luin joy
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GENDER LITERACY COACHING
What is “gender literacy”?
- Having a thorough, multi-level understanding of gender as something that’s personal (your own gender), interpersonal (other’s experiences of gender) and cultural (societies ideas and constructs around gender)
- Expansion - something that allows our worlds to become bigger by integrating new knowledge and ideas
- The ability to recognize, critically analyze, and engage with how gender is expressed and constructed in society
- Understanding how gender and sexuality overlap and inform one another
- Developing the language and skills to have conversations about gender in inclusive and informed ways that incorporate trans perspectives
Everyone has a relationship to gender and sexuality. Gender roles and expectations shape nearly every aspect of our lives but we’re seldom taught how to recognize the impact these ideas have on our individual sense of identity, or talk about gender in a liberated way. Cisgender / heterosexual norms are celebrated and reinforced through schooling, popular media, fashion, beauty products, body standards, public policy and laws, professional environments, career expectations, sports, etc.
These collective messages communicate subtle and overt rules for how we should and should not be, in order to ensure our survival as social creatures. As a result, these fixed ideas gain power and authority, making it nearly impossible for some people to accept, understand, or integrate ways of being that challenge traditional conceptions of gender, sex, and sexuality. This makes life incredibly difficult for those of us who exist outside of these norms.
Whether we embrace, reject, or play with traditional gender rules, they form roots in our subconscious that impact the connection we have with our core selves. Sometimes, it can feel quite scary and overwhelming to investigate these roots because they’ve shaped so many aspects of life, we’re not sure what we’re going to uncover in that very deep soil.
Thankfully, Gender Literacy Coaching is not about losing yourself or needing to change who you are. It’s about helping you tune into your core self to better understand who you are, beyond and within all that’s been expected of you. It’s about unlocking tremendous healing by understanding gender as an arena for personal and collective freedom, autonomy, authenticity, and expansion. Widening your lens brings greater abundance, no matter where you’re starting from.
Why am I called to do this work?
I am a trans / queer man with three decades of lived experience in gender studies, identity expansion, and radical self-acceptance. My goal is to help people gain a deeper understanding of gender on a personal and collective level for the sake of healing, education, and self-connection. I’m here to hold space without judgement and help guide your personal journey using the wisdom of my lived experiences, spiritual work, and formal education.
Being trans gives me a uniquely wide lens in this works because transness is about so much more than gender - it’s about contagious freedom, radical honesty, transformative love, and the beautiful messiness of being human. This work is part of my purpose on earth. I’ve experienced firsthand, the transformative healing power of self-inquiry into gender and sexuality. Holding space for people to deeply investigate their relationship to these parts of self is sacred work. It opens hearts. It shifts perspectives. It offers care to wounds that never had a name. It allows us to love ourselves more deeply and see ourselves and others more clearly.
Listen to me talk about gender on Blue Dot Podcast: “Compassion Transcends Comprehension”.
Listen to my teaching and healing philosophy on Artist Soapbox Podcast
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Luin brought me into this space of awakening where gender could actually feel like a playground; not an assignment, a burden, or a prison.”
“Two years ago, my teenage son told me that he’s trans and I was at a total loss for how to support him. I wanted to do all the right things but it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath my feet. Our small town has a strong LGBTQ+ community but I wasn’t finding good resources for parents of trans kids and the world is just so full of misinformation. I really needed support and didn’t know where to turn. When Luin came into our lives, everything shifted. I learned so much from him. Just being able to witness his life path, spend time with him, get his perspective on things, and receive his wisdom and care brought me so much clarity and hope. He helped my son see a future for himself despite this incredibly scary time in history. Luin is an angel, I am so grateful.”
“Before I started working with Luin, I hadn't taken the time to really explore my gender in an intentional, healing way, despite identifying as queer for the past 10 years. He helped me feel more comfortable in my own skin and more expansive and self-connected in my relationships.”
“Luin helped me see how my relationship with masculinity was feeding into my perfectionism and I never would’ve made that connection otherwise. This work is changing my relationships for the better, especially my relationship with myself.”
“I didn’t realize how much cis and trans experiences were intertwined until I started excavating my own gender in a more trans-inclusive way. I thought this process would be painful and full of shame but it actually brought me so much lightness and relief. I have never felt more self-connected. I’m now able to think more expansively about what it means for me to be cis, with an increased awareness of genders outside my own.”
“Luin creates a very safe, honest, and playful container with great intention and tenderness. Working with him helped me relax some of the gripping uncertainty and discomfort of exploring gender both in my own expression and in my creative practice.”
“As a kid, I didn’t have any healthy male role models. I was committed to becoming the kind of man I wish I had known growing up- someone who is strong and helps other people feel safe. But over the years, I developed a ton of anxiety and didn’t really know myself anymore, outside of what I needed to be for other people. When I started working with Luin, a lot of my anxiety and fear melted away. I felt safe to show up exactly how I am without worrying if he was gonna judge or reject me. He’s so open and patient, I don’t have to have all the right words or be able to express myself perfectly. He’s just with me in it. He sees the character of my heart, he is gentle with my vulnerable parts. We’ve led really different lives but I feel a soul connection with him that’s also really helped me better understand trans experiences on a personal level. I didn’t know ahead of time how gender literacy was going to help me with my anxiety and confidence but it really has.”
Want to learn more? Book a free 30-minute consult with me today!
let’s chat
let’s chat
If you’re trans and want to work with me...
I offer coaching specifically tailored to support trans people with self-attunement, body-mind integration, personal gender exploration, and many other things!
This type of coaching can also be helpful in some cases where parents, partners, or caregivers are seeking more in-depth, personal guidance on becoming equipped to support the trans people in their lives through social/legal/medical transition.
If this applies to you or someone you know, this page will tell you all about it!
Can I work with you if I’m cis and straight?
Yes, please do! In my experience, this work is especially transformative for cis and straight people who have a deep desire to understand genders / sexualities beyond their own, but don’t know where to start. They may feel afraid of making mistakes, have limited exposure to accurate information about gender / transness, or have not spent much time considering what it means to be cis, why that feels correct for them, and how their life has been shaped by this part of their identity.
A lot of educational resources focus mainly on increasing our understanding of marginalized genders and sexualities. While this work is of course essential, it’s only half of the picture. The other half requires us to look at aspects of cis and straight culture that produce marginalization and inherently limit everyone’s authenticity and freedom. Being able to see cis reality more clearly, is an essential part of understanding and integrating the realities of trans and gender expansive people.
What I’ve witnessed is that many cis people find this process tremendously healing, interesting, and generative. It allows you to witness your full self, exactly as you are, with a much deeper understanding of your own identity. My job as your coach and your loving witness is to guide you through this process with compassion, wisdom, and tremendous care. If you can begin to understand and articulate what conscious gender alignment / misalignment feels like within yourself, you will become more equipped to understand and imagine what conscious gender alignment / misalignment might feel like for someone else.
This mindset shift is a precious opening into greater compassion and clarity.
By doing this work, your capacity to empathize, advocate for, and support trans people, will only grow. That this is deeply important for creating a world where all people, especially those most impacted by cisgender social constructs (trans people), are able to thrive, experience joy, build fulfilling lives, and participate fully in society without fear of prosecution.
All boats rise with the tide!
(If this topic makes you especially anxious, my interview with Blue Dot Podcast is a great way to experience my compassionate, grounded, disarming approach to this work)
If your business or workplace would really benefit from this type of support...
I'm here to help! Are you hoping to create a more inclusive, trans-friendly, gender-conscious workplace? Do you want to expand your knowledge and find solutions to problems within your organization related to these issues? Do you feel passionate about making changes but aren't sure where to start? Are you afraid of "getting it wrong"?
I offer special rates for groups, organizations, community networks, education spaces, care facilities, and other professional environments. Our work together will include live coaching sessions and a robust collection of gender literacy education resources. This work goes beyond more traditional DEI trainings and single-session video presentations. My goal is to make this important work feel interpersonal, easier to talk about, and infused with compassion and empathy. My approach to coaching is creative, innovative, warm, and accessible.
With your trust and willingness, I will support your team through personalized, engaging sessions focused on increasing gender/trans literacy skills, opening pathways for communication, finding practical solutions to current problems within your group, and creating lasting change for your organization.
RATES AND PACKAGES:
All sessions are virtual, paid in advance, and can be scheduled at any frequency that feels right for you!
Package rates allow for greater consistency, the ability to schedule in advance, and savings on the cost per session.
Single session: $120 / 1 hour
5 pack: $515
($103 per session / $85 savings)
10 pack: $1050
($105 per session / $150 savings)
Follow this link to schedule a session or free consultation:
https://calendly.com/luin-joy
Single session: $450 / 1 hour
Packages and multi-session contracts will be determined after our first session, based on the specific nature of your situation.
Follow this link to schedule a session or free consulation:
https://calendly.com/luin-joy