GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) has thrown their support behind a relatively new student-created support organization called Transgender Student Rights.
TSR was founded by Alex Pratt and Cameron Morkal-Williams in December of 2009, who wrote a resolution on the basic rights that all trans* and gender nonconforming students deserve to have recognized in school.
TSR was formed in 2009 in response to the advocacy needs of transgender and gender nonconforming students. Its past accomplishments have included a student rights resolution with a sample district policy, educational resources, direct service, and popular social media pages. In GLSEN, TSR’s leaders see an opportunity to build upon the powerful foundation that they laid, and increase the capacity, sustainability and impact of their organizing efforts.One of the problems with student organizations is always the fact that students graduate and move on, making it a struggle to keep student interest and find effective leadership.
Where previously TSR was run by volunteers, there will now be full-time GLSEN staff members helping us reach our goals. GLSEN’s strength in policy, research, education and advocacy will do incredible things for trans* and gender nonconforming justice in K-12 education.
--TSR leaders Alex Pratt, Camden Goetz, Eli Erlick and Emet Tauber
With this exciting development, comes plenty of change. That said, we will make sure to maintain TSR's defining characteristics. Trans* and gender nonconforming youth leadership and empowerment will, of course, remain at the heart of TSR's work. We will also continue to put intersectional social justice at the front of our work; we all agree that to fail to do so would be to fail to truly fight for fair educational systems. TSR is proud to have had an intersectional and social justice-based lens since its founding, a lens that GLSEN both shares and strengthens. We recognize the immense importance of deconstructing all systems of oppression that impact trans* and gender non-conforming youth, including but not limited to racism, ableism, and classism.
--Alex Pratt, Emet Tauber, Eli Erlick, Camden Goetz at GLSEN Blog
Student resources include:
Where's the "T" in GSA: Making Your Student Club Trans-Inclusive
Know Your Rights: A Guide for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Students
Transgender Heroes
Be An Ally to Trans and Gender Nonconforming Students
Whether you’re a girl who “doesn’t act like one,” a boy who gets called a “sissy,” or you just feel like you don’t “match” your gender, you have the right to be safe and to be yourself at school.
Educator resources include:
Ready, Set, Respect! GLSEN's Elementary School Toolkit (Set 3: Gender Roles and Diversity)
Professional Development Webinar Series: Supporting Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students
Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History
The website also offers the
Model District Policy on Trangsender and Gender Nonconforming Students and some research resources:
The 2011 National School Climate survey: The Experiences of LGBT Youth in Our Nation's Schools
Putting the "T" in Resource: The Benefits of LGBT-Related Resources for Transgender Youth
Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools
Research Webinar: Gender Identity and Expression in the Classroom: The Experiences of Gender Nonconforming and Transgender Youth (link currently broken)
Information is also available on how to become a
GLSEN Student Ambassador. A TSR Advisory Committee has not yet been formed.
TSR is available on Facebook and Twitter, and there is a mailing list.