Sociologists for Trans Justice (S4TJ) was founded in 2016 by Dr. Eric Anthony Grollman and Dr. Laurel Westbrook as an independent initiative to advance transgender justice in and through sociology. In the past six years, we have worked to raise public awareness about transgender, non-binary, and intersex communities, drawing upon sociological insights in trans, non-binary, and intersex studies. We have pushed the discipline of sociology to take seriously and advance scholarship on trans, non-binary, and intersex communities, and to include and support trans, non-binary, and intersex sociologists (no matter their research interests). You can see more about S4TJ here.

In order to inform the public and our colleagues about our goals and efforts (and to celebrate our victories!), we release a progress report each year. (See last year’s progress report here.) Below, we are pleased to update you on the progress we have made during the 2020-2021 academic year. This report was prepared by S4TJ Co-Chairs Maggie Nanney & Alex Hanna along with the S4TJ Executive Council; you may reach us at sociologistsfortransjustice@gmail.com. And, during the year you can stay up to date with our efforts through our Google groups listserv.

S4TJ CO-CHAIR’S REPORT

(Chairs: Maggie Nanney & Alex Hanna)

S4TJ Co-Chair Position and Executive Council

Maggie Nanney & Alex Hanna served as co-chairs, Anthony James Williams & Joss Green as co-chairs of the Supporting Trans, Non-Binary and Intersex Scholars committee; Kit Myers and Atticus Wolf as co-chairs of the Advancing Trans, Non-Binary and Intersex Scholarship committee, and the Advancing Public Understanding of Trans, Non-Binary and Intersex Issues committee was led by MJ Hill, Avery Beall, and Katie Mueller. We did not have a Treasurer/Secretary for 2021-2022.

New to ASA this year, we piloted “working groups.” These groups are meant to be short-term projects proposed by members based on interest and need, as opposed to longer-term commitments of committees. We launched one working group to work on name changes in ASA Journals, led by Alex Hanna. 

Public Advocacy

In concordance with our mission, we issued one public statement: the Joint Statement on Texas Directive Directed at Trans Youth, published with the Center for Applied Trans Studies (CATS).

S4TJ COMMITTEE REPORTS

For the 2021-2022 academic year, our progress was made possible by the hard work of three S4TJ committees: 1) Advancing Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex Scholarship, 2) Supporting Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex Scholars, and 3) Advancing Public Understanding of Trans, Non- binary, and Intersex Issues. You can see a description of these positions here. Thank you to all of our committee members for their hard work this year!

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Advancing Trans, Non-Binary and Intersex Scholarship

Supporting Trans Scholars

Advancing Public Understanding

Advancing Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex Scholarship

Co-Chairs: Kit Myers & Atticus Wolf

Syllabus and Teaching Committee

Members: Carey Jean Sojka, Rosalind Kichler, Derek Siegel

Tasks:

  • Trans Justice Syllabus
    • Update as needed in accordance with S4TJ’s 2020 Statement on Racial Justice
    • Collaborate with webmaster to incorporate syllabus into the website (beyond PDF viewer) with hyperlinks. 
    • Collaborate with Public Understanding to advertise Syllabus to sociologists, trans studies scholars, and the public 
  • Trans Justice Bibliography
    • Finalize the first draft, drawing on the original S4TJ Syllabus
    • Develop method/guide for continual maintenance and publication on the website
    • Consider clarifying the distinction between the Trans Justice Syllabus and Trans Justice Bibliography
    • Monitor the bibliography’s intersectional representation including the process for adding & naming what exists
    • Collaborate with Public Understanding to advertise Syllabus to sociologists, trans studies scholars, and the public
  • Teaching Trans Studies 
    • Produce materials that will encourage people to teach trans, non-binary, and intersex studies scholarship across the discipline. 
      • Example: Sample syllabi sections for different courses (i.e. a section someone could add to the intro, social problems, etc., but also any and all other courses taught in sociology…perhaps start with courses based on section names)
    • Collect activities, assignments, and other course materials on trans studies in sociology classrooms (possible collaboration with Trails)
  • Webinar on teaching trans, non-binary, and intersex studies 
    • Develop a plan for webinar structure & dates.. This can be panel presentations or a “lab” style where folks give each other feedback

Updates:

  • Finalized the updated Trans Justice Syllabus, currently working with Public Understanding to publish online.
  • Finalized Trans Studies Bibliography, which can be found here: https://www.s4tj.com/transjusticebibliography/
  • Working with Advancing Public Understanding to further develop webpages for both resources for usability and accessibility, as well as routine maintenance
  • Working with the Writing Workshop subcommittee to facilitate and organize two ASA events wherein the syllabus will be marketed

Next Steps and Needs:

  • Work with Public Understanding to publish the updated syllabus online
  • Press release and/or Zoom launch party for updated Syllabus + Bibliography
  • Work with Inside Higher Ed to run a post about the need for the Syllabus + Bibliography
  • Continue to update the S4TJ Trans Bibliography to bring it up to date + find a method to maintain the document
  • In development: Trans in Sport Reader. It will be released during 2022-2023.

Writing Workshop Committee

Members: Wynn Strange, Penny Harvey, Jennifer Lai, Jacob Berry

Tasks:

  • Put together opportunities for scholars in trans, non-binary, and intersex studies to share writing (including articles, chapters, and grant proposals) and get feedback. This could occur at all relevant conferences as well as virtually. 
  • Maintain writing support systems
    • Peer review database
    • Writing support drop-ins
  • Maintain writing Facebook group
    • Work on guidelines
    • Gauge interests/needs of members
    • Communicate about resources and how writing is broadly defined
  • Writing workshop for Spring/Summer 2022
    • Formalize panelist selection, invites, etc.
    • Formalize a way of bringing people to moderate panels, etc.

Updates:

  • Maintained Facebook writing group/page
    • Currently at 145 members (-2 from 2021) 
    • Hosted weekly Monday goals and Friday “ta-da” posts
  • Hosting the S4TJ Writing Workshop at ASA on Saturday, August 6th from 2-3:30. 

Next Steps and Needs:

Writing Groups

  • Develop “ground rules” for online writing group forum to allow for safe, welcoming, and open discussion and support of all members
  • To increase participation and group consistency, consider implementing one or more of the following: 
    • Further engagement on Facebook or a Discord server
    • Monthly check-ins (facilitated by a “host”)
    • Monthly writing retreats (several hours to work on writing projects together)
    • Scheduling check-ins or retreats in advance so that dates are on people’s calendars
    • Putting together a “reviewer” pool so that people can submit pieces for feedback, and provide feedback in turn
    • Could get more thoughts on this idea at the 2022 Writing Workshop, e.g., ask for feedback during the last few minutes of the session
    • Could follow emergent, anarchist organizational process
    • Could also follow the arrangement of taking turns to submit pieces, everyone is assigned a specific day, everyone else provides feedback
    • Consider whether a more formal organizational structure with leadership roles and/or commitments or, alternatively, a more “drop-in” style virtual writing group structure would be better suited to current challenges

Writing Workshop:

  • Develop a clear process for selecting, inviting, and communicating with panelists
  • Develop a better process for promoting the workshop

ASA Journal Name Change Working Group

Led by: Alex Hanna

Tasks:

  • Work with ASA & Sage to develop a policy for name changes in online versions of publications

Updates:

“​​Going forward, all requests to make a name or pronoun change will be honored. This includes, but is not limited to, name changes because of marriage, divorce, gender affirmation, and religious conversion. SAGE will not publish a correction notice, nor require any form of proof or supporting documentation… 

The relevant papers will be ‘republished’, meaning that they will be fully replaced online, and that their indexing metadata (which affects how the author list appears in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, etc.) should subsequently be updated accordingly. This replaces the author name fully, yet ensures that citation information such as the DOI for the paper remains the same. All previous citations to the paper remain valid.

In order to enable co-authors to update the way they cite the paper in the future, we recommend informing them of the name change to the article. SAGE will contact the co-authors on the author’s behalf, the author may prefer to contact the co-authors themselves, or they may opt not to inform them at all.

To request a name and/or pronoun change, please email authorproductionqueries@sagepub.co.uk with your request, the DOIs of the manuscript(s) in question, and confirmation as to whether or not you permit SAGE to contact the co-authors to inform them of the change. The author will be sent a proof with the changes and asked to review and approve it before publication. We are committed to implementing the updates promptly and confidentially, in recognition of the potentially sensitive nature of these requests.

Please note that misspellings or other errors in an author’s name in published papers will be managed following SAGE’s usual postpublication corrections policy. Outdated affiliations or changes to email addresses that are not due to changes to the author’s name will not be updated.

Important: Over time, SAGE will be working to refine and improve this policy, and in particular to get closer to the guiding principles outlined in ‘A vision for a more trans-inclusive publishing world: guest article’, published on the COPE website. While our current process for handling name change requests does not guarantee removal of the author’s previous name from all public-facing records, as recommended in the COPE article, we are currently exploring what systems and infrastructure improvements can be made to allow for more of these changes in the future.”

Experts and Grants Working Group

On Hiatus 2021-2022

Supporting Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex Scholars

Co-Chairs: Anthony James Williams & Joss Greene

Members: Simone Kolysh, Jenny Pearson, Rin Reczek, Davida Jae Schiffer, Max Osborn, Rebecca Plante, Liam Oliver Lair

The overall approach to committee

  • This year we experimented with ways to create cohesion, accountability, and a sense of broader vision with our committee.  In our first meeting, we spent time in pairs or trios discussing the following questions: “What does “trans justice” mean to you?  What is an experience you’ve had in academia that shows you why our work is needed?  What do you value in friends, and what do you value in comrades/collaborators?”  We then used that discussion as a basis for identifying themes to guide our work and process with each other.  We provided a brief overview of the work this committee has previously done.  We then used a consensus-based decision-based process to come up with 3 primary goals to drive our committee work this year: “1) Reach BIPOC trans, nonbinary, and intersex scholars with our work 2) Build solidarities with groups fighting other injustices in academia (i.e. racism) 3) Build a stronger community among S4TJ members.”  We decided on practices that would guide our work as a full committee (monthly working meetings) and then subcommittees had time to discuss how they would move their work forward and communicate with each other.  
  • We held monthly meetings through mid-spring, which were helpful for creating community and moving work forward.  We regularly framed the meetings with poems and time for check-ins about people’s emotional wellbeing.  In Mid-spring, folks were less able to attend meetings, and work stalled.  
  • Reflection on process experiments: although folks in the grad student survey group did not attend monthly meetings because this was not a useful structure for them, monthly working meetings were a useful way to move work forward when we were able to sustain them.  The momentum of work was often stalled when we were looking for information or when someone with a relevant role to play was not in the room– for instance, members of the mentorship subcommittee did not have access to the materials the previous year’s subcommittee had used, needing approval on an email before moving forward, etc.  Creating a validating and emotionally connected space helped people develop positive relationships with each other, but the enthusiasm people had at the beginning of the semester flagged as people seemed less confident in our ability to accomplish meaningful work.  We were unsuccessful at using the big vision goals to animate or shape our work.  

Mentorship Sub-committee

On Hiatus 2021-2022

Graduate Student Survey Subcommittee

Tasks:

  • Survey on trans, non-binary, and intersex graduate students in sociology: analyze results, share with the discipline, and make recommendations for changes.
  • Coordinate with the executive council when ready to publicize.
  • Collaborate with Conferences and Best Practices Subcommittees and ASA in order to improve conference procedures.

Updates: 

  • Working on an intersex qualitative article from survey results. Will submit for review in 2022-2023.

Next Steps & Needs:

  • Submit the intersex manuscript for review
  • Develop a research plan for 2022-2023 
  • Identify methods to expand research reach + utility by S4TJ membership

Best Practices Sub-committee

Tasks:

  • Create 1-page guides on best practices on how to use Syllabus + Bibliography in collaboration with the Syllabus subcommittee
  • Create other 1-page guides on best practices related to S4TJ areas of interest
  • Collaborate with Syllabus subcommittee + conference subcommittee to create a webinar on teaching trans studies 
  • Collaborate with Survey subcommittee and ASA in order to improve conference procedures as necessary

Updates: 

  • Combined with the Conferences subcommittee — see this subcommittee’s updates

Conferences Subcommittee

Tasks: 

  • Write a best-practices statement for conferences (could be short!) 
  • Figure out what other organizations & conferences in sociology do already to support trans scholars, and offer support
  • Work with people who go to other conferences to organize informal (or formal!) meet-ups, mentoring sessions, etc (work with other committees as needed here).
  • Propose S4TJ-sponsored sessions at ASA.
  • Mission: Make sociology conferences safe and empowering for trans, non-binary, and intersex people. This includes pushing sociology organizations to list gender pronouns on conference badges, ensuring that gender-inclusive, accessible restrooms are available at conferences, creating safe spaces for trans, non-binary, and intersex people, and organizing social gatherings for trans, non-binary, and intersex scholars at sociology conferences.

Updates:

  • With Alex and Maggie’s support, Jenny came up with a list of contacts at various regional and national conferences.
  • Drafted an email to send to regional conference staff or committee members with best practices for trans-inclusive conferences. Email and guidelines are currently under review by S4TJ executive council, and will be sent in 2022-2023.

Next Steps & Needs:

  • After receiving feedback from EC, finalize the best practice guide and send it to regional conference planning committees
  • Work with other subcommittees to develop S4TJ-sponsored panels at ASA 2023

Advancing Public Understanding of Trans, Non-binary, and Intersex Issues

Co-Chairs: MJ Hill, Katie Mueller, and Avery Beall

Committee Members: Sam Scovill, Liam Lair, Cary Gabriel Costello, Jacob Barry

Tasks: 

  • Actively run the Sociologists for Trans Justice Facebook & Twitter accounts; Consider Instagram or other social media as well. 
  • Collaborate with and assist other committees in publicizing S4TJ work with listservs, social media, and other outlets
  • Work with the Executive committee to develop letters to the editor, public statements, and newsletters
  • Assist in maintaining and contributing to the S4TJ blog 

Updates:

  • Committee members began developing a new S4TJ website. This was proposed in order to make a more functioning and aesthetically appealing site. This website transition is currently still in progress.
  • Committee members led the development of the S4TJ response to Texas anti-transgender legislation in collaboration with CATS
  • Two blog posts, written by Cary, have been drafted for publication, and are in the pipeline to be published online.
  • Began planning a workshop on writing Op-Eds, perhaps in collaboration with the Scholarship committee, for next year. 
  • MJ designed S4TJ’s new organization logo to be used on the website, social media profiles, and communications:

Next Steps and Needs:

  • Continue updating the S4TJ website and transitioning to the new web platform.
  • Continue planning the Op-Ed Writing Workshop, perhaps in collaboration with the Writing Sub-Committee, to be hosted either at ASA or during the Writing Symposium in 2023
  • To respond to ongoing and fast-paced sociopolitical events (such as legislation), it would be helpful to draft boilerplate language/statements that S4TJ can quickly use or members can borrow to help S4TJ respond. All official S4TJ statements currently must be approved by the Executive Council and/or Chair.
  • This committee historically has had the fewest number of volunteers, this committee could use more volunteers that are regularly and consistently engaged on social media or would like to write for the blog/op-eds for continued engagement.
  • In collaboration with the Executive Council, this committee could potentially help develop a routine newsletter for S4TJ members as another avenue to engage our membership.