and chosen names as essential steps in supporting transgender students and colleagues and their resilience and success in academia. Today, we thought it was time to revisit this important topic as the transgender community is experiencing new challenges and uncertainties.1, 2, 3 One action we can take is upholding the spirit of the International Transgender Day of Visibility, which was held the beginning of last week, Monday, March 31. The Human Rights Campaign also emphasized how crucial it is to celebrate all trans and non-binary people everywhere and every day, not just on the Trans Day of Visibility. In this edition of Ally Tips, we focus on concrete actions you can take to support and advocate for the transgender communities on campus.
Understanding the Impact of the Recent Events on Transgender Students
March 31st marked International Transgender Day of Visibility. This day holds even greater significance this year, as the legal visibility of transgender individuals is being challenged. One concern for many trans individuals is whether they will lose access to resources and spaces they previously had, in most cases due to the elimination of budgets.4 Furthermore, hearing news about implementation or introduction of legislation such as removal of all gender public restrooms and gender affirming care5 can leave trans students’ feeling unsafe and invalidated. Many transgender students, in fact, depend on campus-based gender-affirming care, because it is often more affordable and accessible. However, in the current situation, transgender students are faced with fear and uncertainty of losing such care on and off campus.6, 7
Collective Efforts to Increase Visibility of Transgender Every Day and Everywhere
There are multiple ways of advocating—in the right way—for transgender communities and many acknowledge the importance of increasing the visibility of transgender individuals. Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) was created by the trans advocate Rachel Crandall “in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence.” Thus, an ideal allyship action to increase the visibility of transgender is also to collectively celebrate the lives of transgender individuals and talk about the misconceptions, while also addressing the systemic societal issues that enable violence against transgender individuals.
The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization offering research and 24/7 support for LGBTQ+ people broadly in the U.S., showcases stories of how individual allies take concrete steps to improve their communities and policies to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to be authentic themselves and thrive. They also highlight how important it is for allies to show up and use their skills and expertise to amplify trans voices and advocate for more accurate representation of trans communities as well as the broader LGBTQ+ community.
Ally Tips
Celebrate Achievements of Trans Students on Campus: There are multiple ways of doing this. First, IUB’s LGBTQ+ Culture Center holds the Lavender Congratulatory Celebration to celebrate the academic achievements of the recent Queer graduates on May 6, 2025. This celebration is open to anyone on campus.
Secondly, allies can include films, shows, and books contributing to inclusive and accurate representations of transgender people’s lives in courses and events. These can also be used to generate meaningful conversations on transgender rights and lives with family in home settings. One of the resources we all can use is the IUB LGBTQ+ Culture Center library, which has a wide selection of books on the topics of LGBTQ+. GLAAD, a nonprofit organization focused on LGBTQ advocacy and cultural change, also releases the nominees of Annual GLAAD Media Awards each year.
Know and share resources: According to the reports on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people by state published by the Trevor Project, the majority of LGBTQ+ young people in Indiana who wanted mental health care did not receive care.8 The top 5 reasons why they were unable to get care were 1) affordability issues, 2) being afraid about talking about personal mental health issues with someone else, 3) being scared of involuntarily being put into the hospital, 4) being afraid of not being taken seriously, and 5) not wanting to get a parent/caregiver’s permission. This shows that LGBTQ+ college students are likely to encounter barriers to finding trustworthy and affordable resources. Thus, allies who are faculty or staff members can stay informed about campus resources and support systems by subscribing to the QNews, newsletter from the LGBTQ+ Culture Center, which plays a vital role in supporting LGBTQ+ students on campus. Trevor Project also offers free, confidential, and secure 24/7 service for calls, chats, or texts for LGBTQ+ young people to use.
Be flexible with deadlines: Transgender students are currently under immense stress as they manage the impact of uncertainty surrounding the current challenges to their identities. Having one’s identity invalidated can produce an incredible mental and emotional burden. Stressors such as these can deeply affect students’ academic performance and well-being. Empirical studies have found that when gender identities are accepted by adults (non-family members) and peers, transgender and nonbinary youth are less likely to experience severe mental illness.9, 10 In other words, adult allies can provide meaningfully support for transgender students in the classroom and elsewhere on campus, in particular, by extending empathy and understanding. Check in with transgender students proactively and offer flexible deadlines if necessary.11
Participate in the Survey on Gender Discrimination at IUB!
Please help us improve your experience by participating in a brief survey on gender discrimination on campus.
Weekly Ally Resources
Event on Campus: National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – IU LGBTQ+ Culture Center and ten partnering organizations will host an evening event including Art therapy, Panel discussion on living with HIV, free HIV & STI testing, and other informative sessions to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS among young individuals.
Article: New Diagnostic Codes Lessen Stigma for Transgender People –This article highlights how the medical field challenged the deficit frame around gender identity development and changed the languages used accordingly.
Article: Be an Ally - Support Trans Equality –This article lists ideas for what allies can do to support transgender people.
Article: How to Navigate Policy Challenges and Show Support for Your Trans Students: This article comprehensively summarizes the challenges transgender students face in terms of their college access and choices. The article also offers lists of actions individuals in higher education can take to support trans students.