Page 14 - ALGBTIC News Magazine - Fall 2019

Malvika Behl, PhD (She/Her/Hers), West Texas A&M University
Tracy Ferezan, M.S., LCDCi, (She/Her/Hers), Walden University
John Watson, MS, LPC (He/Him/His), Drexel University
Justin Jacques Ed.S. LPC, CAC II, ACS, NCC (He/Him/His), Penn State Medical School
The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics by a social transition, which may include the use of
C.5. Non-discrimination states that “Counselors do not a more gender consistent name, dressing in more
condone or engage in discrimination against prospec- gender consistent clothes, and connecting with both
tive or current clients, students, employees, supervisees, other trans individuals and the larger LGBTQ+ com-
or research participants based on age, culture, disability, munity. They may additionally seek a legal transition,
ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender having their name or gender marker on their docu-
identity, sexual orientation, marital/ partnership status, ments legally changed; however, they may not live in
language preference, socioeconomic status, immi- a state that allows for such changes. For some trans
gration status, or any basis proscribed by law” (p. 9). persons, they may wish to change not only their gen-
Therefore, it is crucial for counselors to recognize their der expression, but to alleviate body dysphoria they
ethical responsibility and duty to foster an open, safe, may use binding garments, prosthetics, hormones
and supportive environment for trans students equal to and other medical procedures to affirm their gender
their cisgender (i.e., those whose birth sex is congruent within their primary and seconday sex characteristics
with their gender identity) peers. (Beemyn, Curtis, Davis, & Tubbs, 2005).

Students identifying as trans are those whose sex Students who identify as trans face the same chal-
assigned at birth is not congruent with their gender lenges as their cisgender peers (Swanbrow Becker, et
with which they identify. Initially this incongruence al., 2017) such as the transition to the college expe-
may manifest itself internally with thoughts and feel- rience and context as well as new financial academic
ings that indicate incongruence between assigned sex pressures. In addition, trans students face unique
at birth (and the expectations and social roles that the issues related to navigating gender identity, gen-
culture identifies) and their own gender identity, which der-based discrimination, as well as emotional and
frequently causes a great deal of psychological discord, physical health (Swanbrow Becker, et. al., 2017), all
pain and confusion. One of the first steps to relieve of which may result in a feeling or climate of oppres-
such pain is coming out to oneself, close and trusted sion which can impact academic performance and
friends, and/or family as trans. While some individu- social support, and have long-term effects on identity
als will identify with a male or female gender identity, development (Newhouse, 2013). Examples of gender
many will identify with a third gender or a non-binary identity-based discrimination students may expe-
gender, expanding past the conventional expectations rience include the difference between their chosen
of a binary male-female gender. This may be followed name and their birth name, which is often the name