Jessica McKinnon > Resources > Organizational Affiliation

Jessica McKinnon is proud to be affiliated with a number of individuals and organizations committed to helping the transgender community:

Capital Trans Pride: Capital Trans Pride is a one-day event on the Capital Pride calendar each year, dedicated to the Washington DC metro area Transgender community.

Jessica McKinnon was a guest speaker at the very first Capital Trans Pride event in 2007 and has been a speaker each year since. She joined event planning committee in 2008, and was appointed chair of Capital Trans Pride 2009.

DCRCC (D.C. Rape Crisis Center) Transgender Working Group: The D.C. Rape Crisis Center initiated a project late in 2006 to help address the needs of everyone in the LGBT community. Early in the project, it became clear that the needs of transgender victims of violence were not well understood, and they formed a Transgender Working Group to help provide the knowledge that the DCRCC would need in order to better cater to transgender victims.

Jessica McKinnon has been involved with this project since its first meeting, and is dedicated to helping the DCRCC reach its goal of being able to properly understand and support the transgender community.

Equality Loudoun: Equality Loudoun has been working since 2003 to make Loudoun County, Virginia a welcoming place for all its residents - gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and straight.

Jessica McKinnon participated in a panel discussion cosponsored by Equality Loudoun in Arlington, VA in June 2008.

Equality Virginia: Equality Virginia is a statewide, non-partisan lobbying, outreach and education organization seeking equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Virginians.

Jessica McKinnon was a guest panelist at an Equality Virginia event entitled "LGBT STANDING UNITED: Becoming More Inclusive" at the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA on Saturday, April 12, 2008. Jessica spoke during all three sessions, on the topics "Transgender 101", and "Everything you wanted to know about transgender employment issues, but didn't know who to ask". When the event was expanded to other areas of Virginia, Jessica was a guest panelist at a similar event in Arlington, VA in June, 2008.

Gay-Straight Alliance Network: Gay-Straight Alliance Network is a youth leadership organization that connects school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to each other and community resources. Through peer support, leadership development, and training, GSA Network supports young people in starting, strengthening, and sustaining GSAs and builds the capacity of GSAs to create safe environments in schools for students to support each other and learn about homophobia and other oppressions; educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues; and fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.

Jessica McKinnon was invited to the West Springfield High School GSA as a guest speaker in September 2008 to discuss her experience growing up as a closeted bisexual and transsexual child, how she ultimately faced the reality of her situation, and how her life-changing transition affected her as well as those around her.

GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation): The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Jessica McKinnon was invited to partake in their media training workshop. She highly recommends the workshop to anyone who deals with the media in any way. The companion booklet, GLAAD Media Essentials Training Manual (also available for download), is a must-read resource, both for those in the public eye, as well as those interested in being able to interpret "between the lines" in media messaging, regardless of the specific medium.

Jamison Green: Jamison "James" Green is an internationally respected leader within the Transgender movement. A dynamic speaker and compelling writer, James has appeared in ten documentary films, and received every major award given by the largest national transgender organizations. He is an acknowledged inspiration for thousands of people, transsexual and non-transsexual alike.

Jessica McKinnon had the honor of personally introducing Jamison Green to the audience at a visit to the University of Maryland on December 1, 2006. Both James and Jessica presented at the 2007 Trans-Health Conference in Philadephia, PA on April 6, 2007.

MAGIC (Metro Area Gender Identity Connection): MAGIC is a support group geared primarily to the support of transsexuals in every stage of transition. The group also caters to family and friends of transsexuals looking to find out more about how they can support their loved one. The group meets on the third Friday of every month at the Falls Church Presbyterian Church, in Falls Church, VA, and also has an online forum and mailing list called MAGIC_DC on Yahoo Groups.Jessica McKinnon serves as a moderator both in the monthly support group meetings, as well as in the online forum.; Jessica also presented both of her self-authored workshops to the group: Jessica McKinnon presented a workshop entitled “Making a Successful Transition at Work” in 2007, and “Your Voice—Your Way” in 2008.

MAGIC on the Town: MAGIC on the Town was formed as a sister group to the MAGIC support group to help encourage members to get out of the house and socialize, in order to help to ease the transition into their new role in society. The group currently organizes outings about once every two months. The group has an online forum and mailing list called MAGIContheTown on Yahoo Groups.

Jessica McKinnon believes that even though this group is still in its infancy, that it is a great way to meet new people and make new friends, something that many transitioning transsexuals struggle to do on their own.

Out & Equal™ Workplace Advocates: Out & Equal™ Workplace Advocates is a national organization devoted to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the workplace.

Jessica McKinnon participated in a panel discussion hosted by Out & Equal in Washington, DC, in February 2008 contrasting successful transgender transitions in small business and large federal workplaces. Jessica has been a member of the Out & Equal Washington DC Regional Affiliate Council since March 2008. She has also been trained by Out & Equal to present their corporate LGBT diversity workshop, "Building Bridges: LGBT Diversity in the Workplace," and she is currently working towards becoming a certified diversity trainer for Out & Equal.

Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference: The Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference brings together transgender and gender-variant people, partners, allies, and healthcare providers for three days of workshops, keynotes, discussion, and networking. Because quality accessible, respectful healthcare is linked to self-determining our bodies and identities in a larger world, this conference seeks to explore themes related to enjoying rich, full lives, and building movements and communities for justice.

Jessica McKinnon presented a workshop entitled “Making a Successful Transition at Work” at the 2007 Trans-Health Conference in Philadelphia, PA on Friday, April 6, 2007 at 10:30 AM.; More recently, Jessica McKinnon presented a workshop entitled “Your Voice—Your Way” at the 2008 Trans-Health Conference in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 10:30 AM.

Southern Comfort Conference: The Southern Comfort Conference is one of the world’s premiere Transgender Community events.; Jessica McKinnon's workshop, “Making a Successful Transition at Work” was presented at the Southern Comfort Conference 2007 in Atlanta, GA on Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 9:00am, and again at the Southern Comfort Conference 2008 on Friday, October 3, 2008 at 2:00pm.; Jessica McKinnon's newer workshop, “Your Voice—Your Way” was presented to a packed audience at the Southern Comfort Conference 2008 on Friday, October 3, 2008 at 10:30am, and by popular demand, was repeated on Saturday, October 4, 2008 for those unable to attend the first presentation due to unfortunate schedule conflicts and space constraints.

University of Maryland Pride Alliance: The mission of UMD's Pride Alliance is to provide a safe and supportive environment for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and allied students within the University of Maryland at College Park community and to promote an accepting and supportive campus environment for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities, through outreach, education, and work with other student organizations.

Jessica McKinnon took part in a panel discussion, featuring a talk by Jamison Green, as well as a question and answer session, on December 1, 2007 at the University of Maryland at College Park.