Out in the Classroom: Transgender Student Experiences at a Large Public University

Faculty and peer interactions are 2 of the most important relationships for college students to foster (Astin, 1993). Transgender college students have an increasing visible presence on college campuses (Pusch, 2005), yet limited research exists on their experiences and struggles in the classroom environment (Garvey & Rankin, 2015; Renn, 2010). This study sought to understand the experiences of transgender students in the context of the college classroom and their perceptions of faculty and peer support. The experiences of 5 transgender students from a large Midwest public institution are illustrated by 4 themes that emerged: coming out, instructor interaction, peer (non)support in the classroom, and campus and course context impact college environment. Overall, participants’ experiences varied, but all reported incidents of marginalization from instructors and peers. This study provides a necessary voice to the lived experiences of transgender college students within the context of the university classroom.