sj Miller

Dr. sj Miller is an internationally recognized thought leader and trans*+ disciplinary scholar-activist in Gender Identity Justice. They serve as Faculty Trainer in the Center for Professional Learning and Professor in the Teacher Academy at Santa Fe Community College. Their work bridges research, policy, and practice to transform how educational systems engage gender, identity, and equity across PK–university contexts.

Miller’s scholarship centers on gender identity justice, the Pedagogy of Refusal, Theory of Trans*+, and the creation of frameworks that challenge binary and exclusionary logics in education. Their foundational models include the Queer Literacy Framework (QLF), which supports schools in guiding students toward personal, educational, and social legitimacy through (a)gender self-determination and (a)gender justice, and the Gender Identity Complexities Framework (GICF), which provides guidance for supporting trans*+ and gender-diverse students across educational settings.

Miller’s Gender and Sexuality Framework is embedded in UNESCO’s work advancing Pillar 4: Quality Education for Sustainable Development. Through collaborations with universities, ministries of education, colleges of education, DEI policies, and global organizations, these frameworks guide curriculum design, teacher preparation, and professional learning grounded in dignity, agency, and collective empowerment. Their work has been applied worldwide in countries including Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Bali, India, Japan, Germany, Samoa, Italy, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Norway, Spain, Haiti, China, Nepal, and Canada.

Miller’s research has produced over thirty book chapters, more than fifty peer-reviewed articles, and eight books. Their volume Teaching, Affirming, and Recognizing Trans and Gender Creative Youth: A Queer Literacy Framework (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) is considered a cornerstone of trans-affirming education. The book was translated into Spanish by UNESCO and received the 2017 AERA Exemplary Research Award for Outstanding Book and the 2018 Outstanding Book Award from the Michigan Council of Teachers of English. Another widely recognized work, Generation BULLIED 2.0: Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Our Most Vulnerable, was named an Essential Book for Professionals Who Serve Teens by Voices of Youth Advocacy Magazine in 2014.

In recognition of their impact, Miller received the American Educational Research Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award in 2019. That same year, they presented at the TEDMED Conference on Gender Identity Justice and have contributed to national and international media, including CBS News, BBC, Newsmax, and PBS. They also appeared in the feature documentary Gender: The Space Between on CBS.

Miller’s work translates complex theory, law, and policy into accessible tools for educators working under constraint. Their research informs teacher preparation programs, school districts, ministries of education, and international organizations seeking to build just and affirming learning environments. In addition to their authorship, Miller serves as Senior Associate Editor of the International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth and is co-editor of Social Justice Across Contexts in Education. Through scholarship, public engagement, and professional learning, they continue to shape global conversations on gender, education, and justice, insisting that teaching remains one of the most powerful sites of ethical resistance and collective transformation.