Workshop descriptions
A Sex Workshop for Survivors of Abuse and their Partners
This class will be geared specifically towards survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, and their partners. It is focused on providing practical tools that enable hot play, needed aftercare, exploration of desire and sex, and pushing limits and edges. It will also cover trauma and its long term effects, negotiation, communication, as well as coping with triggers, regression, dissociation, flashbacks and panic attacks.
Corey Alexander
A Statewide Speakers Bureau: Coordination and Training
Speakers bureaus are a central part of the educational mechanism used in the transgender community. This workshop will address the mechanics of running and maintaining a speakers bureau, including online request systems, coordinating speakers, feedback mechanisms, and speaker training.
Neil Russell
African Trans Expressions
In "African Trans Expressions" the audience will be challenged to think outside the box, and not in the familiar way we are used to when it comes to boxes. Think outside the Western world’s transgender box. This time we will be challenged to add to the gender-continuum issues of culture. Where trans communities never had the luxuries of vocabulary. Where each and every person who didn’t confine as cisgender-heterosexual, passed as gay? How do we start defining all of a sudden as transgender in communities where even the people who express themselves as transgender don’t know those words? What are the experiences of transgender people in Africa ? Where do they find answers and places of support and safety, if homosexuality is still punishable by law?
Liesl Theron
And Baby Makes Three
Or two, or four…. How do trans people GET kids, anyway? Panel members will talk from personal experience about how trans/SOFFA people have managed to add children to their lives, from birthing them themselves, to adopting or fostering, to step-parenting, or to even more creative options. This workshop will both explore how children have come to be in trans families and offer a supportive forum for those who are actively engaged in trying to have or find a child.
K. Surkan
Dana Menkin
Anotha Kinda Brotha: By Men of Color, For Men of Color
This workshop will focus on transmen of color and our challenges of re-socialization as men. Through a facilitated discussion we will explore similarities and differences. Share knowledge and stories. Areas for discussion include: Are we men of privilege... how does our race and socio-economic status impact us? How mainstream society experiences us and we experience mainstream society. How we define ourselves as transmen and men of color. What body issues do we celebrate and struggle with? Visibility considerations. Where does maturity fit into our selfview?
Logan Grimes
Anti-Racism Caucus
Many of us are doing anti-racism work in our communities. At this caucus, we can continue the dialogue about the connections we see between anti-racism and anti-transphobia work, share successes and setbacks, and talk about what it means to live life as a bridge-builder.
Richard Juang
Are You Ready For The Chest Reconstruction Stage of Your Transition from Female to Male?
Are you currently working with a therapist regarding your gender transition and have decided to have chest reconstruction? From minimally invasive procedures such as simple liposuction to advanced surgical methods for the more extensive reconstruction of very large 38-40D+ breasts, Dr. Reardon has the in-depth experience that allows him to hand tailor these techniques and technologies to correct your particular problems and to enhance your unique self-image. Learn how to achieve a well-contoured, natural looking, masculine chest with surgery performed by a caring physician, sensitive to all gender transition issues
Dr. James J. Reardon
Ask the Doctor
(presenters and description TBA)
Battling the Trans Enough Blues
Ever felt that you aren't trans enough? That your choices about surgery or hormones make you "less trans" than other trans identified people? Or that your genderqueer identity makes your presence in the trans community less valid than "real" trans identified people? This session will address possible sources of these feelings of inadequacy and how to deal with them in a positive and constructive manner. (All gender identities are welcome. A basic knowledge of trans identities is highly recommended.)
Eli R. Green
Bent Writing: Writing Through the Margins
This writer’s workshop ain’t for the faint of heart. Writing is a movement of social change and Queer writers are transforming the world. As artists interjecting our queered views into mainstream literary circles, or as individuals quietly scribbling into our journals at night, we are working to make space for our experiences. The workshop will include discussions about the act of writing, the elusive identity of being a "writer," writing exercises, and an opportunity to share and receive feedback the Bent way. As marginalized people, we are taught that our experiences do not count, have not mattered, or did not happen. We will emphasize the importance of making spaces where we are valid and valued, both on the page and off. The Bent Writing Institute workshop will challenge participants to listen to each other’s stories, to tell their own, and to make record of our revolutionary lives.
Davey Ethan Wilkes
Tara Hardy
Bodies Out of Bounds: The Intersection of Trans Liberation and Fat Politics
Trans and fat bodies continue to be stigmatized, despised, and widely misunderstood in US society. These “out of bound” bodies are oppressed through the systems of sizeism and transphobia. Starting with a presentation on trans liberation and the fat acceptance movement, we will endeavor to explore the intersections between size and gender expression. We will discuss the problem of fatphobia within the trans community, the damage caused by internalized oppression and the need for liberation from oppressive regimes of body fascism and gender normativity. We will work to promote self-esteem for all sizes, shapes and genders and affirm the inherent worth, sexiness and power of genderqueer and fat bodies. All pro-trans and fat-positive folks, including allies, are welcome to share their voice in this lively and empowering community discussion.
Bailey Jaye Garvin
Joelle Ruby Ryan
Bottom Surgery Show and Tell
(description TBA)
Dane
Breast Reconstruction in Female to Male Transgender Patients
The two basic options for breast reconstruction surgery include the bilateral mastectomy with nipple areolar reconstruction (double incision) and the subcutaneous mastectomy (keyhole). The indications for each will be presented with photographic representation of the procedures, the techniques, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Surgical limitations will be discussed as well as the inherent risks and the possible complications that must be considered. Some representative photographs of this aspect of the surgery will be presented.
Michael L. Brownstein, M.D.
Chest Surgery Show and Tell
The Internet has made it much easier to view photos of chest surgery results, but there's still no substitute for seeing those results in person. If you're thinking about chest surgery, researching chest surgeons, willing to share your chest surgery results with others, or just want to learn more, this workshop will provide the opportunity for attendees to view a variety of results and for those who have already had chest surgery to share their results and experiences with others. Participant presentations will be followed by the opportunity to ask questions. All FTM-identified persons, SOFFAs, and trans-friendly professionals are welcome to attend.
Andy
Competency-Enhancement and Counseling Skills for Mental Health Providers Working with Transgender Clients
Mental health providers are often unfamiliar with or uncomfortable asking questions about transgenderism as they lack training and information on this subject. As a result, mental health providers may be unintentionally contributing to the mistrust that historically exists between the trans community and the mental health professions. This presentation will provide basic information, culturally-responsive, ethical strategies, and resources for mental health professionals who may be working with or are considering working with transgender clients and their loved ones.
Denise Pickering, Ph.D., PC
Confronting Metronormativity
All too often, my trans allies living in cities view my rural-dwelling neighbors as violent, queerphobic, racist, ignorant, and/or vulgar. At its worst, this kind of antirural prejudice takes the onus of racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia away from capitalist institutions and places it squarely on the shoulders of the proverbial rednecks. At its best, this prejudice keeps my friends from visiting my home. Most all the time, I feel stretched between communities. Many rural-dwelling, queer-identified people I’ve talked with have expressed similar frustration.
Come take the first ever Internalized Metronormativity Quiz, and then explore ways in which we might put the mythical, unified concept of Rural America to use as we seek to dismantle metronormative prejudices. Throughout the workshop, we will draw from the work of queer scholars Jack Halberstam and Colin Johnson as well as from popular texts presented during the session.
Q Gaynor
Creating Safe, Supportive and Inclusive Spaces for Transgender, Gender-variant/non-conforming and Questioning Youth
This workshop will be dedicated to developing and discussing strategies for the inclusion, support and safety of transgender, gender-variant/nonconforming and questioning (TG/GV/Q) youth. If you are a youth worker—Youth Development Specialist, Group Home worker, etc.—this workshop will help you address the unique needs of your TG/GV/Q youth clients and help you create safe spaces that effectively meet the needs of and empower these youth. Participants will leave this workshop with a better understanding of the TG/GV/Q youth experience, knowledge of best practice methods, and concrete ideas for strategies to implement in their own organizations, groups, facilities, classrooms, etc. to create inclusive, supportive, safe spaces for TG/GV/Q youth. This workshop will be geared towards professionals working at organizations or groups that specifically serve youth, but will be helpful for anyone with TG/GV/Q youth clients, students, residents and/or participants.
Jay Botsford
Cruising / Flirting with Men
(description TBA)
Ken Rowe
Mike Hernandez
Diagnostic Reform: Has the Time Come?
The DSM-IV-TR is often called the bible for diagnosis for mental health professionals. Yet, this tool does not necessarily speak to the needs of the transgender community. This session will examine the different views on this issue. Where do you stand? The DSM-V committee has already begun to meet with the goal of publication in the year 2010. What are mental health professionals saying about this? Surprisingly, in a recent issue of the Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality the editors were unable to find a single person who would speak against the need for change in diagnostic procedures. Come hear what the professionals are saying.
lore m. dickey, MA
Do's and Don'ts of HRT for FTM's
We’ll explore the benefits of hormone replacement in the process of transitioning for FTMs. The unsupervised acquisition and use of HRT may be associated with serious risks. Health consequences, based upon a critical review of the medical literature and strategies to reduce hazards will be discussed. Topics include appropriate monitoring, measuring progress, developing realistic anatomic and behavioral expectations, and factoring risks such as blood clots, osteoporosis, liver disease, cancer, and diabetes into the decision-making process. There will be plenty of opportunity to share your experiences as we learn together.
Steven M. Brown, MD
Enough Man: The Making Of An Erotic FTM Documentary
Screening of Luke Woodward's documentary on FTM sexuality, in which the participants discuss the challenges and variety of FTM sexuality, and then proceed to demonstrate it on camera. This film contains explicit sex, including unusual sexual activities.) Afterwards, two members of the cast will discuss what it was like to make the documentary, and talk about the ambiguous position of FTMs in social categories of desirability and erotica.
Joshua Tenpenny
Raven Kaldera
Femme Identity: Myths, Stereotypes and Realities
What does femme identity have to do with desire? With sexuality? With gender? With the way you act, dress, talk, walk, move through the world? Whether you identify as femme or not, come delve into the complexities of femme identity as expressed in a range of communities. In this facilitated discussion, we’ll explore some myths and stereotypes about femme identity, and try to break them apart. We’ll take on some complex questions about what it means to use the term femme in today’s world, how to resist femme phobia from people who know us and people who don’t, and how to wrestle with language to describe who you are without boxing yourself in.
Mary M. Davies
Fighting for Equality: Legislative Advances for Transgender People
Our civil rights movement has really taken off in the last few years, with local and state anti-discrimination laws passing all over the country, including significant victories in the Midwest . These victories are trickling up to Congress, with major gains in the introduction and advancement of anti-discrimination and hate crimes legislation. We will cover why there has been a dramatic rise in pro-transgender legislation, what future victories are anticipated, how you can help pass a law in your city or state, and how you can move Congress closer to supporting transgender equality. People of all activist backgrounds and SOFFAs strongly encouraged to participate.
Lisa Mottet
Lori Stone
Mara Keisling
Finding Voice, Finding Space: Non-Trans Partner Narratives
This presentation is about queer(ed) stories, narratives, and lives. Non-trans people who are partnered with trans-identified individuals have often been silenced, closeted, and ignored. My work seeks to bring those voices to the stage in an attempt to hear the experiences of individuals who have trans-identified partners and to look at how transitions may affect both people in a relationship. My research utilizes a variety of traditional and postmodern qualitative methodologies to weave a collection of personal narratives into collaborative stories of identities, communities, relationships, home, and coming out.
Amanda Tompkins
FTM Hormonal Treatment: Beyond 101
This workshop will discuss several aspects of hormonal treatment for transgender men in greater depth than is generally provided at 'hormone 101' type talks. Participants are assumed to have a basic understanding of the principles of hormone treatment for transgender men as many basic concepts will not be discussed. Topics will include greater detail about hormone physiology (including a discussion of congenital adrenal hyperplasia), risk-benefit analysis for hysterectomy in transgender men, and hormonal medications other than testosterone.
Nick Gorton
FTM Support Groups: Are they Suporting our Needs?
Do female-to-male transsexuals have on-going needs for support groups after transition? Are support groups adequately meeting the on-going needs of female-to-male transsexuals beyond transition? Do group leadership variables have an effect on the satisfaction level of participants? One of the findings of this study is that FTMs report much higher anger and aggression than the normative samples have reported. We will look at this and other data to help address reasons why support groups are failing to meet our needs.
lore m. dickey, MA
FTMs On Screen
A panel of filmmakers who have put FTM+/SOFFA images on screen will discuss the educational, diversity, accuracy, and other moral and practical challenges of bringing a diverse, stigmatized, and underrepresented population to a larger audience. Panelists will include the producer of erotic films involving transmen, a filmmaker who looked at FTMs who have given birth, and others.
Ken Rowe
FTMs Who Are Attracted to Men, and the Men Who Love Them
Some men who are female-to-male transmen find that they are attracted to men, either exclusively or to a significant degree. Like gay and bisexual biomales, they face different problems dating and finding a mate than their trans brothers who are attracted to women. FtMs who are partnered to men before and through transition may find their new presentation is a challenge to their significant others. Such couples face coming out as same-sex couples, sometimes in difficult social settings. They may also have children who are less than enthusiastic about their moms' transitions. Come meet people in similar circumstances, share your stories and make new friends.
Charley Labonte
Ben Labonte
Full Body BDSM: When Size Is an Advantage
Full body BDSM play is about using your whole body as a tool to inflict sensation on willing victims. The bigger the body, the more options you have. The sting of a slap on the cheek. The slam of a boot in the thigh. The intense thud of a punch to the pecs. The bite of a pinch on the nipple. The invasion of teeth on the neck. Body slams. Light strokes. Tonguing skin. Nails on the back. Your whole body can be a sex toy. No preparation needed, and no heavy toybags. Come to listen, watch the demonstration, or try this sort of play hands-on. This is a size-positive hands-on workshop open to everyone, from novice to experienced, from top to bottom.
Corey Alexander
Genital Reconstruction and Ancillary Procedures
Dr. Meltzer will discuss his background and current surgical techniques for GRS surgery and ancillary procedures. He will show a PowerPoint presentation of pre and post operative photos. He will leave time at the end of the presentation for questions and answers.
Dr. Toby Meltzer
Hallelujah, It's Raining Men: A Discussion Forum for Learning about FTM, Genderqueer, and Designated Male-at-Birth Bodies for Many Kinds of Guys who Love Guys
Transmen and genderqueer people and individuals-designated-male-at-birth who are attracted to each other have become increasingly visible. Our relationships are much more validated today within our trans, gay, and queer communities. However, we often come to our relationships late in life and often with many uncertainties about each other's physical and sexual bodies. This workshop provides a safe space for transmen, genderqueers, and individuals designated male at birth to ask questions, share knowledge, alleviate confusions, and address stereotypes about each other's bodies. One goal of this forum/workshop will be to help us communicate better with present and future partners about sexual, erotic, sensual, and physical-psychological needs. Another goal will be to help the participants become more aware and comfortable with the rich diversity of our bodies and ourselves as sexual and physical beings.
Richard M. Juang
Hot Topics: Town Meeting on GID Strategies.
When the American Psychiatric Association ( APA ) removed homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) over thirty years ago, many believed "gay" identities were finally freed of medicalized stigma and paid little heed to a new diagnostic category: "gender identity disorder" ( GID ). Today, health professionals and members of the transgender community argue that GID continues to burden gender-variant individuals with stigma, reinforcing barriers to social legitimacy and civil rights, while failing to describe the distress of body dysphoria or to articulate the medical necessity (for some) of transgender transition services. Others also contend that until GID is removed from the DSM, all LGB and gender non-conforming youth and adults are vulnerable to diagnosis of psychosexual disorder and thus to damaging "conversion" therapies. At the same time, there are some medical and legal advocates who use GID to leverage services for individual clients, so the unintended effects of GID reform or removal on these individuals must also be considered. Most agree that something must be done, and soon, but what?
This meeting is structured as a series of facilitated dialogues to uncover this complex terrain. Facilitators will stress exploration of multiple, even contradictory, avenues as we map ideas ranging from psychiatric policy reform to strategic use of GID in medical and legal advocacy. Discussion will be grounded by a historical overview of GID , including the impact of psychosexual diagnosis on the transgender community and of past efforts for psychiatric policy reform. The forum will open with a panel on this history and current uses of GID by professionals and advocates, as well as providing specific information on diagnosis codes (e.g.,
DSM, ICD) and the institutions (e.g, APA , AMA) that regulate them. We'll then move from an open discussion of the pros and cons of GID to a brainstorm session on strategies. Breakout groups will be formed to further develop strategies, and the final hour will integrate and synthesize the gathered information and discuss next steps. The goal of this four-hour session is to move us from disempowered complaint sessions towards identifying actionable steps along multiple paths. This is the beginning of an open information gathering process that will culminate in a consensus working group around policy change. We encourage everyone--trans, non-trans allies, serving professionals, activists--to join us. Come make your voices heard!
André Wilson, M.S.
How to Successfully Transition in Your Employment
This workshop will take the participant through the entire process of transitioning on the job in a practical step by step model. The model Stone will present has been successfully used with his clients in a wide variety of employment settings and is flexible to any situation. Some of the areas covered include coming out, legal issues, developing a program to fit one's individual workplace, how to manage negotiating with management regarding issues of bathroom. A high level of attendee participation is welcome!
Moonhawk River Stone, M.S., LMHC
Hysterectomy and Vaginectomy
(description TBA)
Burt Webb, MD
Identity and labels: Am I "forever" "me"?
This open discussion is for free-spirited and open-minded thinkers who are willing to consider the possibility they are not always who or what they think they ‘are’, nor might they be ‘forever’. Come join us in an exercise in thinking beyond the limits of 'stable' identity. We’ll discuss: why and how do we cling to singular labels; how those chosen labels and use of language cause our identity to be created; how they potentially force us to limit our behaviour and beliefs; what opportunities identity claims afford/deny? Hopefully we’ll also delve into how ones’ ‘self’ morphs as we live/age, and why? And just what do our claims mean to the general public? Hold on to your ‘selves’ folks … it’s gonna be a whirlwind!
Kolin Frantz
If Not Us, Who? Techniques for Basic Transgender Awareness Presentations
Many of us become de facto teachers about transgender issues, being asked to "tell our story" and teach others. A good training is more than our personal story—in fact telling and retelling our own story can make public presentations take a heavy personal toll. This workshop will provide an overview of training techniques such as preparing for different audiences, establishing goals and objectives for each presentation, facilitation skills for tense or unruly audiences, exercises vs. lecture, and more. The workshop presenter is a professional trainer who has trained over 10,000 providers nationwide on trans issues.
Samuel Lurie
In Ourselves We Trust: Grassroots Solutions to Healthcare Issues
Rural or urban, affluent or working class, stealth or out, no matter our decision regarding transition, we all deserve to be healthy and to be respected by our providers. Come and be a part of an innovative and interactive discussion where together we'll consider strategies for getting better care in healthcare environments, taking better care of our bodies, and organizing for better care in our communities. The emphasis here will be on brainstorming tangible community-driven solutions that we can each take home and consider implementing in our own lives and in our communities. All experiences (and bodies) are welcome, and everyone is encouraged to attend.
Riley D. Johnson
Information is Power: How to Locate, Access and Evaluate Trans-Related Information in a Non-Academic Environment
Reliable information can be difficult to find on any topic, but when you are searching for information on subjects related to transgender issues and transitioning, it can seem impossible to get your hands on the facts that you need. Many people rely on word-of-mouth, television, and personal web sites for important information pertinent to their transition. No matter what your education level or information literacy, accurate, dependable information can be accessed by almost anyone. In this workshop, you will learn how to access information through your local library, area colleges and universities, and the Internet; how to identify the source and evaluate the integrity and reliability of the information; and how to effectively use your knowledge when interacting with health care professionals, family members, and friends. All levels and competencies welcome; information presented will be designed for beginning information seekers with little or no previous training in information retrieval and evaluation.
E. Rockefeller
Interfaith Discourses on "Transness" or the Sacred Space Between
This workshop is a panel discussion about gender and its role in spirituality and religion. Exploring the role that gender plays in ritual and prayer in the multitude of religious and spiritual practices. Beginning with an interfaith panel presentation and ending with an open forum about religion and spirituality in a transgender and transsexual context.
Shai Wise
Jamie Washam
Jewish Genders
Text, history, belonging. Trans-Jews are part of over 2000 years of Jewish gender transgressors. In this workshop we will explore Torah, Talmud, and response that apply to non-traditionally gendered individuals and trans people within Judaism. We will highlight Jewish gender transgressor from across history: fourth century women rabbis, the first Jew in Canada , and those that cross-dress more often than Purim. Finally, we will take a look at new rituals that are being created to celebrate transitions for trans-Jews.
j wallace
Living as a Gay or Bi Man
For gay and bi-identified FTMs, there's been a lot of discussion around sex and dating-related issues such as disclosure and safer sex, but there's been far less discussion of how we fit into gay and bi male communities socially. For those who have previous socialized with queer men, how do such interactions change once we are living as men? For those who have had less contact with queer men prior to transition, how do we go about navigating an unfamiliar world? To what extent do we identify with and integrate ourselves into non-trans gay and bi male cultures and communities, and how do we find social circles that we feel comfortable in? How do we deal with issues around being stealth vs. out as trans? Brief introductions by a panel will be followed by open discussion.
Andy
T.
Love is a Many Gendered Thing: Trans People in Relationships Changing the Face of Kinship, Sexuality and Identity
This workshop examines the social, cultural and political ramifications of loving relationships which include one or more trans- or genderqueer-identified persons. Beginning with an overview, we will present the diversity of trans relationships, the ways identity is negotiated, trans parenting, and the joys and challenges of trans erotic/sexual expression, including the emergence of trans-produced erotica and porn. An emphasis in this workshop will be the ways in which trans relationships often challenge traditional notions of identity, sexual binaries and biologically-based paradigms of family and kinship. Participants will be encouraged to discuss their own experiences loving a trans- or genderqueer-identified person, as well as the complex accompanying social and political issues. This workshop will attempt to give a radical new definition to “family values” and promote knowledge and dialogue in order to transform the patriarchal, nuclear family to a model which celebrates love, diversity and freedom of gender and sexual expression.
Bailey Jaye Garvin
Joelle Ruby Ryan
Male Privilege and the FTM
This session will uncover a topic most FTMs never talk about. And, when they do, they usually declare that they are not endowed with male privilege. Like it or not, FTMs are the recipients of male privilege. You do not have to have been raised male to have access to the rights bestowed on men in our society. What is male privilege, and how can FTMs utilize this privilege for the greater good? This topic, like other issues of privilege, is likely to be a touchy subject. Transmen have declared that they do not have male privilege because they were not raised to expect this, yet whenever you walk down the street, open a door for another person, or earn more money than your female counterpart, you are benefitting from privilege. Let's have a frank discussion about this important societal issue.
lore m. dickey, MA
Medical Ethics and Evidence Based Transgender Medicine
There are compelling arguments for the provision of transgender care and the financing of that care within western medicine. The twin doctrines of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) and medical ethics provide the basis for this argument, and are the familiar paradigms with which medical providers evaluate all health care services. This workshop presents those arguments and provides the background and tools to use this argument in advocating for improvements in the care available for transgender people and the financing of that care by public and private health insurance.
Nick Gorton
My Boifriend Was a Lesbian Separatist: Bridging the Gap Between Various Feminist Discourse Communities
Is it possible to remain a part of a lesbian separatist community if you identify as an FTM? Did you find you had a hard time accessing this community due to your femme identity/presentation? Do you identify as female and queer but have a hard time finding community because your FTM partner is stealth? This workshop seeks to explore various shifts in support and discourse communities that leave its current and former members feeling confused, alienated, unsupported and abandoned. Specifically, we are interested in bridging the gap between so-called Second Wave and Transfeminist/Third Wave feminist communities. Through personal experiences, our research in the field of gender and feminist studies and by speaking with other members of overlapping discourse communities we feel that many couples and individuals feel a loss of community when a partner transitions. We anticipate this to be a rich site for conversation as well as tension. Please come with a good sense of humor, care and compassion and a willingness to converse across differences.
Andrew Anastasia
Meridith Kruse
Neurodiversity in FTM+ Community: Trans Aspies, Auties, and Cousins
FTM+ people tend to be more neurodiverse than typical populations, with a greater overlap of autistic spectrum experiences/identities. Often, communities lack resources and understanding of such perspectives, and people on the autistic spectrum internalize this ableism and may not even have the opportunity to identify and understand our unique perspectives.
Enter into the experiences of FTM+ people with unique sensory processing, social priorities, and cognitive styles. See and hear the ways in which autistic spectrum experiences enrich FTM+ communities with unique perspectives and priorities regarding gender, sexuality, disability, self-determination, and social justice. Contribute to the discussion of how FTM+ individuals and communities can include and benefit from the participation of people with autistic perspectives.
Jay Wilson
No-Scent Policies: The Why and the How
Do you want to create accessible community spaces and events? Have you heard about scent-free policies but aren’t sure what all the fuss is about? Have you created (or tried to create) scent-free spaces in your home community? Does the idea of scent-free space make you nervous? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions we look forward to meeting you at this workshop. We’ll start by tackling some access basics: Why is access important? What does accessibility really mean? Why do I need to make my events accessible? Then we’ll spend most of our time exploring questions about no-scent policies: What is a no-scent policy? Who does a no-scent policy create access for? Doesn’t a no-scent policy infringe on others' rights? How can I craft a no-scent policy and get my community behind it? Please join us as we examine these questions and more in our quest to create a less-smelly world!
Galen Smith
Lane McKiernan
On Our Own Terms: Locating SOFFA Narratives in Queer and Heterosexual Communities
SOFFAs often find ourselves marginalized from communities we identified with prior to entering the transgender community, and often confronted by boundary policing within the transgender community. As partners/lovers we are dismissed as "tranny chasers." As activists allied in the struggle for trans equality, our commitment and motives are suspect. If a relative or friend comes out, we experience disorientation. This workshop aims to create space for SOFFAs to dialogue about and create writings that explore our experiences "on our own terms." We hope to share some writings (as the authors desire) with the larger conference community and potentially create an online community to continue these dialogues. Diverse SOFFA experiences (male/straight-identified/queer/people of color) will strengthen the power of our dialogue and are desirable. Be prepared to share your experiences and yourselves in a space that is more about creation and location than survival and identity policing.
Bruce Parker II
Lori Stone
On the Medical Margins: A Harm Reduction Approach to Trans-Health
While some transgender, transsexual and gender nonconforming people have gained access to medical care in the past decade, many are still lingering on the medical margins. This program is a training designed to promote awareness of transgender and transsexual (trans) health and access issues regarding the most marginalized members of trans communities: youth, low income and people of color. HIV prevalence rates among trans people have been found to be in the double digits in nine U.S. cities. Some data suggests that their medical marginalization greatly contributes to their HIV risks, and moreover, complicates their access to HIV treatment and other medical care. Urban areas in particular find male-to-female and femme-queens of color avoiding medical systems by obtaining hormones on the street, or using a combination of medical and non-medical body modification techniques including injections of free floating (toxic) silicone. Female-to-male individuals also sometimes avoid medical systems by obtaining street hormones or by using over-the-counter alternatives. As some individuals opt out, others are actively shut out of primary care, or do not get monitored for hormone and silicone use. This presentation will discuss a range of body modification practices, explain socially determined barriers to accessing care, demonstrate how to remove barriers to care, discuss trans-specific risk factors, and apply harm reduction principles to serving those on the fringes of U.S. medical systems.
Ben Singer, PhD-c
Open Youth Forum
Youth attendees, age 24 and under, can create their own program in this open space. This workshop will be entirely participant-driven and youth-led, so bring your insight, enthusiasm and ideas to create this one of a kind workshop. There will be plenty of exciting material, passionate discussion and networking opportunities, so come teach, share and learn!
Jay Botsford
Politics of Intersex Activism in Queer Communities
This year has seen a great time of flux and upheaval in the intersex demographic and its allies and detractors. Intersex activism has fractured down the middle due to arguments of identity, and the blame for this is largely being laid at the door of GLBT organizations. In this volatile atmosphere, being a member of a GLBT community and still wishing to help or include the intersex cause has just become twice as fraught with trouble. In this workshop, we'll discuss the current scoop on the problem, sort calmly through all the allegations, and talk about what GLBT communities and activists can still do to help.
Raven Kaldera
Trans Professionals: A Caucus for Folks Who Provide Trans-focused Services and Training
Whether you work for pay or as a volunteer, this is an opportunity for trans/trans allies who provide services to trans folks or trainings to others on the lives of transgender people. This work is often grueling and isolating: here is a chance to meet with others doing similar work, to share challenges and successes in our work, and to build a network of peers we can call upon for support or collaboration.
Joe Ippolito
Casey Schwartz
Psychotherapists' Workspace for Seasoned Professionals
Psychotherapists often work in isolation and many gender specialists don’t have the opportunity to meet regularly face to face with colleagues who do the same work. We will share our clinical dilemmas as well as our solutions This workshop will provide psychotherapists the opportunity to explore clinical issues they encounter in their work with TS/TG/GQ/SOFFA clients. Depending upon the needs of our group, topics covered may include: Models of practice with TG/TS individuals; Etiology and theoretical approaches; Standards of Care; Family and partner issues; Participants’ case presentations; Personal challenges elicited by the work; Ethical dilemmas; and Trends in the field. This space will provide a supportive group-supervision-like atmosphere for therapists.
Katherine Rachlin, Ph.D. (Kit)
Reflection in the Mirror? Body Image and Eating Disorders Within the Trans Community
Eating Disorders and Body Dissatisfaction are no longer a white, upper-middle class woman’s disorder. It’s more than just being skinny for those of us in the Trans community. It’s about being happy as the person you are while overcoming boxes and labels, transitioning hoops and ladders, surgical costs and outcomes as well as safety within all social circles. From being in the wrong body to finding comfort and acceptance as a genderless or gender migrant being, how does our expression and identity affect our perceptions and acceptance in both social and sexual situations? This is not only an informational presentation but a place to process one’s own experiences.
Ryan K. Sallans, M.A.
Safe Injection Techniques
For many people, transitioning includes injecting hormones. Knowing how to inject safely is paramount to successful therapy. In this workshop people will learn about injection sites commonly used for intramuscular injection, proper technique to self-inject AND inject another person. We will talk about some complications of injecting (abscess, infection, hepatitis, fibrosis, etc.), and we will do some hands on work to familiarize ourselves with syringes, different size needles, and drug vials. This workshop will be of use to the novice and the long-timer.
Dana Menkin, RN
Safer Sex for Transmen
Many trans-masculine people don’t get enough--or the right--safer sex information for their bodies and their unique risks. Partners of trans-masculine folks can be also curious about their risk and safer sex techniques with their trans masculine partners. This workshop will provide practical, fun and clever ways for trans-masculine identified folks and their partners to reduce their risk in sexual situations.
Casey Schwartz
Self-Esteem and Assertiveness: Getting What You Want and Need in Intimate Relationships, Starting with Yourself
This workshop involves a series of interactive exercises and role-plays designed to increase physical and emotional awareness and create more ease, safety and satisfaction in relationships. Activities will teach tools to: promote self-care, manage anxiety and reduce feelings of vulnerability, build self-esteem, practice embodiment, identify and maintain personal boundaries, negotiate touch and sexual intimacy, navigate mood and body changes related to hormone intake, and foster communication within relationships.
Diane Long
Ethan
Strategizing Passage of a Trans Anti-Discrimination Law for Wisconsin
Let's have a group discussion about how we can pass an anti-discrimination law in Wisconsin . A few people have already come together to think about this, but an effort needs the involvement of people across the state. Wisconsin is one of ten states that have state laws protecting people from job discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not gender identity or expression--it’s time we all changed this. Come help plan this historic effort! SOFFAs strongly encouraged to participate.
Lisa Mottet
Mara Keisling
Jay Botsford
Strength for the Journey: A Self-Reflective Workshop
Many of us came to this conference hungry for an opportunity for reflective work. This workshop will provide a space for asking some big questions about our lives: Where do you want to be one year from now? What are your goals and dreams and what are some of the obstacles in your path? Breaking down our fears and acknowledging our strengths will help give us the tools to make change in our lives. This reflective workshop will involve small group discussion, meditation, and writing—blank journals will be provided as a workbook to guide us in the work of feeling solid on our path. This workshop is for anyone who wants space to reflect on their life journey. Expect to leave feeling hopeful and rejuvenated.
Samuel Lurie
"Sullivan's Travels": Living and Dying as a Gay FTM
Part of a comprehensive biographical work on Louis Graydon Sullivan, this presentation highlights Sullivan’s intersections with contemporary social movements and articulations of identity, including: Sullivan’s unique challenges to 1970s feminist consciousness, a comparison between the gay liberation movement in Milwaukee and the beginnings of a transsexual community in San Francisco, the struggle for agency between transsexual individuals and university-based gender clinics, Sullivan’s transition from female transvestite to gay man, and how Sullivan was able to negotiate being a gay FTM with AIDS in the 1980s. Following in Lou Sullivan’s footsteps, this presentation recognizes the importance of sharing portraits of transpeople in the past to fostering our sense of historical identity.
Bri Smith
The End of Stealth: Living Trans in the 21st Century
Is there any ability to change one's name and gender and not leave a paper trail for the world to see? Is living "stealth" a practice of yesteryear? The REAL ID Act requires all state motor vehicle departments to link databases, including information about your sex, and to make those databases accessible to law enforcement personnel and others. Medical privacy laws are narrow in scope and difficult to enforce. Private information is readily available over the Internet. In this workshop, you'll learn more about the federal government's incremental assault on the privacy of its citizens, and the disproportionate effects on the transgender community. We'll discuss the policy concerns behind this alarming trend, the ways in which transgender people's private information is increasingly vulnerable, and the possibilities for protecting yourself from unwanted disclosure.
Cole Thaler
Lisa Mottet
Mara Keisling
The Lawyer Is In: A Legal Q and A
Transgender people often face legal challenges, from changing their name and establishing relationship rights to advancing claims of discrimination. Courts' lack of transgender awareness makes navigating the system more difficult. To make matters even more complicated, legal safeguards vary from state to state, creating a patchwork of protections that is in constant flux. What states prohibit employment discrimination against transgender people? Which courts have upheld transgender marriages? Do you need a court order to change the sex on your birth certificate? Come have your questions answered by transgender civil rights attorneys who work on the laws and cases that affect you.
Cole Thaler
Lisa Mottet
The Past, Present and Future of Trans Academia
The past decade has seen a significant increase in research about and discussion of trans identities in academics. Join us in this session to brainstorm about the future of Trans-Academia: What areas of research and inquiry are most in need of attention? What role will activism play in this future? How can we ensure that trans identities are accurately and sensitively reflected in research?
Eli R. Green
lore m. dickey, MA
The Power of Playing with Gender: A Sex Positive Workshop
In sexual contexts, gender can be more than man or woman, intersexed or trans. Gender is also an arena of power, rich with opportunities for sexual play. Regardless of actual body, gender identity or sexuality, in gender play, we all can be sissies, fags, little girls, goddesses, and leather daddies. This workshop is designed to enrich your sex and play and help you find your gender hot spots.
Corey Alexander
The Questions We Ask: Socially-Conscious, Trans-Positive Research for a New Century
Not all research questions are created equal. Some questions will have greater impact than others and will be more meaningful for the community. Those of us within the community have the opportunity to make a great contribution to the scientific literature addressing Trans and SOFFA issues. Individuals who are involved in research or who are interested in conducting research are invited to come share their enthusiasm and discuss their ideas, successes, and challenges.
Katherine Rachlin, Ph.D. (Kit)
The Re-Creation of Brandon Teena Through Media's Specific Needs and Agendas
I plan to use my view that I examined through my dissertation how different media sources use Brandon Teena for their own agenda and perspective. I argue that Brandon became more than a victim of a rape and murder. Brandon became the subject of narrative film, documentary film, true crime book, AE American Justice episode, articles in New York magazine, Village Voice, Playboy, a novel, play, along with a many others sources. I believe the audience will get a sense of how the media will "co-opt" certain newsworthy stories and create a story that is always not accurate, but "based in truth." The key here is how we all see what we want to see and take as our own.
Mitchell [Julie] Fey, PhD
Trans parent (film and panel)
(description TBA)
Jules Rosskam
Transgender and Transsexual Perspectives on the Roles of Therapy and Informed Consent Models as a Gateway to Physically Transitioning
Currently, most trans people are required to obtain a letter from a mental health professional prior to taking hormones or having surgery. Very little research has been done to address whether or not trans people find this process useful or beneficial. During the fall of 2006, I conducted a survey to learn about trans perspectives on the requirement to seek therapy prior to physically transitioning. After receiving over 300 responses from trans people all over the country, I am presenting the results of my survey. My hope is that my research can help begin a dialogue between trans people, mental health, and medical professionals to work towards improving transgender care.
Nyle Biondi
Trans-Inclusive Health Insurance: Envisioning and Achieving Best Practices
Do explicit discriminatory “trans-exclusions” in insurance policies make you mad? Find out how activists are changing health care benefits policies in their own backyards, at local, state, and national levels: at corporations, unions, university campuses, and more! The first part of this session will be fast-paced: navigating the data, arguments, and tools that have been most effective with different employers and workplaces, starting with a crash course on health insurance. Through key examples, such as the University of California, the City of San Francisco, and the University of Michigan, we’ll address common questions and pitfalls: Which insurers, institutions, and employers offer inclusive coverage? Is coverage really too expensive? Is there more to change than just the policy? How to combat emotional arguments against removing trans exclusions? Are these services medically necessary? Why fight for this when it affects so few people? Why fight for model language? Does insurance inclusion link with other social justice issues? The second half of the workshop will open the floor to questions and discussion, during which participants will be invited to share their own advocacy efforts.
André Wilson, M.S.
Transitioning in Science: Gender Identity, Gender Presentation, and the Selective Internalization of Gender Stereotyping
Trans* identities in scientific publications have historically been dissociated from the persons who hold those identifications. This phenomenon of identity singularity serves to limit the need for further exploration of how trans* identities intersect with other parts of life. This study examines how trans* identities impact the experiences of trans* individuals in the sciences and science education, specifically through the interactions of gender identity, gender presentation, and the selective internalization of gendered stereotypes in the sciences. The presentation will cover one in-depth case study of a trans* person who transitioned while working in the natural sciences.
Cianán B. Russell
Transitioning With A Third Gender Identity
Current wisdom demands that anyone who morphs their female body physically toward male with hormones and surgery must first have a fully male identity... yet this isn't always the case. Some FTMs are transitioning with a male-of-center but not fully male identity, and doing fine - and, of course, a few aren't. This controversial workshop will walk bluntly through the lines of "who ought to transition", discussing the good, the bad, the ugly, and the misunderstood, and showing that maybe those lines aren't really very clear-cut at all.
Raven Kaldera
Joshua Tenpenny
What's Love (or Gender Identity or Expression) Got to Do With It?: Trans/Gender Diverse Folks' Experiences of Interpersonal Violence
How do we, as gender diverse people and allies, experience interpersonal violence in our lives? This workshop aims to explore what we know and what we don’t know about intimate partner violence and sexual assault within and against trans/gender diverse individuals, and how gender identity and expression can impact and change the dynamics of our relationships. Do our decisions to transition or not transition make us more vulnerable to violence? Does gender identity really have anything to do with interpersonal violence? Part presentation and part open discussion, this is a space for survivors and allies to come together to discuss our own experiences and how we can come together to break the silence and support all gender diverse survivors of violence.
CJ Turett
When Your House is Not Your Home: Trans People in Homeless Shelters and Prisons
Prisons and homeless shelters are two sites where the penalties for crossing gender lines are most severe. In both settings, housing and dress requirements are typically based on birth sex. Many prisons place transgender people in administrative confinement (a punitive restriction that is supposedly for their own safety), and some homeless shelters refuse to accept transgender people at all. Concerns about violence and harassment arise in both settings. Join two attorneys who have been working to improve conditions in shelters and prisons. We will describe the problems transgender people face in shelters and prisons (including juvenile detention facilities), update you on activist efforts in a variety of cities, and discuss approaches to this work in your city. All are welcome.
Cole Thaler
Lisa Mottet
Where is My Mirror: Transgender Characters in Young Adult Fiction
Interested in the portrayal of transgender characters in young adult literature? Would you like to learn how to use books with transgender content with the youth you serve? Are you thinking of writing a novel with a transgender focus? Come explore the emerging canon of trans-related young adult fiction. We will cover trans-friendly fiction, stereotypical trans characters, trans writers and examples of literary trans-inclusion from the past ten years. Information will be provided on evaluating books for youth (both in general and specifically trans-focused), incorporating trans-related fiction into an existing collection, and ways to deal with challenges to fiction for young adults. Presentation will assume no prior knowledge of young adult literature and should engage all attendees, whether you work with youth or not. Bibliographies provided of materials covered.
E. Rockefeller
ZAPS , ZINGERS, AND SLURS: Handling Offensive or Prejudicial Comments
Participants will have an opportunity to identify what is offensive to them, to improve skills for responding to prejudicial comments, and to try some techniques that may allow them to speak up the next time some zap, zinger, or slur is heard. This session would be useful to anyone wishing they could be more effective in responding at these awkward or difficult times. NOTE: This is NOT a prejudice reduction workshop. This workshop will include harsh/offensive language.
Sandi Adams
Additional workshops will be added as the last details are finalized. All workshops are subject to change without notice.
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