Kortney Ryan Ziegler facts for kids

Kortney Ryan Ziegler (born December 15, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, filmmaker, artist, writer, and scholar. He lives in Oakland, California. His work focuses on topics like gender identity, body image, and the experiences of black transgender people.

About Kortney Ryan Ziegler

Kortney Ryan Ziegler was born in Compton, California. He grew up in a family of single black women. He was the first person in his family to go to college.

He earned his master's degree from San Francisco State University. Later, he received his PhD from Northwestern University. While studying for his PhD, he began to explore his gender identity. He started to identify as genderqueer. In 2011, he finished his PhD. He was the first person to earn a PhD in African-American studies from Northwestern University. He currently lives in Oakland, California.

Kortney Ziegler's Career

Blogging: blac (k) ademic

From 2003 to 2006, Ziegler wrote a blog called blac (k) ademic. This blog discussed gender from the viewpoint of a young, black, and queer academic.

The blog focused on the experiences of women of color. Ziegler closed the blog for a while due to negative comments. In 2006, blac (k) ademic won the Best Topical Blog award at the first Black Weblog Awards. The blog relaunched in 2012. It was later nominated for a GLAAD Media Award and a Transguy Community Award.

Filmmaking: STILL BLACK: a Portrait of Black Transmen

In 2008, Ziegler's film STILL BLACK: a Portrait of Black Transmen was released. He came up with the idea for the film while studying for his PhD.

The film explores the experiences of transgender men in the African American community. Ziegler and his producer, Awilda Rodríguez Lora, used social media to raise money for the film. This helped them complete the project.

Technology Projects

In 2013, Ziegler started Trans*H4ck. This is a group where trans people can work together on technology projects. It began as a two-day event called a hackathon.

He also co-founded BSMdotCo with Tiffany Mikell. This company focuses on educational technology. They created Aerial Spaces, which is a video-based online discussion platform.

In 2017, Ziegler and Mikell also co-founded Appolition.us. This app helps black people who are in jail pay for their bail. Users can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar. These extra cents are then donated to help cover bail costs. The app gained support through crowdfunding after Ziegler posted about it online.

Awards and Recognition

Kortney Ryan Ziegler has received many honors and awards for his work:

• 2006 Best Topical Blog, Black Weblog Awards – blac (k) ademic
• 2009 Best Documentary, Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival – STILL BLACK: a portrait of black transmen
• Trans 100 Honoree
• 2013 GLAAD Media Award Nomination for Outstanding Blog
• 2013 Empowerment Award, Black Transmen, Inc.
• 2013 Outstanding Transgender Service, The Esteem Awards
• 2013 Top 40 Under 40 LGBT Activist, The Advocate
• 2013 Authentic Life Award, Transgender Law Center
• 2017 Diablo magazine's 40 Under 40 award winner