Navigating Campus

The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Life is the go-to resource for LGBTQ students to connect to campus services and information.

Navigating Campus


Choosing to be an ally is one of the most important things a straight, person can do for the LGBTQ community. A lot of responsibility can come with being an LGBT ally, though. As allies, you are expected to know information that you may or may not be exposed to on a regular basis. You may also feel a lot of pressure to be perfect at all times.

Fortunately, the Office of LGBT Life also has resources for allies and is welcoming to all people. Like all other students, allies are welcome to make individual appointments with office director Danielle Bruce-Steele and assistant director Megan Pendleton. They also have access to all library resources and informational pamphlets specifically designed for allies. For allies wanting to learn more about the LGBTQ community and how to become better, Safe Space training is a good option to build on the knowledge you already have.

Allies interested in becoming more active in the LGBTQ community are encouraged to contact our various student organizations. Many of these organizations are open to allies and actively seeking allies. Work-study positions and volunteer positions are also available at the Office of LGBT Life.

Below are several resources designed for allies as well as different opportunities to become more involved in activism.

HRC—Coming Out as a Straight Ally

PFLAG Atlanta

Gay, Lesbian & Straight Network (GLSEN)

At Emory University, individuals may use bathrooms that most closely align with their gender identity.  For individuals not comfortable using multi-stall single gender restrooms, the Office of LGBT Life has compiled a list of single-stall or single-occupant bathrooms on campus. Those denoted with a wheelchair icon are also wheelchair accessible.  

Please note: In order to use the bathrooms in the residence halls (with the exception of Dobbs Hall), student-residents will need their prox card to enter the buildings. 

If you know of a bathroom that is not listed here, please fill out a form to let us know.

Emory University’s current construction guidelines state that, “…every project, except for residential projects, must consider one, single-occupant unisex ADA compliant restroom adjacent to and visible from the public areas of the building that can also be used as a child changing room.”

Some gender inclusive bathrooms are indicated by the signs found at the following website: http://www.mydoorsign.com/all-gender-restroom-signs.

 Gender Neutral Bathrooms at Emory

all-gender-restroons.png

Students are not required to come out to their professors in any way. However, if you plan to change your name in OPUS, you may find yourself needing to inform a professor about your preferred name. The Office of LGBT Life will assist you in writing letters to professors, as requested.

The Office of LGBT Life can also assist professors in understanding the issues that trans students face in their classrooms and on campus. You may also consult the following web resources:

"Tips for Making Class Welcoming for Trans and Gender-variant Students" by Dean Spade

"Model District Policy on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students" by GLSEN and the National Center for Transgender Equality

"Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth: Recommendations for Schools" by the Transgender Law Center

Students are allowed to change their Emory email address to reflect a name change and/or initials they prefer. Simply follow the steps below to change your email address:

  1. Navigate to https://mynetid.emory.edu
  2. Click on Work Dashboard (towards the top)
  3. Click on the left—“Make a process request”
  4. Select “Self Service”
  5. Click “Continue”
  6. Select “Select email name”
  7. Drop down – “Select/Edit self-assigned name”
  8. Follow directions from there

Some LGBTQ students may not want their legal names to be used in university systems because a person’s name is often tied to their gender. Emory created pathways for students to use their preferred name in a variety of platforms.

Please explore Emory's Preferred Name Policy for details about entering a preferred name through Emory University's Student Information System (OPUS) and answer questions you may have about the process.

System/Platform Updates
Illiad
ILLiad, the program all Emory libraries use to facilitate interlibrary loans and document delivery, does not connect with OPUS or any other library systems. As a result, users need to change their preferred name manually in the ILLiad system itself.

Updating Preferred Name in Illiad

Intramural and Club Sports

Emory Recreation and Wellness maintains the following policy related to the participation of transgender individuals in intramural and club sports:

Transgender Individuals' Participation in Intramural & Club Sports

Emory Recreation & Wellness recognizes and celebrates the transgender student population and encourages students to participate in intramural and club sports based on their expressed gender identity.

Emory Intramural & Club Sports expects participation to be based on one’s self-identified gender and that is done in good faith and consistent with a player’s expressed gender identity.

  • A participant’s gender identity will be applied when there are gender- specific rules or player ratio requirements for co-recreational divisions.
  • Transgender individuals may play on the team that best matches their gender identity.
  • Intramural & Club Sports staff will verify gender based on the participant’s self-identification and expressed gender identity, not purely on the sex indicated in official school records.
  • Emory Intramural & Club Sports understands that the recognition of one’s gender identity may not happen in an instant; it can be a complex process that occurs over an extended period of time.  Transgender participants are encouraged to communicate their gender identity with Intramural & Club Sports staff to ensure proper gender designation.A player who is uncomfortable working with Intramural & Club Sports staff can instead contact the Office of LGBT Life to declare their status. Intramural & Club Sports and the Office of LGBT Life staff will work together to ensure inclusivity for all participants.