Wilchins's work and writing have often focused on youth, whom they not only see as uniquely vulnerable to the gender system's pressures and harm, but whom they see as capable of "looking with fresh eyes".
[2] GenderPAC described its mission as the creation of "classrooms, communities, and workplaces [that] are safe for everyone to learn, grow, and succeed — whether or not they meet expectations for masculinity and femininity.
During their watch, GenderPAC also launched the GenderYOUTH Network, which eventually supported student groups at 100+ schools in creating safer and friendlier environments for those who were gender non-conforming on their own campuses.
The report was used by the House Sub-Committee which marked up the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act (the final bill included gender identity as a protected category and was eventually passed and signed into law).
Wilchins received their bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University in 1982 and a masters in clinical psychology from the New School for Social Research in 1983.
Wilchins then founded Data Tree Inc., a computer consulting company specializing in banking and brokerage on Wall Street.