For transgendered Elis, a push for a home

[Natasha]

For transgendered Elis, a push for a home

http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/25017
9/9/2008

For many prospective Elis, the toughest question on a college application is the personal essay or the short-answer statement.

But for Ian R. from New York City, the hardest question is not a question at all — just two empty boxes marked male and female.

"Going into the college process, what I really hate is filling in the gender boxes on applications," he said.

That's because Ian R. is a queer, transgendered high-school senior applying to Yale, and while he identifies primarily as male, he is physically female. Academics are a high priority for Ian when choosing a college, but as is the case with many transgender applicants, other social factors weigh heavily on his mind.