WPATH Awards

Tone Maria Hansen is a trained sociologist from Norway. Ms. Hansen was instrumental in founding the Harry Benjamin Resource Center (HBRS) in 2000, a critical period when the support for people experiencing gender incongruence was significantly lacking due to the discontinuation of medical treatments for gender correction in Norway. Her leadership not only revived crucial medical treatments but also fostered a supportive community network for individuals experiencing gender incongruence and their families.

Through her visionary leadership, Ms. Hansen has consistently worked towards de-stigmatizing issues related to gender incongruence in the media and society. Ms. Hansen’s commitment extends beyond advocacy, deeply involving herself in educational initiatives. She has organized numerous national and international conferences to boost knowledge about gender dysphoria among professionals and the general public. Under her guidance, HBRS has flourished, extending its reach and influence across Norway and establishing regional chapters that provide localized support. Her efforts have not only reshaped the landscape of health care and rights for people experiencing gender incongruence in Norway but have also made a significant impact internationally.

Greta Bauer, PhD, MPH is a professor and director of the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health in the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, USA. She holds the endowed academic chair in sexual health. Prior to 2022, Dr. Bauer was a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University in London, Canada, where she held a Sex and Gender Science Chair through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). As an epidemiologist, Dr. Bauer’s 25 years of research experience in sexual and gender health has been both substantive and methodological, with a focus on the impacts of social marginalization. She is an international leader in research on transgender and non-binary health, and in incorporating intersectionality into quantitative research methods. She has led large research teams on multiple projects, including the Trans PULSE Project (Ontario), Trans Youth CAN!, and Trans PULSE Canada, as well as methods research in measuring sex and gender in health research. This body of work has impacted policy and practice in Canada and internationally.

Since 2008, Rainbow Health Ontario has educated more than 50,000 health care providers across Canada and has provided individual clinical support on gender affirming care to thousands more. We produce Sherbourne’s Guidelines for Gender-Affirming Primary Care with Trans and Non-Binary Patients, now in its 4th edition, and support organizations in developing gender-affirming competencies in health care settings.

Ren Massey, Ph.D. (he/him) is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in the Atlanta area for over 30 years and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Emory University School of Medicine (Dept of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences). He conducts psychotherapy and evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults, and specializes in LGBTQ issues, particularly in gender identity. Dr. Massey is a Fellow of the Georgia Psychological Association (GPA) where he has served in many roles, including on GPA’s Ethics Committee and 2017-18 GPA President. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and on the committee that updated the WPATH Standards of Care for people who are Transgender and Gender Diverse to Version 8. After serving on the Faculty and Steering Group of the WPATH Global Education Institute (GEI), he was nominated and selected as Co-Chair/Mental Health Chair. In this position, he has led the mental health aspects of the national and international training programs of the WPATH GEI since January 2021.

Mx. Emmanuella David-ette is an Intersectional/inclusive Feminist, human rights advocate and Intersex/Trans lady living her reality in Nigeria. She has a Bachelors’ degree as an Archivist & Information Scientist. She is also a certificated Psychosocial Counseling / Therapist, has a certificate also on Gender-sensitive Governance. She has worked within the civil society movement for 13 years and still counting while addressing gender based violence and human rights violations, mental health issues with a special focus on transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming persons in Nigeria, West Africa. She was also recognized as one of the honorees on the Leading Ladies Africa (LLA) list 2022, making her one of Nigeria’s most inspiring women in Nigeria breaking boundaries within the mainstream media and uniting everyone using an Intersectional/Inclusive Feminist approach. As a South to South Learning Network (SSLN) champion, she has worked in various capacities with NACA, UNDP, NHRC and other bodies while focusing on human rights, gender based violence, mental health and a holistic healthcare services through the use of the power of positive narratives and putting a human face around sexual and gender diversities.

Sasha Bailey (she/her) is a public health PhD candidate student at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney. Her research focuses on advancing the epidemiology and prevention of mental ill-health and substance use among gender and sexuality diverse (LGBTQA+) people, with a particular focus on sport and physical activity settings, and secondary school systems. Sasha is an Australian-Asian trans woman and first-generation high school graduate and this in part drives her endless energy and enthusiasm to conduct research to protect and promote the health and rights of LGBTQA+ and particularly trans people.

Dr. Boot-Haury is a licensed psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist through the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). He earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the Michigan School of Psychology and a graduate in LGBT Health Policy and Practice from George Washington University. They currently work as the Goldblum-Carr LGBTQ+ Psychology Research Fellow at Palo Alto University, and their research agenda focuses on minority stress and cultural competency interventions with a focus on asexual and transgender communities. Dr. Boot-Haury is also a board member and the Policy and Government Affairs Chair of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality. In addition, they are a certified member and mentor of WPATH and a member of the Certification and Mentorship Committee.