About: Burleton Education
Who is Jenn Burleton?
Jenn Burleton is a prominent American activist, educator, and advocate whose work centers on supporting transgender and gender-diverse children, youth, and their families.
In 2006, she co-founded Trans Youth Family Advocates/Allies (TYFA), the first non-profit focused on the needs of trans+ children, youth, and families. Her voice and extensive experience have contributed to public conversations on gender diversity, gender-affirming healthcare, and policy development and practice.
In 2007, she co-founded TransActive, which in 2019 became the TransActive Gender Project at Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling and opened the doors of Burleton Education.
In 2024 she left that institution and founded Burleton Education.
Jenn’s pronouns are she/they.
For media inquiries, email us at: burletonmedia@gmail.com
Learn More
Background
A woman of transgender experience, Jenn Burleton was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years.
From 1974-2010, Jenn Burleton worked as a professional musician, songwriter, and arranger, touring the world with various headliners and bands.
She met the love of her life in 1980, and they have been together for more than 40 years.
Recognition
In 2021, LGBTQ Nation named Jenn Burleton their “Hometown Hero” for her sustained impact and advocacy for trans youth.
The following year, she was interviewed by Megan Twohey for a New York Times article (“They Paused Puberty, But Is There A Cost?”), and was later critical of the New York Times’ lack of journalistic integrity.
Additional awards and recognition:
Oregonians for Equality
Sy Award
Sen. Merkley/Wyden
Advocates for Justice
Queer Heroes PNW
Achievements
A Fellow of the Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Jenn Burleton’s work has been a bridge between trans youth, families, educators, policymakers, institutions, and corporate leadership.
In 2015 she played a pivotal role in securing healthcare coverage of pubertal suppression treatment under Oregon’s Medicaid program, a first in the USA.
In 2022, she created the nation’s first Gender Diversity Certificate Program during her tenure as director of the TransActive Gender Project at Lewis and Clark Graduate School. It has since been renamed the Trans Youth Support & Advocacy Certificate.
Bibliography
Audio/Video
StoryCorps Archive: Jenn Burleton & Bentley Fox
Hear Me Now: A Transgender Agent for Change
KGW 8: Oregonians Feel Impact of Anti-Transgender Push in Texas, Other States
Truth, Lies, and the Place In-Between (2019)
Learning How to Be An Ally to Your Trans Child
On Relationships: When Gender and Family Collide (at 36:00)
The Blacklisting of Jenn Burleton (2025)
This “Best of GenderTalk” episode is from an interview with Jenn Burleton, Kim Pearson (mother of a trans son), and her son, Shawn. It occurred on September 9, 2006. just over one week after Jenn Burleton established the first trans-led, transgender youth and family organization in the world. It eventually became known as Trans Youth Family Allies (TYFA).
Interviews/Publications
Transcending Uncertainty: How Parents Can Make A Huge Difference for Transgender Youth (2023)
Cheerless (2009)
As Texas Targets Trans Youth, a Family Leaves in Search of a Better Future (2022)
Oregon School District Pulls Students From Camp Over Nonbinary Counselors (2022)
Two Years On, Oregon’s Transgender Health Care Law Faces Obstacles (2025)
Table of Contents
