Each year, more trans and non-binary students arrive at Penn, anxious about navigating challenges that their cisgender counterparts may never consider. Will I feel safe using the bathroom? Will my roommates accept me? Is it easy to change my name? Am I legally protected?
An Outsize Impact
A fund for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming/diverse students is having a big impact at Penn thanks to philanthropy
Published: June 24, 2022
According to the most recent data from Penn, in 2020 about 204 Penn students (or 1.6%) self-identified as transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming/diverse.
Now, there’s a fund designed specifically to help address some of these concerns. Thanks to donor support, the Townsend Fund is fulfilling the unmet needs of trans, non-binary, and gender non-confirming/diverse students at Penn—offering a much-needed lifeline. “The emotional benefit that comes with knowing they’re supported on campus, that people believe in them and want to help them, is life-altering for each person who needs support,” says one anonymous donor.
Modest grants of up to $500 are available to full-time Penn students who are making a gender transition. The Townsend Fund has been used to pay for expenses related to medical co-pays, surgery, legal name changes, hormones, gender marker changes, rent and food in the case of family estrangement, travel for medical consultations, vocal coaching, and more.
“This grant helps to provide resources for students to navigate their healthcare services, affirm their identities, and become the best version of themselves,” says Julia Mills Burton, a nurse practitioner, Gynecology Section Chief, and LGBTQ+ health specialist in Student Health and Counseling, Wellness at Penn. “It also helps connect them to resources on campus, like the LGBT Center, where they can receive additional support.”
Setting a high bar for student healthcare, Wellness at Penn received a 100 rating from the Human Rights Campaign Health Equity Index in 2022. Overall, the University also ranks highly for LGBTQ campus life, receiving five stars from the Campus Pride Index, which promotes safe, queer-friendly learning environments in higher education.
Lisa Martinez, Gr’25, a non-binary PhD student studying philosophy and a self-described “queer woman of color with tattoos” was able to get top surgery after a challenging journey to become their authentic self. Coming to Locust Walk from Los Angeles, California, Martinez wasn’t sure what kind of reception awaited them in the Ivy League. “Penn has been one of the most welcoming environments I’ve experienced,” Martinez says. “I feel lucky to be here. I knew the healthcare at Penn was good, but I didn’t know just how good.”
Another student, Zelda Godsey-Kellogg, C’25, is an English major who has found a community at the Kelly Writers House as a member of the Penn Review literary magazine. She identifies as trans/non-binary and started her transition just before college. Godsey-Kellogg used the Townsend Fund to get a gender-affirming hair style, along with other non-medical needs. “Overall, my experience has been positive,” she says. “Changing my name was easy. My medical records were updated quickly. For the most part, my instructors use the right pronouns.”
For Lisa, Zelda, and many others, the Townsend Fund does more than just alleviate the financial hurdles to accessing critical gender-affirming hormones or provide a confidence-boosting haircut. It removes barriers so they can grow into themselves. The fund also offers increased opportunities for support on campus and can be the reason that students discover a community awaiting them with arms wide open—the LGBT Center. “Our trans student community is growing at a tremendous pace,” says Erin Cross, LGBT Center Director. “They deserve to have their basic human rights met so they can simply be the successful students we know they are.”
“Most of us don’t come from money or have many resources, but we still recognize our privilege in being at Penn,” says Martinez. “Access to therapy, or the financial freedom to move out of a living situation because of a transphobic landlord, these things are possible because of support like the Townsend Fund. All of it adds up to making our lives a little bit easier each day.”
