Workgroups

The Transgender Commission is working to build a community to create change for basic gender rights. You can help by joining one (or more) of our workgroups! For more information or to join these initiatives, please contact Ross Neely, Transgender Commission Coordinator, at neely010@umn.edu.

• Community Building
  Building relationships with trans communities and communities of color, creating access points, supporting the work of other social justice organizations, and setting a multicultural, multi-issue agenda that values all voices.
  
  
• Education and Training
  Providing training and dialogue opportunities focused on systems of gender and transgender issues, experiences, and policies.
  
  
• Facilities
  Addressing the critical and urgent need for safe and accessible gender-neutral restrooms and other facilities for people of all genders. For people whose gender expression is not always recognized or validated, entering gendered restrooms can result in humiliation, harassment, violence, or even arrest.
  
  
• Health Care
  Working to obtain full transgender inclusive health benefits and insurance coverage for all students and employees in the University of Minnesota system, including mental health care, hormone therapy, surgeries, and related care.
  
  
• Non-Discrimination Policy
  Working to amend the University of Minnesota Equal Opportunity Statement to explicitly include gender identity and expression.
  
  
• Gender and Database Policies
  Working to implement gender-friendly policies and database procedures that allow for gender and name self-determination, in order to improve the vast ways these identifications and identities intersect with life at the University of Minnesota.
  
  
• Curriculum Development
  Developing gender diversity materials and curricula for use in undergraduate cultural diversity requirements, professional programs, faculty development, and courses within the GLBT Studies Minor.
  
  
• Programming
  Working to bring in speakers, scholars, and artists to help educate, celebrate, dialogue, and organize around gender diversity and the interlocking systems of oppression.
  
  
• Social Events
  Hosting social events in order to build community and develop support networks.