Debbie Davis Home Page 2

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“Debra Davis leads by example. She serves as a role model, and mentor for the GLBT community in the areas of education, acceptance, and advocating for the transgender community among others. She is a quiet, steadfast, and tenacious activist who builds & cultivates relationships in order to advance the cause of GLBT individuals.”

(Human Rights Campaign introduction of Debra Davis

at her 2001 Leadership Award presentation)

Debbie Davis

Two Spirit

Author, Educator, Speaker & Trainer

Debbie Davis is an award-winning two spirit, (transgender) educator, activist and nationally renowned speaker, trainer and author. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education, a Master’s degree in Media and Technology, and has completed post-graduate work in Communications. She is a graduate of the James P. Shannen Leadership Institute.

Debbie is the creative coordinator for “Spiritual Insights” an educational cooperative who orchestrate, promote and produce events, workshops and seminars, focused on being kind to all and true to yourself and living honest, out, proud & open lives.

She is a retired high school librarian who came out in May of 1998 as a transgender woman at Southwest High School in the Minneapolis Public Schools. This highly publicized transition

About Debbie -

is believed to be one of the first successful transitions in the nation, of a transgender person working with children in secondary education. She literally left school on Friday as a man and returned on the following Monday as the woman, Debbie Davis. As you can imagine, it was headline news both locally and nationally for days. She worked successfully for the next three and one-half years in that position and recently retired after 32 years in education.

Debbie is also the founding Executive Director of the Gender Education Center, a small nonprofit organization of transgender people, dedicated to support, advocacy and education. Over the last 25

years they have presented over 1,200 workshops and presentations involving more than 45,000 participants (details can be found on her award winning web site - www.debradavis.org). She is consulted by employers, law enforcement, human rights agencies and nonprofit service providers regarding policies that affect transgender people and is especially effective in coordinating workplace transitions for transgender employees. Debbie is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and conventions throughout the country. Many colleges bring her to their campus to draw attention to LGBT issues. Her dynamic, thought-provoking presentations move and inspire audiences.

Debbie lives in Maple Grove Minnesota, a growing suburb northwest of Minneapolis. Her home of over 35 years is surrounded by wonderful and caring friends & neighbors. She spends a great deal of time with her two grown daughters, their spouses and 5 awesome grandchildren who also live in the area. Debbie makes no secret of the fact that she is transgender and is well known and respected in her community. In this conservative, Republican area, she truly is the "new face of diversity."

Debbie continues to be an out, proud and visible transgender person working for human rights in our communities. Some of the many awards she has received include:

* “2014 Debra Davis Transgender Advocacy Award” - UW Stout - WI.

Named after Debra & given yearly starting in 2014.

* “2010 Woman of Distinction” Award - Century College

* “2009 Diversity Speaker of the Year” Award - Millikin University

* Curve Magazine’s “2006 - Making Waves” One of six trans activists

every dyke should know about.

* “2005 PRIDE Award” for people who “embody PRIDE: rallying

individuality, diversity & equality.

* Human Rights Campaign “2001 Leadership Award.”

* Lavender Magazine’s “1999 Person of the Year.”

* Twin Cities Pride "2000 Grand Marshal" (Minnesota’s summer GLBT

celebration with over 400,000 participants).