Transgender Resources for Employees
Resources to support transgender and transitioning employees.
Cornell University is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning, living, and working environment for its students, faculty, and staff members and to continued inclusion of sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity in our non-discrimination policies. While University policies have not changed, current guidance from the United States Department of Justice and Department of Education along with the decision in Bostock v. Clayton affirms that all student, faculty, and staff members are protected from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression.
For more details, contact the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX.
Definitions
Gender identity and expression (as defined by New York State Human Rights Law): Actual or perceived gender-related identity, appearance, behavior, expression, or other gender-related characteristic regardless of the sex assigned to that person at birth, including, but not limited to, the status of being transgender.
Transgender: An umbrella term for a person who does not identify as the sex they were assigned at birth. For instance, if someone is assigned male at birth and identifies as female or another identity outside of the male-female binary, they would be transgender.
Cisgender: A term for a person who identifies as the sex they were assigned at birth. For instance, if someone is assigned female at birth and identifies as a girl or woman, she would be cisgender.
Cornell Programs and Services
Cornell Transgender Guide to Transitioning & Gender Affirmation: Provides guidance on updating personal information in university systems, on and off campus resources, as well as suggested steps for working with your supervisor and colleagues. Download the PDF guide.
Transgender Inclusion at Cornell: Visit this page on the Cornell Diversity website for information and resources at Cornell and in the Ithaca area.
Employee Benefits: Endowed health plans cover benefits for transgender, transsexual, and gender noncomforming enrollees. Coverage includes therapy and certain medical procedures related to gender identity confirmation procedures. To learn more, refer to the Schedule of Benefits or Addendum in the Summary Plan Description of your health plan: CPHL, HSA, WCM-PPO.
Universal Restrooms: The university has established a number of universal restrooms throughout the campus to provide for gender-free facilities.
Student Housing: Cornell is committed to accommodating transgender students in on-campus housing. Gender-inclusive housing is a policy that affords Cornell students the option to live on campus with whomever they choose, regardless of sex assigned at birth, gender, or gender identity. To learn more about Gender-Inclusive Housing, visit their website.
Records Issues: Faculty and staff may update their preferred name, gender identity, and sexual orientation at any time by updating their personal information in Workday. For more information on changing your legal name on university records, you should contact your local HR representative. Students may change their preferred name and gender identity by logging into Student Essentials.
Counseling Services: The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program provides confidential counseling and consultation services to Cornell Employees. Cornell Health provides confidential primary-care medical services, counseling and psychological services to all Cornell students.
LGBTQ+ Employee Resources: https://hr.cornell.edu/lgbt-resources
Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Fields in Workday:
Click here for instructions. For questions related to LGBT issues, contact the Department of Inclusion and Belonging at inclusion@cornell.edu or the LGBT Resource Center at lgbtrc@cornell.edu. Questions related about how to make updates in Workday can be directed to the help desk at hrpayrollsupport@cornell.edu.
The LGBT Resource Center and the Department of Inclusion and Belonging encourage employees to update their Workday profile with the optional Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity field. This information is confidential (visible only to certain college or unit human resources representatives), and is used to help HR better understand and create resources for our workforce. The employee has sole access to add or update this field. Please note that this field is separate from Legal Gender, which is also located in the Personal Information area; contact your HR representative to update the Legal Gender field.
Community Resources
Tompkins County Office of Human Rights : Offers telephone or in-office consultation regarding questions of rights, disputes, alleged violation of anti-discrimination laws which provide protection in the areas of employment, housing, credit, public accommodation, and public, non-sectarian educational institutions.
Ithaca Transgender Group: A confidential, peer-led support group.
Local Therapists and Healthcare Providers Who Are Trans-Allied In Their Care: For referrals, please contact the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program.
Local & Regional Resources
The Advocacy Center: Provides supportive services to youth and adults in Tompkins County New York who have experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence. Services include: 24-hour hotline, emotional support, help with police or courts, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program, and emergency shelter.
Southern Tier AIDS Program: Services focus on the health and well-being of HIV+ persons and incorporate a harm reduction perspective and recognize that behavior change is a gradual process.
Out Alliance: The Out Alliance of the Genesee Valley is a Champion for LGBTQ Life and Culture. We envision a future where all members of the greater Rochester LGBTQ communities, at all stages of their lives, are free to be fully participating citizens, celebrating their lives in which they are safe, stable and fully respected.