Bridging institutional gaps: Utilizing transgender-affirmative therapy with college students University of Minnesota Presenters: Stephanie Budge – University Counseling & Consulting Services Shawyn Lee – GLBTA Programs Office Vanessa Monahan-Rial – GLBTA Programs Office

HOW DO WE TRADITIONALLY UNDERSTAND GENDER & SEXUALITY?  American society traditionally subscribes to the theory of Gender Essentialism  “Gender” can be used interchangeably with “Sex”  Why? Because both are rooted in nature and are essentially, naturally, and biologically linked  Rooted in binaries of “male” and “female”  Sex, gender and sexual orientation are three separate components of our gender and sexual identities

SEX Body / BiologyCulture Attractions / Relationships GENDER SEXUAL ORIENTATION

SEX: BODY / BIOLOGY What is Sex ? – Category assigned to each of us at birth based on a variety of physical and biological characteristics  Components  Chromosomes  Genitals  Hormones  Reproductive Organs  Secondary Sex Characteristics  Variations  Female  Male  Intersex

SEX: BODY / BIOLOGY  What is Intersex ?  A general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male Source: Intersex Society of North America

GENDER: CULTURE  What is Gender ?  System of meanings and symbols and the rules, privileges and punishments for their use  Components  Gender expression  Gender roles  Gender identity

GENDER: CULTURE What is Gender Expression ? – Signals we give to the world that communicate our gender Feminine or Masculine What are Gender Roles ? – Social expectations based on our assumed or assigned sex Female or Male What is Gender Identity ? – Internal sense of who you are in terms of gender Woman or Man

GENDER: CULTURE Performance and Perception – Gender expression, roles and identity intersect in multiple ways to shape all our genders – We are ALL performing our gender The way we control, express and shape ourselves as gendered individuals – We are ALL perceived as having a gender by others Based on cues, characteristics and signals we give to the world Perception is out of our control and not always congruent with performance

GENDER: CULTURE  What is Gender Conforming ?  An umbrella term for people whose gender identity or gender expression is congruent with the sex assigned to them at birth and whose gender is validated by the dominant culture  Other terms for gender conforming  Traditionally gendered  Gender normative  Cisgendered

GENDER: CULTURE  What is Transgender ?  An umbrella term for people whose gender identity or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth and/or whose gender is not validated by the dominant culture  Other terms for transgender  Gender non-conforming (GNC)  Gender variant  Gender non-normative

GENDER: CULTURE  What is Transgender ?  Trans people may or may not choose to (or may or may not be ABLE to) alter their bodies with surgery or hormone therapy  Transitioning is a complex process that varies for each individual  May determine to change name, pronouns, gender markers, clothing, hairstyles, mannerisms, etc.

GENDER: CULTURE Various gender identities include: – Androgynous – Bi- / Multi-gendered – Butch / Femme – Cross Dresser – Drag Queen / Drag King – FTM (female-to-male) – Genderqueer Not exhaustive list – Intersex – Man / Male – MTF (male-to-female) – Trans-man / -woman – Transexual – Two Spirit – Woman / Female

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: ATTRACTIONS / RELATIONSHIPS  What is Sexual Orientation ?  It can be understood as the relationships between your sex (body) / gender and others’ sexes (bodies) / genders  Components  Sexual desire  Sexual behavior  Sexual identity

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: ATTRACTIONS / RELATIONSHIPS Sexual desire, behavior and identity intersect in numerous ways to create our sexual orientation – These three are not always congruent Sexual orientation may be expressed or perceived in a variety of ways – People may identify according to desire, behavior, identity – or any one of these three – People may be perceived to have a certain sexual orientation even though they do not identify in this way

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: ATTRACTIONS / RELATIONSHIPS  Various sexual orientations include:  Ambisexual  Asexual  Bisexual  Fluid  Gay  Heterosexual / Straight  Not exhaustive list  Lesbian  Multisexual  Omnisexual / Pansexual  Queer  Same-Gender Loving  Two Spirit

 Chromosomes, genitals, hormones, reproductive organs, secondary sex characteristics  Female, male, intersex Gender expression, gender roles, gender identity Gender conforming, transgender FTM, genderqueer, man, transsexual, woman, etc.  Sexual desire, sexual behavior, sexual identity Asexual, bisexual, gay, heterosexual / straight, lesbian, pansexual, Two Spirit, etc. SEX Body / BiologyCulture Attractions / Relationships GENDER SEXUAL ORIENTATION

COMPLEXITY OF IDENTITIES Power of Self-Determination – It’s important to ask how someone identifies and not just assume it corresponds to how you perceive them to be Unique as our Fingerprints – Identities are complex, not simple “either/or” binaries Gender and Sexual Fluidity – Aspects of identities may change throughout our lives – Fluidity may be an identity in and of itself

Scenario

Your counseling center offers many different types of group therapy (e.g., women’s groups, men’s groups, interpersonal process groups, etc.). A representative from the GLBTA center contacts the main person in charge of groups at your center and indicates that several transgender/gender non-conforming students have felt uncomfortable with the way the groups are advertised and also have not felt included in the groups in the years past.

Scenario Discussion Questions:  How would your center address the issue?  What strengths exist at your center that would help to facilitate this process?  What challenges would you anticipate occurring at your center?  What might have been done prior to this scenario to prevent the students from feeling alienated from the groups?

Bridging the Gap  Scenario  Strengths  UCCS response  Met together in a group to brainstorm how to best support students  Changed the language on flyers  Posted flyers in GLBTA office  Met with GLBTA office to devise a plan to begin a gender-non conforming support group  Areas for Growth  More visibility for transgender and gender non-conforming students within the center (pink triangles, better language on forms)  More trainings for staff to improve multicultural competence  More visibility on commissions, such as the Transgender Commission on campus

Bridging the Gap  What has made the process easier  A history of having an intern liaison with the GLBTA office  UCCS and GLBTA office are in the same building  Big 10 Conference in the same city  Perhaps more trans-awareness in Minneapolis than other cities where Big 10 schools are located  Transgender commission  Commitment to inclusivity; motivation within UCCS (e.g., diversity seminar)  GLBTA office personnel trained as therapists (to facilitate the transgender support group)  Equal opportunity statement, list out specific gender identity and gender expression

Bridging the Gap  Challenges  Busy schedules (personal, program capacity)  Funding considerations  Staying on the same page to do outreach and generate interest  Transforming culture of centers  Level of understanding/empathy/willingness to challenge viewpoints  Staff uneasiness with competencies—perhaps do not feel comfortable with outreach