Ryan Sallans | |
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Ryan Sallans, 2011 |
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Born | Kimberly Ann Sallans 1979 Aurora, Nebraska, U.S. |
Residence | Omaha, Nebraska |
Nationality | American |
Education | Master's Degree |
Alma mater | University of Nebraska-Lincoln |
Occupation | Public speaker, activist |
Years active | 2005—present |
Known for | LGBT activism, public speaking |
Home town | Aurora, Nebraska |
Website | |
http://www.ryansallans.com |
Ryan Kim-Scout Sallans (born Kimberly Ann Sallans; 1979) is an American LGBT rights advocate and out transman. Ryan began his transition from female-to-male in 2005.[1] He travels the nation speaking to professionals, college audiences, and youth about what life is like being transgender and how health care is changing.
In addition to his career as a public speaker, Ryan has been featured in magazines around the world. He shares his story about his struggle with an eating disorder and how he came to terms with his gender identity. He has been featured in Closer Magazine,[2] the Salina Journal,[3] The Reader,[4] and NewsNetNebraska.[5]
Ryan has also been a guest on Larry King Live! in 2007[6] and 2009[7] and talked about his gender transition and his status as an out transman.
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In 2005, Sallans began undergoing a physical and social gender transition from female to male. He had a bilateral mastectomy with nipple grafts performed the beginning of May 2005 before beginning hormone therapy in June. During this time he was featured in the LOGO documentary, Gender Rebel,[8] which captured him at the beginning of his transition. In July 2005, a Nebraska Court granted his request for a name change and he legally completed his transition in October 2005, when he had his gender officially changed on all of his legal documents including his birth certificate. Ryan also underwent bottom surgery in the form of a hysterectomy in 2006 and a metoidioplasty in 2008.
Since 1999, Ryan has worked as a trainer and speaker on issues surrounding eating disorders, body image and wellness. He first began including transgender issues in his presentations in 2007, shortly before completing his gender transition. Since then he traveled the nation sharing his transition story with universities and communities, as well as helping professionals establish better comprehensive care and understandings surrounding LGBTQA issues. He offers a wide range of issue-based presentations that an be broken down into "University" and "Professional" presentations.[9]
University Training Topics
Professional Training Topics
In addition to his community presentations, Ryan also works as a consultant for various businesses, organizations, and schools helping to improve the workplace environment for transgender employees, students, clients, or customers.[10] Some areas he has worked on with organizations before include:
Sallans is currently working on his book, tentatively named “Triple T”, that will discuss transitioning in the Midwest and the struggles and triumphs Ryan has encountered throughout his experience as an out Midwestern transman.