Have you been wondering how you can help support trans people in your community, but don't know where to start? Us too! Please join us for a panel discussion and conversation to learn more about the trans community in Kansas City as a whole, as well as trans people as individuals. Panelists—including trans people, as well as their friends and family members—will share their experiences of transitioning and things they wish the people around them knew. The panel will speak for one hour, followed by up to 30 minutes for Q&A. After a short intermission, for those who wish to stay, there will be an opportunity for small group discussion to process what we have learned and talk about action steps we might take.

This program is organized by the Justice & Peace Committee of Immanuel Lutheran Church. People of all faiths and no faith are warmly invited to join us as we seek ways to promote justice and build peace in the world around us.

Our panelists:

James Moran (he/him) is the Director of Education and Public Relations for Our Spot KC, a 501(c)(3) providing housing and supportive services to Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ community. He has previously held leadership and education roles with the Kansas City Pride Community Alliance, Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, and the University of Central Missouri. James holds an M.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies from Roosevelt University and a B.A. in Women’s Studies and American Studies from the University of Iowa, and is a parent to a nonbinary child.

My name for purposes of this panel is Robin, pronouns she/her. I work for an international law firm. I am the parent of a trans child, age 42 years old. My trans child has two masters degrees, plays several musical instruments, and is doing well in their career. My trans child is in a relationship with a trans partner—both my child and their partner identify as non-binary. My trans child and their partner are parents to a trans girl child of 7 years and a one-year-old. I am a proud grandmom and love my grandkids. I am also the parent of a cisgender child of 39 years, who has been married for 10 years—she is a graphic designer, and her husband is a builder.

Andréa Lauren (she/her): I had no real idea that I was transgender until one month after my 41st birthday, but looking back there were many signs over the years, since my earliest memories. However, a childhood in 1980s South Dakota and 1990s Missouri in an Evangelical Christian environment all but ensured that most of these tendencies would be repressed, whether directly or without even knowing it. As an adult, I got married and became a father, and I went on to all but forget what my inner self was trying to tell me, as society had managed to all but erase who I really was because I still didn’t know it myself, and I had no grounds on which to stand.