At ACTS, we focus on the unique and often unrecognized needs of those with marginalized gender identities, and operate under the understanding that transgender and gender-expansive youth:
- have the same rights as their cisgender counterparts,
- experience socialization differently than that of their cis counterparts of the same or other gender(s),
- encounter a kind of marginalization unique to trans and gender-expansive youth,
- are the only ones who can define that marginalization and what equity looks like,
- have intersectional identities that further increase their diversity of experience,
- are the experts on their own lives; we follow their lead when advocating for change,
- deserve full representation on LGBTQ+ issues and need to be consulted when developing projects and services that may impact them, and
- should be free from the harm caused by intentional mis-gendering and other triggering use of language.
Please see our mini glossary for further definitions.