What Happens to a Dream Deferred? Sharing Proper Pronouns as an Act of Gender Self-Determination

In a field where “creating best practices seems like a best practice,” the author beliefs make them a bit of an outsider. In this chapter, the author introduces LeeAnn Bell’s notion that “social justice is both a process and a goal” as well as Angela Y. Davis’ notion that “freedom is a constant struggle.” In 2015, members of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and NASPA collaborated to update the professional competency areas for the field of student affairs. Further implicit in the field’s framing of social justice is the notion that equity, justice, and freedom for marginalized populations, including trans-people, will continue to be a constant struggle. He also worry that-as Jaekel and Catalano argued-talking about those things that are heralded as “best practices” in student affairs may be increasing in frequency but is doing little to impact the livability of trans-students’ lives.