Faculty of Education Presentation-FR

Event Details:

The Faculty of Education will present, "The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) are Creating a Gender Revolution" with Ann Travers, PhD. A reception will follow. This is a free public event.

Children are routinely organized according to sex category: in terms of clothing and grooming, sport and physical recreation participation, formal and informal social activities, and access to bathroom and change room facilities. One of the first things children learn is what gender they are, that there are only two options, and that failing to conform to the gender category assigned to them has negative consequences. Children regularly experience gender policing – by adults as well as other kids – meaning that there are typically unpleasant and at times extreme consequences for kids who fail to conform to their assigned gender category. This often produces anxiety and/or social isolation in gender nonconforming or trans kids. There is a burgeoning movement of trans kids and their supporters who are challenging the taken for granted practices of imposing gender identities on kids and organizing their lives on this basis. But we need to do more. All trans kids are vulnerable but some are more vulnerable than others because they are subjected to parental resistance, racism, poverty, colonialism, sexism or struggle with other non-normative identities. Social justice for trans kids necessarily involves coalitional work with other marginalized communities to ensure we go beyond a single-issue focus that benefits only white/relatively wealthy trans kids living in urban centres with access to trans affirming healthcare.

Ann Travers is an Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Simon Fraser University. Their research focuses on gender and sexuality from an anti-oppression perspective and includes work related to sport and social justice, decolonizing knowledge systems in post-secondary contexts, social media and citizenship, as well as their current primary focus on transgender children and youth. Ann Travers recently published The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and their Parents) are Creating a Gender Revolution. They live in Vancouver with their partner, three kids, and a dog named Thunder, and coach Little League baseball and Rep girls’ softball.

Contact: Matt Rogers, Faculty of Education, mrogers2@unb.ca

Building: Marshall d'Avray Hall

Room Number: 261