Genderqueer and Privilege
It is sometimes said that if you are genderqueer, you no longer have, or perhaps never had, gender privilege. Do you believe this to be true? Unsure? It has been said that the unexamined life is not worth living. In this workshop, we will jump in gendered-feet first and examine the relationship between having privilege (gender, passing, and other intersections of privilege) and being gender nonconforming. It’s worth unpacking!
Genderqueer Sexuality
How does being genderqueer affect one’s sexuality? Is the sky the limit, or are there particular considerations or limitations that go with the territory? Do you encounter roadblocks within your relationships or within your community—even a sex-positive community? Have you broken down the notion of gender as binary for others only to find it still lingering within your own thoughts as you choose a partner? How does your choice of a partner impact the ways others perceive and define your relationship? Join us in this discussion-based workshop as we explore these questions and more.
It’s Just a Phase
Jay Williams
When it comes to gender nonconforming people, we often hear: “It’s just a phase.” Old assumptions insist that gender transitions move seamlessly from “point A” to “point B”. Genderfluid identities are dismissed as being temporary placeholders while we look for our “real” identities. Lately, the rediscovery of androgyny in popular culture has opened the door to accusations that gender benders are just trying to be hip. Either way, we’re not taken seriously! The truth is, genderqueer, by whatever name we call it, is a legitimate and meaningful personal identity. In this workshop, we’ll explore the multifaceted nature of gender and how our expressions of gender can change—even from day to day. How do you name, construct, and express your genderqueering? Let’s find out!
Gender Lexicon
Terra McKeown
The transgender lexicon seems to change weekly, if not daily. For some, this elusive compilation of labels is frustrating, confusing, and, at times, alienating. Others feel that to truly embrace gender’s full complexity, we must have evolving, organic language. Often, in trans/gender discussions, the conversation is limited to simple explanations of why individual people like or dislike certain terms. In this workshop, we’d like to step back a bit and get a bird’s-eye view of our communities’ gender identity language/framework. Let’s discuss both the problematic and the empowering nature of language with a goal of understanding our own process as well as that of others.
Professional Genderqueer
Talcott Broadhead, MSW
Is there a way to be true to a genderqueer identity and survive or even thrive in a professional environment? Do you make choices that don’t fit with your gender identity in order to either decrease resistance to or increase acceptance of your gendered self? Let’s discuss the stories below as well as your own in this provocative discussion.
I Just Need to Pee! (Eat, Sleep, See a Doctor…)
Jay Williams
Society is comfortable with male and female, and being comfortable is often equated with feeling safe. Most, if not all, systems and institutions incorporate the binary notion of gender to try to add a level of safety; examples include bathrooms, shelters, clinics, etc. But how can gender nonconforming people feel safe when these very institutions—knowingly or unknowingly—exclude us? How can we take care of our most basic human needs when our very presence is met with suspicion, contempt, fear, or ridicule? What can we do to change these spaces and what would that change look like anyhow?
Trans and Genderqueer Sex Workers: Creating Community, Allies, and Support
Lucien Justice, Kari Lerum
This workshop is for trans and genderqueer sex workers, as well as their allies. In it we’ll discuss the unique experience and needs of trans and genderqueer sex workers. The workshop will explore questions such as: How are trans and genderqueer sex workers received within broader sex worker communities? How does queerness interact with sex work? How does sex work both support and detract from the transitioning process? What kind of resources and support are available, and what else is needed?
