Transgender Students Find Support

Photo Credit: Janet Rogers, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Trans+Social Group provides a safe space and support

Individuals who identify as transgender have a new place to call home at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Established  in February 2014, the Trans+Social Group’s goal is to provide a safe space for individuals who identify as transgender to gather, connect, support and discuss topics relevant to gender identity and expression.

Jonathan Pryor, UMKC coordinator for LGBTQIA Programs & Services, and Luke Harness, a recent UMKC graduate, spent two semesters hosting events and programs on campus to provide more visibility to transgender issues and support to transgender students. They were soon joined by two UMKC graduate psychology students.

Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program students Alex Ross and Michelle Farrell assisted in the creation of the support group, while constructing a program proposal to create university-based transgender support services as part of their Ph.D. program.

“As facilitators and advocates, we recognize that there is a growing need for groups like these in this community and at other universities, and have been providing training in facilitation to group members who wish to take on a leadership role here or start a group elsewhere,” said Ross.

“We would like for the group to continue to branch out, both across our campus and across other campuses wherever there is a need,” said Farrell.

The group is open to UMKC students of all ages and young adults in the Kansas City area who identify as transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, genderfluid, gender non-conforming, non-binary, bigender, agender, third gender, questioning and/or somewhere beyond the binary gender system. Since starting the Trans+Social Group, they have had significant student and community member interest and involvement – enough to hold weekly meetings.

Trans+ Social meetings are held weekly at UMKC. , New members are always welcome and should contact the group facilitators at transumkc@gmail.com for more information and the time and location.

In addition to the Trans+Social Group, another group addresses a much-needed conversation.

According to Harness, Trans+Allies creates conversations between cisgender (individuals who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth) and transgender individuals. The group meets from 6–8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month during the fall semester – Oct. 2, Nov. 6 and Dec. 4 in the Student Union, room 302. The first meeting was Sept. 4, and approximately 20 individuals attended. New members also are encouraged.

“These conversations provide space for identity exploration and opportunities for allies to strengthen their knowledge of and compassion for our trans+ community” Pryor said.

Future topics will include gender identity development across the lifespan; avoiding and responding to trans-related microaggressions; and gender identity and expression in relation to friends, family and loved ones.

“I’m excited to see the progress this group has made toward fostering support for our trans+ community, all due to the considerable efforts of Luke, Alex, and Michelle,” Said Pryor.

For additional information on transgender-related events and services at UMKC or if you have questions, visit the LGBTQIA Programs and Services website or contact Jonathan Pryor .

|Wandra Brooks Green, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications

 


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