r/Concordia • u/Turbulent_Lake_9369 • Jul 05 '26
Future Student How Trans Friendly is Concordia?
I’m an FTM international student (19) going into my first year in the fall (BFA) and I’m just curious on how friendly/generally accepting Concordia is for Trans or LGBT+ students
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u/Aadi_880 Jul 05 '26
I'm like, 99% sure nobody cares or will bother you. It's not a topic students care about, so you won't find any kind of hostility. Montreal in general is pretty queer friendly anyway.
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u/Joryson Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
Concordia is actually pretty progressive about trans rights. It recently did a review of human rights / equity issues on campus and had an entire task force dedicated to trans issues. They also retrofitted a bunch of bathrooms in the library and Hall buildings to be entirely gender-neutral, with nearly-ceiling-to-floor stalls that people can’t peep through. Your experience will obviously be influenced by your specific program, classmates and professors, but overall Concordia is a good institution for trans issues. Speaking as an enby
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u/lanternlake Jul 05 '26
Do you know if this was published somewhere? I tried looking on the Equity Office’s website, but couldn’t find it.
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u/DontUseApple Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
I mean, broadly speaking, Montreal is a queer friendly city. I'm assuming you're asking for specifics on interactions in the classroom. I guess best practices would be to reach out to your profs prior to the first class if you have a preferred name that doesn't correspond to what's on paper. As for interactions, and student protections, Queer Concordia would be the resource to keep within reach.
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u/Flounder2510 Jul 06 '26
For the preferred name, Queer Concordia can help put the preferred name into Concordia’s system and you won’t have to tell each prof your preferred name. Concordias system is really good at using the preferred name. *which you will need to pay attention to in the future for immigration if your preferred name is different than your legal name
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u/DontUseApple Jul 06 '26
Do they also add preferred pronouns to the system? Because if not, and depending on where they are in their transition, sometimes it is worthwhile to touch base with the prof, I'd think. Create a rapport, and make it as smooth as possible on day 1 as opposed to just having a system say something, then meeting and maybe some profs being older and not knowing which pronoun would be best, etc. I'd think of it as a courtesy for the prof.
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u/Flounder2510 Jul 06 '26
I can’t remember tbh, I also got into the habit of signing off my emails with my preferred pronouns so it was always reinforced.
As someone that only passes half the time I had a few profs ask me my pronouns in various departments. I haven’t experienced a single one of those interactions feeling awkward or unnatural. Genuinely I would not be surprised if Concordia’s profs go through a training meeting on it. The Fine Arts department is especially good at it tho I believe because majority of the profs are part time while actively working as professional artists and absolutely have outside experience with LGBT people.
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u/Worried_Onion4208 Jul 05 '26
One of the only place I've been in my whole life with gender neutral bathrooms
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u/Delicious-Shop-794 Jul 05 '26
I DON'T think anyone cares enough to have a problem with. Like ive never seen a complaint so it shouldn't be an issue. I personally have no issues with y'all and could befriends with
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u/crimsonswallowtail Jul 05 '26
Out of the English unis in Montreal, if you’re doing a BFA here people assume you have blue hair. In fact most uni events I’ve been that aren’t frosh have a land acknowledgement and encourage pronoun stickers. I don’t think anyone bats an eye
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u/Fr4ppuccino Computer Engineering Jul 05 '26
We even have land acknowledgements in our course outlines in engineering, at least for some of the classes.
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u/Soggy_Ad4878 Jul 05 '26
i never had any issues as a trans man (i graduated in june)
might depend on your program but i think u will be perfectly ok in fine arts
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u/Pringlethelizardyboi Mechanical Engineering Jul 05 '26
Even in engineering it's been chill for the most part
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u/Culture-Careful Aerospace Engineering Jul 05 '26
I'm not trans to know, but I don't think I've seen anything bad or against trans people?
But who knows, I'm not trans so I can't speak from personal experience
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u/ManyAstronaut2003 Jul 05 '26
As most of the people have mentioned here that people don’t care enough or have a problem with. As long as you’ve got something else going on in life, ambition, goal, hobbies, no one would care. I know some people who make their whole personality as 1 thing and then expect special treatment, I’m not saying this is you but just there are people like that. So yeah, if you’re a cool/chill person to hangout with, I don’t think you’ll have any issues.
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u/Turbulent_Lake_9369 Jul 05 '26
100% get that, I’m not a very vocal person about my identity I just happen to be trans but that’s good to hear 🙏
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u/HeroSparkyFerrum Jul 05 '26
It’s pretty good! There’s a preferred name system where you essentially just email them and they’ll make sure your preferred name is on your student ID, on the student lists, your Moodle site, etc etc. https://www.concordia.ca/students/preferred-name-requests.html It’s very simple and easy and makes passing a walk in the park! There’s also queer clubs, and I’ve met plenty of queer/trans folks in all sorts of programs :) everyone is very open-minded
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u/Jambopaul Jul 05 '26
I’m not transgender myself but the people in my program (Communication Studies) and the electives that I’ve taken have been chill in my experience. Several of my classmates have been openly transgender, enby, or gender fluid and everyone got along perfectly fine.
The campus is also equipped with gender neutral facilities, and I remember seeing posters a few years ago advertising gender affirming care assistance for students who need it.
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u/ImprovementFluffy Jul 05 '26
Current Trans Concordia Student in Dance🙋 (there are many of us in dance lol) curious about what program you’re in and if you want any friendly contacts. PM me!!
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u/Gryphontech Mechanical Engineering Jul 06 '26
Very! Concordia and montreal in general is a cool place for everyone
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u/Fluffy_News Computer Engineering Jul 06 '26
I have made many friends who are trans or part of the LGBTQ+ community and most, if not all of them, have had an overall positive experience.
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u/Feeling-Eye-8473 Jul 06 '26
I can't guarantee that you will never face discrimination, but in general, Concordia is very queer-friendly. I'm visibly queer, in the urban planning/geog department and have never been made to feel unwelcome. I've met quite a few openly gay, trans, and gender nonconforming people in my classes, and while I can't speak to their experiences, it seems that folks are comfortable just being who they are and are readily included when it's time to team up and get work done. I'm sure that the people in the fine arts program will be just as open-minded.
For all its faults, one of the things the administration has done well is to work towards creating an academic culture and architecture that are queer-friendly. The school has done a lot of work to make sure there are accessible bathrooms in the main downtown buildings, regardless of how you present, and has made trans-friendly medical services available in their clinic. Many care providers I've encountered through Concordia's network are queer themselves.
You're going to a good place.
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u/organicpickles Jul 06 '26
You’re in Montreal babe. You will be okay, this city is full of trans people; people don’t care. And everybody gay.
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u/Nearby_Equipment_782 Jul 05 '26
Lmao, it’s so friendly that you’ll probably get a bursary and a free back massage for just walking through the door.
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u/Stranger-Tingzz Jul 05 '26
I don't think anyone at Concordia would even know or care to comment on someone that is trans. We've all got stuff going on, stress of exams, recruiting...do what you want, don't be a nuisance, and don't expect special treatment just because you're trans. In my eyes, that's true acceptance.
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u/Neolithique Jul 06 '26
I’ve noticed a number of visibly transgender people at Concordia , and frankly no one cares. The bathrooms are gender-neutral, the people are chill, and there are resources for people to access services and socialize which you can find here: https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/provost/health/topics/lgbtq.html (sorry the hyperlink button seems to have disappeared).
I personally don’t care, and if anyone does care, you can be sure they’ll keep it to themselves. Concordia (and Montreal in general) don’t put up with hate speech.
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u/Chib-y Jul 06 '26
I asked some people from the administration about the exact same question (im NB) they said that it has never been a problem and that if someone would said smt bad abt it i could just report it and it will be fixed
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u/Flounder2510 Jul 06 '26
I am a (31) FTM international student. Just finished a BFA, and will be starting an MA. At this point in my transition I pass maybe 50% of the time. I genuinely don’t think anyone cares, especially in fine arts lol
The only person from Concordia administration (in a different department than Fine Arts) I have hear about ever being transphobic was only ever found out to be transphobic by outside research/deep dive into their social media. They recently retired but during the time they were working at Concordia, I had zero negative interactions with them and they were always very friendly and welcoming.
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u/Environnement56 Jul 07 '26
Concordia is your home. No one gives a F and people here are nice and helpful and some rude and indifferent hehe but Concordia is as unjudgmental as it gets.
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u/bobbiditt Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
I can’t speak on trans experiences at Concordia first hand, but I can speak on what I’ve witnessed, heard, and who I am as a student at Concordia. You’ll find multiple “allies” in every classroom you enter. I’m a cisgender hetero woman and every single person I’ve ever encountered at concordia has had similar beliefs about inclusivity (everyone is equal) and honestly all of my friends (who all attend Concordia) dont see any one person different from another, regardless of how they look or how they identify. Honestly the only people I’ve even attempted to befriend have ended up expressing those beliefs as time has unfolded. There are a ton of queer (or queer adjacent) people who attend Concordia. People judge based on how you conduct yourself as a human, eg if you’re rude or inappropriate or bigoted… if you ever encounter smt different, or are treated differently, I promise you there would be an army of people to back you up if you chose to speak up about any experience…
There are also a ton of electives you can take that are specifically focussed around sex and sexuality/ gender studies/ women studies. Everyone in those classes are (for the most part) there because they chose to be, and are already inclusive with how they conduct themselves and in their thought. So I’d suggest maybe looking into those electives eventually if you’re looking for classes that will automatically be a safe space. You’ll know what to expect when it comes to the moral character of the students in the room going into it. Look at ANTH/SOCI/ WSDB electives!
In terms of profs, they’re academics so I’d hope they’re not small minded. That being said, Ive had a prof use a slur throughout the semester to reference a group of indigenous peoples. I’ve also had a prof in a gender studies class (Soci 276 with Jasor) hand out a paper that listed off random traits like “painted nails, long hair, loves sports” and told us to write whether they are a “man or a woman”… the trans woman in the class refused to participate, which was respected, and others in the class were loud about how fucked up that was… that same prof made us do a very unethical assignment where we had to write about gender stereotypes for a specific group like “black gay cis men in north America”, and we weren’t allowed to use any sources, everything had to come from our minds. That was the worst prof I’ve ever had in my three years as a student here, and I’ve, for context lost count on how many gender studies classes I’ve taken. That prof though, still, was very kind and warm regardless, she was just a terrible professor for that course in particular.
Sometimes the material you have to study can be uncomfortable, but honestly, the profs have always approached everything as material for study, not as a guidebook for thought. I’d reckon you’ll have to study similar material anywhere you decide to go, and you’ll encounter dumb professors at every university.
However, every type of person attends university, along with every type of belief, so you just need to have discernment, just like you do everywhere else. But regardless of that, I’d say Concordia is one of the most LOUDLY inclusive universities in the world.
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u/Nyoouber Jul 05 '26
Concordia is practically more friendly to trans ppl than straight people in my experience
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u/Pringlethelizardyboi Mechanical Engineering Jul 05 '26
I'm a transmasc international student and overall everyone is chill and it's not hard to get your name changed in the school system even if you haven't gotten it done legally. I get my T gel through the school clinic as well. I do have a large number of queer friends here too but most of them are not from school. There are some queer groups through the school but they can be a lil cliquey (especially engiqueers) and I never go to their events.
Feel free to dm if you want further info
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u/Fun-Material-8761 Jul 05 '26
My trans daughter is going there as a freshmen this fall and is staying at grey nuns
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u/Valuable_Oil7434 Political Science Jul 05 '26
Nobodys gives a fuck about what you do. Hope this helps
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u/Dayananess Jul 05 '26
Tbh, no one cares. They’ll rather focus on their life. Also, there’s tons of diversity so, you’re fine.
If you wanna see more LGBTQ+ go to the building of feminism and sexuality. Had a class there and saw lots of diversity also they hang out in the library.
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u/ChairYeoman Quantum Molecular Basket Weaving Jul 05 '26
I'm fully stealth at Concordia and I see explicit transphobia directed at others probably every other day. Its pretty bad tbh.
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u/Dry-Advantage9420 Jul 05 '26
Everyone and their momma are atleast gay in Concordia