Workshops

Sing If You’re Glad To Be Trans
S. Bear Bergman – Keynote Speaker
While the difficult narratives of trans life are valid and deserve our attention, is it not perhaps enough with the all-misery-all-the-time tranny channel? Being trans is not a reason for pity, scorn, shame, or apology. This lecture celebrates trans bodies, communities, awareness, sex, love, particular talents, successes and self-creation with a faultless logic and good humor that may just make you appreciate transfolks (or being trans) in a whole new way.

Parents Panel
Panelist info coming soon!
Description coming soon.

Partners Panel
Panelist info coming soon!
Description coming soon.

State of the Trans Movement
Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equality
Description coming soon.

Creating Positive Media Experiences
Kim Pearson, TransYouth Family Allies
As families are increasingly sought out by media outlets wanting to present the life stories of gender variant and transgender adults, children and their families, we all need to have an understanding of the ramifications of  participation in interviews, news articles, televisions shows, documentaries, etc. in order to make informed decisions. Have you been, or do you anticipate being, approached by the media to do an interview? Once your story is made public, there is no taking it back. Learn how best to prepare yourself and your family to deal with the media.

Seahorse Papas, Bearing Fathers and Birth Dads; navigating pregnancy, conception and birth
j wallace
Bring your hopes, your fears, your questions.  This will be a facilitated discussion about what it means to be a man who wants to give birth and how to go about manifesting that.  Expect social, emotional, practical and medical issues to be discussed, experiences shared and suggestions offered.  We’ll talk about language, clothing, navigating medical service providers and what it’s actually like to be a pregnant dude.

Please note:  we will /not/ be debating whether you can be a pregnant man, whether it’s good for the community, or debating the validity of pregnancy as a choice for transmen. This workshop is intended for transmasculine people who are considering pregnancy/are pregnant/been pregnant, and our friends and allies.

Utilizing Existing Federal Law to Protect Your Gender Variant/Transgender Youth in School
Kim Pearson & Asaf Orr, TransYouth Family Allies & Learning Rights Law Center
Currently, federal laws regulating schools and school districts are either ambivalent regarding the school experiences of gender variant youth or appear to condone the discrimination and harassment those youth face on a daily basis. However, in reality, those laws can be used to provide the very protections and supports gender variant youth need to be able to learn in a safe and supportive school environment.  This workshop will explore the mechanics of using those laws to advocate for gender variant youth who are experiencing difficulty and distress in school due to their gender expression.  Through hypothetical scenarios that mirror the common experiences of gender variant youth, this workshop will provide parents with the basic legal knowledge and tools to invoke federal law protections to improve the school experiences of their children.

Allies Supporting “T” Youth and Their Families
Kim Pearson, TransYouth Family Allies
This program is designed for those organizations and individuals who want to be more inclusive and supportive of gender variant and transgender children and their families. While many organizations have made a connection with the adult transgender community they are still struggling to understand how to support children and youth who come out as transgender or who are facing challenges because they are gender non-conforming. This course is designed as a Youth/Children Gender 101 presentation that will educate you on the basic facts, myths and terminology. TYFA will also provide practical information and resources that will enable you to be more helpful and supportive to trans and gender variant youth and the families and friends who love them.

Minimizing the Top Ten Fears of Raising a Gender Variant Child
Kim Pearson, TransYouth Family Allies
Are you a parent who wants reassurance that your child will grow up happy and healthy? We will explore the top ten questions that parents have regarding their child’s future. Topics include: understanding gender expression in small children; how, what, when and if we should tell our family and friends; how do we make sure our child is safe in school and other situations; social transition; medical transition; bolstering self-esteem and romantic relationships.

TRANSitioning from Academia to the Workplace
Riley Folds and Donna Rose, OUT for Work
OUT for Work in coordination with one of America’s leading Transgender workplace equality advocates, Donna Rose, co present on the real world successes and challenges of transitioning from academia to the workplace.

FFS: Options and Results
Dr. Sherman Leis, The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery
Dr. Leis will demonstrate and explain classic prototypes of masculine and feminine facial features.  He will discuss a variety of options for feminizing facial features and demonstrate that in the majority of cases, excellent results can be obtained without extensive, expensive, and high risk cranio-facial surgery.  Several cases are shown demonstrating excellent natural results from selective and customized facial feminization procedures.

An Introduction to Transgender Surgery
Dr. Sherman Leis, The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery
Dr. Leis will present an overview of the indications for transgender surgery, the prerequisites recommended prior to the performance of major surgical procedures, and several pre and post operative examples of the major procedures utilized in transgender surgery, both MTF and FTM.

MTF Top and Bottom Surgery: How It’s Done at The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery
Dr. Sherman Leis, The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery
Multiple options for breast augmentation will be discussed and demonstrated including choice of incisions, shape and size of implant, saline versus silicone, placement of implants above or below the muscle, etc.  Dr. Leis will also discuss his technique of one-stage vaginoplasty utilizing the penile inversion technique, neo-clitoris construction, and scrotal skin graft to increase vaginal depth.  Multiple recent cases will be demonstrated to show the natural results obtained with these techniques.

FTM Top and Bottom Surgery: How It’s Done at The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery
Dr. Sherman Leis, The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery
To be announced.

Intersex 101: Similarities and Differences between Intersex and Trans People
Elder A. Vickie Boisseau, Mass Transgender Political Coalition
This workshop will explore the social, legal, and medical issues faced by many Intersex people, as well as the similarities, and differences between Intersex and Trans people.

Binders and Packies: A Do-It-Yourself Session!
Dale Bogucki, La Fraternitie du Loup-Garou
You are broke all the time just like me. You need to pass, and you want something that will not break the bank. Come here and have a new packy, and the stuff for your own binder by the time the workshop is over! We will be making hair gel packies, and doing a “tube top” style binder that will be a custom fit because you will be making it to fit you! Even if you have never sewn before you will be taught the basic techniques, which are all that is needed to make your own custom binders!

FTM Success in the Leather Community
Dale Bogucki, Miles Newman, Jake Arthur and Ethan Young, La Fraternitie du Loup-Garou
You have heard all about why you can’t be accepted by the Leather community. You don’t pass well enough, clubs don’t want FTMs in them, trans men aren’t “real men”, and the list goes on. Hear about why that is wrong, and the experiences of out trans men in the Leather community. Sure we have had some ups and downs, but the reality is there have been more ups than there have been downs.

Gay and FTM: How to Relax and Meet the People You are Attracted To
Dale Bogucki and Miles Newman, La Fraternitie du Loup-Garou
Hate going out because you are not sure you will even be able to talk to someone? Freaking out even though you pass you are “sure” you won’t in a mostly male space? Think you will never be able to disclose? Think that when you do disclose the entire bar will know? Learn that you are not alone, you are not the first, and the community is more receptive than you think. We have been there and we will tell you all about the best ways to disclose, good ways to disclose, and when not to disclose. Also, learn about cruising, specific body language, and how to know if someone is cruising you.

Laughter Transcends
Shannon Zee Cross
Hasya Yoga (Laughter Yoga) has been part of yogic practices for a really long time. And in 1995 an Indian doctor started a laughter club in a park in Mumbia. Laughter is indeed the best medicine, reducing stress and stress hormones that can lead to illness. Dr. Kataria thought it should be a regular routine and by 2009 thousands of clubs had been created around the world. Let’s help combat the incediousness of depression in our community, offer some light hearted fun and little perspective to my bothers and sisters. The session will include some energy grounding, yogic breathing, easy asanas (postures), interactive laughter and complete with a laughter meditation. All led by a fellow gender queer in a space that is welcoming and understanding to our worldview.

Facial Feminization Surgery: Maximizing Results
Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, MD
Dr. Spiegel will review the goals and methods of facial feminization surgery.  Post-operative photos will be shown. There will be a discussion of what procedures are available, how to maximize results, risks, and how new technologies and advances have allowed for improving structural changes to bone.  Since 2004 Dr. Spiegel has performed well over 300 FFS procedures.  Dr. Spiegel is happy to answer any questions and will be providing complimentary consultations for any interested guests.

Race, Gender, and Sexuality
New Leaf Columbus
A round table conversation exploring the intersection of race, gender identity, and sexuality. Participants will share and discuss the multiple ways race and culture inform gender identity/expression, and seek to understand challenges surrounding sexual orientation/preference. Specific topics will include (but are not limited to): language, coming out, gender roles, and cultural socialization.

Genderqueer Caucus
K.D. Miller
(Closed Session) As those with non-binary genders, we face certain issues that those with binary genders don’t. This space is to discuss issues such as but not limited to self identity struggles, challenges of being part of a two gender society, and our role in the trans community. In our efforts as a community, to explore answers, we ask that this session be a safe space with respect and regard for one another.

Social Networking and Your Activism
Jamie Royce
This session will serve as a crash course for social networking Web sites, like Facebook and Twitter, as well as blogging. Attendees will learn how to identify their audience, reach that audience most effectively, basic skills for optimizing social networking, basic blogging techniques and how to have a little fun while doing it.

The Conversation: Church and the Transgender Individual
Skylar Seward, Rev. Dr. Susan Ritchie, Rev. Margaret Hawk, David Hagelin, Lyn Herron, Marilyn Lloyd
This will be in the format of a panel and group discussion, including time for Q & A. Faith leaders from MCC, The Reformed Catholic Church, and Universalist Unitarian will be present and each faith leader will discuss how and why their church came to the decision to include transgender folks in their open and affirming/welcoming and Inclusive statements.

Transgender Employment Protections
Tara McKenzie Allison, Esq., TransOhio Board of Directors
This presentation will provide a broad overview of federal, state and local statutory and case law providing protections against discrimination (based on gender identity and gender stereotyping) in the workplace.

Safer Sex 101
El McKaigh
This workshop will provide participants with the information they need to make safer sex decisions.  Participants will be given the most up-to-date information about STI prevention and ideas about having the safe sex discussion with their current and potential partners.  The information presented will be frank but will be presented in an open, supportive, non-judgmental environment.   The focus of this class will be on safety and disease prevention, not sexual technique.

Tantra for Beginners
El McKaigh
This workshop will introduce participants to the basic principles and practices of Red Tantra.  Tantra, a Hindu philosophy based on sacred sexual energy, can be used to bring deeper intimacy and fulfillment to all relationships.  Basic Tantric positions and breathing techniques will be demonstrated.  Participants will gain a basic understand of energizing chakras and using that energy to interact with their partner(s).  A guided meditation that blends White and Red Tantra may also be included.

Other Men Project: The (In)visibility of Transmen
Ebba Schmid and Michelle Halabura
Other Men Project: The (In)visibility of Transmen is a portrait photography collection of men who identify on the FTM/Transmen spectrum. The Transgender Community has been documented, researched, analyzed and treated like specimens by multiple medical fields for years. This Project gives the power back into the hands of the Transmen by being who they are without question. Each photograph is taken with the utmost acceptance and respect, which can be seen through each man’s eyes. For more information and gallery, please visit the website. OtherMenProject.Org

LGBT Latin@s Victims of Inter-personal Violence: A Minority within A Minority
José Juan “J.J.” Lara Jr., MS, MA, Texas Advocacy Project
In a culture celebrated for its rich traditions, close-knit families, and strong faith, being Latino and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is often unmentionable and often met with violence.  This workshop will focus on the stigmas associated with being Latino and LGBT and how negative stereotypes embraced by the Latino community regarding sexual orientation increases the likelihood for LGBT Latinos to be victims of inter-personal violence within their own families.  Participants will learn about homophobia as culturally expressed within the Latin@ community, the types of inter-personal violent crimes LGBT Latin@s are vulnerable to and barriers accessing hetero-centric social services and criminal justice systems.

Femmetastic: Fierce Femmes Fighting Back
Jamie Royce
Radical queer femmes are too often treated as counter-revolutionary because of our femme identity, rendered invisible by our queer community. But the notion of the helpless femme is remiss, and femmes can take to the streets to fight for change just like everyone else, and look fierce while doing so. This interactive workshop discusses the double-bind of being a queer femme, how to fight femme oppression that comes from within and outside of the queer community, celebrating femme identities and how to be a femme ally.  Femmes and allies of all genders are welcome to attend.

Forget the Polite Conversation: Getting Real About FTM Transition
Shane Morgan, Jacob Nash et al.
Let’s drop the polite conversations and let’s talk bluntly. Let’s talk about our experiences growing up and being socialized as female. What kinds of changes do we experience in our community once we transition or come out as transgender? How does transition effect our sexuality and relationships? What are the golden pieces of information that you know now, that you didn’t know before? What are realistic expectations to have about testosterone and managing emotional and physical changes in a non-self-destructive manner? Are all FTM’s full of anger and aggression? How do we create or re-negotiate our support networks? Where can we find mentoring and safe, reliable information? These are all important questions that come up as we transition. This workshop will create the space for participants to speak openly and frankly about their personal identity, transition, fears (and joys) of transitioning from Female-to-Male.

Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance, a film screening
Madsen Minax
Riot Acts is a transfabulous rockumentary representing the multi-dimensional lives of transgender and gender variant musicians, through a first-hand perspective of the intersections between gender performance and stage performance, culminating with the notions that identities and bodies are undeniably political, and the trans experience isn’t always one of tragedy, but one of creativity and joy. Please visit the website for detailed info — http://www.actorslashmodel.com/film.htm

Community Discussion: What to do about GID
JAC Stringer and Jason Bernstein, GenderQueer Coalition
Round table discussion about Gender Identity Disorder (GID), its history, its pros and cons, opinions about GID reform, updates on the movement and changes surrounding GID, and where our community is going in terms of health care and social recognition. All views are welcome and respected!

Our Stories and YouTube
Joni Christian, Michelle Everett
Equality Ohio invited me to create a story in the Storytelling Workshop. With eight others we shared our lives in a most intimate way. http://www.equalityohio.org/

“When anyone is left out, everyone is left behind.”

TransMontana
Roberta Zenker
TransMontana is the title of my memoir, and in many ways it would be appropriate to first present it in Columbus, as I grew up there in the 1960′s & ’70′s.  It is the story of my transition in one of the more conservative, non-trans friendly states in the country, but it is about so much more.  It is about hiding in the box for nearly fifty years, and the resulting struggles with depression, alcholism and suicide ideation.  It is a story of transformation and the courage to be.  It is about the loss of marriage, family, home, position and possessions that most trans people deal with, and ultimately recovery and redemption.  It is about spiritualy and trust in a loving God overcoming the strictures and dogma of conservative Christianity.  It is a story of advocacy and hope for change, as well as a call to action — all set against the backdrop of Montana, its people and history as well as its natural beauty.

Practical Legal Applications for Transgender Individuals
Melissa Alexander, TransOhio Board of Directors
The program involves lecture and PowerPoint presentation with questions and interaction with the audience geared toward transgenders with special emphasis on those who are transitioning as well as their allies. It covers such topics as drivers licenses, name changes, birth certificates, passports, social security, tax implications regarding surgery issues, marriage issues, health care interaction, police interaction, dealing with employment applications as well as living wills and estate issues for transgenders and allies.

Living The Sacred Moments in Everyday Life
Ellen Seigel, LISW
Finding and feeling Sacredness provides an instant relief from the pressures of daily life, from runaway thinking and from dis-ease. Recognizing the beneficial meaning of circumstances in your life uplifts your Spirit in all you do. This workshop teaches you to become calmer and centered within yourself. You will learn powerful and effective breathing, grounding and re-focusing techniques as well relaxed and very positive ways to appreciate the sacredness in your own experiences. Then you can breathe easy and relax even in the midst of activity.

Allies and Accountability
Nelli LaValle
Whether you are a friend, a partner, a family member, health care provider or a trans person, being a good ally is important. A lot of people want to be supportive, but sometimes are unsure of the ways to go about it. Before people can be supportive and involved, they need to be educated by someone who is willing to be a great ally. This will be a presentation on the finer points of being a good ally and then a question/answer discussion within the group as well as with a panel of awesome allies!

Finger Painting Expression
Briden Cole Schueren
I feel so free and at ease when I am painting or even just have a paintbrush in my hand, it’s very zen like for me. I want to be able to go crazy on a huge stretch of canvas, painting all over it and rolling around adding different layer sand media types. I love making stories with my art, alternatively, I also love allowing stories to inspire my work. I hope with my different style and my twist on some things lets you have the opportunity to express yourself in a fun playful way, like I do. I have gone through my fair share of life and different experiences that most people can’t say they have gone through. Because of those experiences I have different views and thought processes for displaying and making my art! I want to hear your stories and play around on a stretch of canvas with paints and different mediums. Yes you may get messy and you may not get messy– it all depends on what you want to do with it. Let’s talk about life and what we have gone through, and what helped us get through it all, while learning new techniques of expressing ourselves and enjoying life.

Health & Fitness
Briden Cole Schueren
I have my own personal experiences in life to help me be a healthy strong athlete. I want to hear your experience and what you do to keep your body happy. I will express to you what all I did to prepare my body to have a great recovery for surgery. While sharing with you great food choices and the great community you can find that is open and excepting to all that wants to be happy healthy and active together. I will bring in some yum yums for all of us to try and share while giving good yummy ingratiates for tasty vegan dishes. We may get hot and sweaty while doing some proper stretching methods or simple at home body weights.

Latex and Polyurethane for Everyone! How to Protect Yourself
Kat Holtz
We will cover the ways to be safer in all of your sexual experiences in order to reduce your risk of HIV and STI infection and transmission. We will brainstorm ways to talk to partners about sex and protection and engage in some dramatic reenactments. We will play with barriers of all kinds and I always bring along some chocolate. Protect yourself and protect your heart!

New Possibilities:  The Ps & Qs of Getting to the Top of YOUR Mountain
Lana Moore
Understanding and exploring our transgender nature is an important part of our being. Some may want to express themselves only part time; others may seek a path that will lead to a full transition; while still others may have goals unique to your own lives. Whatever the case is, it’s important that you remain focused on a vision and develop a plan for action in order to have the best chance at success. The mountains ahead of us aren’t going away, so we need to have a plan to scale them. Lana Moore presents this inspirational workshop on how she climbed more than one such “mountain” and found success. She will explain how she managed obstacles and avoided pitfalls and setbacks when they looked to undermine her journey-a journey that lead her to becoming a fire officer. The same journey that detoured into a battle with and the eventual conquering of addiction and finally a journey that has led her to transition on-the-job as a city employee. Be a part of this seminar with Lana. Find out how she changed her future and how you can change yours too.

Words Matter: Exploring Definitions in the Broader Trans Community
Cara Sande Greenberg
In a community as diverse as ours, words matter. In trying to define ourselves we inadvertently define others. This panel and interactive workshop will bring broader knowledge of the diversity within our community and provide the tools to critically consider the words we use to define ourselves and not each other.

Trans Women Now
Cara Sande Greenberg
Trans women come in all shapes and sizes and transition is never a straight line. We will be holding a panel discussion on the lives and needs of trans women. Topics will include transphobia, appearance and presentation, safe spaces, health services, and trans women’s relationship to the broader T and the LGB communities.

Partners’ Experience: Limited Disclosure and Stealth
Ariel Baumwell, Co-Facilitator, TransOhio Partners’ Discussion Group
A discussion session on the experiences of partners and relationships where one or more partner prefers not to disclosure their trans status or does so in a very limited capacity. Topics include: Finding medical care, activism and community with limited disclosure, damage control when forcibly outed, stigmas and stereotypes, children and limited disclosure. Other topics related to limited disclosure are also welcome. This discussion session is open to all.

Soothing the Soul Through Words, Images, and Experiential Learning
Michael Munson, FORGE
This workshop is a dynamic, interactive, experiential, and reflective space that encourages and allows participants to transform feelings about personal or global loss, trauma, or life-hardships into empowered hope. Attendees – in a structured, safe, creative setting – will use writing, art, and movement exercises to address topics that impact us all. Participants will leave with a renewed sense of hope, community, and connection with themselves and with others. All materials provided, but feel free to bring your favorite healing journals and tools. No experience necessary.

THInC- Trans Hormones, Informed Consent
Lisa Katona, Howard Brown Health Center
Introducing THInC, Howard Brown Health Center’s program to empower and support trans clients who wish to access hormones. THInC is a comprehensive 3-step program designed to assist clients in accessing hormones in an efficient, supportive and validating manner. This presentation will offer information about what informed consent means, and why Howard Brown made the decision to make access to hormones as barrier-free as possible, and how clients can access this program. This program is new, innovative, and not being offered at all health centers.  Since Howard Brown the largest LGBT health center in the Midwest, we see individuals accessing services from all over the Midwest.

Queering the Archive: Queer Representation in the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives
Deb Kuwaza, PhD Student in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy at The Ohio State University
The Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives (DALN) is a publicly available archive of personal literacy narratives in a variety of formats, and as a field researcher for the DALN, I have consciously worked to queer the archive through the collection of narratives from queers, gender performers, and members of other alternative communities. Including  narratives from these communities makes us more visible and provides a unique lens into the literacy practices and values of our current moment. This session will do a few things: introduce the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives, including watching and/or listening to narratives from the archive; show how anyone can contribute to the archive; and explore the ways in which a few narratives from the archive demonstrate valuable and queer ways of composing, making meaning and developing a sense of self and identity.  I ask the following: How does heteronormativity shape definitions of literacy and composing? To what degree does performance play into both mainstream and alt-culture literacy practices and associated identities?  How do  everyday literacy practices help members of alt communities make sense of their lives and create a sense of belonging within particular communities and the larger world? Exploring alternative ways of composing and alternative notions of literacy, we can better understand composing and literacy as a whole. The DALN will also be available to collect narratives from Symposium attendees and participants. DALN website: http://daln.osu.edu

GenderQueer Panel Discussion
Jac Stringer et al., GenderQueer Coalition
Come listen and contribute to an open discussion about genderqueer identity and experiences. Led by a panel representing some of the vast spectrum of genderqueers in our community, discussion will cover topics including identity fluidity, genderqueer community spaces, partnering and dating, and inclusion in the trans-experience. All are welcome!

The GenderQueer Coalition is a non-profit organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio that is dedicated to the facilitation and actualization of transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, and gender identity-centered advocacy, activism, community-building, education, health care access, and wellness in the greater the Midwest region of the United States. Genderqueercoalition.org

Successful Significant Other Partnering in Transgender Relationships
Michael C. Owens, Amber Alaniz-Owens
This interactive workshop addresses the challenges, concerns, and positive solutions of being in a successful relationship of commitment and partnership with a trangender dynamic.  The workshop will cover common challenges,  solutions, attitudes, disclosure, and the attributes of healthy couple dynamics.  There will be room for questions and answers.

Building Your Coalitions: Playing Well With Others
Shane Morgan, Founder & Chair, TransOhio
Description coming soon.

Perils of Black Market Hormones
David Brandebura, R.Ph., Director of Pharmacy, The Apothecary Shops
Description coming soon.

AND MORE!