Searching for Home: Transgender Students and Experiences with Residential Housing

This study examines the residential life experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming students. As more transgender students self-identify to residential life staff, some higher education institutions have developed practices that are more inclusive of transgender students (Krum, Davis, & Galupa, 2013). However, despite increased visibility and awareness of transgender and gender non-conforming students, limited research exists to assist our understanding of their experiences within these campus environments (Beemyn, 2013; Renn, 2010). This case study explores how transgender students at several different universities in the United States negotiate relationships with roommates, residence hall peers, staff, and administrators. Utilizing in-depth interviews, four themes emerged: navigating gender expression, consequences of genderism, coping and carrying on, and institutional genderism. Transgender students’ experiences varied across institutions, but all highlight how heterogendered institutions, policies, and interactions systematically discriminate against these students.