This workshop addresses transgender history from a variety of perspectives starting with the vocabulary we use to describe and distinguish the transgender community. A discussion of the legal landscape over time provides a backdrop for the changing response of transgendered persons to institutional repression. The historical record covered includes the Biblical references to cross-dressing, the Middle Ages, Puritanism, the Civil War, the era of cross-dressing balls, the Pansy Era, the riots at Cooper Donuts and Compton Cafeteria, the sit-in at Deweys and then the response to the police raid at Stonewall. Substantial attention is paid to the difficulties the transgender community encountered gaining acceptance from the LGB portions of the rainbow, including the exclusion of transgendered persons from ENDA and the impact of Janice Raymond's writings and the exclusion that ensued at West Coast music venues and the Michigan Musicfest, and that continues today. Hypotheses are offered for how these impasses were and are being overcome. How the historical record differs across cultures and for people of color is addressed from a number of perspectives. A substantial discussion is anticipated over the role of physicians in the emergence of transgendered persons, including the pivotal role of Johns Hopkins and how the void was filled when Hopkins withdrew. The emergence of trans-specific advocacy organizations and scientific advances in gender identity (beginning with Herschfeld) will be discussed as time allows.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Legal, Professional Education, Spirituality/Religion, Surgery, TransPeople of Color

Over the past several years hundreds of bills have been introduced in state, county, and local legislatures that are specifically targeting transgender individuals with discriminatory actions that threatened the ability of gender-expansive people to thrive. In this workshop you will get the deeper story of why a small group of legislators and political operatives are pushing these bills. We will then dive into a discussion regarding tactics that have been successfully used to combat these bills and how you can get involved.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Gender Affirming, Legal, Non-Binary, Safety, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Workplace, Youth

At what point did you know you did not quite fit in? That there was something that was not quite ‘right’. "Gender is a reality, and a more fundamental reality than sex.” This will be an allegorical journey. We will take a deep dive into our reality in an effort to sea more clearly. Coming to congruence with who you are and how you got there is serious however…

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Relationships, Socializing, Spirituality/Religion, Wellness, Workplace, Youth

Trans joy is about claiming one’s identity and celebrating it - and that is one of the best things about attending a conference like Keystone. When we are in and surrounded by Community it is easy to feel joyful. But what about when we leave? This interactive workshop will explore the concept of "Trans Joy" including how we can celebrate our transness 365 days a year, what that means for ourselves/others and how it can impact our community's future. Come, celebrate, and share your stories!

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Relationships, Socializing, Spouses/Signification Others, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, Youth

One in two transgender individuals are sexually abused or assaulted at some point in their lives. Some reports estimate that transgender survivors may experience rates of sexual assault up to 66 percent (U.S. Justice Dept). The transgender community could benefit as much as, if not more than, any people group from comprehensive sexual assault/domestic violence education. The problem is that these programs are not widely known and that most are not trans-inclusive. As a Prevention & Outreach Advocate myself, working in a dual SA/DV services agency in York, PA, I can attest to the ways in which popular curricula have adapted to be gender-inclusive in terms of what configuration partnerships take on (same-sex and heterosexual partnerships are often found in each set of scenarios/case-studies). As a transgender woman though, I can also attest to the ways that trans identities and trans problems are erased from these same curricula. Unfortunately, this contributes to a societal unspoken rule on trans silence: find yourself in the language and cultural norms of cissexism or don't participate at all.

Gender dysphoria, while not a universal trans experience, is an overwhelmingly common one. This workshop asks, "How do we teach consent differently if we take into account the unique sexualities of transgender people (BDSM, for example, is more common in our community than among the general public) and the bodily experience of gender dysphoria. We will learn the FRIES (Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, Specific) and Safe, Sane, and Consensual models and explore how to apply, adapt, or change these to better serve our transgender siblings' specific needs.

Boundaries and consent are intrinsically tied. We learn what a boundary is and ways in which people set them, self-care for when a (non-sexual) boundary gets crossed, and common obstacles to setting boundaries (fear of abandonment, shame, embarrassment, etc.). Partners will be encouraged to support their partners learning to set boundaries. Conversation starters such as, "What does it look like when you get dysphoric" will go a long way toward understanding this change in the body, mind, and spirit as a kind of boundary. This is critically important if the dysphoria sufferer is unable to speak, due to disability, a physical impediment such as a gag, or a psychological dissociation/flashback.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Professional Education, Relationships, Spouses/Signification Others, TransFeminine, TransMasculine

A discussion group led by Sonia Swann, the significant other of a “partly out” partner who is pursuing a Master’s Thesis on the topic. Share your experience, troubleshoot and ask the big questions like how to have a wedding or memorial that honors your entire life and includes all your circles of loved ones. Can’t participate in person? Please support Sonia’s research by completing the anonymous survey at . . .(link to be provided soon). There will be no recordings, and no personal data collected. There will be a person to take notes and snacks!

Increasingly, transgender viewpoints, and transgender ideology, have been drowned out in the cacophony of hateful rhetoric that comes at us on a daily basis. The transgender community must raise its voice against these existential threats: every voice matters, and every ally matters. Your unique viewpoint is important to share. As an experienced professional writer, I want to share the tips, tricks, and insights I have gained over the last two years and discuss:

Why you should be writing - Why is it important to talk about our lives in our voice
Finding your voice - Writing and editing as skills
What Sells? - What are readers looking for? What grabs them?
Where is your market - resources - who wants to hear from the transgender?

I write enthusiastic, positive messages about transgender lives and the community. I believe that I can inspire others to take the pen and show how our lives are both unique and very ordinary. And in doing so, we can increase acceptance across all of society.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Professional Education, TransFeminine, TransMasculine

Explore how and why LGBTQ+ people can develop leadership superpowers! This talk explores the nexus of LGBTQ+ identities and leadership development and shows why embracing LGBTQ+ leaders drives enhanced outcomes for individuals and organizations. What’s missing from most academic and popular literature on leadership is how LGBTQ+ experiences such as stigmatization, coming out, and transition build leadership skills and capacities. We'll discuss how LGBTQ+ leaders are forged through those experiences and touch on the adult cognitive development theories that underpin how and why this happens. Using the illustrative power of story, Bree Fram will share her research on LGBTQ+ leadership (focusing on the T for Keystone!) that has resulted in a book due out in early 2024, an LGBTQ+ leadership podcast, and a community based on exploring LGBTQ+ leadership development.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Military/Veterans, Professional Education, Workplace

Public restrooms have become a major site of conflict over trans rights. This is nothing new in architectural history. The restroom has always been a cultural battlefield during periods of social change. Earlier battles addressed access by women, racial integration, access for people with disabilities, to list only the most obvious. The conflicts over trans access have neglected the importance of design in advancing social change. Although policy change is critical, in the end, design will determine whether trans access works well in our workplaces and civic spaces. We are now learning how to design public restrooms that transcend gender stereotypes and are also safer, easier to use, more convenient, increase privacy, and reduce anxiety for all building users. Building owners and the public need to know how to adopt best practices and the trans and gender diverse community is best prepared to help.

A university-based research team is learning how to advance trans inclusion. The team is conducting research and developing a public education program, including an exhibit and online resource, on inclusive restroom design. The workshop will describe the initiative and engage the attendees in helping to shape the further development of the project. The first half of the workshop will include a brief history of public restroom design, a description of the research, examples of best practices and a description of the educational program. The second half will focus on Q&A and discussion. The team is eager to obtain suggestions for improving the research and education methods and engage the trans and gender diverse community in its efforts. As part of the program, attendees will also be asked to submit stories of trans experience in restrooms, questions, and ideas, for inclusion in the planned exhibit and web resource.

Attendees will…

1. Learn about leading edge efforts to design and build inclusive restrooms
2. Learn how cisgender people perceive inclusive restroom designs
3. Learn how they can help improve trans inclusion through advocacy and education
4. Contribute to the public education and advocacy effort


Interest Tags: Advocacy, Aging, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Legal, Non-Binary, Professional Education, Safety, TransFeminine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, Workplace, Youth

Strategies for negotiating the maze of insurance blockades between you and the insurance company approving your hair removal.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Image & Presentation, Socializing, Surgery, TransFeminine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, Youth

When dissecting the current data as it relates HIV/AIDS acquisition and care for T/GNC persons it can be found that there has been an increase in HIV Transmission amongst Trans-Masculine folks over the last few years. Our presentation will be directed towards breaking down current data and the need for better data collection processes for the Trans community holistically. Trans Non-binary and Gender Non-Conforming folx are oftentimes completely erased from the data and research or grouped into other identities based on their "assigned sex at birth." Medical and HIV specific data is often broken down within the binary. With the recent addition of more trans-inclusive data, we have been able to identify additional priority populations that are at risk.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color

Join us for an in-depth workshop about wigs and hair extensions, and gain knowledge about proper application, care, and styling techniques so you can feel like the best version of yourself.

#proudally #saferspace #hairhasnogender

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, Youth

Transition occurs on many levels and we are all collectively transitioning now from winter into spring, from the chaos of the outside world into inner peace. Join us for a break from the hustle and bustle of the conference with this relaxing immersive sound meditation which will be infused by the melodic, shamanic qualities of the handpan and frame drum. Interwoven with vocalizations, and an assortment of instruments inspired by the natural world – the 4 elements of Air, Wind, Water & Fire – we will oscillate between the stillness of silence and movement of sound to more deeply integrate elemental balance within. Please arrive comfortably. There will be chairs available for a seated experience, and floor space for a more restful position laying down. Please bring a yoga mat, pillows or bolsters if you wish, and consider bringing water or tea for grounding afterward.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Aging, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Professional Education, Relationships, Socializing, Spirituality/Religion, Spouses/Signification Others, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Voice, Wellness, Workplace, Youth

Have you ever heard the word "intersex" before and wondered what it meant? About 2% of the population is intersex, and many of these individuals go through life never knowing it. The two presenters at this workshop, both intersex people, will discuss aspects of living and working in the intersex community. You'll get the intersex 101 and history of key issues for the community, learn important ways you can show up for intersex community members, and hear personal narratives of intersex experiences.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Image & Presentation, Non-Binary, Relationships, Spouses/Signification Others, Surgery, Youth

Are you living with a partner who is a crossdresser? Are you living with the knowledge that you are a male crossdresser? Are you a cis-woman partner of a man who crossdresses? Are you struggling with what it means to be in a relationship with a man who you have discovered – by accident or his own admission – enjoys wearing feminine clothing? Join me as I set out to uncover some of the reasons why so many men (including myself) dress as women. Discover real couples who are looking for a new balance in their relationships, including the point of views of the women who decided to stand by their... ahem... men as they learn to better understand their crossdresser and learn how to cope and thrive. Somewhere amid the misconceptions, stereotypes, and ignorance is the truth about non-transitioning, non-fetish, crossdressing men. But more than that is the strength and care of the women who continue to love and support them.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Relationships, Spouses/Signification Others

Jules X. Grace is a trans non-binary, gender expansive dancer with over ten years of experience in solo and partner dance styles. Through these ten years, dance and movement practices have been some of the main portals to gender euphoria for them. As they learned how to free their body from expected movement types and roles, they found that this same movement gave them new ideas about freeing themselves from oppressive expectations and roles of sexuality and gender. This workshop will be an exploration in solo and partner movement with dance stylings from ecstatic dance, fusion dance, vogue, contemporary and contact improv. We will dive into practicing movement solo and in partnerships as both a lead and a follow. Come along on a journey of music and movement as you are invited to find your own portals to gender euphoria. Comfortable clothing is suggested but not required.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Aging, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Socializing, Spirituality/Religion, Spouses/Signification Others, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, Youth

Living a normal life being happy and my true self as a woman, but God had other plans for me.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Aging, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Military/Veterans, Non-Binary, Relationships, Socializing, Spirituality/Religion, Surgery, TransFeminine, TransPeople of Color, Workplace

Stories are powerful things. They can challenge and inspire us. They also help us to connect to each other. By sharing your gender journey story, your challenges, hopes, dreams, and joys you can make important connections. If the story is well thought out and communicated, it can provide compelling context into who you are and an understanding of the “why” behind your gender journey. In this presentation, you will hear video-taped accounts of gender-journey stories from Rabbi Levi Alter and Rev. Monica Joy Cross and what happened as a result of their sharing. Attendees will have an opportunity to frame and share their gender story in a small group. As a minister to the transgender community for over 20 years, I have seen how coming out as trans and attempting to maintain relationships can be difficult to navigate. Although support for those who identify as transgender is gaining advocates, many in business and mainstream faith communities are just ignorant of transgender issues, and therefore unsupportive. Telling our stories can help to change that.

The workshop includes: 1. Workshop outline that covers the how, when, why, who and what of sharing your gender story. This tool will help you understand your motives, who you need to share to and the best timing on when to share your gender journey. 2. There will be a worksheet available for partners and advocates which will cover, “How to support a loved-one’s, partner’s or friend’s gender journey.” 3. Identify potential problem areas with business, family, friends and spiritual community relationships as you share your gender journey. 4. Learn how to connect with others by partnering with them and supporting their stories. 5. Understand the difference between what we want to communicate, what we actually communicate, and how it is received. 6. Age-specific information and how to present it when sharing your story.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Relationships, Socializing, Spirituality/Religion, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color

Evangelical and many mainline Protestant churches are bleeding...members that is! America's Christian majority is shrinking and could dip below 50% by 2070. In the US, the Christian majority has been shrinking for decades. A Pew Research Center study shows that as of 2020, only about 64% of Americans identify as Christian, in contrast, 50 years ago, that number was 90%. Young people comprise the group shrinking the most, with two-thirds (66 percent) of American young adults who attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they dropped out for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22, according to a new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research. There are any number of reasons, but likely topping the list is hypocrisy...people talking the talk as opposed to walking the walk. Not to be overlooked is the current Evangelical embrace of "Christian Nationalism" and its roots in racism and obvious prejudice directed to other marginalized people groups as well. This workshop will attempt to provide evidence that the Founders had every intention of keeping religion out of politics as well as provide attendees with a glimmer of hope for our future.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Spirituality/Religion

Rev. Dr. Kathryn Helms shares a message of love and hope in the telling of the story of her youngest adult child coming out as transgender male to female approximately one year ago. She speaks of her personal experience as a mom to choose love and shares the love lessons her transgender daughter has taught her. Discussion of their one-year collaboration to write their newest book The Underwater Ballerina: Two Sides to Transition- The Story of a Daughter’s Transition Told Through the Eyes of Herself and her Mother will be included. Personally signed copies or pre-orders will be available for purchase at the workshop.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Relationships, Voice

Your TRUTH VISION requires you to be committed to it. You must be married to it. Your TRUTH VISION doesn't want some of your commitment, it wants ALL your commitment. It doesn't want some of your time, it wants ALL OF YOUR TIME. This session will give you a roadmap to not only see your truth more clearly but give you the building blocks and strategies to discover who you really are.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Image & Presentation, Military/Veterans, TransFeminine, Wellness, Youth

The presentation will address the multiple traumas encountered by trans* individuals throughout their lifetime. This will include microaggressions, traumas related to daily encounters and brain/body incongruence, and trauma related to systems in which the individuals live. The presentation will, also, address the larger traumas encountered in the forms of transphobia, abuse, and discrimination. Our political climate has altered increasingly since 2016, effecting the trans* community from childhood through adulthood, as well as and the families and professions who support them. Where progress had been achieved, a return to historical phobias and more extensive political oversite now exists due to false facts presented by our political leaders and religious extremists. The current trends, their current impacts, and potential long-term consequences will be addressed in shared examples of client reports in sessions. In addition, statistics and facts established in the previous research conducted by institutions such as the University of Washington related to daily traumas experienced prior to this political change will be shared.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Legal, Non-Binary, Spouses/Signification Others, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color

Another year and more research, more controversies, more changes. Come get an update on the latest news surrounding the topic. Of interest for those participating or thinking of participating in a competitive sport.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Safety, Socializing

This curriculum is designed for transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive individuals who are seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce, or who are looking to change jobs or careers. Prior attendees of these cohorts have included individuals who have never held formal employment, as well as individuals who have completed graduate-level education and have many years of work experience. The curriculum includes slide presentations on workforce readiness skills as well as ample time for individualized discussion. The emphasis on discussion enables the material and experience to be tailored to the needs of cohort attendees. This section provides some considerations and suggestions for managing the discussion portions of the curriculum.

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Professional Education, Socializing, Workplace

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Lazy or ambitious? Out and loud or stealth? Queer or a queer ally? No matter how you describe yourself, there are many ways that you can take action to become a better advocate for LGBTQ+ people. In this interactive workshop we will explore what an advocate is and the actions big and small that you can take to make a difference!

Interest Tags: Advocacy, Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Legal, Non-Binary, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color