shawndeez, Ph.D. Website

shawndeez, Ph.D.

LGBTQ+ Studies Expert, Public Speaker, and Spiritual Guide

shawndeez, Ph.D. (he/they) is a LGBTQ+ studies expert, public speaker, and spiritual guide based in Colorado. They hold workshops, give lectures, and hold private guidance sessions for clients who wish to expand their spiritual practice. They received their doctorate in UCLA’s Department of Gender Studies. While at UCLA, they created and led courses on Trans Magic, Queer & Trans Muslim Feminisms, and QTPoC Resistances while simultaneously serving on the Trans Wellness Team, a collective of medical doctors and mental health providers working to provide gender-affirming healthcare to trans students across the UC system. shawndeez’s dissertation research explored how queer, trans, and nonbinary individuals engage with the spiritual as a form of resilience, healing, and possibility. Their work today offers spiritually-conscious spaces for queer/trans people to lean into their joys.

Education

  • Ph.D., Gender Studies, University of California - Los Angeles

Professional Achievements

  • Presented at Google, On, UCLA School of Medicine, Lincoln Financial, and others
  • Creator of The Trans Joy Workshop, 7 years and running
  • Guidance Counselor for queer/trans individuals and their parents
  • Former Instructor in UCLA's Department of Gender Studies

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Co-authored Articles (6)

How to

Know if You Are Gay

LGBTQ+ Identity Expert Zoe Stoller explains common signs you might be gayMaybe a strange feeling bubbles in your chest when one of your peers is around, or you don’t feel like your sense of attraction lines up with the...

What Does He/Him Mean?

Does he/him mean someone is straight? Your questions, answered You’ve probably seen “he/him” or something similar in someone’s email signature or in a social media bio. When you see this, it means that person is ...

Transphobic Parents: How to Deal with Them, Coming Out, & More

Helping you find support and acceptance as a trans person If your parents are scared or uncomfortable with the fact that some people are transgender, it can be hard to be yourself around them. Dealing with your parent’...

How to

Talk With a Gay or Lesbian Person

The best tips for chatting with gay people and being a good ally If you are an ally of the LGBT+ community, you may be concerned about behaving in a way that supports that attitude. If you struggle to accept gay people,...

What Does LGBTQIAPK Stand For?

Learn all the essential terms in the queer community The LGBTQ+ vernacular is constantly expanding and evolving, which is especially apparent when it comes to an acronym sometimes used within the queer community: LGBTQIA...

18 Practical Ways to Celebrate Pride as an Ally

How to support the LGBTQ+ community during PridePride month (June) is an important time of the year for all members of the LGBTQ+ community to take pride in who they are, all while acknowledging the path of progress that...