Children Who Are Transgender and the Law - Their Rights, Challenges, and Experiences

Online registration is closed. Walk-ins are welcome for in-person attendance. To attend remotely, please email tnguyen@mnbars.org.

Please join us on Friday, September 16, 2022 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm for the Twelfth Annual Children and the Law Summit. The event will be held in-person at the Minnesota State Bar Association; remote participation is available via Zoom. Registration and a continental breakfast will be available beginning at 8:00 am.

8:30 am | Understanding Transgender Children and the Challenges They Face
Speaker: Ellie Krug, Human Inspiration Works, LLC
1.0 Elimination of Bias Credit

Young humans who identify as transgender or nonbinary have become far more visible, which is reflective of greater parental and societal acceptance. Still, of the letters in the “LGBTQ+ alphabet” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer), it’s the “Ts” (transgender and nonbinary humans), especially those who are younger, who more often face unique challenges relative to personal relationships, public interactions, and many other things that non-transgender persons (the technical phrase is “cisgender”) take for granted.

What does it mean to be a younger “trans” or nonbinary human? What can others— particularly legal professionals—do to make these young humans feel welcomed and accepted? What actions or words should one avoid? How does the daily buzz of marginalization ranging from bullies at school to states enacting anti-trans laws play into their daily lives?

Join national speaker, diversity consultant and author Ellen “Ellie” Krug as she shares what it means to be transgender and offers tips and advice on how to be inclusive toward younger people who identify as trans or nonbinary. Come with questions!

Keynote Speaker Brief Biography: Ellie Krug was a civil trial attorney with 100+ trials who transitioned from male to female in 2009 and later became one of the few attorneys nationally to try jury cases in separate genders. The author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change (2013), Ellie speaks, trains and consults on diversity and inclusion to court systems, corporations, law firms, government entities, social service organizations, and colleges/universities. A hopeless idealist, Ellie has presented her D&I program, “Gray Area Thinking,”® across the country. In 2016, Advocate Magazine named Ellie one of “25 Legal Advocates Fighting for Trans Rights.” She is also a monthly columnist for Lavender Magazine and Minnesota Women’s Press; her monthly newsletter, The Ripple, which reaches 9000+ recipients, can be found at www.elliekrug.com. Ellie views herself as an “Inclusionist.” In January 2018, Ellie launched her weekly AM950 radio show, “Ellie 2.0 Radio,” which, now with 200+ episodes, is about idealism and idealists seeking to create positive change in the world.

9:30 am | OutFront Minnesota's LGBTQIA2S+ 101 & Supporting Youth
KQ Quinn, Educational Equity Youth Coordinator, and James Darville, Director of Policy & Organizing
1.0 Standard CLE Credit

Our LGBTQIA+ 101 Training covers general terms relating to gender and sexuality, respecting pronouns and how to be an ally to gender non-conforming students. We will dive into thinking about our own experiences with gender and learn about the differences between gender identity, biological sex, gender expression and sexual orientation.

10:30 am | Transgender Children: Identity, Rights, and Challenges
Speakers: Judge Tara Kalar and Dr. Ellen Kennedy, World Without Genocide at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
1.0 Standard CLE Credit

During the 2022 legislative session, more than 130 bills addressing rights of transgender youth, their parents, and their communities were brought forward at state legislatures across the country.  With few exceptions, these efforts were intended to limit young people’s access to medical care; to ban their participation on gender-congruent sports teams and in gender-congruent public spaces; to limit their cultural acceptance within their educational communities; and more.

International documents affirm human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  We consider current U.S. law, executive decision-making, state and federal legislation, and civil society action within this contested domain and the impact on transgender youth.

11:30 am | Panel: Young Leaders on their Experiences as Transgender or Non-Binary and with Lawyers and the Legal System
Panelists: Shane Read, Jarrett Vanderpoel, and Kylee White 
1.0 Standard CLE Credit

A panel of young people will speak on their experiences as transgender or non-binary. These young people have also experienced the foster care system.

CLE Credits: