The $73 Billion Diet Industry and the $808 Billion Health Care Industry would lead you to believe that the most successful pathway to health and happiness is through weight loss. But what if that hasn’t worked for you? And what about the damage dieting causes? Even when prescribed by a physician, dieting has serious physical and emotional side effects like weight cycling, preoccupation with food and body, disordered eating behaviors, decreased self-esteem, and depression. As a former chronic dieter, Health Coach and Intuitive Eating Counselor, Tracy Hess, helps her clients break free of diets and achieve greater physical, mental, and emotional health AND experience more pleasure in their relationship with food by embracing a non-restrictive Intuitive Eating approach. Learn how to drop the guilt and judgment of diets and enjoy eating again, all while achieving your health and wellness goals in this liberating seminar.

Interest Tags: Aging, Family/Friends, Gender Affirming, Military/Veterans, Non-Binary, Professional Education, Spouses/Signification Others, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, Youth

Friday 3:30 pm Workshop Slot, modified start time 4 pm. Join Tesla and Mason at the Hilton Pool for an informal discussion and show and tell on Top Surgery. We will share our experiences, scars, and stories with you about the process, recovery, and post-op care. Post Op folks who wish to share their experiences with the group are encouraged to show up in swim attire as well. Everyone is welcome to swim with us even if you don't wish to share.

My name is Karyn Elizabeth Bello and I'm the founder of ZHE by Karyn Elizabeth. ZHE is an inclusive lingerie brand that caters to the transgender community, specifically trans women and femme presenting folks. I am also the mother of a trans woman and helping my daughter shop for affirming garments highlighted the lack of options for her and the community. In this workshop I'd like to discuss a few things, including the roadblocks that trans women face in finding affirming undergarments. Also, the lack of availability in the fashion industry and how to try to break down those walls. In addition, I'd like to talk about the brands that are available and what they are doing to try to bring gender affirming garments to the mainstream. We will tackle tucking, the pros and cons, also how to safely tuck and the different ways to tuck ei: tape, gaffs and tucking underwear. I'd love to also be able to have an open forum to discuss this issue and be able to answer questions.

Interest Tags: Gender Affirming, Image & Presentation, TransFeminine, Wellness

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

This will be a workshop discussing different genital surgery options available. How to make the best decision for YOUR body and needs. Partners welcome only if with significant other.

Interest Tags: Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Image & Presentation, Professional Education, Surgery, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness

Workshop discussing different challenges youth face and ways to remove barriers to safe spaces. This will be from a trauma informed lens.

Interest Tags: Family/Friends, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, 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

During this workshop you will develop your vision of what you really want to experience in your life! You will learn 3 tools to achieve your goals, develop greater clarity on your dreams, and build confidence in your ability to achieve everything you desire. This is where you will begin to turn your dreams into reality! (Presented by Liz Tattersall)

Interest Tags: Relationships, Spirituality/Religion, Wellness, Workplace

Come prepared for a wave of compassion, love and support with this opportunity to share and learn real information about your health including effective tools to rediscover the joy of eating and a happier and healthier approach to loving your body. If you are worried about gaining weight from hormones, the stress of surgery and trauma of lifestyle change with transition, this is the group discussion for you led by former chronic dieter and Intuitive Eating Counselor Tracy Hess.

Michael Gingerich and Tom Kaden are the Co-Founders and Co-Chief Encouragement Officers of the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Someone To Tell It To, which helps the world to listen. They are podcast hosts, the authors of four books, bloggers, and public speakers on the art and science of listening.

Someone To Tell It To's teams of listeners have had more than 18,000 listening interactions during the past decade. We have trained over 800 people to be more intentional and relational listeners, as well. Not only do we listen in person to individuals, families, and groups of people, but we also listen to people virtually - through email, the phone, texting, Facebook private messaging, Zoom, WhatsApp, and other platforms. We meet people where and in whatever forum they are most comfortable and feel safest to share. This also has enabled us to listen to people across 25 U.S. states and 12 nations around the world. Our training work has taken us in businesses, colleges and universities, hospitals and healthcare institutions, schools, places of worship, hospices, funeral homes, civic organizations, and other nonprofits. Our podcasts have featured guest who also value the vital role that listening plays in everyday professional and personal lives. Our books relate stories of the life-changing role that listening plays and offer practical tips on how to listen better to one another to change the culture of organizations and to strengthen relationships in an increasingly fractured, lonely, and emotionally disconnected world.

Our workshop, based on the theme of our third book - "Listening 2by2: A Paradigm Shift for Leaders (That's When the Magic Happens!)" - will feature a short training seminar in Someone To Tell It To's 2by2 listening and presentation model. These six topics will be included:

1. Starting with a Belief (about listening),
2. Creating the Space (for listening),
3. Asking Good Questions (to help others open up and feel safe),
4. Listening Intentionally (for the meaning in what is spoken and unspoken),
5. Reaching for Your Tools (to enable good listening), and
6. Taking Time for Self-Care (since listening is often hard and vulnerable work).

The presentation of the topics will be followed by a series of listening interactions that show both helpful and unhelpful environments and responses for listening well.

Participants will have the opportunity to practice listening in pairs and being listened to by pairs of listeners, and to ask questions about Someone To Tell It To's listening, training, and educational experiences over the past decade.

This workshop will be interactive, relational, and illuminating. It will help participants to better understand the dynamics enabling good listening and will offer the practical tools necessary to growing one's listening abilities.

Interest Tags: Experience Sharing/Discussion, Family/Friends, Relationships, Safety, Socializing, Voice, Wellness, Workplace

Ready to find your inner voice and move to the beat of your own drum? Join handpan musician and the founder of Super Bloom Women’s Handpan Retreat for an interactive and immersive drum circle, play lab, laughter (yoga) and more. Sarah believes that there are musical (creative) seeds in all of us. In cultivating curiosity and imagination these seeds grow, and eventually thrive, if we let them bloom in abundance. This directly ripples into other facets of life. In this Play Lab Workshop, we will explore new beginnings through sound exploration, with the handpan as our guide. The process of discovery doesn’t have to end just because we "become adults"! Channel your inner self, unlock the key to your next personal evolution and share a memorable experience you won’t discover at any other conference. This is an event like no other and you may be surprised the joy that fills your heart and the peace that radiates through your body. No instrumental or musical experience necessary – all are welcome. Recommended to bring water and if you prefer, dress comfortably as you will have an option to sit in a chair or on the floor while holding the instruments.

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

Recent studies have found that up to 70% of Autistic individuals identify as LGBTQ, or “non-heterosexual”. People who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are also 3 to 6 times more likely to identify as Autistic or neurodivergent (2021, pridecentervt.org) With the new statistics that are coming out surrounding queerness and neurodivergence, professionals working with the LGBTQ community are very likely to encounter individuals with needs that the provider may not be familiar with. This workshop will not only touch on awareness, but also acceptance of LGBTQ neurodivergent people and people with disabilities. We will discuss concepts of able-bodied privilege, and ways that helping professionals can improve their practice to better support neurodivergent clients.

Interest Tags: Non-Binary, Professional Education, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness

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

Dozens of questions arise when planning any Gender Confirming Surgery. Many aspects are very personal, but there are common pragmatic considerations. What questions should I ask my doctor? What support will I need during recovery? For how long? Often you have no one with experience to guide you on the practical aspects of surgery. Google, YouTube, and your surgeon are all helpful resources, but none are very organized or give a comprehensive roadmap on what to expect and how to prepare yourself. Our workshop will look at preparing a step-by-step ‘Cope-Ahead Plan’ to ease the process and ensure your success. From questions to ask the surgeon to shopping lists for recovery, we will try to nail down everything you need to know and expect.

Interest Tags: Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Non-Binary, Spouses/Signification Others, Surgery, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, Wellness

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

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

Completing a legal name change can feel intimidating. It can also be expensive! The good news is that it doesn’t have to be either of those things. Eastern PA Trans Equity Project has helped hundreds of Pennsylvania residents complete their legal name change and we want to help you too! Join us as we demystify the legal name change process and provide the guidance you need to complete your legal name change without having to incur the expense of an attorney.

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

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 full life as a transgender person is much more than transition and surgery. Sure, that can be part, but do you have a plan for your life? Maybe you are just starting out, have decided you are transgender, and you are trying to figure out what is next. Are you comfortable where your journey has taken you? Do you have a plan for something else? Are you planning for a happy and full life? In this workshop Jen and Lilia will discuss what they feel are some of the important things to consider when you plan and navigate your journey. They will share some of their experiences and also some observations. We'll talk about what has worked and what hasn’t.

Interest Tags: Experience Sharing/Discussion, Relationships, Socializing, Wellness, Workplace

There are medical issues that you may need to be aware of when going through transition / HRT. Medical teams are not always aware of them, so you may need to be your own advocate, as they can affect the effectiveness of your treatments. I will share my experiences with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Hypo-Thyroidism, Reverse Ossification, and others and how they have affected my medical transition experience over time.

Interest Tags: Experience Sharing/Discussion, Gender Affirming, Professional Education, Surgery, Wellness

Have you ever bought something in helps that it would relieve dysphoria? Many folks do, but unfortunately many times the items aren't what we expected, or they don't work as advertised. Why throw away good money with bad products? As a product tester and reviewer, Mason has tried hundreds of products including binders, packers, prosthetics, and other adult items. He will speak about many of the products currently on the market. You will leave with an understanding of all the variables to picking an item that's right for you! He will also bring sample items that you can optionally touch and compare for a more hands on experience.

Interest Tags: Gender Affirming, TransMasculine, Wellness

Want to know what colors look best with your skin tone? What kind of haircut accentuates your face shape? Ever wondered what the best haircare products are for your hair? Learn how to play up your best attributes with hairstylist Tina Siders from Rise Hair Studio in Harrisburg, PA.

#proudally #saferspace #hairhasnogender

Interest Tags: Gender Affirming, Image & Presentation, Non-Binary, Socializing, TransFeminine, TransMasculine, TransPeople of Color, Wellness, Youth

Gender-affirming Surgeries are physical changes to the face and body with the primary purpose of improving one’s mental health and emotional well-being. That’s a lot to absorb. It can also be challenging to be an informed consumer in this surgical marketplace. There are so many questions: Who’s the right surgeon for me? Who will I look like after surgery? What is recovery like? With any gender-affirming surgery, most patients will heal twice. As the face and body physically heal, the authentic self will be revealed. As the True Self shines, it’s emotional healing time! Transitioning is a long road for many. It is important to support each other along the way: in every and in all possible ways. Juliana discusses the TEAMS Program at The Spiegel Center and shares openly about her transition and her connection with the trans community.

Interest Tags: Gender Affirming, Surgery, Wellness

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