Meghan Schindler

October 23, 2015

Mindful Activism: On Being an Advocate for Transgender youth

Recently, there has been a rise of recognition in the media surrounding transgender issues. As important as these issues are, there is often a voice that is forgotten in the transgender movement; the voice of transgender youth. It is now more important than ever to keep the transgender youth’s voice in the trans dialogue. One of the greatest ways that we can spread awareness about transgender youth rights is through education. The question is, how do we best go about doing that? What does it mean to be a good ally, and to be mindful of being an activist for a community you may not necessarily be a part of?

During this panel discussion, I will share with you the variety of experiences I had to work within this community, from leading workshops at the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, to being a camp counselor at the organizations own camp for transgender youth. As this panel seeks to understand what it means to be on the outside looking in, this presentation will not only seek to educate on the needs of the transgender youth community, but also to educate on what it means to be a sensitive and educated ally and activist for a community other than ones own.