Topic: Trans in 2025: Understanding the Personal and Political Landscape of Being Trans in America Today

The lunch and learn will discuss being trans in 2025. TJ will start by sharing where he is in his transition, then talk about issues such as name change and the pressure to get documents in order. He will also share wisdom learned from older trans guys as well as a recent experience of going home to his small, rural, farming town.

Craig will discuss as a social worker, how he/they has learned to work at four levels -- internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and systems-- and give some examples from their work of how both oppression, and resistance to oppression, works at all four levels. Work at any level is part of working for social justice-- all the puzzle pieces are necessary. This model offers an avenue of hope and inspiration to take action of some kind.

Presenters: TJ Stiers, MSW, LCSW and Craig White, MSW

TJ Stiers is a trans masculine, bilingual LCSW who has a private practice in Asheville. He obtained his MSW from Washington University and has provided mental health services in a variety of settings including public health, community mental health and public health. He specializes in working with severely traumatized adults and adolescents as well as the Latinx and GLBTQ community. TJ currently serves as the Vice Chair of Asheville LPU and is on the NASW-NC Board of Directors.

Craig White serves as the Supportive Schools Director for the Campaign for Southern Equality. Craig provides training, policy guidance, and assessment services to assist Southern schools in becoming more inclusive and welcoming for students of every sexual and gender identity. As Special Projects Advisor, Craig plays a support role for CSE’s equity work and policy advocacy work. Outside of his CSE work, Craig is the lead facilitator for Craig White Consulting, a private consulting practice through which he does racial equity training and consulting with schools, nonprofits and foundations around the US. Craig holds an undergraduate degree from Brown University and an MSW from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is a William C. Friday Fellow for Human Relations through the Wildacres Leadership Initiative.

Cost:

NASW Members: $5

Students: FREE

Non-members: $22.50

CE: 1.5 hours. Proof of attendance for CE will be distributed via email within one week after the event.

Those registering as students will not receive CE for this event.

Zoom link will be emailed out to registrants the day before the meeting.

If you don't think you have received the Zoom link, please check your Spam folder. If not in your Spam, please email Seth Maid at smaid.naswnc@socialworkers.org or Mary Choe at mchoe.naswnc@socialworkers.org for assistance BEFORE the LPU event begins.