Transgender 101

Description

(March 2021) Transgender 101

Persons who are transgender have become far more visible, which is reflective of greater societal acceptance. Still, of the letters in the “LGBTQ alphabet” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer), the “Ts” (transgender persons) more often face unique challenges relative to personal relationships, public interactions, and many other things that non-transgender persons (the technical phrase is “cisgender”) take for granted.

What does it mean to be a “trans” person or to be gender nonconforming (“GNC”)? What can other humans do to make trans and GNC people feel welcomed and accepted? What actions or words should they avoid? How does “passing” or not “passing” or the absence of legal rights in many states play into a transgender person’s daily life?

Join national speaker, diversity consultant and author Ellen “Ellie” Krug as she shares what it means to be transgender and offers tips and advice on how to be inclusive toward anyone who identifies as trans or GNC. The talk will include some brief sharing of Ellie’s personal story and many basics about pronouns, “passing,” and “bathroom” issues. Come with questions!

In 2009, when she was a civil trial attorney in Cedar Rapids with 100+ trials, Ellen (Ellie) Krug transitioned from male to female; she later became one of the few attorneys nationally to try jury cases in separate genders. The author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change (2013), Ellie has trained on diversity and inclusion to court systems, law firms, Fortune 100 corporations, and colleges/universities on more than 800 occasions. A hopeless idealist, Ellie has presented her inclusivity training, Gray Area Thinking®, across the country. In 2016, Advocate Magazine named Ellie one of “25 Legal Advocates Fighting for Trans Rights” and in 2019, OutFront Minnesota conferred Ellie its Legacy Award. She is also a monthly columnist for Lavender Magazine and a weekly radio host on AM950 radio. Her monthly e-newsletter, The Ripple, reaches 9000 readers and can be found at www.elliekrug.com . Ellie presently lives in Minneapolis and is the founder and president of Human Inspiration Works, LLC (www.humaninspirationworks.com).

Watch time: 121 minutes

Eligible Certificate of Completion time: 120 minutes