There is a little bit of news around my office that I haven’t yet posted about here. This spring, I started offering my own workshops directly. These workshops have been a goal of mine for a long time, and I’m really excited to have been able to figure out and set up all of the infrastructure to make them finally happen!

The workshops have been up and running now for a few months. It’s exciting to be facilitating and teaching adults (again) so regularly. The first cohort of my 4-session course “Create an Action to Defend Trans Life” has wrapped up. In this course I work with folks to think about their existing skills, networks, and preferences to support the design of an action that will in some way affirm trans life and/or support the struggle for trans liberation. An “action” is intentionally broad; there are so many more options for supporting social transformation than attending or organizing a protest. Fundraising is a critical action, for example! Or getting involved in your local library to help defend against book banning attacks. People taking this course get support from me in identifying ideas that will work for them as individuals, and also in designing and getting started with their plans. Everyone also gets plenty of support from the other folks taking the class (that’s why it’s a “cohort model”).

Multiple projects from the first cohort are now ongoing in the world, and I am so excited about it. It’s truly meaningful to support people to enact social change in tangible ways. Participants said they really appreciate the breadth of options I offered for getting involved, “besides throwing all of my time, energy, and safety on the line,” and that they were encouraged “to think in practical, concrete ways.”

Not to brag, but another participant said “Meg conveys a cool confidence—smart, well informed, friendly, kind. The course discussions were my favorite part of the workshops, listening to the questions from participants and Meg’s answers. I enjoyed getting to know the other members of the group. Meg was great about helping us to find projects that fit within our abilities and interests.” I hope to embody this compliment as well as I can!

I’m planning to offer this course a few more times, hopefully even regularly. The next session of this class is open for a few more days. We’ll meet once a month, on the second Saturdays, and scholarships are available. Just ask. I really hope this class will be a way for me to continue to engage people in activism and empower folks to get off the benches, because right now we need all hands on deck.

I’m also offering shorter workshops where people can practice using different gender pronouns and ask any other questions about gender identity that extends beyond male and female. The next session of this workshop is designed specifically for folks involved in supervising or hiring. It is two sessions: the second session will be about negotiating backlash for trans affirmative policies and is open to anyone interested, whether or not you are in a supervisory position.

As many of you may know, these are disastrous and very scary times for trans folks. My hope with these workshops is to encourage everyone to do all that they can right now in solidarity, and to make sure that trans life can be lived out loud in public. Please do what you can, and please tell your friends and family the same.