1. Transgender identity
and lives

2. Trans Symbols Trans pride flag Trans identity symbol
Genderqueer pride flag

3. Issues faced by transfolk
Lack of access to trans-specific or trans-accepting doctors and other health care professionals.
Large amounts of violence towards the community.
People often invalidate a trans person’s identity when they find out that person is trans.
Trans people often have to be labeled as having a mental disorder to receive care.
Being misgendered (wrong pronouns, people using “Ma’am” instead of “sir” and vice versa, etc)
Inability to find well fitting clothes that match their gender identity.

4. Terms to know
Bigender- One might identify as bigender if they connect highly with two gender identities. A person may identify as a man and as a woman or as a man and as genderqueer, and so on. They can relate to both at once, or sometimes switch between the two.
Cisgender- A term meaning "not transgender," that is, having a gender identity or performing in a gender role that society considers appropriate for one's sex.
Cissexism- Cissexism is the attitude that being cisgender is the only valid gender identity. Cissexism often takes the form of ignoring transfolk. For example: assuming one’s gender based on sex, any area of life that is gendered (restrooms, sports teams, dorms, clothing, etc.)
Cross-dresser- A cross-dresser is a person who occasionally wears clothes and/or makeup and accessories traditionally associated with people of a different gender. Cross-dressers are usually comfortable with the sex they were assigned at birth and do not wish to change it.
Gender Expression - Gender expression refers to all of a person‘s external characteristics and behaviors — such as dress, grooming, mannerisms, speech patterns and social interactions — that are socially identified with a particular gender. Social or cultural norms can vary widely and some characteristics that may be accepted as masculine, feminine or neutral in one culture may not be assessed similarly in another. Typically, transgender people seek to make their gender expression match their gender identity, rather than their sex assigned at birth. Gender expression is not necessarily an indication of sexual orientation.

5. Terms to Know continued
Gender Fluid- This gender identity is when an individual’s gender can flow and fluctuate from month to month or even day to day. They may fluctuate between man and woman or through multiple genders.
Gender Identity- Gender identity refers to a person‘s innate, deeply felt psychological sense of gender, which may or may not correspond to the person‘s assigned sex at birth.
Genderqueer- Genderqueer is a term people use to describe their own nonstandard gender identity, or used by those who do not identify as entirely male or entirely female.
Intersex- People born with varying degrees of biological aspects of both biological males and biological females. Often “assigned” a male or female identity at birth that may not correspond with identities later in life. This is not necessarily a trans identity, but is often confused for one.
Questioning- Questioning refers to people who are uncertain as to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Transgender (also trans)- Transgender is used as an umbrella term for people who experience and/or express their gender differently from what others might expect based on the sex they were assigned at birth. This includes people who are transsexual, cross-dressers or otherwise gender non-conforming. Transgender people may identify as: trans man or female-to male (FTM), trans woman or male-to-female (MTF), genderqueer, bigender, androgynous or gender variant.

6. Terms to Know continued
Transphobia- Transphobia is a fear and hatred of, or discomfort with, people whose gender identity or gender expression does not conform to cultural gender norms.
Transsexual- Transsexual is a term referring to a transgender person who changes their physical and/or legal sex to better conform to their internal sense of gender identity. The term can also be used to describe transgender people who, without undergoing medical treatment, identify and live their lives full-time as a member of the gender opposite that which conforms to their sex assigned at birth.
Transgender man (or trans man)- A transgender man is a person who was assigned a female sex at birth but who identifies as a man. Trans man is an identity label sometimes adopted by female-to-male transgender people to signify that they are men while still affirming their gender history.
Transgender woman (or trans woman)- A transgender woman is a person who was assigned a male sex at birth but who identifies as a woman. Trans woman is an identity label sometimes adopted by male-to-female transgender people to signify that they are women while still affirming their gender history.
Ze/Per/Hir/They- Pronouns used in the trans community instead of "he/she" or "her/him". These pronouns offer inclusion and accuracy for someone who doesn't identify by the male/female gender classifications.

7. diagram

8. Taken from http://www. hrc

9. Violence against the trans community
Transgender folk are far more likely to be targets of violence and street harassment, even from medical professionals, police, and lovers.
Sexual Assault in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Communitiesthat will be published in a forthcoming book McClennen, J. C., & Gunther, J. (1999). Same-sex partner abuse: A professional's guide to practice intervention. Lewiston, NY: Mellen Press (In Press).
1985 to incidents targeting transgender people accounted for 20% of all murders and about 40% of all police-initiated violence
Most violence goes unreported or reports are ignored.

10. Violence continued 33.2% of trans youth have attempted suicide.
55% of trans youth report being physically attacked as of 2003
74% reported being sexually harassed at school, and 90% of transgender youth reported feeling unsafe at school because of their gender expression in 2001
In a survey of 403 transgender people, 78% reported having been verbally harassed and 48% reported having been victims of assault, including assault with a weapon, sexual assault or rape.

11. Gender Neutral Pronouns: What Are They?
Subject
Object
Possessive Adjective
Possessive
Pronoun
Reflexive
Female
She
Her
Hers
Herself
Male He
Him
His
Himself
Singular They
They
Them
Their
Theirs
Themself
Spivak Ey Em
Eir
Eirs
Emself
Gender Neutral Ze
Hir
Hirs
Hirself

12. They went to their bedroom.
How to use them Ze
Hir
Hirs
Hirself E Em
Eir
Eirs
Emself
/zee/
/here/
/heres/
/hereself/
/ee/
/em/
/air/
/airs/
/emself/
She went to her bedroom.
He went to his bedroom.
They went to their bedroom.
E went to eir bedroom.
Ze went to hir bedroom.
I am her sibling.
I am his sibling.
I am their sibling.
I am eir sibling.
I am hir sibling.
She talks to herself. He talks to himself. They talk to themself. E talks to emself. Ze talks to hirself.

13. More about gender inclusivity
Not all with male anatomy (penises, testes, chest hair, Adam’s apple, etc.) are men and not all men have male anatomy.
Not all with female anatomy (vagina, clitoris, uterus, breasts, etc.) are women and not all women have female anatomy. Also, not only women experience periods or need hormonal contraception and not all women experience periods or need hormonal contraception.
Phrases like “men and women”, “ladies and gentlemen”, etc ignore gender variance.
This is only a taste of ways to be more inclusive!

14. Keep in mind…
The trans community is diverse and varying, just like every community. Not everyone agrees on everything.
There’s nothing wrong with “looking trans”. Even if someone isn’t “passing”, it doesn’t mean that they are any less than what they identify.
When in doubt, ASK!

15. Campus Resources
Safe Zone wou.edu/safezone WOU Campus Organization Triangle Alliance WOU Student Organization Advisor: Carli Rohner WOU Stonewall Center (503) Werner University Center, 108C
ASWOU's Gender and Sexual Diversity Advocate ASWOU's Director of Equal Rights Organizer Student Health and Counseling Center (503) Campus Public Safety (503)

16. Local and National Resources
Salem GLBTQ Resources Extensive list of resources, links and organizations in the Salem area. OSU Pride Center
Human Rights Campaign Foundation National Consortium of Director of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resources in Higher Education PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) National Center for Transgender Equality