Welcome to the Transgender Commission website!

The Transgender Commission is a coalition of people from across the University and greater community working to create change and equality for people of all gender identities and expressions.

Everyone is welcome! We need your voice! Join a workgroup and get involved!

Events, Meetings & Announcements

For more information, please contact Ross Neely, Transgender Commission Co-Coordinator, at neely010@umn.edu or 612-626-3064.

News: New Transgender Commission Leadership Team!

Max Gries and Karin Anderson, outgoing Co-Chairs of the University of Minnesota Transgender Commission, would like to announce and welcome Sara Axtell and MJ Gilbert as our new incoming Co-Chairs!

In addition, undergraduate student Remy Corso is the newly named Co-Coordinator of the Transgender Commission, and longtime Coordinator Ross Neely has been enthusiastically endorsed by the Commission to remain as Co-Coordinator.

MJ, Sara and Remy officially began their new positions at our annual retreat on Friday, May 30, 2008. Karin and Max will continue to serve as Past Co-Chairs within the larger Transgender Commission Leadership Team. Anne Phibbs also serves on the Leadership Team as Director of the GLBTA Programs Office, through which the Commission is supported. We are very excited to see this new leadership emerge to direct our fantastic organization forward with vision and passion!

About MJ, Sara and Remy:
MJ Gilbert is a field coordinator and teaching specialist for the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota. She received her MSW from the University of Minnesota in 1990 and worked for 15
years as a clinical and supervisor for the SLIC program, providing comprehensive services for people with serious and persistent mental illness. She has done a great deal of teaching and training on
transgender issues and recently wrote an entry on transgender people for the 20th edition of the Encyclopedia of Social Work published by NASW and the Oxford Press. MJ can be reached at mgilbert@umn.edu.

Sara Axtell is the Community-Campus Health Liaison at the University of Minnesota, where she helps to connect faculty and community organizations to work collaboratively to improve community health. Sara has been doing ally work with trans organizations for a number of years, including work with Trans People, Bi Women, and Lesbians in Alliance (TBLA) and the Minnesota Transgender Health
Coalition. She lives in St. Paul with her partner and two children and is delighted to have an opportunity to work more closely with everyone on the Transgender Commission. Sara can be reached at axtel002@umn.edu.

Remy Corso is working on a BA in Studies in Cinema and Media Culture and Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies at the University of Minnesota. In early 2007, Remy joined the small group of radicals that became the Twin Cities Trans March Collective and planned the first annual TC Trans March. Remy is currently collecting video portraits of their self and other trans identified folks, friends,
family, partners, and allies in the Twin Cities area and hopes that everyone's experiences of gender and transition will result in a truly transformative video experiment. They are also anxious to see
what happens when a person's work and art become so rooted in one geographical place. Remy can be reached at herecomesthe@gmail.com.

News: Transgender Commission Wins 2008 Breaking the Silence Award!

The Transgender Commission has been chosen as the recipient of the 2008 Breaking the Silence Award, "for its outstanding service to the U of M and greater GLBTA community, particularly around
helping the U become a safer, better place for people of all genders." The Transgender Commission was honored at the Lavender Celebration and Awards Ceremony on May 1, 2008. Congratulations and thank you to all the incredible people -- students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members -- who have contributed to our work over the past two years!

Update: Trans Resources Page

We have updated our Resources page listing of local and national transgender and gender freedom websites.

Resource: U of MN Gender-Open/Unisex Restroom Map

Click here to view our evolving Google Map of gender-neutral restrooms in University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus buildings. Thank you to Ben Falter and the Facilities Workgroup!

Report and Recommendations for Institutional Change

Download a copy of the 2007 Transgender Commission Report,
submitted to the University of Minnesota Vice President and Vice Provost
for Equity and Diversity. The Report provides an overview of the first year
of Commission work, history and partnerships, and presents our initial recommendations for institutional change.

The Transgender Commission will write and present our 2nd annual Report and Recommendations during the summer of 2008.