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/questioning), the “Ts” (transgender persons) more often face unique challenges relative to personal relationships, public interactions, the political climate, and many other things that non-transgender persons (the technical term is “cisgender”) take for granted.  

 

Many of the challenges that trans and nonbinary individuals face occur in various settings. Gender variant humans are both fearful and distrustful of many professionals, in part because they may be gatekeepers that can gravely impact someone’s ability to transition genders and/or simply live as their true authentic self. Certainly, while most professionals are well-intentioned and compassionate, there is always a risk that their life experiences and biases may come into play, such as by believing that being trans is a “choice.”

 

What steps can professionals in many fields  do to make trans and nonbinary 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? And what’s the mental health effect of the federal government and state after state passing laws or doing things that marginalize trans humans?

 

Join national speaker, diversity consultant, author, and retired civil trial lawyer Ellen “Ellie” Krug as she shares what it means to be transgender and as she offers tips and advice on how to be inclusive toward anyone who identifies as trans or nonbinary. 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 1000 occasions. A hopeless idealist, Ellie has presented her inclusivity training, Gray Area Thinking®, across the country. Ellie is the recipient of various awards and recognition, including the 2023 Stonewall Award from the American Bar Association, a 2019 OutFront Minnesota Legacy Award, and Advocate Magazine naming Ellie as one of “25 Legal Advocates Fighting for Trans Rights.” She is also a columnist for Minnesota Women’s Press and a weekly radio host on AM950 radio, where her show, “The Illegal Trans Woman,” advocates for transgender humans. Her monthly e-newsletter, The Ripple, reaches 9000+ readers and can be found at www.elliekrug.com . In 2022, Ellie was elected to her local school board. She presently lives outside the Twin Cities and is the founder and president of Human Inspiration Works, LLC.