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 became interested in the civil rights of transgender persons after reading “” a memoir by , an Irish-American transgender woman.

As a ��������–St. Louis  professor and  program director, Ebest was captivated by Boylan’s courage and felt compelled to address the political, social and religious prejudice members of the LGBT community face on a regular basis, particularly individuals who exist on a fluid gender spectrum.

“Within the whole LGBT movement, people who identify as transgender are not making as much political progress as gays and lesbians,” Ebest said. “And so I felt it was important to get the word out about struggles the transgender community contends with. Not enough of their voices are being heard and respected.”

In collaboration with the  and LGBT organizations such as , , ,  and , Ebest and the UMSL Gender Studies program helped create the . Overall, more than 20 UMSL and community partners provided support for the conference.

After a successful inaugural run last year, the conference will return this Nov. 6 and 7 to offer students, educators, administrators and citizens presentations and workshops led by activists for transgender equality. UMSL’s continuous efforts at inclusivity, safety and respect for all community members garnered UMSL and the Transgender Spectrum Conference the Show Me Award sponsored by SAGE and PROMO.