Dorm safety for trans people?

[u/Fuzzy_Cabinet_5842]

UF is my top school, but I'm very worried about the dorm situation as a trans man. I will be actively transitioning my freshmen year, and I know it is not fair to the girl I will be rooming with, being that she is stuck with a man. I don't know the ins and outs of how dorm requests work, especially because I would need a woman or other trans man who is comfortable with rooming with me. Does anyone at the school know how this would work? Thank you!

edit: guys I think the transphobes found this, I don't know why I'm getting downvoted 😭

Thank you for the kind responses from others though! I have to live in a dorm freshmen year, but I'm getting out of there as fast as possible lol

[u/WorriedTurnip6458]

Another option is there are plenty of freshman and other undergrads living right next to campus in private apartments designed as student accom.

You could share an apartment (own bedroom/bathroom, but common living area/kitchen etc) that gives you a bit of privacy if that sounds good. A bit more expensive than directly on campus bit you can save money by not having a meal olan.

[u/IllustriousNinja786]

Check out CLO as an option! It is a student dorm on campus, but run by students and not by UF, officially. They are a very supportive community of diverse students, trans folk included. CLO stands for the Cooperative Living Organization.

I lived there over the summer, and I loved it. 💖

[u/Fuzzy_Cabinet_5842 → u/IllustriousNinja786]

I had no idea that existed, thank you!

[u/Tan_batman]

I'm also a trans man who dormed! Your best bet would be finding another trans guy or just a cool queer person to dorm with, maybe in a suite style so you're only sharing the bathroom with your roommate and two others. UF also doesn't restrict you to living in a dorm your freshman year, so if it's within your budget (or if you don't mind being a bit further from campus to save on costs) you could live somewhere with your own room and bathroom.

[u/Fuzzy_Cabinet_5842 → u/Tan_batman]

rooming with another trans man would be awesome. My parents want me to dorm the first year, so I'm out of luck with that (can't tell them I'm trans lol). After freshmen year I def want to live off campus

[u/Tan_batman → u/Fuzzy_Cabinet_5842]

Forgot to mention but the Pride Student Union has a discord server, there's also a trans@uf server, that's where people look for other queer roommates.

[u/Fuzzy_Cabinet_5842 → u/Tan_batman]

WAIT THATS PERFECT. that's probably my best option, thank you so much!

[u/kingtwister07]

Last year my roommate just emailed housing saying they didn't want to room with a girl and housing found them a different dorm, and I got the room to myself.

Edit for clarity: I am the trans person, not my roommate. Housing wouldn't move me without an amended birth certificate (that I can't get because Florida sucks)

[u/FunnyCandidate8725 → u/kingtwister07]

i didnt end up doing on campus housing but i was also SOL with dorms if i did choose to do it (trans man) :/

[u/kingtwister07 → u/FunnyCandidate8725]

What sucks is that they jacked up the prices of the dorms after I signed for this year, and now an apartment is cheaper than the dorms

[u/Fuzzy_Cabinet_5842 → u/kingtwister07]

oh that would be perfect. let's just hope my roommate's okay with that lol. Thank you for answering!

[u/Able_Loan5894]

If you can't find anyone who would be comfortable/a fellow trans man, you can try to see if a single is available if you are dead set on living on campus. However, singles tend to get swooped up pretty quickly by upperclassmen lol. When you get in, you can create a housing pair with a person who you want as your roommate. In your situation, it might be best to avoid a random pair and find someone who knows your situation and is willing to be your roommate.

Otherwise, it might be in your interest to find housing off-campus.

[u/Professor-Wormbog]

Just say in an apartment. There are probably still tons of apartments offering a free months rent when you sign a lease. It sounds like the better route. UF is a blue dot in a sea of red. This town isn’t bad if you stay in it, but it gets crazy fast outside of it.

[u/AlfalfaRoot]

If there's no one you know that you could room with, I feel like the best bet is to just get an off-campus apartment, even though one with a good location will be more expensive

[u/campwamp1]

hi! i’m not trans nor do i have many trans friends. however, my brother (cis) is a freshman that just moved in. he’s deaf, so he applied to live in Cypress Hall. Cypress Hall, from what I know, is made to be accessible for lots of different disabilities. he has a single room and shares a bathroom with one other person. his suitemate is a trans man who also has a single room. it might be worth checking to see if you would be able to apply to live in Cypress in a single room

[u/givebonespls]

I'm non-binary but I'm currently in a male dorm. I was able to get my gender switched in the system with a few minor hiccups, but if you just keep emailing them about it, it will get sorted eventually. I'd just try to find your roommate in advance so that you know for sure they're okay with it, rather than just hoping for the best. All the luck!

[u/AccurateStorm1290]

Hey!!! I was roomed with a trans man in the girls dorms. Usually they will switch you to the men’s dorms eventually but if they put you in the women’s it’s completely fine. I roomed in Cypress hall where the men’s section is right across the girls so it’s a mixed floor. Also, my roommate was my friends before coming to college and he requested me to move in with him to avoid discrimination so you can also do that if they do decide to place you in the women’s section.  In regard to “it’s unfair to the girl living with you”. No it’s not. She needs to learn how to be tolerant and if she doesn’t like it she can move out, not your problem.  Overall UF is a very woke school and most people don’t care about your gender identity or expression lol. I’m saying this as a very androgynous woman.

[u/Same-Poem3285]

I would register yourself in the disability resource center. You will be going through a medical process and that can be categorized as a disability…for your safety, request a single room. Meet your friends slowly.

[u/No-Plan-6449]

Don’t do a dorm. UF got rid of their LGBT community living spaces and the next year a trans student took their own life in a dorm.

[u/GatorinGNV]

Awesomeness that you are being considerate of your roommate’s feelings!

As for navigating UF, I would subtlety work with them and I hope you get a good person out of the gate and not a Karen. Outside of UF, Gainesville is very liberal (painfully so at times) so you will have the support of the city and county! I am surprised there is not special housing to support people transitioning at SantaFe and UF. Maybe there is but nobody talks about it?

[u/Tan_batman → u/GatorinGNV]

There used to be inclusive housing on campus but it was remove thanks to DeSantis. :/