Project Mentor
Dr. Meg Paceley
Department: Social Work
Research Project Overview:
Transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth experience stigma and oppression in their homes, schools, communities and the broader sociopolitical climate. In the U.S., anti-trans oppression includes school, local, state, and federal policies that restrict access to supportive and affirming people and resources, as well as hostile rhetoric, bullying and victimization, and family rejection. Although gains have been made to increase societal acceptance of sexual minority communities (e.g. gay, lesbian, bisexual), the backlash toward these gains has directly targeted TGE communities, with a primary focus on TGE youth. Since 2021, there has been a surge in states proposing and passing legislation that targets TGE youth through restrictions and bans on gender affirming care, supportive school environments, extracurricular activities, and gendered public facilities. In 2024 alone, 674 bills were proposed; within six weeks of 2025, there have been 509 anti-trans bills proposed across 46 states. At the federal level, executive orders have directly targeted TGE youth through potential bans on gender affirming care, restrictions on federal funding for TGE-related research and services, and restrictions on public schools affirming TGE youth’s chosen names and pronouns.
Given this background, there are multiple projects that a student could choose from in this apprenticeship (or work on components of more than one):
1) Understanding and Addressing Impacts of Legislation Banning Gender Affirming Mental Health Care in the U.S.: A Pilot Study of Mental Health Professionals and Advocates
This study utilizes qualitative interviews with mental health providers and advocates to better understand their experiences with legislation that aims to restrict or ban gender affirming care. By summer, 2025, we will be engaging in data analysis and writing up our findings.
2) Exploring the individual, familial, and community stress and mental health of transgender youth and their parents during a hostile sociopolitical climate
This study utilizes qualitative interviews with parents of transgender youth and their adolescent transgender children to understand their experiences during a hostile anti-trans sociopolitical climate. During Summer, 2025, we will be engaging in data collection and analysis.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
For either project, a student will have the opportunity to learn qualitative data analysis (coding, discussing in team settings), searching for literature, reviewing and summarizing literature, and drafting segments of text for manuscripts. If students choose, they can be a co-author on a paper submitted for peer-review.
This apprenticeship will help a student learn the basics of qualitative research, especially with an oppressed group during a challenging sociopolitical climate. Additionally, the student will learn how to work on a research team, collect library articles, review and summarizing articles, and write for publication. Finally, the student will develop skills at engaging in research for social justice purposes.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
The great thing about this apprenticeship is that the hours are very flexible. If students want the maximum hours, we have enough work for them to do to make that happen. If they prefer to work less, that is okay, too. The work is all done virtually, as well. We will have regular meetings but those are not scheduled yet so we can work with the whole team’s availability for the summer. Students are very able to work around their other commitments.
Preferred Qualifications:
The most important qualification for students is that they have a commitment to equity and justice for LGBTQ+ communities. It’s okay if they have not worked directly with the LGBTQ+ community, although that is a plus. As long as they have a commitment to upholding these values in our research, that is key.
To Apply:
The application opens on Saturday, March 1, 2025. Click here to submit an online application for this research apprenticeship through the Quest Portal. The application deadline is Friday, March 28, 2025, at 11:59pm.
Click here to view an outline of the general application questions. In addition to the general questions, students will be asked to respond to the following question:
- Please describe your commitment to equity and justice for LGBTQ+ communities and any experience you have volunteering with, advocating for, or in any other way working with the LGBTQ+ community. (750 word max)
Please note:
All students hired for a SHARE Summer apprenticeship must complete a federal I-9 form and present original documents in person to OUR staff as part of the hiring process. Visit this U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services page for more information about acceptable documents. You cannot begin working until this is complete. Students are encouraged to plan ahead for this. For example, if you are going home for spring break, consider bringing original documents back to campus with you.