For transgender and nonbinary people, adopting a new name is one of the most important steps in affirming an identity, but it can also be a highly confusing, somewhat difficult process. Every year, Cornell University sponsors a free legal name change clinic which is open to Ithaca College students. This is a crucial resource to support LGBTQ+ students and is the kind of thing Ithaca College should be doing more of.

In New York, changing a legal name involves going to court, presenting multiple forms, one of which must be notarized, providing proof of birth and paying a fee for the change. Needless to say, this is a complicated process with numerous steps and it is likely difficult for the average person to understand. This is also just one of the many steps that people may choose to take in affirming their identity. Things like undergoing gender-affirming surgery, purchasing and wearing clothing that express an identity, hormone surgery and other steps also come with complex processes, high costs and more barriers. Therefore, any steps that can be taken to ease this process and help transgender and nonbinary people affirm their identities are worthwhile. 

Ithaca College and Cornell both have wide arrays of resources at their disposal to support students; collaboration between the two universities can increase these resources and opportunities for students who need them. The goal of the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach and Services at the college is to best support LGBTQ+ identifying students. This is the goal of many offices at the college; to support students either broadly or of a particular identity or background. If the best way to do this is to collaborate with Cornell and utilize its many resources, the college should not shy away from this. Rather, this kind of collaboration will only foster stronger community connections and give students access to the best resources available.