Luca Maurer, program director of Ithaca College’s Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Education, Outreach and Services, was quoted in an Albany Times Union article, “New Front in Bias Fight.” The piece reports on the efforts of colleges and universities across the nation to accommodate and respect the rights of transgender students.
Maurer was quoted regarding the obstacles transgender people face even before they arrive on campus: “About half of transgender students in middle school and high school say they skipped a day of school in the last month because of safety concerns, and they have lower GPAs as a result. The statistic I’m most concerned with is the number who report no plans to go to college. Since we know they face these obstacles, what I want to do is create more access.”
Maurer is the founding director of the LGBT Center. Under his leadership, Ithaca College has been ranked as one of the 25 best campuses in the nation for LGBT students and one of the top 10 transgender-friendly colleges and universities. Services and policies to support transgender students at Ithaca College include a transgender housing and chosen (preferred) name policies, a map of single-occupancy campus restrooms and a specialized voice and communication clinic for members of the transgender community.
Maurer’s new book, co-authored with Dr. Eli Green, is “The Teaching Transgender Toolkit: A Facilitator’s Guide to Increasing Knowledge, Decreasing Prejudice & Building Skills.” It is a detailed collection of best practices, lesson plans and resources on planning, facilitating and navigating the nuances of teaching about transgender people, identities and experiences. Maurer is also co-editor of the book “Doing Gender Diversity: Readings in Theory and Real-World Experience,” and has written for a variety of publications, served as a consultant/trainer and given numerous presentations on such topics as sexual orientation, gender identity, disability issues and HIV/AIDS. He has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Sexuality Education and of The Prevention Researcher, a multidisciplinary journal focusing on successful adolescent development and at-risk youth.
For more information on services and policies supporting transgender students at Ithaca College, visit the Transgender Resources webpage.