The first Gender Odyssey conference was held in Seattle during the spring of 2001. Building on the work of earlier transgender pioneers, founder Aidan Key and a small, dedicated group of volunteers, have evolved this first grassroots conference into an annual event that attracts hundreds of people from across North America and around the world. On any given year, Gender Odyssey offers over 70 informative and empowering workshops, films, receptions, performances and the chance to make lifelong friends.
In 2007, Gender Odyssey expanded to include a special stand-alone conference just for families with gender variant and transgender children called Gender Odyssey Family. With three days of workshops, a day camp for kids, and complete teen program, this annual family conference is one of the few places in the world where these children, teens, with their families can get the information and support they need to live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives.
Our Committee
Aidan Key
Conference Founder and Director
Aidan is thrilled to celebrate ten years since organizing his first Gender Odyssey conference. Aidan facilitates one of the only support groups in the nation for families raising transgender and gender nonconforming children at Seattle Children’s Hospital. When the conference is not demanding his attention, Aidan offers trainings for schools, organizations, health providers, and social service agencies through Gender Diversity Education and Support Services. Aidan’s work has led to numerous speaking engagements, as well as TV, radio, and other media appearances. He is currently working on his first book.
Kristin Wilson-Key
Administrative Assistant
Kristin is a behind-the-scenes force throughout the Gender Odyssey planning year. She and her husband, Aidan Key, live in Bellingham WA where she is self-employed as a licensed massage practitioner.
Phoenix Benner
Lead Logistics Coordinator
Phoenix identifies as a genderqueer mixed-blood Cree First Nations/Scots/English. Phoenix resides in Seattle and has lent support for the Gender Odyssey conference several times over the years. Phoenix has been an advocate for transgender/genderqueer human rights since 1992 and continues to champion acceptance for all gender expressions.
Beth Lapham
Site Coordinator
This will mark the 6th Gender Odyssey conference that Beth has been involved with, and the 5th in the capacity of Site Coordinator. Beth has been friends with (conference founder) Aidan Key for over 20 yrs. She lives in Mountlake Terrace, Washington with her wife Kathy, two cats and a dog.
Gabe Barnow
Assistant Site Coordinator
Gabe is a student at Western Washington University focusing on queer and minority health. Gabe plans to go to medical school with the dream of eradicating the huge health disparities facing queer and other marginalized populations. Gabe loves to bike around Bellingham, make comic books, and paint watercolors, and is excited to work with all of the gender outlaws and their allies at Gender Odyssey.
Johnnie Pratt
POC Program Coordinator
In solidarity with the new Japanese youth trend of “de”-generation, Johnnie is a farmer with permaculture overtones, a poet and performance artist with a social justice message of “Opening the Heart and Erasing Restrictive Stereotypes”. He lives out his wholeness with his wife and little dog too on a farm on Vashon Island, WA complete with goats, pigs, chickens and colorful out buildings.
Lisette Lahana, LCSW
Partners Program Coordinator
Lisette is a queer-identified psychotherapist who has worked with gender variant youth, trans people, their partners and family members for over twelve years. She currently runs a therapy group for female partners of trans men in her private practice in Oakland, California.
Carolyn Fuller
Teen Program Co-Coordinator
Carolyn has been involved with Gender Odyssey and Gender Odyssey Family for several years. She is a naturopathic physician with a specialty in GLBTQ health (adults) and provide adjunctive naturopathic care for youth and teens. Carolyn is dedicated to living and helping others live an authentic, empowered, healthy life, and looks forward to meeting you at the conference!
Gil Rich
Teen Program Co-Coordinator
Gil runs the youth group for the Gender Diversity family support meetings at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital. Currently a corporate training manager, Gil also volunteers with Camp Ten Trees and the WSU – 4H Challenge program and has spent the past 15 years pursuing his passion of facilitating experiential education programs that help youth recognize their potential.
Danielle
Legal Clinic Coordinator, GO Family Support Group Facilitator
Danielle is from Kirkland, WA and just graduated with a Paralegal Degree from Edmonds Community College. In 2007, she discovered her ten year old son was really her daughter. Not knowing where to go or who to turn to she attended the first Gender Spectrum Family Conference for parents with gender non-conforming children. This is where she met Aidan and the entire weekend changed her life. Danielle felt so empowered by her daughter‘s courage and everyone she met, she knew she had to get more involved and advocate on behalf of the transgender community.
Kory Martin-Damon
CEU Coordinator
Kory has worked on almost every Gender Odyssey Conference since its inception. Kory has also had too many jobs to list. Currently she is an adjudicator for the Employment Security Department in Washington State. Her hobbies include reading M/M romance & writing.
Brenda Bowers
GO Kids Day Camp Director
Brenda has been camp director since inception of the family conference, and delights in encouraging kids discover themselves and blossom. She’s been active in transgender workshops, trainings, support groups, the media, and educational institutions, providing a safe and supportive environment for children of all identities and expressions.
Yolanda Cain
Kids Day Camp
Yolanda is happy to be volunteering in her first year with the Gender Odyssey Kids Camp. She currently works for the Shoreline School District as a Bus Driver and Preschool Teacher. She is continuing school this fall to work toward a teaching degree in Elementary and Secondary Education with a focus in Science and Mathematics. She spends her free time with her boyfriend, Yadiwa Cain, and their 16 year old daughter.
Yadiwa Cain
Kids Day Camp
Yadiwa is a first time volunteer with Gender Odyssey and is excited to be part of such a positive experience for the transgender/genderqueer community. He shares his life with his 6 children and in his spare time enjoys writing.
Paula
Family Conference Outreach, Family Liaison
Over the past 15 years Paula has held a variety of public relations positions for a national retailer. She became involved with Gender Odyssey and its family outreach resources to support her oldest child’s gender identity. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband and three children.
Helena C. Hanson
Reunion Picnic
Over the last 20 years Helena has been involved with several committees during her Metro career such as: Minority Affairs, Safety Partnership Committee, Outreach to Schools and Business’, Security Committee, AFL-CIO Shop Steward for 10yrs, Committee for Political Education, Facilitator – Summer School for Union Women at Evergreen State College. Helena received the AFL-CIO Award of Excellence in Labor & Human Resources. Helena also held the Ms Fem 2005 title at the Fem & Butch Ball Seattle. Helena enjoys meeting others, singing, reading, cooking, camping, and all areas of the Arts.
Terra McKeown
Receptions Coordinator
Currently a social worker advocating and caregiving for people with developmental disabilities, Terra is also a bodyworker and writer. Ze sits on the board of Bent Arts and is building up a bodywork practice with an aim to provide healing for trans people and people with disabilities. When not busy with work, school, massage, writing, helping organize Gender Odyssey, and generally having a good time around town, Terra enjoys yoga, bellydance, and lounging in the sun. The latter, of course, happens far too infrequently in this town.
Q
Shuttle Van
Q, often known by his easily identifiable blonde mohawk, is a two-time, award winning bootblack and presenter. An activist for more than 15 years, Q has consistently made strides to bridge the communities to which he belongs. Q has a passion for public speaking that he is excited about indulging through future presentations.
Joey Lenzmeier
Volunteer Coordinator
Joey grew up in northern Idaho and moved to Washington to attend Fairhaven College in Bellingham. He graduated in 2008 with a degree in Law, Diversity, and Justice: LGBT Advocacy and will be attending Hamline School of Law in St. Paul Minnesota this fall. In his spare time, Joey enjoys live music, fashion blogs, pilates, and seasonal outdoor sports with his boyfriend Brad and Black Lab Mesa.
Duncan Gibbs
Art Coordinator
Duncan is a corporate web producer by day and art student by night. He’s been an LGBTQ community activist in the past with Queer Nation, GLAAD and CUAV (Community United Against Violence). He lives in Seattle with his partner and hopes to help foster community with other transgender artists.
Sara Michelle Fetters
Registration Coordinator
This is her second year working for the conference. Sara is the editor-in-chief for Moviefreak.com and a contributor for The Seattle Gay News. She also put her cinematic knowledge to good use by helping to program the Translations Transgender Film Festival in both 2007, 2009 and 2010. When not watching or writing about movies, Sara spends her free time playing softball, basketball and Frisbee Golf with friends. She is a former Imperial Princess of Seattle, and while she’s still waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet she’s at least got the tiara in case he ever magically appears.
Carolyn
Program Book Lead
Carolyn is an editor, musician, and mother of two children, one of whom is transgender. She has attended all four Gender Odyssey Family conferences, and is one of the original members of the Seattle Children’s Transgender and Gender Variant Support Group, which was started in January of 2008. She is delighted to be part of the conference committee this time around.
Jennifer
Program Book Graphic Designer
Jennifer is honored to be the mother of two children, one of which is the reason why she was introduced to this amazing community back in 2006. She graduated from Seattle Central’s competitive Graphic Design & Illustration Program in 2009, currently she is making plans to specialize in custom type. Jennifer is ok with you calling her a nerd in reference to her love of all things type, but for that reason only.
Reading, running and visiting New York City are among her other top
favorite things in the whole wide world to do.
Krystopher Bennett
Ads/Sponsorships
Krystopher is from Bellingham, WA and currently works for an educational resource company. In 2001, Krys was elected prom king of his small town high school which sparked national media attention as well as his relationship with Gender Odyssey. In his spare time Krys likes to travel and spend time with friends.
Donna works as a nurse in the Seattle area and is passionate about horses and trail riding. She supports all aspects of the LGBTQI community. Donna is married to committee member Dan and they are the parents of Gender Odyssey’s database manager, Zoey Brodsky, definitely making Gender Odyssey a family affair.
Dan, an environmentally conscientious toy maker, is married to Donna and Zoey Brodsky is their daughter. He loves supporting anything LGBTQI, and is an avid organic gardener with a pension for cooking anything Italian, international travel and writing.
Zoey Brodsky
Database Manager
Zoey is excited and honored to join the Gender Odyssey crew this year. A “professional queer nerd”, she works at the Pride Foundation as assistant to the Database Manager and Executive Director. She earned her degree in English Literature and LGBT Studies at Fairhaven College in 2009, and enjoys reading epics, bursting into song, and capturing magical moments on camera.
Joshua Riverdale
Web Manager
Joshua is a web developer and marketer with 12 years of professional experience. He has been working on the Gender Odyssey websites since 2008. That year also marked the beginning of his gender transition, which he continues to chronicle on his popular blog, Gender Outlaw. Joshua lives in rural British Columbia, Canada.
