Sean’s instagram is: seanburgandy.pix

Sean is a licensed clinical social worker who has been working with the elderly, youth and families in Northern Virginia for over a decade. Prior to his social work career, Sean spent 17 years in the television industry and worked at C-SPAN, Fox News, Aljazeera English and the Discovery Channel. He began testosterone treatment in 2002 and underwent several gender related surgeries before changing careers. Sean believes the career change was more stressful than switching genders.

Sean has a MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.A. in Radio / Television from George Washington University. While a student at GW, Sean became involved with LGBT activism first as a lesbian. Shortly after coming out as a transgender in the mid-1990s, Sean began to work on producing conferences in the Washington, DC area for the Female to Male transsexual and transgender communities. It was during this time that he became more interested in community organizing and less professionally committed to journalism. He formally began his social work career in 2009 working with children, youth and families and now works as an elder abuse investigator. Sean continues his activism by conducting transgender cultural competency trainings for mental health clinicians and students. He has facilitated trainings for The George Washington University Counseling Center and The Department of Defense.

Listen as Sean details the process he went through as he carefully considered the profressional implications of transition. He dicusses the intersectionality of race, gender identity and sexual orientation, and how he navigated the world before and after transition. Since Sean left his former career in media and became a licensed clinician, he has flourished. Be sure to check out his photography on instagram. Sean’s story is full of intrigue and honest moments of self-examination. Sean provides several opportunties for us to reflect and laugh our hearts out.