Transgender ID
Cover the cost of replacing the WVU student identification card for transgender students to ensure the ID has the correct name and photo
Cover the cost of replacing the WVU student identification card for transgender students to ensure the ID has the correct name and photo
Project Leader(s): Ellen Belchior Rodrigues, LGBTQ+ Center
Collaborator(s): WVU Informational Technology Services and WVU Mountaineer
Card Services
The LGBTQ+ Center is an academic and advocacy unit that provides supportive programming and academic resources to the LGBTQ+ community. We aim to partner with ITS and using this grant to provide transgender students with free replacement of student ID. Currently students pay $30 for a new card. The ability to have a name change and an ID with your correct name is of tremendous significance to transgender students. It affirms their identity, positively impacts their mental health and allows for a stress-free interaction every time they are asked to provide a form of identification.
Transgender people are a sexual minority with the highest suicide rate. They deal with several obstacles in institutions. They are often misnamed, misgendered, targeted through bullying, harassment, and physical violence. West Virginia has a high percentage of transgender youth. They are our future students.
A solution as simple as allowing students to change their name means they will have the ability to move easily through spaces. Students will no longer fear being misnamed, and therefore be more likely to engage in campus activities and positively impact retention rates. Through this project, we are supporting an underrepresented minority, promoting social equity, and being a model for the state.