Trans Student Educational Resources

Last updated
Trans Student Educational Resources
Founded2011
Founders Eli Erlick, Alex Sennello
TypeEducational
Location
  • United States
Website transstudent.org

Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER) is a United States-based organization advocating for greater recognition of transgender youth in educational institutions. The organization was founded in 2011 by teen activists Eli Erlick and Alex Sennello and is currently the only national organization led by transgender youth. [1]

Contents

TSER offers public resources on understanding and interacting with transgender students, including training for educators, online infographics, and workshops at conferences. [2] [3] Members of the organization also advocate for transgender educational justice in media. [4] [5] [6]

Mission

The mission statement of TSER describes themselves as follows:

Trans Student Educational Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment. In addition to our focus on creating a more trans-friendly education system, our mission is to educate the public and teach trans activists how to be effective organizers. We believe that justice for trans and gender nonconforming youth is contingent on an intersectional framework of activism. Ending oppression is a long-term process that can only be achieved through collaborative action. [7]

History

Trans Student Educational Resources began as an effort to promote activism among young transgender students in support of relevant changes to school district policy. At the time of the organization’s founding, very few anti-discrimination policies protecting transgender people had been enacted in the United States, while visual resources relevant to the transgender community were scarce. TSER began its own infographic series in 2012, expanding its audience and member participation. [8] [9] TSER is also involved in organizing the annual International Transgender Day of Visibility. [10] [11] [12]

In 2014, the organization changed its name from Trans Student Equality Resources to Trans Student Educational Resources, citing that equality is "not enough" for the transgender community. [13]

Work

TSER began publishing transgender-related infographics in 2012. Release continued following initial support. [14] According to director Eli Erlick, TSER's graphics have been publicized by millions of blogs, web sites, and organizations. [1] TSER staff have spoken at conferences and provided information on accommodating transgender students. [3] [15] [16]

TSER also engages in transgender youth leadership development, organizational training, and media advocacy. In 2014, multiple TSER members advocated for trans-inclusivity at women's colleges. [17] [18]

TSER released the “Gender Unicorn” diagram in 2014 as a method of personal identification in respect to spectrums of gender and sexuality, with translations in multiple languages. [19] The diagram was quickly adopted by schools, colleges, and universities across the world.[ citation needed ] In 2016, it was criticized by conservative Christian pundits, such as blogger Matt Walsh at Blaze Media and evangelist Franklin Graham. [20] [21] [22] In 2017, the Gender Unicorn was discussed in the Senate of Canada during debate regarding Bill C-16. [23] [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

PFLAG is the United States' largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people and those who love them. PFLAG National is the national organization, which provides support to the PFLAG network of local chapters. PFLAG has nearly 400 chapters across the United States, with more than 350,000 members and supporters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Center for Transgender Equality</span> U.S. nonprofit organization

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is a nonprofit social equality organization founded in 2003 by transgender activist Mara Keisling in Washington, D.C. The organization works primarily in the areas of policy advocacy and media activism with the aim of advancing the equality of transgender people in the United States. Among other transgender-related issue areas, NCTE focuses on discrimination in employment, access to public accommodations, fair housing, identity documents, hate crimes and violence, criminal justice reform, federal research surveys and the Census, and health care access.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violence against transgender people</span> Violence or victimization against transgender people

Violence against transgender people includes emotional, physical, sexual, or verbal violence targeted towards transgender people. The term has also been applied to hate speech directed at transgender people and at depictions of transgender people in the media that reinforce negative stereotypes about them. Trans and non-binary gender adolescents can experience bashing in the form of bullying and harassment. When compared to their cisgender peers, trans and non-binary gender youth are at increased risk for victimisation, which has been shown to increase their risk of substance abuse.

The origin of the LGBT student movement can be linked to other activist movements from the mid-20th century in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement and Second-wave feminist movement were working towards equal rights for other minority groups in the United States. Though the student movement began a few years before the Stonewall riots, the riots helped to spur the student movement to take more action in the US. Despite this, the overall view of these gay liberation student organizations received minimal attention from contemporary LGBT historians. This oversight stems from the idea that the organizations were founded with haste as a result of the riots. Others historians argue that this group gives too much credit to groups that disagree with some of the basic principles of activist LGBT organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitarian Universalism and LGBT people</span> Relationship between Unitarian Universalism and LGBT people

Unitarian Universalism, as practiced by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC), is a non-Creedal and Liberal theological tradition and an LGBTQ affirming denomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equality California</span> Non-profit civil rights organization

Equality California (EQCA) is a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California. It is the largest statewide LGBT organization in the United States and the largest member of the Equality Federation. The organization is based in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT movements in the United States</span>

LGBT movements in the United States comprise an interwoven history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied movements in the United States of America, beginning in the early 20th century and influential in achieving social progress for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual individuals. A commonly stated goal among these movements is social equality for LGBT people. Some have also focused on building LGBT communities or worked towards liberation for the broader society from biphobia, homophobia, and transphobia. LGBT movements organized today are made up of a wide range of political activism and cultural activity, including lobbying, street marches, social groups, media, art, and research. Sociologist Mary Bernstein writes: "For the lesbian and gay movement, then, cultural goals include challenging dominant constructions of masculinity and femininity, homophobia, and the primacy of the gendered heterosexual nuclear family (heteronormativity). Political goals include changing laws and policies in order to gain new rights, benefits, and protections from harm." Bernstein emphasizes that activists seek both types of goals in both the civil and political spheres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equality North Carolina</span>

Equality NC(ENC) is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization in North Carolina and is the oldest statewide LGBT equality organization in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender</span> Gender identity other than sex assigned at birth

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from that typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Some transgender people who desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another identify as transsexual. Transgender is also an umbrella term; in addition to including people whose gender identity is the opposite of their assigned sex, it may also include people who are non-binary or genderqueer. Other definitions of transgender also include people who belong to a third gender, or else conceptualize transgender people as a third gender. The term may also include cross-dressers or drag kings and drag queens in some contexts. The term transgender does not have a universally accepted definition, including among researchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT people in prison</span> Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in prison

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people face difficulties in prison such as increased vulnerability to sexual assault, other kinds of violence, and trouble accessing necessary medical care. While much of the available data on LGBTQ inmates comes from the United States, Amnesty International maintains records of known incidents internationally in which LGBTQ prisoners and those perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender have suffered torture, ill-treatment and violence at the hands of fellow inmates as well as prison officials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender rights movement</span>

The transgender rights movement is a movement to promote the legal status of transgender people and to eliminate discrimination and violence against transgender people regarding housing, employment, public accommodations, education, and health care. A major goal of transgender activism is to allow changes to identification documents to conform with a person's current gender identity without the need for gender-affirming surgery or any medical requirements, which is known as gender self-identification. It is part of the broader LGBT rights movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender youth</span> Children and adolescents who are transgender

Transgender youth are children or adolescents who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Because transgender youth are usually dependent on their parents for care, shelter, financial support, and other needs, they differ in challenges compared to adults. According to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, appropriate care for transgender youth may include supportive mental health care, social transition, and/or puberty blockers, which delay puberty and the development of secondary sex characteristics to allow children more time to explore their gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Texas</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Texas have some protections in state law but may face legal and social challenges not faced by others. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized in Texas in 2003 by the Lawrence v. Texas ruling. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled bans on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Idaho</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Idaho face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Idaho, and same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since October 2014. State statutes do not address discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law. A number of cities and counties provide further protections, namely in housing and public accommodations. A 2019 Public Religion Research Institute opinion poll showed that 71% of Idahoans supported anti-discrimination legislation protecting LGBT people, and a 2016 survey by the same pollster found majority support for same-sex marriage.

Discrimination against non-binary people, people who do not identify exclusively as male or female, may occur in social, legal, or medical contexts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eli Erlick</span> American activist and writer (born 1995)

Eli Erlick is an American activist, writer, academic, trans woman and founder of the organization Trans Student Educational Resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Kerala</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Kerala face legal and social difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT persons. However, Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India after Tamil Nadu. It became one of the first states in India to establish a welfare policy for the transgender community and in 2016, proposed implementing free gender affirmation surgery through government hospitals. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2018, following the Supreme Court ruling in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India. In addition, numerous LGBT-related events have been held across Kerala, including in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. However, there is also increasing opposition to LGBT rights recently as evidenced by the anti-LGBT campaigns spearheaded by meninist groups and Muslim organisations like Indian Union Muslim League, Samastha and Jamaat-e-Islami.

References

  1. 1 2 "Changing Gender, Changing School". The Story. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  2. "Trans Student Educational Resources - What We Do". Transstudent.org. Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  3. 1 2 http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/lifeworks/pages/119/attachments/original/1381951907/MOP_FINAL_PROGRAM.pdf?1381951907 [ bare URL PDF ]
  4. "uprisingradio.org » How Conservative Homophobic Forces Are Taking Aim At California's New Law Supporting Transgender Students" . Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  5. "LGBT Students Can Face Long Road to Financial Aid – U.S. News & World Report". Usnews.com. 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  6. "SBS Dateline | Crossover Kids". Sbs.com.au. 2013-04-30. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  7. "Trans Student Equality Resources - Mission Statement". Archived from the original on 2014-02-05. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  8. "Changing Gender, Changing School". The Story. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  9. "Education to Stop Transgender Injustice: Interview with Eli Erlick". medium.com. 2017-03-23. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  10. "Trans Student Educational Resources - Transgender Day of Visibility". Transstudent.org. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  11. "California transgender students have new law but still face old struggles". Dailynews.com. 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  12. "Fighting for Transgender Teen Rights". Huffington Post Live. 2013-11-20. Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  13. "Why Equality Isn't Enough and Our New Name – Trans Student Educational Resources". Archived from the original on 2019-07-28. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  14. "Trans Student Educational Resources - Infographics". Transstudent.org. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  15. https://www.genderspectrum.org/images/stories/pdf/2013gspwprogram.pdf [ dead link ]
  16. "Trans Student Educational Resources - What We Do". Transstudent.org. Archived from the original on 2014-02-05. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  17. "Videos". www.huffpost.com. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  18. "Women's colleges address transgender applicants". bigstory.ap.org. Archived from the original on 2014-09-11.
  19. "The Gender Unicorn – Trans Student Educational Resources" . Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  20. "Conservatives Are Really Scared Of This Purple 'Gender Unicorn'". ThinkProgress . 16 August 2016. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  21. Binkowski, Brooke (2016-08-15). "Charlotte, North Carolina, Schools 'Eliminate Gender Entirely'?". Snopes . Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  22. "Franklin Graham Warns Parents: LGBT Community Attempting to 'Brainwash' Children with 'Gender Unicorn'". 9 August 2016.
  23. Ling, Justin (2017-05-17). "Canada's transgender rights bill could become law before the Summer, despite some controversial opponents". Vice News. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  24. Torontoist (2017-05-20). "I Was in the Room While Jordan Peterson and Senators Debated My Human Rights". Torontoist. Retrieved 2019-06-28.