Lavender Community Pride Award – Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd

Their trajectory this year has been one to watch.

From our first cover of 2023, Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd sat front and center ensuring the lives of Trans and Non-Binary youth that they are loved and protected in the state of Minnesota.

In turn, Dr. Goepferd became the Grand Marshal of the Twin Cities Pride Ashley Rukes Parade. That, along with the Youth Champion Award from the QUEERSPACE Collective, has emboldened the Chief Education Officer and Medical Director of Gender Health at Children’s Minnesota to break new ground in the area of uplifting and care for Trans and Non-Binary youth.

In a recent social media post on their LinkedIn page, Dr. Goepferd explained that they are “a pediatrician, a parent, and a person just like you. I have dedicated my professional career to making sure that all kids have what they need to thrive, and because of my identity and my love for my community, much of my professional life has been devoted to advocating for LGBTQ+ youth, and transgender and gender diverse kids and teens.”

When we asked Dr. Goepferd how it felt to be named one of our Lavender Magazine Community Award recipients, they said they were “incredibly honored.” Dr Goepferd added that “it really is an opportunity for me to reflect on the journey that I’ve been on personally and professionally since I arrived here 23 years ago.”

Yet, the work continues for Dr. Goepferd in the field of providing essential healthcare to trans and non-binary youth. “Now the work really begins of how do we not only appropriately respond to the kids and families who are already here in Minnesota,” Dr. Goepferd explained, “but how are we going to respond to the hundreds of kids and their families who are either going to be traveling to this state to continue their care, or considering relocating to Minnesota to live and become a part of our community? So, I think that’s really the next phase of this work is making sure that people can actually access the care that’s protected.”

As they continue this important work, Lavender Magazine congratulates Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd for their Community Award this year.