School of social welfare transgender justice group: student-led advocacy to promote justice and equity for gender diverse college students

Abstract

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) social work students experience microaggressions on campuses, curricula that are often cissexist and stigmatizing, and a lack of inclusive facilities, like gender-neutral bathrooms. The Transgender Justice Group (TJG) was founded by students at a School of Social Welfare (SSW) to respond to these and other pressing issues on the campus of a public university in the Midwestern U.S. This report aims to describe the formation process and activities of the TJG and provide recommendations for students, staff, and faculty who are interested in creating similar groups at other universities. Students and supporting faculty used a nonhierarchical approach to define, strategize, and implement advocacy goals, including creating more trans-affirming classrooms and increasing positive and proactive administrative responses to recent harmful anti-trans laws. Strategies for achieving these goals included engagement with a private, student-only online group chat, the production of regular informational webinars, and student-led meetings with school administrators to formally address state political actions negatively affecting TGD and queer people. Our group benefited from a dual focus on student support and advocacy. Through the TJG’s ongoing work, students learned to collaborate more effectively, a skill that is crucial for their careers in the social work profession.