A 2019 university-wide survey found that only 46% of trans students agreed with the statement “I feel like I belong at Harvard,” the lowest of all demographic subgroups surveyed.
These statistics are sobering, but not surprising, at least not to trans students like me.
This was first revealed in Visitas last spring. As my colleagues can attest, I arrived on campus bright-eyed and eager to learn about the opportunities that lay ahead. But beyond the typical curiosity about classes and extracurricular activities, I was filled with questions about what it meant to be transgender on campus.
Unfortunately, the answer I received was harsh. I only interacted with a small number of trans students, and those I did meet shared stories full of challenges and frustrations. Most of us found a home here and carved out a space on campus to call our own, but it wasn't easy. Harvard didn't have a large or cohesive community of transgender people, and there were many spaces on campus where transgender people didn't feel like they belonged.
The conclusion, later confirmed by my own experience, was quite clear. There may be some transgender people at Harvard, but Harvard has not meaningfully invested in supporting transgender people.
This investment failure manifests itself in many ways. Accessible all-gender restrooms are not consistently available across the university. Accessing and navigating gender-affirming healthcare remains difficult. Additionally, gender-inaccurate legal names are still used by many campus organizations, even though universities allow students to record names of their choice. So many aspects of our educational institutions continue to fail to consider transgender identities and needs.
This is not to say there is no support for trans students. In fact, students at the college have access to the BGLTQ Student Life office, affectionately known as her QuOffice (i.e., Queer Office). As a safe space for the community to come together, QuOffice plays an important role in supporting queer and trans students. My first semester here was definitely better because I had access to a space like this.
However, despite our best efforts, the programs that exist lack the institutional resources and support necessary to fully serve our communities. Case in point: QuOffice is located in the basement of the freshman dorm, right next to the laundry room and trash can. This is a telling sign of how much universities value us and are willing to invest in us.
Furthermore, of the programs that exist, few are specifically designed to serve trans students.
While general programs for the broader LGBTQ+ community are essential, the challenges faced by transgender people are very different from those faced by cisgender queer people. Issues ranging from restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare and legal transition to increased risks of harassment and violence require unique attention.
Transgender people should be more than an afterthought. To fill the gap left by the university, we have taken it upon ourselves to champion the needs of our community and create spaces that center our identities.
These efforts are no small feat. Requires continuous and intensive labor. Our community is resilient, but small and overburdened. Trans students already have a lot on their plate, from the rigorous classes at Harvard University to the challenges of navigating everyday life as a transgender person. Above all, mobilizing communities effectively is a challenge.
The future of our small, poorly supported institutions is in jeopardy, teetering on the brink of collapse every time a student graduates or has to drop out due to burnout. . This structure is not sustainable if we are to make real progress.
We trans students are tired of having to communicate our needs over and over again. We don't have to carry the burden of supporting and advocating for our community, which is actually a basic need.
There is no excuse for inaction. Harvard can afford to do better.
There are many steps Harvard University can take to better support the trans community. By including our identities in more data collection activities, we can better measure our needs. We can train or hire more staff who understand us and are capable of supporting us. We can create and foster institutionalized spaces dedicated to our communities. Alternatively, existing programs could be better funded, such as QuOffice or the Social Transition Fund.
Transgender people are an important part of the Harvard community, and our population continues to grow. A Crimson survey of the Class of 2027 found that 1.6 percent of respondents identified as transgender, significantly more than previous freshman classes.
I want these students to know that they are not only accepted to Harvard, but that they are truly wanted and valued here. I want trans-identifying people to visit campus and see a connected and thriving trans community. I want transgender children to be able to envision their futures at some of the best universities in the world.
Harvard must start investing in trans inclusion now. Because we belong here and we have a right to know it.
E. Mateo Diaz ’27 is an editor at The Crimson and lives in Gray’s Hall. His column “Transcriptions” appears every other Thursday.
