SUNY campuses debut new chosen name and pronoun policy for LGBTQ+ students

ALBANY, N.Y. (WHEC) – State University of New York schools will now implement a policy that recognizes the chosen names and pronouns of LGBTQ+ students following an announcement by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday.

Hochul and the SUNY Board of Trustees directed all 64 campuses in the state education system to update their records so that the chosen names of transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary students will appear on documentation like diplomas, class rosters, email addresses and student profiles. SUNY students will be able to select an ‘X’ marker when colleges ask them to provide their gender as part of this change.

The governor says these reforms are in an effort to accurately represent the students’ identities and create more open and accepting campus environments. Full implementation of the policy must occur by the start of the Fall 2023 semester.