TONIGHT! - Ryan Sallans at UNK

I highly encourage everyone to go attend "Scouting the Unknown" tonight at 7-9PM in the Ponderosa Room (upstairs in the Student Union). Ryan Sallans, a transgender man from Nebraska, will be speaking about his experiences transitioning from female to male.


Here a short biography from his website, ryansallans.com.

Ryan is a 31 year old, writer (soon to be author of a book about his transition) and performer. Over the past five years he has worked as a free-lance public speaker where he shares his story, struggles, and observations about being trans. He also works at a non-profit organization as a health educator where he focuses on transgender and LGB health care, diversity, hormone therapy and inclusion.

To get where he is today, he's completed a bachelors of art in anthropology and English, a masters of art in English (creative writing), and a masters of art in educational psychology (human health behaviors) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Ryan began his transition in 2005 and over the years has explored various areas of his gender identity, at times leaning to the extreme side of the gender continuum, but now has settled into a place that he feels doesn't need to be defined.

He grew up in a small-town in central Nebraska where he spent most of his time playing outdoors, chasing cats and dogs, riding horses and swimming. Growing up, he considered himself an extreme tom boy, cutting his hair short, wearing jeans and t-shirts, coming home with bloody knees and dirty cheeks and not knowing how it happened. His fondest memories were hanging with friends during the summer, playing out in the woods and wading through the low running waters of the Platte River.

He's currently working on a book detailing his transition and living in the midwest.

It ought to be a very awesome, educational experience! I hope many of you find the time to attend.

-Jenna