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

Together, Beth and Liz will share what blueprints have to do with communication and financial security. Discover what key steps you need to take to help ensure your financial stability. Learn how to plan for your last day and handle financial setbacks any day. No products will be sold. (Presented by Beth McKinley and Liz tattersall)

Interest Tags: Family/Friends, Finance, Legal, Relationships

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!

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

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

This seminar will introduce the general legal requirements for the formal name change process in your state. It will review the petition requirements, what additional steps may be required, whether advertising is required or avoidable, and what to expect at the hearing. Lastly, it will discuss what you need to do to update your legal documents to your new name including social security, passports, and driver’s licenses.

Interest Tags: Gender Affirming, Legal, Non-Binary, Safety, TransFeminine, TransMasculine

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

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