Interested in facilitating a Gender Odyssey generated session? Find out more here.
2012 programming is in the works! Here’s a sampling of what you can expect to see.
Town Meetings
Gender Odyssey’s town meetings are a place to share our personal experiences and
know that they will be heard, and to listen to others with the intent to learn from — not judge – their experiences. Bring concrete examples from your own life to add to a larger picture of the complex and challenging ways we individually and jointly construct our culture.
As we listen to what others bring to these discussions, we are likely to learn more of each other and expand our comprehension of the complicated ways in which we each maneuver through the world. This is a time for the community to come together to invite discussion and examination of where we have power, where it is taken from us, and even where we give it up.
- Bring it out of the Closet: Intersections of Gender and Class
- Phat Cat: Intersections of Gender and Fatphobia
- Divine Body: Intersections of Gender and Spirituality
- More than Skin Deep: Intersections of Gender and Race
- Shifting Attractions: Intersections of Gender and Sexuality
- Collection of Spoons: Intersections of Gender and Ability
Sampling of Gender Odyssey 2012 Workshops
(Note: Full schedule of over 75 sessions still in development.)
Forging a New Path: Limitations of Feminism and Queer Theory in Affecting Change
Exploring trends within LGBT and feminist social justice settings is making evident that there is a greater focus on law and policy changes. Let’s discuss the inherent limitations of this strategy and put forth queer grassroots organizing as a potential alternative. Bring your perspectives and experiences to the table and let’s have a fruitful discussion about powerful ways to create meaningful change in our society.
Blood, Breath and Bones: Embodying Anti-Oppression
In a society that separates us from our truths – boxes us in; conquers, polarizes and categorizes from birth, our very bodies – we learn to inhabit a linear world which divides and robs us of the vibrancy and diversity that is truly available. We’ll unlock the wisdom and histories we store in our organs, muscles, blood, breath and bones. Join us as we get out of our heads and into our hearts and bodies by using theatre, movement, energy work, discussion and story-telling.
Non-Binary Transition: Exploring the Options
So you’re genderqueer/non-binary, but you’re tired of talking – you want to do something about it. Yet transition is still a murky topic. Which bathroom or pronoun do I use? Do I have to lie to get hormones? Am I eligible for surgery? What about name or gender changes? Whether you’re outside, in the middle, or on the edge of the gender binary, these questions can be challenging to answer. Amidst the din of the proscribed gender transition path, what is the right path for ME? Join this discussion and share your journey and hear from others as we strive for authenticity.
Finding Voice: Feminization Laryngoplasty
Feminization Laryngoplasty (FemLar) is a type of vocal cord surgery designed to obtain a more feminine sounding voice in the male to female transgender patient. FemLar changes the pitch as well as some of the resonance characteristics of the speaking voice by changing the configuration of the vocal tract and not just the vocal cords themselves. We will use video and audio recordings of normal vocal cords, as well as recordings of patient voices undergoing the various procedures, to offer a better understanding of the voice.
Ups & Downs of Phalloplasty
For many transsexual men, the decision to pursue phalloplasty or metoidioplasty is often impacted by negative messages from both community and media. Inhibiting an open dialogue, this messaging can lead many transmen to assume that there are no viable genital reconstruction options. Going beyond the aesthetic and functional aspects of the surgery, we will be discussing the emotional, mental and physiological reactions and responses associated with undergoing such a life changing process.
Making Sex Education Inclusive
Think back to your sex education as a child. What was it like? Did you get any sex education at all? Was it really comprehensive? For most, it surely it didn’t have a queer focus. This workshop does! You will acquire hands-on practice learning and teaching anatomy and STI transmission utilizing language and models that “includes” rather than “excludes.”.
Hormones 101
This workshop will offer basic information about hormone replacement therapy in the transitioning process. I don’t like shots…is there another method? Are there different side effects with the different delivery methods? How much will it cost? Why does my friend inject every seven days but my boyfriend injects every 14 days? These questions and more answered.
Healing Touch: An Introduction to Queer Tango
In our increasingly virtual world, we make many virtual connections yet we still need touch. Tango is connection through touch. The dance is communicated tactilely. This interactive workshop will introduce you to the wonderful world of close-embrace tango. It will get everyone up and dancing. You’ll have the opportunity to hug and move with each other in a welcoming, playful, and respectful environment. Curious about queering tango? Interested in the healing touch available through tango? Come tango!
Results of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey
Join co-authors of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey to hear about the largest survey of transgender people ever done. Study results cover discrimination in employment, housing, ID documents, health care, and family. A major finding is the intertwined effect of racism leading to especially difficult outcomes for transgender people of color. Learn how this data is already being used by government agencies and how to use this data in your education and advocacy efforts.
How to Dress the Part on a Budget
Clothing is seen as an extension of a man’s personality and sophistication, whether it is flamboyance with color and texture or a more conservative look. There are a few ways a gentleman can show his personality without sacrificing his debonair style…or his wallet. With some great shopping tips you can look great for less. Is your clothing budget tiny? Need suggestions on how to dress in a way that de-emphasizes the more feminine body structure? Learn where to buy clothes for the out-of-the average-size guys who are taller, larger, and shorter. There are solutions!
Flourishing Beyond Shame
This workshop is for people who belong (or want to belong) to a spiritual/faith community. We will examine the influences of false shame upon gender, gender identity, and sexuality. False shame is when an outside source inappropriately places a “measure of value” on a certain action or identity. Conservative religious and secular factions utilize this “stigmatic guilt” as a tool of oppression against LGBTQ people. Participants will have opportunities to reflect on their personal understandings of how stigma and shame can affect us and be a hindrance to living a flourishing life.
Transitioning into Being a Short Man
What is the experience of being a short man in society? The nature of height oppression is insidious, and this workshop is meant to identify and articulate the forms this oppression takes, how it is propagated through language, individual interactions, and pressure to conform to, or resist stereotypes of short men in society. We will actively seek opportunities and strategies to empower short men. Including the voices of several different trans and cisgender men, straight and queer, we will engage in a dialogue on how height oppression has affected each of them throughout their lives.
Trans-on-Trans Relationships
This workshop is for transgender or genderqueer people and their trans/GQ partners. Join us in examining relationship issues related to transitioning and how we deal with them when there is a lot of gender going on! What are the unique issues relevant to our relationships? What happens when partners take different paths regarding hormones and/or surgery? How do you avoid comparisons or feelings of competitiveness? What happens when not only one partner transitions? Navigating gender and relationship issues when a partner’s experience mirrors one’s own, and yet doesn’t, can be quite an adventure. Let’s talk!
Bridging the Other Gender Divide: Organizing Between Trans Women and Trans Men
Are trans men from Alpha Centurion and trans women from the Eta Carinae Nebula? All too often our community acts like we are from different celestial bodies. Come to this workshop to gain insight into trans men’s and trans women’s community dynamics and to promote collaboration between our communities.
Good to Go: At Home (Enough) in Mainstream Male Environments
Major stress can arise when entering a mainstream male-oriented environment (job site, gym, hobby club, work crew, sports, bar, etc). This facilitated discussion will focus on techniques and strategies for developing confidence, realistically and effectively, including the significance of self-awareness (body language, word usage and other subtle cues). Learning mainstream male social roles and expectations allows each of us to successfully gauge which ‘rules’ to safely break, and when…similar to what cisgender men also have to figure out. What barriers if any arise? How are people handling them? What were the results? What causes hesitation? What has helped to develop confidence? In short, what gets us “good to go”?
Navigating Families in Communities of Color
In many ethnic minority communities, our families are an important source of strength. Perhaps we always knew they would love and support us no matter what…until we began to consider transition. We may feel we have to move away from home, family, and friends, or wait for a parent to die, before exploring or beginning a transition. Is the risk of losing family and community too high of a price for the pursuit of our personal authenticity? How do our race, our communities, and our families affect the choices we make regarding gender? Part of Gender Odyssey’s POC Track, this workshop is only open to people of color.
Bring it Out of the Closet: Intersections of Gender and Class
What are the parts of your class background or current class experience that don’t fit with each other? Do you identify with a particular social class, or with several? Do others make classed assumptions about you that aren’t true? Do you find yourself hiding or editing parts of yourself because they don’t match others’ perceptions of who you are? Let us have a town meeting on the intersections of class and gender.
Under the Radar: Unpacking Stealth
Where are you out about your gender identity or history? How do you draw the lines about who you tell? When and how much? How does this impact your life, your relationships? Does it provide relief? Stress? Both? This workshop will investigate the complex topic of living stealth. Many times we consider stealth to be all-or-nothing, but there are many questions to ponder when considering disclosure. We’ll discuss why we live stealth, the ways in which we do it, how it plays out, and how we can empower each other in our own personal choices.
Phat Cat: Intersections of Gender and Size (Town Meeting)
The way human beings treat fat people is barbaric. Fat people are reduced to just that: fat. Fat people’s bodies are framed as manifestations of supposed “moral failings,” holding them up to be publicly humiliated and dehumanized. How does this impact how we date, love, and live? In what ways do factors such as our age, skin color, or geography complicate our relationship to our size and gender? Join us for a town meeting on the intersections of fatphobia and gender.
Divine Body: Intersections of Gender and Spirituality (Town Meeting)
Some sense of the sacred has been intrinsic in many of our lives either in our childhood or as a path we’ve taken as adults. We may have felts, and certainly others have suggested that our very trans identities are in conflict with religion or spirituality. Have you left behind an expression of faith that was once very important to you? Do you continue to be part of a congregation where others are unaware of you or your partner’s trans identity? Have you worked within a religious community to create a more inclusive environment? How successful were you? Have you embraced alternative beliefs that serve you in a more holistic way, or developed your own sense of spirituality? Join us for a town meeting on the intersections of spirituality and gender.
