Diversity

Purchase College has many housing options available for the transgender student population. The gender-inclusive housing program provides housing accommodations that allow for students of any gender to occupy the same living space. There are gender-inclusive housing options available in all of the eight living areas on campus.

To inquire about this housing option, please visit the Gender Inclusive Housing Resource Page or contact the Office of Residential and Student Life at ceg@purchase.edu.

Gender-Inclusive Housing Locations

• The Commons, The Olde, and Alumni Village (certain apartment units)
• Outback and Fort Awesome (certain bedrooms)
• Central (certain wings/areas)
• Crossroads (certain bedrooms/suites)
• Farside (certain bedrooms/suites)

An all-gender restroom is a restroom that can be used by any person regardless of birth-assigned sex, gender identity or expression. These restrooms can benefit many individuals including those individuals that may identify as either transgender, gender nonconforming, or any other identity.

The all-gender restrooms can also prove beneficial for those individuals who identify as alter-abled and may require the accompaniment of an attendant of a different gender. Access more information and the complete list of all-gender restrooms in campus housing (PDF).

Below is the list of all-gender restrooms in non-residential campus buildings:

Campus Center North

• Two on the first floor by main entrance from the Mall (enter building and take two quick left turns)

Dance

• Basement hallway to the right of the main dance office

Fort Awesome

• Next to vending machines (first floor)
• Starbucks

Humanities

• Room #1031D (first floor, inside the theatre)
• Rooms #1035 & 1036 (first floor)
• Rooms #2039 & 2040 (second floor)
• Room #0032 & 0033 (basement, inside dressing rooms)

Music

• Restroom (second floor)
• Two restrooms (off the Recital Hall)

Neuberger Museum of Art

• Two restrooms (second floor)

The Performing Arts Center

• All dressing room restrooms
• Lounge restroom
• Two upper lobby restrooms
• Restroom in the hallway of the D dressing rooms
• Stage restrooms A and B, and two restrooms in C

Visual Arts

• Room #1008 (first floor)
• Room #2009 (second floor)

Purchase College recognizes that, as a community, many of its members use names other than their legal names to identify themselves.

As long as the use of this different name is not for the purpose of misrepresentation, the college acknowledges that a person’s preferred/chosen name can and should be used when possible in the course of college business and education. At the college’s discretion and as may be required by law, certain official correspondence will use your legal name.

The preferred/chosen first name will appear on the class list, Snapshot, Faculty Feedback student email, Moodle, and, upon request, the official purchase.edu email account name. For more information, read the Chosen Name Policy.

Purchase College Counseling Center

(914) 251-6390

Services are free, voluntary, and confidential.

The Counseling Center provides services to matriculated students and referrals for nonmatriculated students who may be experiencing psychological stress. We provide individual therapy and weekly support group to transgender students and referrals to gender therapists in the community as needed. Please contact us for more information on the support group or to make an appointment to speak with a counselor on staff.

The following are off-campus 24/7 hotlines for connecting you to supportive people to talk with at any time:

24/7 Trevor Lifeline

(866) 488-7386

“Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.”

24/7 Trans Lifeline

(877) 565-8860

Trans Lifeline: “This line is primarily for transgender people experiencing a crisis. This includes people who may be struggling with their gender identity and are not sure that they are transgender. While our goal is to prevent self-harm, we welcome the call of any transgender person in need. We will do our very best to connect them with services that can help them meet that need. If you are not sure whether you should call or not, then please call us.”

Purchase College Health Services has had the honor of welcoming and caring for transgender students for over 25 years. It is our mission to provide a sensitive, thoughtful and nonjudgmental approach to the special issues and health concerns in the transgender community. Our staff are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to enhance their knowledge and expertise in transgender health care.

For students requesting and/or needing more specialized care, Health Services provides referrals to healthcare providers specializing in transgender medical care in the Westchester/NY Metro area.

We have taken specific measures to create a climate and environment that is inclusive and affirming of transgender students. Our bathrooms are gender neutral, and preferred names and gender pronouns are entered into students’ medical charts so that staff may honor students’ individual preferences.

At the suggestion of Health Services, as of August 2015, the college’s student health insurance plan was modified to include benefits for hormonal therapy and surgical procedures for transgender students.

We welcome students at all stages of transitioning to visit Health Services, and we invite suggestions and comments on how we can better serve the transgender community at Purchase.

Off-Campus Healthcare Providers Specializing in Transgender Care

Dr. James Hellerman
200 South Broadway, Suite 2-5
Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 631-9300

He will see patients for follow-up care; including writing prescriptions.

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Dr. Irene Weiss
Westchester Medical Center Endocrine Clinic
19 Bradhurst Avenue, Suite 3060 North
Hawthorne, NY 10532
(914) 372-7887

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Dr. Marvin Lipman
Scarsdale Medical Group
600 Mamaroneck Avenue
Harrison, NY 10528
(914) 723-8100

Hormone treatment; local and LGBT friendly

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Dr. Nancy Dodson, MD
141 South Central Ave, Suite 300
Hartsdale, NY 10530
(718) 721-7120

Also at:
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467
(718) 920-6781
ndodson@montefiore.org

Adolescent medicine and gynecology; experience with transgender youth; serves up to age 25

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Dr. Michael Goldberg, MD
APS Multi-Specialty Medicine
19 Bradhurst Avenue, Suite 3060 North
Hawthorne, NY 10532
(914) 372-7887

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Dr. Uri Belkind
Callen Lorde: Currently not accepting new patients
356 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 271-7200

Bronx location is accepting new patients
3144 3rd Avenue
Bronx, NY 10451
(718) 215-1800

LGBT friendly clinic, will start and manage transgender hormone therapy

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Dr. Ilja Hullinsky
Endocrinologist
762 Lindley Street
Bridgeport, CT (about 45 minute drive from Purchase)
(203) 374-4490

Also at:
4641 Main Street, Suite 3
Bridgeport, CT
(203) 374-0240

The LGBTQU Student Club works to provide a safe space for students from the LBGTQ community to express themselves openly and honestly. The group holds regular meetings that allow for students to speak about their life experiences, and they host workshops and lectures that focus on the education and support of students within the LGBTQ community.

To learn more about this club, you can visit the Purchase Student Government Association website.

Planned Parenthood at Purchase works closely with the local branch of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Planned Parenthood Hudson-Peconic (PPHP). They work to provide comprehensive and inclusive sex education for students at Purchase, and are a resource for LGBTQ+ students looking for sex ed centered around them.

Like/follow our Facebook page to hear about our events.

Queer People of Color (QPOC) is an attempt to start a space where People of Color who happen to be queer can share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences, about their identities and oppressions through meetings and events. The group recognizes that mainstream queerness has since been associated with whiteness and it is the goal of the club to create a space where people of color are heard first.

To learn more about this club, you can visit the Purchase Student Government Association website.

Purchase College Athletics values and celebrates diversity and equal opportunity for all student athletes, personnel, and coaches within all our athletic programs.

See our Transgender Athlete Student Inclusion Policies (PDF) for more information.

Westchester Area

• Center Lane LGBTQ Youth and Community Education Center
  Westchester’s only lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and community education center. Designed to reduce the isolation that many LGBTQ young people feel and promote a community culture that is supportive of LGBTQ youth, the center provides an opportunity for socialization, enhanced self-esteem and personal growth in a safe place where they can be themselves without the fear of harassment.

• The Loft LGBT Community Center (White Plains)
  The LOFT’s mission is to further the cause of inclusion, diversity, and pride through education, advocacy, and celebration. Founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1993, The LOFT provides a safe gathering place for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and supportive community of Westchester County, NY and surrounding areas.

• Legal Services of the Hudson Valley – LGBTQ Project
  This firm does pro bono work protecting human rights and promoting social justice for LGBTQ people in the Westchester area.

New York Metro Area

• List of Resources for LGBT Youth

New York State

• List of Trans* Youth Resources in New York State

On the Web

• Trans Student Educational Resources
  Trans Student Educational Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment.

Definitions

Familiarize yourself with some basic terms. Here are a few commonly used ones:

• Cisgender/cis: term for someone who exclusively identifies as their sex assigned at birth. The term cisgender is not indicative of gender expression, sexual orientation, hormonal makeup, physical anatomy, or how one is perceived in daily life.

• Transgender/trans: encompassing term of many gender identities of those who do not identify or exclusively identify with their sex assigned at birth. The term transgender is not indicative of gender expression, sexual orientation, hormonal makeup, physical anatomy, or how one is perceived in daily life.

• Queer: A term for people of marginalized gender identities and sexual orientations who are not cisgender and/or heterosexual. This term has a complicated history as a reclaimed slur.

Tips for Allies

When you become an ally of transgender people, your actions will help change the culture, making society a better, safer place for transgender people—and for all people (trans or not) who do not conform to conventional gender expectations.

Visit GLAAD and Straight for Equality to learn more about how to support transgender or gender nonconforming people. Realize that you may say the wrong thing once in awhile, but showing respect and a willingness to learn are key.