Read about the 2026 graduate appointed to the commission that focuses on gathering input from communities and translating that into policy recommendations in the latest issue of “CATALYST” magazine.
Photo: Chloe Kastner, MSW. Photo by Matthew D’Agostino
When Chloe Kastner opened the email, she wasn’t expecting it would be in response to something she applied for nearly two years ago. But, in many ways, it confirmed the work she had been building toward.
“Congratulations, Governor [Wes] Moore has appointed you to the Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs,” it read.
“It felt like a culmination of the work that I’ve done — like I’d been recognized in some way for the community work I’ve done over the last two years,” Kastner said.
That work, rooted in advocacy, community-building, and lived experience, defined Kastner’s time at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW), where she graduated in May with a Master of Social Work degree in the Leadership, Policy, and Social Change concentration. It also earned her recognition as the 2025 UMSSW Student of the Year and propelled her into leadership roles, including president of the school’s Student Leadership Coalition.
But for Kastner, the path to that moment didn’t begin in a classroom. It started much earlier with questions she posed to herself.
A Journey of Visibility
Kastner, who is transgender, said she knew early in life that something about her gender felt different.
“I didn’t know exactly what it was, and it took me some time to figure it out,” said Kastner, who grew up in Baltimore and age 14 moved to Harford County, where she still lives.
It wasn’t until later that she began to see what was possible, shaping her purpose.
“One of the things that really helped me was seeing other trans people thriving and finding joy,” she said.
What began as a personal goal to make life easier for younger transgender people has expanded, which is fitting for a social work student.
“I just want the actions that I take to make things better for other people,” she said.
Kastner’s initial four-year appointment to Maryland’s LGBTQIA+ Affairs Commission places her at the center of efforts to assess community needs and shape policies that affect LGBTQIA+ residents across the state.
The 21-member commission, housed within the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, focuses on gathering direct input from communities and translating that into policy recommendations.
“I think a lot of the time, we presume what people need,” Kastner said. “It’s really important to get direct input … so we can influence legislation that actually makes a difference.”
That could range from helping someone who transitioned to have their name change updated on a utility bill to advocating for Maryland’s Medicaid program to make it easier to access long-term injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Read more about Chloe Kastner in the latest issue of CATALYST.
The latest issue of "CATALYST" magazine celebrates the students and alumni who represent the future of Maryland’s health, law, and social work professions. Read about a School of Nursing alumna who turned her 2023 Grid Pitch idea into Ryan’s Place, a health care center in Gaithersburg, Md.; how Maryland Carey Law’s Law and Health Care Program prepares students to serve; a School of Dentistry graduate who studies gene therapies to prevent and treat cleft lip; the School of Pharmacy’s newly launched, one-of-a-kind MS in Artificial Intelligence for Drug Development program; and what’s on the desk of Courtney Jones Carney, assistant vice president of student success, leadership, and engagement.