Name of Activity: Storytelling: Gender Socialization 

Time Needed: 45 minutes

Materials Needed: 

• Cycle of Socialization model
• “Social Identity Timeline” handout

Purpose: When thinking about identities, such as gender, it can be helpful to reflect on  our early experiences with these identities, and the beliefs we were socialized to have connected to them. This can help us understand some of the conscious and unconscious messages and ideas that we have received about both our own gender group and those from  other groups. 

Learning Outcomes: 

• Participants will reflect and possibly learn more about their own gender socialization  process experiences.
• By listening to the stories and those of others, participants will increase their understanding of how sexism has affected our lives.

Procedure: Begin by reviewing Bobbi Harro’s Cycle of Socialization model. Then both  facilitators will share a story connected to their own gender socialization using the following prompt (10–20 minutes): 

• What messages did you learn about being or not being your gender? 

Next, pass out the “Social Identity Timeline” handout. Have each participant take about  10–15 minutes to construct a timeline using the following prompts: 

• What messages did you learn regarding your biologically assigned sex and assumed  gender? How old were you?
• What messages did you receive about people of another gender? How old were you?
• Where did these messages come from (parents, other family members, schools/teachers, peers, media, local religious or voluntary organizations/clubs)?
• If there were any critical incidents you encountered in this learning process, please  make note of that on the timeline.

Facilitation Issues: Facilitators should think carefully about which part of their story they  want to share. It can be helpful if facilitators can role-model vulnerability and speak about  aspects of sexism in their life that they anticipate the participants may be reluctant to speak  about (to the degree that they feel comfortable). After seeing facilitators take risks and  share things not usually spoken about, participants may feel more comfortable or willing  to do the same in their own exploration.
Encourage participants to consider messages that reinforced sexism/gender roles, as  well as those that challenged them. After the individual time, have participants self-select  into triads to share some highlights of their socialization (as they feel comfortable). Time  permitting, have them discuss as a group: 

• A time when you were praised for being your gender,
• The first time you were aware of being treated differently because of your gender,
• The first time you witnessed someone being treated differently because of their identity.

Names of Those to Credit for this Activity: Chase Catalano & Pat Griffin

Name of Activity: Sexism: A System of Dominance and Privilege

Time Needed: 45 minutes

Learning Outcome: To explain how sexism largely benefits men (cis or trans) and disadvantages women (cis or trans) at the individual, institutional, or cultural levels 

Procedure: Instruct participants to return to their reading discussion groups and collectively identify specific examples of sexism and male privilege that stood out to them from  the readings or their own knowledge. 

Facilitation Issues: It is important to inform participants that sexism, like any oppression, affects everyone. Sexism and the male privilege that accompanies it can award unearned  benefits to cisgendered men as well as trans men. Trans men can experience male privilege  because it is assigned based on perception and hegemonic understandings of what it means  to be masculine, whether defined by the body, socialized male behaviors, or clothing that  is defined for men. 

Cisgendered men can be negatively impacted by sexism. Their personal choices to dress  how they want, talk about certain subjects, or take an uncommon career path all present  questions based on a combination of internalized sexism and internalized heterosexism. In  addition, it is possible for men to experience cisgendered prejudice at an individual level.  However, historically speaking, men have not experienced oppression that is systemic and  that creates disadvantages for men as a group at the institutional or cultural level. Framing  to participants this complex understanding of sexism can help to get heterosexual cisgendered men to better hear and understand their male privilege and the ways in which they  enact sexism.

Names of Those to Credit for this Activity: Chase Catalano & Pat Griffin

Cycle of Socialization

Name of Activity: Constructing Cisgender Boxes 

Time Needed: 40 minutes

Materials Need: 

• Newsprint, white board, or chalk board
• Markers or chalk
• Tape

Learning Outcomes: Participants explore what it means to be cisgendered, and how the  associated human characteristics can support and/or limit our attitudes and behaviors  regarding gender identity and gender performance. 

Procedure: The facilitators should draw two large boxes (one for cisgender men, another  for cisgender women) on the board (or on newsprint) and write all of the participants’  responses for each gendered binary box. 

Use the following probing questions to facilitate a brainstorm/conversation for each  binary gender: 

• What attitudes and/or behaviors make a cisgender woman?
• Which messages are useful or not useful?
• What are the consequences for not adhering to the messages or behaviors?
• Which consequences have been useful or not useful?
• What attitudes and/or behaviors make a cisgender man?
• Which messages are useful or not useful?
• What are the consequences for not adhering to the messages or behaviors?
• Which consequences have been useful or not useful?

After discussing, then debrief the activity as a whole: 

• What similarities and differences do you notice in the messages for men and for  women?
• How can these social identities exist without limitation? Do they exist at all?

Facilitation Notes: Despite the limitations of these hegemonic cisgender boxes, it is  important to explore them because many people have been socialized with only these two options. What is true for all genders is that these are impossible expectations for individu als within a group to meet. Everyone is impacted by these hegemonic gender identities and  gender expressions. Ultimately, we would like to see these gender characteristics be turned  into traits that any human could access.

Names of Those to Credit for this Activity: Chase Catalano & Pat Griffin

FIRST LEARNINGS STORYTELLING HANDOUT

“First Learnings” Storytelling – Prompt #1 Make a list of your favorite childhood toys, books, or games in the space below. Next  to each item, indicate the following: whom did you most often play with when using  this toy, book, or game? Were you ever given the message this toy, book or game was  inappropriate for you?

 

“First Learnings” Storytelling – Prompt #2 Think of an adult who was a significant part of your life while growing up. What sort  of activities did you and this adult do together? Were you ever told that an activity you  had interest in was not appropriate for you?

 

“First Learnings” Storytelling – Prompt #3 Think back to elementary school. How did your teachers treat you? What words were  used to describe you?

Name of Activity: First Learnings Activity

Instructional Purpose of the Activity: This activity allows for participants to recall their  childhood experiences learning about gender and reflect on what that process was like for  them. It is a medium-risk activity in which students will begin to explore the cognitive and  affective impacts of their early experiences with gender socialization.

Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will begin voicing their own positionality as it relates to gender.
• Participants will identify patterns among our collective experiences of gender  socialization.

Time Needed: 

• Preparation time: Approximately 10–20 minutes. Prepare by printing “First Learning  Storytelling” worksheets. Facilitators should also review prompts and be prepared to  share examples from their own life narrative with the group.

Materials Needed:

• “First Learning Storytelling” worksheets/prompts, printed and cut in thirds
• Blank paper for drawing
• Markers, pens, etc.

Degree of Risk (low, medium, high): Medium

Procedure:
1. Introduce the activity: Explain that people tend to take on patterns and behaviors that  will make us most feel like part of the social unit (family, community, etc.) to which  we belong. Most of us have learned how to behave “like” a person of our gender by  trial and error, and those experiences have likely had an effect on how we perceive and  express our own gender. This activity is meant to help us recall some of those experiences and begin to make meaning of the impact they’ve had on our lives.

2. Split participants into groups of three. Each individual should respond to one of the  following prompts independently (10 minutes):

• Prompt #1: Make a list of your favorite childhood toys, books, or games. Next to  each item, indicate the following: Whom did you most often play with when using  this toy, book, or game? Were you ever given the message this toy, book, or game  was inappropriate for you?
• Prompt #2: Think of an adult who was a significant part of your life while you  were growing up. What sort of activities did you and this adult do together? Were  you ever told that an activity you had interest in was not appropriate for you?
• Prompt #3: Think back to elementary school. How did your teachers treat you?  What words were used to describe you?

3. Now try to recall the feelings associated with receiving this message or feedback. How  did it impact you? On a blank paper, draw and/or write a representation of what it was  like to receive this message or feedback. (5–10 minutes)

4. In small groups, each person will have two minutes to present their representation and  share its story. (10 minutes)

5. Invite small groups to share patterns and themes from their group-sharing with the  larger group (reminding participants to be careful not to share details of what someone  else has shared without their permission). (10–15 minutes)

Some likely responses include: 

• Some people were told that toys, activities, etc. they had interest in were inappropriate  for a person of their gender.
• Some people do not recall ever being told that toys, activities, etc. were inappropriate,  but they “just happened to” only/mostly like stereotypically gender-appropriate things.
• Some people recall knowing that some toys/behaviors were inappropriate, although  they do not recall being told.

As needed, facilitators can support participants to make meaning of their reflections with  questions like:

• What were the reasons you were told (or understood implicitly) that some toys or  activities were inappropriate for you?
• When was it explicitly about gender, when implicitly about gender, and when maybe  also about something else?
• What patterns do you notice in the ways people were treated and referred to as kids?
• What similarities and differences do you attribute to gender dynamics? What similari ties and differences might also be about other social identities (race, class, etc.)?
• How do you make meanings of the themes you’ve reported out?
• How did it come about that so many of us experienced ____? What is the impact of  that so many of us experienced ____? 

Facilitation Notes: This is a moderate-risk activity where students will begin to develop  awareness about the gender socialization process as it applies to their own life narrative.  The activity is situated in the Saturday morning section, directly after our collective space  has been set with guidelines, working assumptions, hopes and fears, etc. 

This activity may be higher-risk for anyone whose childhood was traumatic, or whose  childhood was very different from what their classmates might expect by looking at them.  For example, a transgender person who “passes” as cisgender and has not disclosed their  trans status may find it high-risk to share specific details about their childhood because  doing so would reveal their trans status. It may be useful to emphasize that all participants have a choice about how much detail they share about their reflections. While we encour age them to think about detailed examples, they may choose to share only their thoughts  about their memories and not the detailed memories themselves. 

Recommended Readings/Materials for Students: 
Harro, B. (2013). The cycle of socialization. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hack man, M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (pp. 45–52). New  York: Routledge.

Recommended Supplementary Materials/Readings for the Instructor or Facilitator:  Bornstein, K. (1998). My gender workbook. New York: Routledge. Scholinski, D. (1997). The last time I wore a dress: A memoir. New York: Riverhead.

Name of Activity: Terms and Definitions Matching Activity

Instructional Outcomes:
• Review working definitions of gender identity, gender expression, sex, and sexuality  • Express personal gender story/explore personal gender identity/expression  • Identify the relationship between the participant’s gender identity and gender  expression/presentation 
• Evaluate the ways that the relationship has affected the participant’s interpersonal  relationships, opportunities, and self-esteem

Goals: Students will:

1. Develop shared working definitions for terminology related to gender and trans*  oppression
2. Be able to distinguish between sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender presentation,  and gender identity
3. Unpack the LGBTQIA moniker
4. Recognize the power/importance of language
5. Gain an awareness for the level of knowledge and space for growth their fellow class mates bring with them (process goal)
6. Share knowledge while still leaving space for curiosity and ignorance in its true form Materials Needed:
• 1 set of placards with terminology 
• 1 set of placards with definitions
• 1 roll of tape (masking tape)
• 2 packs of sticky notes

Procedure:

Step 1: Facilitators will introduce the activity and scatter/mix up the placards on the floor  (3 minutes).

Step 2: Each student will pick up a placard and seek to find the person holding its matching  definition or term (2 minutes).

Step 3: Once a pair believe they have found each other, they will tape the term and definition to the wall (10–15 minutes).

Step 4: After every card is taped to the wall, students will have the opportunity to check  for correctness and make adjustments as necessary. When the students are satisfied, the  facilitators will double-check for correctness (5–10 minutes).

Step 5: Each student will have an opportunity to write questions or comments on the sticky  notes anonymously and attach them to the related term (5 minutes).

Step 6: Facilitators will go through the list of terms and definitions, opening up to the  group to answer questions on the sticky notes or to directly ask/answer questions/challenge  the definition (15 minutes).

Step 7: Debrief questions (10–20 minutes):

• What did you find surprising?
• What word (or words) do you think is missing? Why might this word be missing?
• What is the effect of the absence of that word? (If time allows: Which words were least  familiar to you? Why do you think this is? How does that affect your perception of  trans*oppression?)

Facilitator Notes:

• This activity can be used as a secondary icebreaker/name game. Remind the students  to introduce themselves to the person with the matching term or definition.
• The facilitator should make sure to take time to go through the terms and definitions,  even if the class as a whole paired the terms and definitions correctly. 
• The facilitator should be prepared for silence during the debrief session and try to  gauge the cause of students’ silence. If students appear hesitant to speak or answer  questions due to a fear of appearing ignorant, allow the students to reflect independently on a debrief question and then return to it in small groups.
• The facilitator should allot a significant amount of time for questions and to debrief  the activity.

Recommended Readings/Materials for Students: None

Recommended Supplementary Materials/Readings for the Instructor or Facilitator: Catalano, C., & Shlasko, D. (2013). Introduction to transgender oppression. In M. Adams, W. J.  Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hackman, M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity  and social justice (pp. 425–430). New York: Routledge. 
Meyerowitz, J. (2013). How sex changed: A history of transsexuality in the U.S. In M. Adams, W.  J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hackman, M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity  and social justice (pp. 432–434). New York: Routledge.
Spade, D. (2013). Mutilating gender. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hackman,  M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (pp. 437–443). New York:  Routledge. 
Serano, J. (2013). Trans woman manifesto. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hackman, M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (pp. 443–446). New  York: Routledge.

Sexism, Heterosexism, and Trans* Oppression Trans* Oppression Design
QUADRANT 2
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020

BIOLOGICAL SEX/ASSIGNED SEX

The physiological and anatomical characteristics of maleness and femaleness with which  a person is born or that develop with physical maturity. These markers including internal  and external reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones, and body shape. Infants are  usually assigned to a sex category (male or female) at birth on the basis of such character

istics (primarily the appearance of the external genitals). We therefore use assigned sex to  refer to the sex designation that appears on birth certificates and other legal documents.  See also intersex.

CISGENDER

Non-trans*. From a Latin-derived prefix meaning “on the same side,” as opposed to trans which means “across” or “on the opposite side of.” This can be used in place of “non-trans  people” or “gender-normative people.” 

CROSS DRESSER

A person who enjoys dressing in clothes typically associated with the other of the 2 socially  sanctioned genders. 

DRAG

Originally used in Shakespeare’s Globe Theater to mean “dressed as a girl,” referring to  male actors playing female roles. Now used to describe the action of dressing in clothes  associated with a gender other than one’s own, usually playfully or for performance. 

DRAG KING

A female-bodied person who dresses as a man, sometimes including facial hair & other  theatrical costuming, and performs with masculine mannerisms and style, for entertain ment purposes.

DRAG QUEEN

A male-bodied person who dresses in glamorous and flamboyant clothing usually associ ated with women. Often imitate female movie stars or singers, with a theatrical style and  intent.

MASCULINE OF CENTER (MOC)

A term, coined by B. Cole of the Brown Boi Project, that recognizes the breadth and depth  of identity for lesbian/queer/ womyn who tilt toward the masculine side of the gender scale  and includes a wide range of identities such as butch, stud, aggressive/AG, dom, macha,  tomboi, trans-masculine etc.

GENDER

A social identity usually conflated with biological sex in a binary system that presumes one  has either male and masculine characteristics and behavior, or female and feminine charac teristics and behavior. In addition to being a major social status experienced by individuals,  this is also “a social institution” by which human lives are organized. 

GENDER EXPRESSION

People’s behaviors that convey something about their gender identity, or that others inter pret as meaning something about their gender identity, including clothing, hairstyle, man nerisms, communication patterns, social roles, etc.

GENDER IDENTITY

A person’s own understanding of themselves in terms of gendered categories like man and  woman, boy and girl, transgender, genderqueer, and many others. How they feel inside or  what they believe themselves to be.

GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER/GENDER DYSPHORIA

A psychiatric/medical diagnosis included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Men tal Disorders (DSM-IV) to describe when a person assigned one gender based on their birth  sex identifies as a different gender, or does not conform with the gender roles associated  with their birth sex. This can manifest in many ways, including varying levels of body dys phoria, and general discomfort living as the assigned sex and/or gender. People respond to  these feelings in a variety of ways: some privately cross-dress, others live part or full-time  in another gender, and some pursue sexual reassignment surgery or other physical changes.

GENDER-INCLUSIVE

Inclusive of all genders; preferred over gender neutral since gender is never “neutral.”

GENDERQUEER

An identity label sometimes claimed by people whose gender identity does not fit into  either of the two culturally accepted gender categories. May be characterized by the desire  to challenge norms of gender role/presentation, to “play” with gender, and/or to express a  fluid gender identity. As a term of self-identification, it should not be imposed on people. 

INTERSEX

A group of medical diagnoses describing a person whose anatomy, physiology and/or chromo some variation differs from cultural ideals of male and female, in terms of external genitalia,

internal genitalia, and/or hormone production levels. Intersex individuals are typically assigned  as “male” or “female” at birth, and often undergo surgery on their genitals in infancy to force  a more culturally acceptable gendered appearance. The intersex movement has challenged  the ethics of infant genital surgeries that are not medically necessary, pointing out that many  intersex people who undergo such surgery in infancy later report feeling a sense of loss of an  essential aspect of themselves. About 2–4% of all births are intersex to some degree. This is  sometimes not evident until puberty. (see: http://www.accordalliance.org/

MTF/ M2F/ MTF AND FTM/F2M/FTM

Terms used to indicate the direction of a trans* person’s transition and/or identification,  as in Male-to-Female, or Male-toward-Female, trans* person or Female-to-Male, Female toward-Male, trans* person.

OPPRESSION

“We use [this term] rather than discrimination, bias, prejudice, or bigotry to emphasize  the pervasive nature of social inequality woven throughout social institutions as well as  embedded within individual consciousness. The term oppression encapsulates the fusion  of institutional and systemic discrimination, personal bias, bigotry, and social prejudice in  a complex web of relationships and structures that shade most aspects of life in our soci

ety . . . Woven together through time and reinforced in the present, these patterns provide  an example of the pervasiveness of oppression” (Bell, 2010, RDSJ2).

PASSING

Successfully (convincingly) presenting one’s preferred gender category. May be intentional  or unintentional. Passing is a contentious term in transgender communities, and has different  meanings for different people. For example, many trans* people do not feel that they are pre senting as anything but themselves, whereas “passing” seems to imply that they are fooling  people or hiding something. In addition some trans* people do not desire to “pass” as non trans*, but rather to be respected for their identity and expression, even though people know  that their identity or expression is different from the one typically associated with their sex.

POST-OP, PRE-OP, NON-OPERATIVE, NON-OP, OR NON-SURGICAL (N. OR ADJ.)

Terms used to describe a transgender or transsexual person’s intentions or status regarding  sexual reassignment surgeries.

PRIVILEGE

A “system of advantage” that gives people from more powerful social groups access to  resources and opportunities that are denied to others (and usually gained at their expense)  simply because of the groups they belong to (Goodman, 2001; Johnson, 2001; Wildman  & Davis, 1996, 2000).

SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY (SRS)

Surgeries to change the sex characteristics of one’s body, including genitals and/or second ary sex characteristics. Sometimes called “gender confirmation surgery,” since there is no  such thing as “one surgery” that changes a person’s sex.

TRANS*

This abbreviation began as a way to be more inclusive/concise in reference to the myriad  number of identities that could be referenced by using the term. The asterisk is used to  imply that trans* encompasses transgender, transsexual, and other transitional identities  and began as a blog or web movement that continues to grow into other parts of non

virtual life.

TRANSGENDER

An umbrella term that may include transsexuals, cross dressers, drag queens, drag kings,  and other people who transgress the socially constructed confines of gender. As a term of  self-identification, it should not be imposed on people. Nevertheless we may use it descrip tively to encompass anyone who falls under this broad definition, whether or not they  would describe themselves this way.

TRANSMAN (OR TRANSGENDER MAN, OR TRANSSEXUAL MAN) An FtM trans* person.

TRANSWOMAN (OR TRANSGENDER WOMAN, OR TRANSSEXUAL WOMAN) An MtF trans* person.

TRANS* Oppression

The hegemony of gender expectations and roles based on a rigid binary of male (mascu line) and female (feminine) that is limiting and oppressive to everyone, but especially to  those who transgress gender norms. Further, U.S. cultural hegemony dictates that the gen der/sex binary is “natural” and any other genders outside the categories of man and woman  do not exist (in some literatures referred to as genderism).

TRANSITION

The process of changing sex or gender, including but not limited to socially (e.g. changing  one’s name, cross-living) as well as medically (e.g. hormones and/or surgery).

TRANSSEXUAL (TS)

A person who experiences an intense, persistent, and long-term feeling that their body and  assigned sex are at odds with their gender identity. Such individuals often (but not always)  desire to change their bodies to bring then into alignment with their gender identities. This  term comes from the medical establishment, and many people do not identify with it for  that reason. As a term of self-identification, it should not be imposed on people.

TWO-SPIRIT

Describes any of the many mixed gender roles found traditionally among many Native  American and Canadian First Nations indigenous groups. The term usually implies a mas culine spirit and a feminine spirit living in the same body and was coined by contemporary gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Native Americans to describe themselves and the  traditional roles they are reclaiming. (citation: Wikipedia)

ZE/HIR

“Ze” and “Hir” are pronouns, like he, she, him, her, his and hers. English-speakers have  been experimenting with newly coined non-gendered pronouns for about 200 years. Such  pronouns have been used in trans* communities for at least 15 years. There are several sets  in use, of which ze/hir seems to be the most popular.

Name of Activity: Pronoun Presentation

Instructional Purposes:

• Participants will understand what pronouns are and how they function with regard to  gender in English.
• Participants will understand the importance of pronouns for trans people’s experience.
• Participants will reflect on their experiences being asked about their pronouns (and asking about others’ pronouns).

Time Required: 10–15 minute lecturette on pronouns followed by 5–10 minutes of discussion

Materials Needed: Pronouns Presentation PowerPoint slideshow (included)

Procedure: 

1. Deliver 15 minute lecture using included PowerPoint and the following notes:  “What’s in a name?” or Pronouns, Pronouns, Pronouns OH MY!

Slide #2—A brief lesson in grammar: Grammatically, pronouns are words that we use in place of nouns to avoid repeating those nouns. Third-person singular pronouns  include: he, him, his, she, her, hers. In standard English (and in many other lan guages, but not all), third-person singular pronouns are always gendered! •  Question/Prompt: Have participants do a quick pair-share in which each per son gets 30 seconds to describe their best friend without using any pronouns.

Slide #3—The chart shows sets of pronouns, including those that are most common  or “mainstream” (he/she), as well as others that might be new to people (they/ theirs, no pronouns at all) and some that were specifically developed as “gender neutral” or non-binary (ze/hirs/hir).

• In general, people want to be called the pronouns that “go with” their gender identity. For example, I identify as a cisgender (non-trans*) woman and I use she, her(s) pronouns, but not he/him/his.
• For some folks, neither of our “traditional” pronoun options fit quite right. This can be because the “traditional,” binary gender options of man and woman do not fit with that person’s gender identity.
• Also, some people do use non-binary pronouns to refer to everybody as a way of challenging the binary assumptions in our language. However, this is sometimes problematic because many people (including trans* people) feel disrespected when they are not called by the gender pronouns that feel right to them.

Slide #4—Pronouns are often automatic and based on our perceptions of others’ genders.

• Question/Prompt: How do you typically know what pronoun to use for some one you’ve just met? What are the cues?
• Most of the time, most of us are on autopilot about pronouns, and our pro noun choices are often based on the binary he/she that we have heard and used all our lives.
• Being on autopilot doesn’t always work—especially, but not only, when talk ing about trans* people. Sometimes our gender “reads” and assumptions can lead us to call someone a pronoun that isn’t what they’re usually called or  what they want to be called. And that can hurt—a lot.

Slide #5—Pronouns can be contextual.

• For example, who we are at work or school is often different from who we are around our closest friends or family. We all make decisions about who to be, how to be, and what to disclose about ourselves in certain environments with certain people.
• Sometimes a person might need to be called a pronoun that doesn’t feel right to them in order to preserve their safety and/or privacy. Or, a person might  ask to be called the pronoun that works best for them in some situations (such as among people who are safe and understanding) but not in others (such as in front of their boss if they’re not “out” at work).

Slide #6—Why do pronouns matter?

• Question/Prompt: Do pronouns matter to you personally? Why/why not?
  • Allow 20 seconds for participants to reflect on this in silence before taking responses.
• When you use a gendered pronoun about someone, you are in effect announc ing that person’s gender.
• Most people feel attached to their gender as a core aspect of their identity.  When you announce it incorrectly, it can imply that you don’t recognize or “believe in” the person’s gender identity.
• Most cisgender people can comfortably assume that their gender is obvious and legitimate, but trans* people’s genders are contested. One of the ways this often plays out is in mis-gendering through pronoun use.

Slide #7—How to ask about people’s pronouns

Slide #8—Q&A time

2.  If time permits, lead a discussion using questions like these (discussion may also be integrated into the slide #8 Q&A):

• What are your experiences with pronouns being asked in group settings? (Follow up: At work? In school? At UMass?)
• Has anyone ever asked you your pronoun? How did it feel?
• What would feel like a respectful way to be asked your pronoun?
• What gets in your way of asking people about their pronouns?
• What gets in your way of calling people the pronouns they have asked to be called?

Facilitation Notes: If participants are new to trans* issues, they may not have much to say in the discussion. If this happens, try drawing out their reflections on related experiences, such as a time when someone made an assumption about their identity that wasn’t true, or a time when someone had been told something about them that wasn’t true.

This activity requires striking a balance between meeting people “where they’re at” and informing them about best practices and minimal respectful behaviors. In the end, partici pants may not come to agree that they “should” call trans people the right pronouns, but facilitators can (as appropriate) inform them that using the wrong pronoun is a manifesta tion of transgender oppression, and in many contexts can constitute illegal discrimination 

and harassment. 

Recommended Readings for Participants and Facilitators: 
Shlasko, D. (2014). Trans* ally workbook: Getting pronouns right & what it teaches us about gender. Think Again Training and Consultation.
Names to Credit for this Activity: Presentation by Sam Dancis and Lauren Adamski, with content adapted from Davey Shlasko’s Trans* ally workbook: Getting pronouns right & what it teaches us about gender (see above).

Powerpoint

Download Now (PPT 209KB)

AFFINITY/INTEREST GROUP QUESTIONS

Before you start your conversation, please identify a note-taker and timekeeper. You will  want to allow at least five minutes at the end of your conversation to identify themes that  you would like to report out to the larger group. Please use the questions below to guide  your conversation.

• How do you navigate your identity as ______________ in the context of sexism?
• In what ways do these identities afford you privilege? In what ways do they make you  a target of oppression?
• What parts of the course readings/videos addressed these identities in the context of  sexism?
• Why do you think an intersectional analysis is important in the context of sexism?
• In what ways are the experiences of the individuals in your group similar to and different from one another (in relation to the topic of sexism)?
• What role do you see people in your particular identity group(s) have in eliminating  sexism?
• hat are two or three themes that you would like others in the class to know about  your conversation?

Sexism, Heterosexism, and Trans* Oppression:  An Integrated Perspective
Heterosexism Web Design
QUADRANT 3

Five Faces of Oppression	Example of Heterosexism
Exploitation: The process by which the results of the  labor of one social group is transferred for  the benefit of another
Marginalization: The process by which people who the  labor system cannot or will not use are  expelled from or denied useful or produc tive participation in economic and social  life, often resulting in material deprivation  and dependency
Powerlessness: The inability to participate in making deci sions that affect the conditions of one’s  lives and actions; lacking in authority,  status, and sense of self; limited concrete  opportunities to develop and exercise  one’s capacities
Cultural imperialism: The process by which the dominant sym bols, activities, or meanings of a society  reinforce the perspective of a dominant  group while making invisible, stereotyped,  or marked as “other” the perspectives of  subordinate or targeted groups; includes  the presumed universality of the dominant  group’s experience, culture, and religion
Five Faces of Oppression	Example of Heterosexism
Violence: Random, unprovoked attacks against  members of (targeted or subordinated)  social groups and their property, with the  primary motivation to damage, humili ate, or terrorize, and in a social context  in which this violence is tolerated or even  enabled by accepted institutional and  social practices

Name of Activity: Navigating the Intersections

Time Needed: 60 minutes

Materials Needed: 

• Slips of paper that inform each participant of which group they have been assigned to • Screen, projector, speakers, and Internet access
• Laptop or desktop computer

Learning Outcomes: 

To explore how our multiple identities intersect with our genders and experiences  with sexism 

To develop an intersectional analysis to understand and confront sexism personally  and systemically 

Procedure: Having put participants into self-selecting groups, ask them to explore sexism  listed in the six intersectional contexts below for about 30 minutes:

1. Women of color
2. White hetero women
3. LGBTQ and sexism
4. Navigating sexism as a parent
5. Men of color
6. Class and sexism

Have each group identify a timekeeper and note-taker for their group. Provide the groups  with specific questions such as these: 

• How does your social identity as a ______________ affect your experience of sexism?
• In what ways do these identities afford you privilege? In what ways do they make you  a target of oppression?
• What parts of the course readings/videos addressed these identities in the context of  sexism?
• Why do you think an intersectional analysis is important in the context of sexism?
• In what ways are the experiences of those in your group similar and different to one  another?
• What are two or three themes that you would like others in the class to know about  your conversation?

Bring each of the groups back, and ask people to share any highlights. Then end this activ ity by emphasizing the importance of a collective intersectional feminist approach to end ing sexism by screening the following video: http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/10/feminism-intersections-race/

Facilitation Issues: Prior to the workshop, the facilitators should send all participants an  email to ask them their first- and second-choice groups. The list used in this activity should  be based on the makeup of the class and participants’ choices. A group must have at least  two people in it in order to be created. In order to avoid identifying any LGBTQ members  of the class in front of everyone (in case they were not out to the full group), rather than  posting the group assignments, the facilitators should write on small slips of paper which  group each participant is assigned to and the room number they should go to. Pass out  these slips of paper to each group member when they return from lunch. Then, assign just  one member to report back to the large group a couple of themes of what the group talked  about.

Name of Activity: Recognizing Sexism Stations 

Time Needed: 45 minutes

Materials Needed: 

• Iris Young’s “Five Faces of Oppression” handout
• Sexism station newsprints (8)

Briefly review Iris Marion Young’s model, the Five Faces of Oppression. Distribute the “Five  Faces of Oppression” handout so that participants can categorize examples of oppression  they previously identified in their small groups.

Participants will be asked to place their examples on a designated sexism station. Using  post-its, a representative of each group will post on the appropriate station their group’s  examples. The stations are as follows:

• Microaggressions
• Stereotypes
• Exploitation
• Systemic violence
• Marginalization
• Cultural imperialism
• Powerlessness
• Male Privilege

After each group has posted their examples, all participants will be asked to move through out the stations to read what their peers posted. As each person finishes reviewing the  examples, they will take five minutes to free write or journal their thoughts, reactions, or  feelings. 

Next, facilitate a large-group debrief using the following questions:

• How was it to do this activity? What were some reactions?
• What was your strongest reaction during this activity, and what caused it?
• Name or describe some emotions you felt during this activity; why did you feel this  way?
• In light of these statistics or examples, what gives you hope?

Facilitation Issues: This activity can be confusing because there are a lot of parts, so be sure  to ask for clarity when providing directions. Consider giving directions in small doses. In addition, facilitators should consider the fact that this activity requires movement. Movement at this point in the workshop will be important to counter long periods of sitting  for those able to walk. If you have people with a physical disability that would affect their  participation in this activity, create other ways for them to participate in the gallery walk  portion of this activity.

Name of Activity: Breakout Groups: Domains of Transgender Oppression and Resistanc

Learning Outcomes: Students will:

• Apply the Five Faces of Oppression to real-world examples of transgender oppression
• Consider the costs and benefits of the contemporary framing of transgender rights as it applies to a given example/domain

Materials Needed:

1. For each group, one handout or video detailing an example of transgender oppression  in a particular domain, and one handout or video detailing an example of resistance/ response to transgender oppression in that domain.
1. Education
1. irst slide of “education” PowerPoint show provided
2. This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4CL3-_ZNW8 (link pro vided on second slide of PowerPoint show)
2. Employment
1. “Fired for Being Gay,” Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ rebecca-juro/fired-for-being-trans-the-rest-of-the-story_b_3599933.html ii. Websites of trans employment programs, such as http://www.teeisf.org/ and  http://www.lalgbtcenter.org/teep, or a recent article selected from http://trans genderlawcenter.org/issues/employment 
3. Health care
1. This video: http://srlp.org/healthcare/ 
4. Policing/incarceration
1. Disproportionate Incarceration: http://tranzmissionprisonproject.tumblr. com/post/77410225997/systems-of-inequality-criminal-justice-this
2. hese videos: http://srlp.org/about/legal-services/ and http://srlp.org/ action/everydayabolition/
2. At least two pieces of newsprint per group
3. Four laptops or tablets for showing films
4. Markers/pens

Risk Level: Low to moderate. While participants are not asked to share personal informa tion during this activity, they will be working in groups and present their work, which can  be a source of discomfort or anxiety for some students.

Time: 90–105 minutes

Procedure:

1.  Organize participants into four breakout groups based on interests or (self-identified) learning goals. Each group will focus on one domain of transgender oppression: Edu cation, employment, health care, or policing/incarceration.
2. Explain that the groups will be preparing brief presentations (5 minutes maximum)  about their domain to the rest of the class. This will happen after lunch, and they will  have time right after lunch to reconvene as groups and prepare their presentations.
3. In their small groups, students will read/view information describing a problem within  their domain. (10–15 minutes)
4. In the small groups, students will discuss how the Five Faces of Oppression apply to  the example they have read about/viewed. They will create a poster reporting back on  their discussion. (25 minutes)
5. Each group will then read/view and analyze an example of resistance/response to the  problem. They will apply the questions laid out in the Conceptual Frameworks Presen tation (which they should already have as a handout) about rights-based approaches  vs. trickle-up approaches to social justice work. (10 minutes)
6.  Students will create a second poster that answers the following questions: Is this a rights-based approach? Is it “trickle-up” social justice? How do you know? What  are the costs/benefits of this approach (in this particular example) as you see it? (15–20 minutes)
7.  Each group will present their findings to the class. (30 minutes)

Facilitator Notes: This is a fairly hands-off activity for the facilitators. Facilitators should  make themselves available to the students, but check in no more than once every 15 min utes. It is okay if students are off-task and taking time to get to know each other during  some of their small-group time. Student bonding over the course of the workshop is crucial  for supporting continued learning and action.

Recommended Readings/Materials for Students: None required beyond those provided during the activity. Optional selections from those recommended for facilitators below  may be useful for some groups.

Recommended Supplementary Materials/Readings for the Instructor or Facilitator: Grant, J., Mottet, L., Tanis, J., Harrison, J., Herman, J., & Keisling, M. (2011). injustice at every  turn: A report of the national transgender discrimination survey. Washington, DC: National Cen ter for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Greytak, E., Kosciew, J., & Diaz, E. (2009). Harsh realities: The experiences of transgender youth in  our nation’s schools. New York: GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).  Spade, D. (2011). Normal life: Administrative violence, critical trans politics, and the limits of law.  Brooklyn, NY: South End Press.
Stanley, E., & Smith, N. (2011). Captive genders: Trans embodiment and the prison industrial com plex. Oakland, CA: AK Press.

Names of Those to Credit for this Activity: Chase Catalano & Pat Griffin

Name of Activity: Cisgender Privilege Activity

Instructional Purpose of the Activity: This activity begins with a brief (15–20 minutes)  presentation that covers pronoun usage and the role pronouns play in the maintenance  of transgender oppression and cisgender privilege, and introduces pronoun etiquette. The  topic of pronouns is established as a springboard for understanding and exploring cisgen

der privilege, which leads into the remainder of the module activities. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will review basic information on pronouns: What they are, why they are  important, and what role they play in transgender oppression/cisgender privilege.
• Participants will evaluate their personal associations with the word “privilege.”
• Participants will respond to examples of cisgender privilege given by facilitators,  assigned reading(s), and media.
• Participants will identify ways that they do or do not experience cisgender privilege.

Time Needed: 

• Preparation time: Total: 40 minutes; approximately 20 minutes to review the pronoun  presentation and accompanying facilitation notes as well as to reflect on opportunities  to personalize the presentation, and approximately 20 minutes to prepare examples of  how cisprivilege has/has not played out in our own lives. Be prepared to give distinctions in examples of cisprivilege that are enacted on the interpersonal, group/commu nity, cultural, and institutional levels.
• Activity time: Total: 90 minutes; 30 minutes for Pronoun Presentation/Q&A, and 60  minutes for the Cisgender Privilege activity

Materials Needed:

• Pronouns Presentation (PowerPoint) 
  
• Laptop
  
• Projector
  
• Pronouns Presentation facilitation notes
  
• Pronouns Presentation slides handouts
  
• Scrap paper
  
• Newsprint
  
• Markers
  
• Definition of “privilege” and definition of “cisgender” from terms/definitions match ing activity
• Copies of cisgender privilege list (pp. 456–457) from: Taylor, E. (2013). Cisgender privilege. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda,  H. Hackman, M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social  justice (pp. 443–446). New York: Routledge.

Degree of Risk (low, medium, high): Medium to high

Procedure:

1. Present Pronouns PowerPoint presentation (15–20 minutes).
2. Take Q&A session on pronouns (5–10 minutes).
3. Transition into the Cisgender Privilege activity: Example of feeling safe even if/when  misgendered as a way that cisgender privilege manifests. Many cisgender persons can  be confident that their gender won’t be questioned in most contexts.
   • Cisgender Privilege Activity: Part I—What do we think about privilege?  (20 minutes)
   • On a scrap piece of paper, ask each participant to spend 90 seconds brain storming a “free association” list of words and phrases they think of when  they hear the word “privilege.”
   • Pair-share the free association responses and note themes/items that appeared  on both lists.
   • Ask each group to share one item that they had in common (if applicable) and  write on newsprint to generate a representation of our working knowledge  about privilege.
   • Refer back to the definition of “privilege” used in the terms/definitions activ ity. Debrief the following: What have we added to this definition through our  free association responses? What have we missed? (Try to highlight the role of  conferred social power in establishing privilege.) What do our free association  responses say about how we view privilege in our own lives?
   • Briefly review the definition of “cisgender” used in the terms/definitions activ ity. Post this on the wall next to the “privilege” definition.
   • Cisgender Privilege Activity: Part II — What does cisgender privilege look like? (20 minutes)
   • Break out groups: 
   • Group 1 views this Sarah Silverman video clip: (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Jz3khtAdwXo); 
   • Group 2 discusses the Bolus (2002) reading from Genderqueer 
   • How are cultural norms about genders and bodies represented here? What  is the function of these norms in communicating the video’s (or author’s)  message?
   • Small-group debrief questions: Do you see cisgender privilege at play in this  article/video? How/where? Why or why not?
   • Cisgender Privilege Activity: Part III—What role does cisgender privilege play in  my life? (10 minutes)
   • Pass out copies of the cisgender privilege list from the reading by Taylor  (2013). Review examples at the interpersonal, group/community, and social/ institutional levels.
   • One-minute paper writing prompt: How do I experience cisgender privilege?  and/or How do I perpetuate cisgender privilege in my daily life?

Facilitation Notes: In this curriculum block, students will apply their general knowledge  and awareness of privilege to the specific context of cisgender privilege. The module incor porates some moderate-risk elements with some higher-risk elements. It takes place on  Saturday afternoon after participants have had a change to interact with the terms/defini tions, produce a timeline of trans* oppression, and spend time increasing their awareness  of how gender socialization, identity, and expression have manifested in their own lives.

Recommended Readings/Materials for Students: 
Bolus, S. (2002). Loving outside simple lines. In J. Nestle, C. Howell, & R. A. Wilchins (Eds.),  GenderQueer: Voices from beyond the sexual binary (1st ed., pp. 113–118). Los Angeles: Alyson  Books.
Catalano, C., & Shlasko, D. (2013). Introduction to transgender oppression. In M. Adams, W. J.  Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hackman, M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity  and social justice (pp. 425–430). New York: Routledge. 
Spade, D. (2011). Some very basic tips for making higher education more accessible to trans students  and rethinking how we talk about gendered bodies. Radical Teacher, 92, 57–62. Taylor, E. (2013). Cisgender privilege. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hackman,  M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (pp. 443–446). New York:  Routledge.

Recommended Supplementary Materials/Readings for the Instructor or Facilitator:  Shlasko, D. (2014). Trans* ally workbook: Getting pronouns right & what it teaches us about gender.  Think Again Training and Consultation.
Hardiman, R., Jackson, B., & Griffin, P. (2013). Conceptual foundations of social justice education.  In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. Hackman, M. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Read ings for diversity and social justice (pp. 443–446). New York: Routledge.

Names of Those to Credit for this Activity: Chase Catalano & Pat Griffin

Name of Activity: Conceptual Frameworks Lecturette/discussion

Instructional Objectives:

• Present the Five Faces of Oppression as the grounding theory for evaluating instances  of transgender oppression in context 
• Introduce students to different frameworks for understanding rights and resistance to  oppression
• Provide students with a set of questions to use to evaluate rights movements and contemporary examples of resistance to trans* oppression

Time Required: 

• Preparation time for instructors: At least 30 minutes to read through the PowerPoint  presentation and supplement the content with further examples from personal knowledge (academic and experiential) 
• Facilitation time: 60 minutes

Level of Risk: Low

Materials Needed:

• Computer
• Projector and screen
• “Conceptual Frameworks” PowerPoint slideshow (provided)
• Printout of the slides for each student (they will refer back to them later in the Break out Groups activity, as well as use them to follow along and take notes during this  presentation)
• Pens/pencils for students to take notes

Procedure: Present the PowerPoint presentation using the notes and personal knowledge/ experience to supplement the content on the slides. Keep students engaged by inviting  examples from the group or posing questions about the content of the lecture. Encourage  them to take notes and let them know that they will use these frameworks during upcoming activities (Breakout Groups).

Facilitator Notes: This presentation takes place early in the day on the second day, after  students have spent a day engaging in interactive activities and discussions the entire  day before. As a result, they may have a more difficult time engaging with the material presented in this more formal lecture. Pay attention to students’ body language and other  nonverbal cues. Be prepared to pause the lecture and create opportunities for students to  reflect independently or discuss in small groups, or involve them by posing questions about  the content of the lecture to the whole group. Go at a pace that welcomes questions.

Recommended Readings/Materials for Students: 
Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Recommended Supplementary Materials/Readings for the Instructor or Facilitator: Minow, M. (1990). Making all the difference: Inclusion, exclusion, and American law. Ithaca, NY:  Cornell University Press.
Pharr, S. (1996). In the time of the right: Reflections on liberation. Womens Project. Spade, D. (2011). Normal life: Administrative violence, critical trans politics, and the limits of law.  South End Press.
Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Names of Those to Credit for this Activity: Chase Catalano & Pat Griffin

Conceptual Frameworks Powerpoint Slides

Download Now (PPT 98KB)

Name of Activity: Actions and Accountability

Instructional purpose of the activity: The purpose of this activity is to engage in thinking  about social justice actions within specific contexts to eliminate sexism, heterosexism, and  trans* oppression.

Learning Outcomes: Participants will develop a list actions for social change to end sexism,  heterosexism, and trans* oppression in various contexts. 

Time Needed: 30 minutes

Materials Needed: “Action Planning” handout sheet, part 2 

Degree of Risk (low, medium, high): Low to medium

Procedure: Begin by having participants brainstorm contexts where they might encounter  sexism, heterosexism, and trans* oppression (“in my workplace,” “in my classes,” or “in  my family”). Then have participants break into groups of four to five people and pick a  context to address how sexism, heterosexism, and trans* oppression impact those con
texts. Provide participants with the “Action Planning” handout sheet, part 2. After 20  minutes of work, each group should present one of their ideas to the larger group. Facilitators  should encourage questions and suggestions from the larger group to continue to develop ideas presented.

Facilitation Notes: None

Recommended Readings/Materials for Students: None

Recommended Supplementary Materials/Readings for the Instructor or Facilitator: None

 

Names of Those to Credit for this Activity: Mirangela Buggs, Chase Catalano, Pat Griffin, & Rachel Wagner

Handout: Actions and Accountability

What would I do to work against sexism, heterosexism, and trans* oppression on  institutional and cultural levels in ______________ (context)?

What barriers may prevent me from taking this action? Consider institutional barriers  (e.g., attire, practices, policies, etc.) and cultural barriers (e.g., norms, broadly accepted  stereotypes, rate of change for the specific context)?

What relationships do I need to build to achieve the intended objectives and/or overcome identified barriers?

What are specific steps to achieve objectives and overcome above barriers?