Office of Diverse Community Affairs and LGBT Concerns

Office of Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities

3 Bartlett Street, CAC
New Brunswick, NJ
08901

Phone: 732-932-1711
Fax: 732-932-3123

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Being Transgender at Rutgers University 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.
Questions and Answers From The Registrar regarding Gender Identity
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.
Gender Identity Taskforce Members Cheryl Clarke, Taskforce Chairperson Director, Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities 3 Bartlett Street, College Avenue Campus New Brunswick/Piscataway 732-932-1711 cclarke@rci.rutgers.edu
Camden Thomas J. Divalerio Associate Dean, Camden College Center 326 Penn Street, Camden , NJ 08102 Camden Campus (856) 225-6161/Fax:(856) 225-6579 tdivaler@camden.rutgers.edu
Thomas L. Snyder Administrative Assistant, Camden College Center Camden Campus, 326 Penn Street Camden , NJ 08102 (856) 225-2827/Fax: (856) 225-6579 tlsnyder@camden.rutgers.edu
Newark Kevin J. Stensberg Area Coordinator, Housing and Residence Life - Nwk Woodward Residence Hall & Stonsby Newark Campus, Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 353-1148/Fax: (973) 353-1032 kevin1@andromeda.rutgers.edu
New Brunswick/Piscataway Monica Barrett Associate General Counsel, Office/Univ Counsel 7 College Avenue, Winants Hall College Avenue Campus 932-7813, 7814/Fax: 932-6913 mcbbarr@rci.rutgers.edu
Susanna C. Beaudrow Assistant Director Livingston Recreation Center 62 Road 3 Livingston Campus 445-2398/Fax:445-0785 beaudrow@rci.rutgers.edu
Katherine Blouse 31452 RPO WAY Rutgers College 07 kblouse@eden.rutgers.edu
Dianne I. Gravatt, Liaison, Facilities Dir. Environmental Services & Grounds, Maint Serv-C/D Creative Services Building 6 Berrue Circle, Livingston Campus 445-3711X186/183/Fax:445-1234 dgravatt@facilities.rutgers.edu
Laura Kull Captain, University Police 5 Huntington Street College Av Campus 932-8407;7212/Fax:932-8622 lkull@rci.rutgers.edu
Melodee S. Lasky, Liaison, Health Services Executive Director, Rutgers-NB Health Services 11 Bishop Place, College Avenue Campus 732-7402X218/Fax:932-1525 mlasky@rci.rutgers.edu
Juli P. Peterson, Liaison/Registrar Manager, Student-Athlete Certification Rutgers University Office of the Registrar 65 Davidson Road, ASB, Livingston Campus 445-3781 julip@rci.rutgers.edu
Mark J. Forest, Assistant Director Psychological Counseling Services Counseling Center, 8 Lafayette Street 732-932-3966 forest@rci.rutgers.edu
Elizabeth O'Connell-Ganges, Liaison/Housing Services Associate Director of Student Services Administrative Services Building III, Housing 3 Rutgers Plaza, Cook Campus 932-1021/Fax: 932-1014 eocg@rci.rutgers.edu
Delia C. Pitts Assistant VP For Student Affairs, Student Affairs 83 Somerset Street, Queens Building College Avenue Campus 932-8576/Fax: 932-9690 pitts@oldqueens.rutgers.edu
Michael Tolbert, Liaison/Residence Life Assistant Dean II, RC Student Services 115 College Avenue, Bishop House College Avenue Campus 932-7209/Fax: 932-1507 mtolbert@rci.rutgers.edu

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Rutgers University

Being Transgender at Rutgers University

Gender Identity Taskforce Members

Being Transgender
at Rutgers University