State University Offers Exclusive Housing for Trans Students and 'Voice Feminization' Services

Some people prefer to live among those similar to themselves. In select cases, it’s the only way they can feel safe. And now more than ever at the University of Houston, safety is served.

The school boasts an LGBTQ Resource Center, which lists a plethora of programs for those alphabetically inclined. Amid the offerings: a “Gender Diversity” residential area.

From the school’s Student Housing and Residential Life webpage:

The Gender Diversity LLC welcomes students of all gender identities and expressions who are seeking a safe, inclusive, comfortable, and supportive living environment. This may include students who identify as male, female, trans, gender non-conforming, and/or non-binary. Members are able to explore expanded definitions and roles of gender in society, and engage community members in critical dialogues. Opportunities for community building, educational programming, and social events are available throughout the year. Members of the Gender Diversity LLC have direct access to campus support services and academic departments on campus. The Gender Diversity LLC is housed in Cougar Place and Cougar Village II. To apply to live in this community, email [email protected]. The application period for the 2022-23 academic year is closed.

UH describes Living Learning Communities thusly:

A University of Houston Living Learning Community (LLC) is a group of students living together based on a common interest. Living Learning Communities support high levels of interaction between students, increased interaction with faculty outside of the classroom, and increased opportunities to learn where you live such as a shared class given on the topic, study groups, and programming. Only upperclassmen are permitted to reside in an LLC.

These days, birds of a feather appear to flock unprecedentedly together:

Ivy League University Offers Separate Graduation Ceremonies According to Race, Sexual Identity, and Income

NYU Student Group Petitions for Black-Only Housing So They ‘Can Feel Included’

Another University Offers Racially Segregated Graduation, One Critic Calls It ‘Jim Crow’

Following the Chauvin Verdict, a Prominent Private University Hosts ‘Racial Healing Spaces’ — Segregated by Race

School District Apologizes for Including White Students in ‘Support Circles’ After Chauvin Verdict

Minnesota College Requires Monthly ‘Antiracism’ Staff Training — Separated by Race

And the University of Houston isn’t the only school with LGBTQ living:

College Founded in 1892 Offers Dorm for Transgender Studentshttps://t.co/kF6NgXfRhJ

— Alex Parker (@alexparker1984) January 23, 2023

UH is also accommodating in the area of spoken and written identity. The LGBTQ Resource Center page includes a section on monikers:

Students have the ability to update their…preferred name, gender identity, and pronouns. The preferred name…is the default name on class rosters, grade rosters, student milestones, transcript notes, grade change requests, Microsoft Teams, and any printer-friendly documents…

That covers where students live and what they’re called; but what about how they sound? The LGBTQ Resource Center is on the ball there, too — via its Voice Feminization or Masculinization, Speech and Language Clinic.

Voice Evaluation and Intervention Program – The Voice Therapy Program for adults and children emphasizes achievement of the best voice possible, as well as the prevention of voice disorders. Services are tailored for individuals with hoarseness and/or those experiencing difficulty with vocal quality, voice loss, adequate loudness, pitch, or vocal fatigue. Evaluation and therapy may benefit individuals with conditions such as vocal nodules, muscle tension dysphonia, vocal cord dysfunction, paralyzed vocal folds, or neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, all conducted in collaboration with medical management. Services are available for professional voice users such as teachers, preachers and singers, as well as individuals who are transgender and interested in working on voice feminization or masculinization.

It’s truly a comprehensive system.

Years ago, college was very simply a place where young adults took scholarly courses. Contemporarily, perhaps it’s also a venue in which budding Americans can be socially assisted as well as categorized and sectioned off — while learning the importance of such segmentation. To what degree are academics still squarely in the mix? While a precise measurement may elude us, it may not be as much as before:

In case you missed it…

University President Sends a Letter Announcing the School's Top Priority: Racial Justice and Equityhttps://t.co/5HVLSfN4H4 pic.twitter.com/biUFkzW9Vo

— Alex Parker (@alexparker1984) January 28, 2023