Resources or skills that would be helpful is the continued support of the LGTBQ centers that exist which work hard to make sure the students know that they have support. Other skills would be that high schools can have more talks in schools and make it clear that the kids can tell teachers they are Transgender without fear of the parents finding out before the child is ready. The more awareness is what will help the most. The goals I would want is at first to see LGTBQ centers in every university or at the very least clubs that kids can join to talk where all the information is confidential. The tactics that would be used to achieve this is by using social media and mandatory talks in schools that showcase how some students are in a Catch 22 where their chance at success is heavily limited for no reason. The best way to measure this success or lack there of is to have students from different schools tell us if their lives have improved or if the programs are working. This would all be confidential but it is necessary to know which schools the kids are coming from so that it can be measured.
bejo1211
Just another St. Cloud State Sites site
From what I’m reading, you have a good intent here–making the bridge between trans people and resources for trans people more visible. I want to point out two aspects that may alter your approach to this topic: language choice and existing services.
In the context of SCSU, there already are some services available to trans students, particularly through the LGBT Resource Center and CAPS, through social events and trans-focused groups. While the resource center events may not be quite confidential, groups through CAPS absolutely are. I do agree that these resources are not well-known unless one is already involved in the center or CAPS–and that needs to be remedied.
I would also nix “transgenderism” from your vocab if this is the topic you are going with. Honestly, seeing that term in my Reader this morning was a bit of a shock to the system and the reason I’m commenting! “Transgenderism” is a hold-over from when all LGBTQ identities were considered mental conditions at best and mental illnesses typically. From your post, I could see you using it as a stand-in for and -ism oppression against transgender people (such as racism and race), but even then, “cissexism” is a better term. Cis (non-trans) gender values are the social issue, and the enforcement of those values is the injustice here.
You have a good idea here, but don’t let your trepidation as an outsider keep you from embracing the needs of those impacted by your social justice topic. You may want to facilitate trans people’s access to resources–trans-affirming spaces–but that intent should be reflected in your approach, as well.