Ryan Sallans

Ryan Kim-Scout Sallans (born Kimberly Ann Sallans; 1979) is an American LGBT rights advocate and out trans man. Sallans began his transition in 2005.^[1] He travels the United States speaking to professionals, college audiences, and youth about being transgender and the changing nature of health care.

Sallans has been featured in Closer Magazine,^[2] the Salina Journal,^[3] The Reader,^[4] NewsNetNebraska,^[5]Oddee.com,^[6] The Advocate,^[7] and many more including The Chicago Bureau,^[8] BuzzFeed,^[9] and US News.^[10] He shares his story about his struggle with an eating disorder and how he came to terms with his gender identity.

Sallans was a guest on Larry King Live in 2007^[11] and 2009.^[12] He has also appeared on Ricki: The New Ricki Lake Show in 2012 ^[13] and Trisha in 2012. In 2013 he was interviewed on the NPR radio show, On Point with Tom Ashbrook ^[14] and also on HuffPost Live with Josh Zepps.^[15]

Gender transition

In 2005, Sallans began undergoing a physical and social gender transition. 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,^[16] 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.

Public Speaking

Since 1999, Sallans has worked as a trainer and speaker on issues surrounding eating disorders, body image and wellness.^[17] He began including transgender issues in his presentations in 2005, shortly after 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 can be broken down into "University" and "Professional" presentations.^[18]

University Training Topics

• Eating Disorders & Body Image
• Gender Identity/Expression
• Transgender History and Identities
• Mental and Medical Healthcare
• Sexual Orientation and Social Justice
• LGBTQ Youth

Professional Training Topics

• Gender Identity/Expression
• Workplace Transitions
• Hormone Therapy
• Social/Legal Implications Affecting the Transgender Community
• LGB Health Care
• Working with Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues

In addition to his community presentations, Sallans also works as a consultant for various businesses, organizations, and schools helping to improve the workplace environment for transgender employees, students, clients, or customers.^[19] Some areas he has worked on with organizations before include:

• Workplace Transitions
• University Support – Administration Documents and Forms, Dorms/Restrooms, ID Cards, Rosters, Sensitivity Training
• Administrative/HR Support
• Facility Improvements
• Guide and Manual Development
• Transgender Health Care Services

Book

In April 2012, Sallans' memoir, Second Son: Transitioning Toward My Destiny, Love and Life was released.^[20] The memoir explores Sallans' struggles as a child in Nebraska, his fall and recovery in college as an anorexic, and his transition in the Midwest. It gives readers insight into the struggles and triumphs Sallans has encountered throughout his experience as an out Midwestern trans man.

Publishing

In April 2013, Sallans started the publishing company, Scout Publishing LLC.^[21] Scout Publishing, LLC. is an independent publishing house established for readers, booksellers, and authors seeking books on gender, sexuality and identity.

Scout Publishing focuses on stories within the nonfiction genre that explore life’s challenges when pushed to the margins. It is publishes the quarterly literary journal The Outrider Review which is dedicated to artwork, poetry and prose that explore sexuality, gender and identity.^[22]

References

External links

• Official Website
• Official Blog