QT @ TU Resources for Navigating Campus

Housing and Residence Life is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive experience for students and to working with all students to meet their housing needs in an environment that promotes the dignity of all people.

To aid creating these experiences for students Housing and Residence Life offers Gender Affirming Housing (GAH) as a voluntary opt-in program for all students and a Mixed Gender Housing option for returning students.

Gender Affirming Housing allows undergraduate students of any gender the option of living in the same room/suite/or apartment with other students regardless of their gender marker on file with Tulane University. GAH is designed to be a more inclusive home on campus for students who identify as transgender, nonbinary, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, intersex, queer, asexual, agender, questioning (LGBTQIA+), and their allies.

Mixed Gender Housing allows undergraduate students of any gender the option of living in the same room/suite/or apartment with other students regardless of their gender marker on file with Tulane University.

Students that do not opt in to either of these programs will be housed in General Housing. This type of housing allows undergraduate students of the same gender marker within the Tulane system the ability to live together. This is the default, if Mixed Gender or Gender Affirming Housing is not selected.

Opting in to the Gender Affirming Housing and Mixed Gender Housing has no additional costs and will be offered throughout campus and will include a range of room types and prices.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Click here to apply to live in our new Gender Affirming Housing Cluster for first year students!

Please note that if you are applying after May 8, 2021 that availability is limited in the cluster, and we will communicate with you as availability permits. If you have questions about availability at any time, please contact us. 

On your Housing Application, simply click on the box indicating that you are interested in living in Gender Affirming Housing for Mixed Gender Housing (if applicable). 

The Gender Affirming Housing (GAH) Cluster initiative was created with the explicit goal of helping Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Gender Variant students experience a greater sense of belonging in TU’s residential communities. The purpose of GAH is to provide a more comfortable and safer living environment where a student can room with any other student- regardless of sex, gender, gender identity/expression, or sexual orientation. The goal of this community is to help students build a supportive living community based on mutual respect and inclusivity of all individuals committed to this purpose and goal. Providing a supportive, inclusive living space is critical for developing a healthy place for students to learn, develop, and grow.

This application is in addition to your Housing Application. This opportunity is for anyone to express interest. While space is open to all individuals who agree with the principles of GAH, priority will be given to those who need a safer and more inclusive space on campus.

Wall Hall will host the GAH Cluster for the 2021-2022 school year. Wall Residence Hall is a suite-style building for First-Year students. Please note, that participants will likely be sharing a room, suite, and/or semi-private bathroom with someone identifying as a gender different from their own.

Please note that this option is different from the Gender Affirming Housing option above. The above option allows students to be matched with a roommate that also selected Gender Affirming Housing and placed into a variety of communities or within a Residential Learning Community. The Gender Affirming Housing Cluster is a specific community of students who have applied to live together in the same building, agree to abide by the GAH principles of inclusion, and will share all-gender bathrooms with other members.

If you experience a problem with your living situation that you believe is a result of your sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, immediately talk to your resident advisor, resident director, or another staff member.  We ask that you also report bias-related incidents (confidentially, if you choose) to the Office of Human Resources and Institutional Equity and to the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD). To submit an online report of an incident of bias, misconduct, or discrimination, please click here.

In keeping with the University's policy of nondiscrimination based on gender identity, individuals may use facilities that best correspond to their own gender identity. Those who do not identify with the gender binary (male or female), may determine whichever facility is the most appropriate and safest option for them. No individual will be required to provide documentation of their gender identity in order to have access to any facility that best corresponds to their own gender identity.

In addition, to address access issues, the University is currently and actively working towards having at least one single-occupancy or multiple-occupancy gender-inclusive restroom available in every regularly occupied building on campus.

Currently, Tulane University has several gender-inclusive restrooms located around campus, and even more single-user restrooms found on this Uptown campus map and this Downtown campus map, which are current as of March 2019. The Tulane Interactive Campus Map will be updated by July 2019 to include all publicly accessible all-gender restrooms. 

If you know of a campus single-user restroom that is not listed here, please email us at ogsd@tulane.edu with the building name and floor.

Many city of New Orleans all gender bathrooms can be found in the Refuge smartphone app.

Reily Student Recreation Center 

The Reily Student Recreation Center has updated its facility to ensure that transgender and other gender-diverse individuals have access, feel welcome, and are afforded privacy. For locker rooms, showers, and toilets, you have two choices -- all of which were designed to include the needs of gender-diverse individuals.

1. If you are comfortable using gendered locker rooms, both the men's and women's locker rooms in the Reily Student Recreation Center have showers with curtains to maintain privacy while changing and showering. If you do not want to shower but do want privacy while changing, single-stall areas are available for changing in privacy.

2. For more privacy, Reily offers single-user "cabanas" that include a toilet, shower, and changing area. To store your belongings while using the cabanas, lockers are available outside of them.

At any time of the semester, if you change your name and pronoun, or have already done so, and they do not match official state-issued documents that the University uses for its records, Tulane offers an online process for students to indicate a chosen first name that can be used on Splash Cards and faculty rosters. Students can also indicate their pronouns to the Registrar via Gibson, which will be shared with academic advisors, Campus Health providers, and faculty (through class rosters).

A chosen name is the name someone goes by in day-to-day life. For example, some people named "James" may actually go by "Jamie." Chosen pronouns are the pronouns one uses to best represent one's gender identity, for example: he, she, or they. Please note that chosen first name is used solely for Tulane's internal systems; external systems (such as home-town newspapers, official transcripts, enrollment verifications, etc.) will continue to use your legal first name. Students who would like to indicate their pronouns should also enter this information via Gibson Online.

For more information and FAQ’s on the use of chosen first name and pronoun please visit the Registrar's website

Chosen Name FAQ Page

For Students:

Chosen Name & Pronoun Policy:

Tulane University recognizes that some members of our student community use first names other than their legal names to identify themselves.
Students can enter a chosen name through Gibson Online, regardless of whether or not they have legally changed their name. This option is found on the student tab under the Records link.
Entering a chosen name will change the first name that appears internally at Tulane. Please be aware that use of a chosen name will also change the first name displayed in the Tulane public online directory. Individuals are free to change their chosen name provided that the request is sincere and it is not for the purpose of misrepresentation (i.e., using the process to avoid a legal obligation). Students should use their legal name when conducting University business. 

In addition, students will also be able to indicate their chosen gender pronoun (he, she, they, or chosen name only). This information will be shared with academic advisors, Campus Health providers, and faculty to support students during their time at Tulane. These pronouns will appear on class lists, grade rosters, and advising lists.

Please Note: chosen names are used solely for Tulane’s internal systems; external systems (such as home-town newspapers) will continue to use your legal first name. 

The University shall maintain a record of the student’s legal name which will be used when required by University business or legal need. All external reporting of your name must, by law, use your legal name. 

Places Where Chosen Name & Pronoun is Used

• Splash Card
• Class Rosters and Grade Rosters (and Chosen Pronoun)
• Advisee Lists (and Chosen Pronoun)
• Unofficial/Advising Transcripts
• Directory Listing (unless you withhold your directory information via Gibson Online)
• Chosen Names and Diplomas
  • Students who have a chosen name other than their legal name may use this name on their diploma. This chosen name must be recorded on file with the University Registrar.
• Changing Your Splash Card
• After entering your chosen name you can visit the Splash Card Office in the LBC to receive a new card (no fee to do this).

Updating your campus email and email display name to reflect your Chosen Name:

Via Tulane IT you can get your email display name and email changed to reflect your chosen name by:

• Email -Tulane Account Administrator at accounts@tulane.edu
• Just write in the email that you want to have your Email Display Name and email itself reflect your chosen name. I always spell out my chosen name and how I would like it to appear for clarity sake so for example if my current email and email display name is Peterson, Jennifer L: cpeterson@tulane.edu and my chosen name is Petey Peterson I want my email updated to be Peterson, Petey L: ppeterson@tulane.edu

Once you send this email usually the IT person this goes to will update your email within 48 hours.

Places Where Legal First Name Must be Used:

• Student Accounts Receivable
• Financial Aid
• Responses to enrollment inquiries such as verification requests
• Official Transcripts
• Diploma
• International Student Status
• Student Employee/Payroll Information
• Insurance Information

Keeping Your Legal Name Private

Under FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, directory information may be disclosed to the public. At Tulane, directory information includes, but is not limited to, the student’s name and chosen name. A student who does not want to be included in the directory can withhold directory information via Gibson Online. This is subject to certain exclusions, including but not limited to emergencies. It is important to know that withholding directory information means that you will not be listed in the directory, commencement materials, the Dean’s List, and any external reporting. The University will not be able to confirm your student status (e.g., for the purposes of insurance verifications, graduate application, or potential employment) without a signed release. The ability to opt out of directory information is available at the Update Confidentiality Flag link via Gibson Online. For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 504-865-5231. 

Tulane University's FERPA Policy

Changing Your Legal Name

Students who wish to change their legal name must supply supporting legal documentation.

• Splash Card
• Class Rosters and Grade Rosters (and Preferred Pronoun)
• Advisee Lists (and Preferred Pronoun)
• Unofficial/Advising Transcripts
• Directory Listing (unless you withhold your directory information via Gibson Online)

Entering Your Chosen Name and/or Pronoun

You can update your chosen name or pronoun at any time during the semester. Log into Gibson Online. Click on the "Student" tab at the top. Under Records, on the left side of the page, select the link "Update Chosen First Name and/or Pronoun."

Getting a New Splash Card

Students who would like to have a chosen first name on their Splash Card should first enter the information through Gibson Online and then visit the Splash Card Office in the LBC to receive a new card. You will receive one free Splash Card with an updated chosen first name if you turn in your old splash card during the same transaction. 

Gender Changes on Official Records

To enter a change of sex, the registrar requires a written, signed statement from the student requesting a change in the student information system. Your ID number will not change.

Name Changes on Official Records

In order to change your name on official legal documents (and documents such as the Tulane Phonebook, class registration, attendance lists, Wavemail), the registrar requires either an official court document with the legal name change or a valid driver's license or state identification card with the new name displayed.

For Faculty and Staff:

More information to come! Contact the Director for Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity at ppeterson@tulane.edu 

How to Obtain a New Splash Card

After 24 hours, you can go to the Splash Card office on the first floor of the LBC and request to have a new Splash Card made that reflects your chosen name for free.

How to Request an Email Alias Change

If you would like your email alias to match your chosen name, please contact the TSNOC by sending an email to help@tulane.edu by using the following language:

"I request that my email alias reflect my Preferred Name."
Include the Preferred name and your Tulane ID number. This message must come from your existing @tulane.edu email account.

For more information on changing your chosen name, Splash Card, or Email Alias, please visit https://tulane.service-now.com/kb_view_customer.do?sysparm_article=KB001...

International Pronoun Day

International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.

Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities. Visit International Pronouns Day to learn more about the importance of pronouns. 

Their resource page provides a lot of great videos, tips, and tools as well: https://pronounsday.org/resources 

My Pronouns: mypronouns.org

More current information may be available from the National Center for Transgender Equality. 

To legally change your name so that all official university records, your driver's license, and other documents reflect your chosen name, the very first step is to file a petition with the Clerk of Court. In Louisiana, every name change is processed through the parish in which the petitioner resides. As a Tulane student, it is likely that you reside in Orleans Parish and the Clerk of Court is located on Loyola Avenue. With the proper identification and money (cash or money order) in hand, you can then go to the Clerk of Court Self-Help Desk at 421 Loyola Avenue (Room 401 on the 4th floor) to fill out a Name Change Petition. You do not need an attorney to complete this process. Take the following steps.

1. In order to have your name changed in Orleans Parish, you will need to be a resident in the state of Louisiana for at least six months and be 18 years of age or older. You must also intend to continue living in Louisiana.

2. If you meet these requirements, you will go to the Orleans Parish Courthouse at 421 Loyola Avenue, room 401. They are open Mondays and Wednesdays 10am-noon & 1-3pm and on Fridays 10am-noon. For changes in hours call 504-407-0000 and specify that you need the hours for the name change self-help desk.

3. Once at room 401 of the courthouse,

     a. You will show your current identification (a primary legal document or two secondary legal documents). See below for a list of what qualifies as primary and secondary documents.

     b. You will then pay a petition fee to process your request. As of February 2015, the petition fee is $503.50. They will only accept cash or a money order made out to the Clerk of Court. They will not accept a personal check or credit card. This is non-refundable. To check with the court for any updates on fees, call 504-407-0000.

4. You will then go to room 402, on the same floor, and receive a file and case number. After they conduct a background check (felons are not allowed to change names), they will waive your petition on to the district attorney of Orleans Parish and a judge for review.

5. This is usually the end of your petition process. However, at the time you present your completed name change form to the Clerk of Court ask the clerk if a hearing is necessary for you. Though it is unlikely, a judge can decide to hold a hearing to discuss your reason for a name change. Most judges will grant a name change, based on this paperwork and without a meeting, so long as they are convinced that the petitioner is not trying to evade debts or the police or commit fraud. If a hearing is necessary the clerk will provide you with a date and time that your hearing will take place. This hearing can take place in court or in the judge's chambers. (In rare cases, judges have required a petitioner to prove that they have undergone medical procedures that show an intention to live permanently in the gender associated with the name desired.) If a hearing with a judge is required and you would like an advocate to go with you, please contact the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity at 504-314-2183. 

6. Now you wait for your paperwork to be processed. Upon approval from the district attorney and a judge, the parish clerk will notify you that your certificate is ready for pick-up. The name change decree is the actual certificate that will allow you to change your name at any private or public institution. The final judgment will be recorded in the records of the parish and your new name will be your true and legal name.

7. When you go back to the same courthouse, 421 Loyola, room 402, to get certified copies of your official name change decree. It is imperative that you purchase certified copies of the final judgment to submit to your credit card companies, university administrators, government offices, etc. to get your name changed on your birth certificate, university documents, driver's license, credit cards, and other official documents. Each copy costs $3 as of February 2015.

8. Now you will submit a certified copy to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, University Registrar, credit card companies, etc.

A. State of Louisiana Primary Documents Include:

• Current state issued driver's license that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.
• Current state issued picture identification that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.
• Current U.S. military identification card that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.
• Current U.S. issued or foreign issued passport
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550, N-570 or N-578)
• U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-578)
• Students (high school or younger) - a current school yearbook or a current school identification document with a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.

B. State of Louisiana Secondary Documents Include:

• Current student picture identification card from a college or university when accompanied by a 100% fee paid receipt for the current semester. (COUNTS AS TWO DOCUMENTS)
• A W-2 form issued within the last two years plus an original signed Social Security Card. The Social Security numbers must match. (COUNTS AS TWO DOCUMENTS).
• Original adoption papers
• Official certified deeds or title to property
• Certificate of vehicle title
• Insurance policy that must show name of the applicant (Health, Home, Life, and Auto).
• Payroll stub (cannot be handwritten) showing the name and social security number of the applicant.
• Current u.S. military dependent identification card that displays a photograph which clearly identifies the applicant.
• Original DD-214 Military Discharge document which clearly identifies the applicant.
• Voter's Registration application (certified true copy)

For more resources: http://www.ccabatonrouge.org/resources/louisiana-name-change/  

Changing Your Name on Your Birth Certificate

To change the name on your birth certificate, you will need to work with the Vital Records Department in the state in which you were born. If you were born in Louisiana, you must first follow the steps listed in the previous section to legally change your name. Once your name is legally changed through the Clerk of court, you can then petition to have the name changed on your birth certificate. Then, mail the following to the Vital Records Registry:

1. Certified copy of the Petition for Name Change (Obtained from Clerk of Court)
2. Certified copy of the Judgment from the proper Louisiana district court (Obtained from Clerk of Court)
3. Photocopy of the District Attorney's signed answer (Obtained from Clerk of Court)
4. Photocopy of your birth certificate
5. Photocopy of your valid driver's license
6. Check or money order for $27.50 (total cost of the amendment)

Vital Records Registry
Attn: Amendments Department
P.O. Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160

Once Vital Records receives the required documents and fees, a case manager will be assigned to review your request. If you have any questions, contact: Robin A. Lewis, Services Manager at the Vital Records Registry: (504) 593-5171.

Campus Health is committed to providing caring, high-quality, and confidential services to our campus community, inclusive of all sexual orientations, romantic orientations, and gender identities.

To meet the health and wellness needs of all campus community members, the various Campus Health offices provide numerous programs and services specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you need primary care, preventive health services, mental health care, or you are looking for general health and wellness information, our staff of physicians, nurse practitioners, therapists, health educators, and other health professionals are ready to help.

To learn more and access services visit Tulane Campus Health's LGBTQ+ Health page: LGBTQ+ Health

New Orleans Community Health Resources

• Louisiana Trans Advocates Health Care Resource List
• Crescent Care LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness
• Ochsner LGBTQ+ Health Care

Trans Liberation: Accessing QT Healthcare Virtual Event Recording:

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OGSD offers the following online resources external to the University for further reading and reflection on a variety of LGBTQ+ topics. Have a resource to suggest? Email us links or ideas at ogsd@tulane.edu. We'll review it and decide if it fits!

Identity Exploration & Euphoria

Advocates for Youth developed a series of downloadable graphic brochures to aid in your explorations of your identity. As they describe the series, "These resources are written by LGBTQ young people, and provide answers for young people thinking about their sexual orientation and young people who find that the gender they were assigned at birth does not fit them."

• I think I might be Asexual
• I think I might be Bisexual+Pansexual
• I think I might be Gay
• I think I might be Lesbian
• I think I might be Transgender

Sexual Health & Education

Scarleteen has been providing comprehensive and inclusive sexuality and relationship education online to teens and emerging adults for over 20 years. In addition to extensive articles, they offer message boards, live chat, and a free text-based question-and-answer service.

QTBIPOC Resources: