Contact: William Sawyer-Todd For Immediate Release
Phone: 517-708-7929
Rachel Crandall will speak before the East Lansing Human Relations Commission on Wednesday, September 7 at 7:00 PM at East Lansing City Hall, 410 Abbot Road. Members of the public and the media are encouraged to attend. Attendees should enter from the rear of the building. For information on the commission, see:
Champion of Transgender People
to Speak in East Lansing
Rachel Crandall Returns to Mid-Michigan to Raise Awareness
Lansing, Michigan -- There are many forms of courage. Men and women in uniform who face danger in Afghanistan are certainly one example. Firefighters, running toward a disaster when others run away, are another example of bravery and nerve personified. Then, there are more subtle forms of courage. Rachel Crandall has courage of her own.
Rachel was born to Jewish parents in the ‘60s and was diagnosed with Tourettes Syndrome. To a casual acquaintance, it is most apparent as a pronounced stutter. Inside, there are far more challenges. Learning was particularly difficult.
Over time, she graduated from high school and Michigan State University with a masters in Social Work, married, started work, and bought a house. However, another issue began to confront her head on; an issue that would wipe out many of her gains and change her life forever. Rachel, who identified and was brought up as a male, began to realize she was far more comfortable inside as a female; she thought of herself and was, in fact, a female. Later, she found out that the term for this is “transgender”.
At the time the word was almost unknown to the public and she knew she would face huge discrimination and further challenges. She didn’t let it stop her from “coming out of the closet” as a transgender person.
“I was finally true to myself,” she said, “but, I lost marriage, my house, and my job. I was completely devastated.”
But the ever-resilient Rachael Crandall faced this challenge like she had many others and continued to push her life forward. She prepared for the next great leap as an advocate and a leader.
Rachel grew to understand that there was nothing intrinsically wrong with her awareness of herself as female. “To me, it was perfectly normal and natural. The issues were how others viewed my gender identity.”
She began her new undertaking by greatly increasing communications with other transgender people in Michigan, a population that, at the time, was largely closed to outsiders. She taught other people like herself to have pride in who they are, she shared her life’s story and challenges with them, and helped to instill self esteem in many who had very little. She taught them to strive toward equality with other citizens, to fight back against discrimination. She was breaking very new ground.
Outreach to the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community seemed logical. She sensed that there was common ground with others who are confronted with sexual/gender issues and who are often marginalized by the general population. She founded a first of its kind organization, TransGender Michigan, an advocating association for transgender people as well as a place to bring together lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals to further the cause of civil rights. A website and seemly endless round of public speaking helped to reach her allies in her local community and opened many eyes to what it means to be a person who is transgender.
A few years ago, having left her Mid-Michigan friends for Ferndale, Rachel married and set down new roots there. She continues to work and advocate as much as her disability will allow -- and then pushes it some more. She’s a part time clinical specialist at Affirmations, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community center near Detroit. She makes speaking engagements whenever she possibly can; she has brought so much assistance and acceptance to her peers. Her drive to bringing understanding and acceptance for all LGBT people is relentless.
Yes, there are many forms of courage, but holding one’s head up in the face of adversity, banding with others and teaching them to believe in themselves, has to be one of the most important kinds that there is. Rachel Crandall has her own special brand of courage.
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A Portion of Rachel’s Involvement, Awards, Recognitions, and Initiatives:
Founder and current executive director of TransGender Michigan
Current clinical specialist for Affirmations LGBT Helpline
Creator of the International Transgender Day of Visibility
Former director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Hotline of Greater Lansing
Former vice president of the Lansing Association for Human Rights (LAHR).
Former vice president of Crossroads (the principal crossdressers group in Michigan)
Former co-diversity Chair for the Human Rights Campaign
Former co-vice president for Pride at Work
Winner of the State Bar of Michigan Liberty Bell Award (2008)
Winner of the Greater Lansing LGBT Prism Award (2000)
