LGBTQ+ Educator, Author, Speaker, and Consultant
In 2025, Shay Valley, a leading asexual (ace) scholar, and I conducted the first national U.S. study of undergrads and grad students who are both (1) asexual (ace) and (2) trans and/or nonbinary. We undertook this research to better understand the experiences of ace trans/nonbinary college students. Our initial survey findings are now available on the Trans/NB Ace College Student Study page.
Watch for additional results to be shared in the future!
The research that I did with Abbie Goldberg on the gender identities and pronouns of incoming college students has now been made into a podcast by SciPod. It is available for free here.
I am thrilled to announce that Shay Valley, a leading ace scholar, and I are launching the first national U.S. study of undergrads and grad students who are both ace and trans and/or nonbinary. We are conducting this research to better understand the experiences of ace trans/nonbinary colleges students, given that a disproportionate number of ace youth identify as trans/nonbinary and vice-versa. At a time when trans and nonbinary young people are under attack like never before, it is critical that their voices be heard, and we will circulate the findings of this study widely.
The study involves taking a 20-30 minute survey and doing a 60-90 minute follow-up Zoom interview, where participants will be asked questions related to identifying as ace and trans/nonbinary and what their experiences have been as ace trans/nonbinary people. Students who complete both the survey and interview will be entered into a raffle to possibly win one of four $50 gift cards.
Individuals are eligible to participate in this study if they identify as ace (e.g., asexual, demi, gray) and trans and/or nonbinary (e.g., agender, genderfluid, genderqueer, demi, trans man, trans woman). Participants should also be a current undergraduate or graduate student at a U.S. college or university (to avoid any undue influence, we will not include any participants from the institutions where we work–UMass Amherst and the University at Buffalo).
Genny and Abbie Goldberg’s article on the gender identity and pronouns of incoming trans and nonbinary college students has been published in the International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth Studies! We found significant differences in students identifying as trans and nonbinary by legal sex and citizenship status and less so by race. In terms of pronouns, more than 90% of the students who went by a pronoun set beyond “she/her” or “he/him” used “they/them.” The full article can be accessed on this website. All of the research findings are available on my website.
An article that Genny wrote based on their Common App research, “Fewer College Students Indicate They Are Nonbinary Amid Backlash,” was published in The Conversation on Sept. 11, 2024.
Genny was one of the higher education people asked by Inside Higher Ed to suggest a question that they would pose at the first presidential debate, if they were given the chance.
Genny’s question: “Because of anti-DEI laws and policies, LGBTQ+ centers at state colleges and universities in Texas and Florida have been closed, and such centers in other states are threatened with closure. How do you respond to LGBTQ+ students who say that these spaces are a lifeline for them—that they likely would have dropped out of school or even attempted suicide if not for these centers and the support they received there?”
Genny worked with colleagues in the Consortium of Higher Ed LGBT Resource Professionals to develop recommendations for colleges and college departments for supporting their trans and nonbinary students. Every higher ed institution needs to be implementing these policies and practices.
Genny presented their research on the gender identities and pronouns of the more than one million students who filled out the Common App to attend college in Fall 2023 at the ACPA (American College Personnel Association) Conference. Their research findings are available here.
The 2nd Edition of The Sage Encyclopedia of LGBTQ+ Studies, for which Genny was an associate editor and wrote seven entries, has been published. It is three heavy volumes! (but it will mostly be available as an online library resource).
Genny is one of the individuals profiled in Authentic Selves, a new book and photo exhibit that celebrates trans and nonbinary people and their families. They were also interviewed for a story about the book.
