Workshops

We have a few more workshops to iron out, but here's most of them! (In alphabetical order by presenter.)

WORKSHOPS for TBC 2009
(Presenter Bios)

The stress of hidden bias and microaggressions by Robin C. Benton
We all have personal biases that inform our daily activities. Acknowledging these biases allows us to act with integrity. The subtle biases of others adds stress to our daily existence. This workshop will adapt the racial micro aggression model to gender and sexual orientation,  identifying the daily stress added from these subtle acts of  aggression. This session particularly benefits anyone who has asked themselves Am I being paranoid, Why am I being defensive?

Intersex 101: Similarities and Differences between Intersex and Trans people by Vickie Boisseau and Sammi Cornell
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.

Pan/bisexuals and those who love them by Keri Clinton and Kay Kilty
This will be a partial presentation and partial discussion that will work towards answering the following questions…

What does it mean to be bisexual?
What does it mean to be pansexual?
How do our relationships affect our sexuality?
How does it feel to date a pansexual? Is it different from dating a bisexual, lesbian, gay or trans individual?

Privilege of Passing by Kyle Cortis
This session seeks to break the silence and establish that passing is not something to be guilty about, nor is the attached passing privilege (condition cis privilege) necessarily “bad.” The session argues that passing does matter, both in and outside of the trans community, and has real privileges attached to it. The purpose of the session is to bring awareness to the concept of conditional cisgender privilege and to create an open discussion around the topic.

How-to Host a Safer Sex Party by Clyde Dillard
Organizing fun and games for pansexual participants. (18+)

Coming out as a child or adolescent as transgendered or transsexual and the parents’ process of acceptance by Diane Ellaborn, LICSW
This will be a panel presentation including parents and their transgendered children and teenagers. Diane Ellaborn, LICSW, an experienced gender specialist will moderate this panel. The discussion will explore issues of coming out as a young transgendered individual to parents and their parents’ emotional process that lead to eventual full acceptance. Crossgender expression at home, at school and in the community will be discussed. Non-medical and medical treatment of children and adolescents who are transgendered/transsexual will be discussed as well as other topics.

Gender Performance through Improv by Lorelei Erisis
Second City trained improviser and “Miss Trans New England” Lorelei Erisis will share and discuss insights about gender as well as the basics of improv and how it can be used to enrich your own relationships and personal presentation.   This is a hands-on workshop that will explore the performative aspects of gender using the techniques and tools of improvisational acting.  Participants will have the chance to stretch their legs, open their minds and get up on their own feet to learn some basic games and exercises. 

No improv or acting experience is necessary, (though experienced performers are welcome too!) just the willingness to try something new and have a little fun.  Come ready to play!!!!

Kiss-Notes by Marah Fellicce
Learn about the Science, Culture and History of Kissing. This one hour workshop includes entertaining and informative facts about kissing.  Interspersing personal story telling and evolutionary biology, we’ll learn about how to be a better kisser through listening, body language, and kiss yoga.

Trannies Who Sleep in Piles: An Exploration of Transgender Polyamoury by Chelsea Elisabeth Goodwin
(description coming soon)

Parents Speak Out! by Greater Boston PFLAG
Greater Boston PFLAG parents of  transgender or gender-variant children will share their personal stories, answer questions and facilitate an open discussion.

Changing Sex in the State of Connecticut by Rosa Lee Klaneski
This presentation addresses the issues within the existing legal and medical structure that transgender or gender-transgressive individuals face when deciding to civilly change their sex in the eyes of the state. Covering necessary documents and protocols, we will facilitate a discussion about the best ways of negotiating a system that relies on binaries, and which often challenges non-traditional individuals.

NCSF and YOU by Vivienne Kramer
Introduction/explanation to the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and its services

"The Jim Collins Foundation: Taking Our Health Into Our Own Hands" by Dru Levasseur and Tony Ferraiolo
For many transgender people, gender-confirming surgeries are an important step in the transition to being their true selves.  However, most health insurance and Medicaid policies exclude transgender health care services, leaving people to pay out-of-pocket for expensive, yet necessary procedures.  Discrimination against transgender people in employment and beyond is so prevalent that many people struggle to just survive, never mind save for surgery costs.  Two transgender men decided to do something about this by starting a “for the community, by the community” nonprofit organization that works to fund gender-confirming surgeries, called the Jim Collins Foundation.  Tony and Dru will discuss the formation of the organization, its fundraising events and speaking engagements, and how it works to bring the transgender community together while educating the public about the struggles that transgender people face in accessing health care. 

Make your support group a success!  Facilitation for leaders and non-leaders alike! by Tom Limoncelli
Beginners and experienced people alike can benefit from the techniques and tools presented in this workshop. Every community needs more support groups.  Every support group needs more facilitators. 

Learn how to get people to open up and talk, how to increase repeat attendance, dealing with difficult people, and where to advertise.  While this workshop will focus on facilitating, tips for starting your own group will be included if there is interest. This mix of lecture and Q&A will be customized depending on audience needs.

Even if you never plan on being the facilitator, attendees find they get more out of a group when they understand these facilitation techniques.

Support groups grow our community!

The "Them": The problem of transsexuals externalizing power, and how to retain your self respect while negotiating with professionals by Atreyu (Tre) Luna, LMSW, M.Ed.
Transsexuals have long been understood under the medical model by medical and clinical professionals. We are "men/women living in the wrong body" that need to "fix a birth defect" with hormones, surgery, etc. To be fair, the medical model has done many transsexuals a world of good: for the first time in history, we are truly able to actually change our bodies, rather than live with what we were born with. But being treated as a pathological condition to be "cured"--rather as travelers on a gender continuum--has had a dire effect on many trans people. By externalizing power, giving it away to "Them," (i.e., doctors, therapists, and surgeons,) transsexuals seem to have internalized the medical model ourselves. In my experience as a clinician, the problem of transsexuals perceiving that "They" have ultimate power of decision over transition (and therefore, life or death for some individuals,) is that it creates a convoluted labyrinth in which transsexual clients continue the lying, self-hating behaviors and thought patterns that characterized pre-transition years: survival patterns that ensure that psychological hurts are never healed. This internalized struggle turns transition into a battlefield of distrust, rather than a time of birth and discovery; it makes transsexuals feel smaller, not at all empowered or capable individuals. Worst of all, it can be a self-fulfilling prophesy. What clinician feels good about writing a hormone or surgery letter for a client who tricked them, who lies and talks in circles, who views them with the suspicion of a feral cat? The question is, how can we break free of this pattern, while still receiving the hormones and surgery that we need to transition (and therefore to continue surviving, for some)?

Though we will be reviewing the Standards of Care (of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health,) this is not a debate as to whether or not the SOC should exist (the same goes for Gender Identity Disorder in the DSM.) Rather, this workshop is a reflective exercise about how we can negotiate with professionals before, during, and after transition, while retaining our self respect.

Teach Your Story! Presentation Skills for Community Education by Samuel Lurie
Many of us become de facto teachers about queer and transgender issues, being asked to “tell our story” and teach others. A good training is more than our personal story—in fact telling and retelling our own story can make public presentations take a heavy personal toll. This workshop will help to boost confidence and skills in educating others on queer and trans issues, including ways to engage audiences, facilitate difficult conversations, and take care of ourselves. The workshop presenter has trained more than 25,000 people around the country on transgender issues.

QueerAbility: Queer People with Disabilities and the Ethic of Inclusion by AndreA Neumann Mascis, Ph.D.
This workshop will use a social justice framework to explore the experience of queer people with disabilities systemically, in community, in relationship and in identity.

Religion and Spirituality: Builder and Breaker of Boundaries by Rev. Matthew    Throughout history, religion has often played the role of enforcer of boundaries, particularly in regard to gender and sexuality, no more so then today. Yet, at the same time, religion has often been one place in which those boundaries are torn down, from ancient cultures that saw intersexed people as shamans because they transcended gender to modern day churches that are ordaining openly trans people and taking leading roles in fights for justice on issues like same-sex marriage and gender identity, to clergy who are exploring what it means to offer commitment ceremonies for polyamorous couples and groupings.

This workshop will examine the role that religion has played in the construction and deconstruction of boundaries, looking in particular at the boundaries that surround heterosexuality and monogamy.  It will also look at the distinctions between religion and spirituality, and examine the many ways that spirituality, whether individual or in community, can be a powerful force in challenging boundaries. Lastly, we will look at the role that religion plays in the political and social debates around these issues, how to counter religious arguments, and where religion is emerging as a powerful ally.

Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World by Robyn Ochs
Reading selected essays and passages from Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World, we will examine bisexuality in international context. How does context affect experience? Which are shared experiences of bisexuality, and which are culturally specific?

Beyond Binaries: Identity and the Sexuality Spectrum by Robyn Ochs
In this interactive program we explore sexual orientation identities over time. How do we assign labels to our complicated and unique experiences? What relationship exists between experience and self-identity, and between our self-identity and the way others see us? Is identity fixed, or do some individuals experience change over time? What generational changes are we experiencing around labeling? And what does all this this have to say about bisexuality in particular?

Addressing Transgender Youth Harassment in Schools by Daniel J. O'Donoghue of GLSEN Massachusetts
Nearly nine out of 10 transgender students experienced verbal harassment at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation and gender expression.  This presentation will examine Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools, the first comprehensive study on transgender students, released by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.  We will discuss the high rate of victimization and the direct impact it has on school attendance and academic performance, as well as strategies to address harassment and bullying in schools.

Celebrating Gender-Variant Spirituality by Oshee
A facilitated discussion of the unique ways in which gender-variant peope relate to spirituality, the spiritual roles played by gender-variant people in traditional and indigenous cultures, and how we can create and reclaim ways of celebrating and sharing our precious spiritual gifts in the world today.

Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting by Vikki R.
Vikki R will be leading an AA meeting Sunday morning. This will be a closed meeting, unless the members would like to bring guests.  If you plan to attend and have a vote on whether or not we open the meeting, please email Vikki at tbc.volunteer@gmail.com.

Transgender Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Supporting Transgender People by Gunner Scott (MTPC) and Ruben Hopwood (Fenway Health)
The incidence of suicide ideation and suicide attempts in the transgender population are significantly higher than the non-transgender population. Some studies of transgender adult population have show rates of suicide ideation as high as 64% and suicide attempts ranging from 16% up to 37% as compared to non-transgender populations where 13.5% reported lifetime ideation, 3.9% a plan, and 4.6% an attempt. Yet with these statistics, there has been little specific information, resources, or support for transgender youth and adults. This workshop will give overview of transgender cultural information, specific data, experiences, and needs of transgender people with regards to suicidality, suicide prevention, and intervention. Participants will leave with skills and information that can be utilized and shared in their social and work communities.

Translating Our Narratives: Activism and the Gender Justice Movement by Hadley Smith
Gender oppression affects all of us – it is something we experience physically, emotionally, and mentally. In this workshop, we will consider our narratives, and how to translate our experiences into activism. We will talk about intersecting identities, gender oppression both inside and outside our communities, and, ultimately, how to transform these experiences into change. Focus will fall predominantly on how to be an activist/ally within the movement. For more information about Translate Gender, visit www.translategender.org.

This Is What A Femme Looks Like: A Discussion and Writing Workshop by Jessamyn Smyth
A place for femmes, their partners, allies, friends, and those interested in exploring femme identity to join an open and wide-ranging facilitated discussion about femme identity, followed by several short, guided writing exercises geared toward leaving behind stereotypes and assumptions and celebrating the full diversity of femme identity. No prior writing experience required, all are welcome!

Bi Perspectives on Kinsey: A Sexagennial Listening Party by Ron Suresha
Celebrating the publication by Routledge UK of a special hardbound library edition of Bisexual Perspectives on the Life and Work of Alfred C. Kinsey, a 2008 Lammy Finalist; with readings of selected pieces.

Bisexuality: Are We Still Invisible? by Cecilia Tan and panel
Twenty years ago, no queer organization wanted to include the letter "B" in their alphabet soup. Now, it's included as a matter of course, but is being taken for granted just a new form of invisibility? Time after time we hear of "gay" celebrities who are re-labeled from straight to homosexual if their taste for the same sex becomes public. Why is the possibility of bisexuality not even considered by the newsmedia? Has "pansexual" replaced "bisexual" in activist terms and is this a good thing? Are we clinging to a dated concept that hasn't caught on in the mainstream because it's too hard to explain? Or is it just that we've been marching in place while the rest of the LGBTQ movement seems to be moving forward? Has the lack of a newsworthy and legislatively focused topic like "gay marriage" hurt our movement? What is our movement anyway? Having established a seat at the table in lesbian/gay-dominated politics, is it time to look outward to education and changing the perceptions of the general public? Who are our best allies and what other coalition-building can we use to ensure that bisexuality as a valid identity and lifestyle choice is neither excluded nor taken for granted?

Erotic SF/Fantasy Reading, hosted by Cecilia Tan of Circlet Press
An erotica reading, one hour to 90 minutes. The selections will be erotic science fiction/fantasy and feature bisexual, trans, and/or poly characters in positive erotic associations. (18+)

Writing "Across" Gender/Experience by Cecilia Tan of Circlet Press
One of the adages fed to writing students everywhere is "write what you know." But anyone who writes only about themselves is likely to be labeled as lacking in diversity and needing to represent under-represented voices/characters more. How do you get around the double-edged sword of needing to present realistically diverse stories and characters without being accused of appropriation? And how do you keep this struggle from empowering your internal censor to the point where you are too paralyzed to write anything at all? Come get empowered to find your inner voice and tell the stories that need to be told.

Our Experiences Matter Too – Youth from Queer Families Tell It Like It Is by Carolyn Thompson from Mountain Meadow
You're out, or have friends who are, so you get it, right? Not so fast. How much do you know about youth whose parents transcend society’s boundaries? Do you know about the biphobia and transphobia we experience, even though many of us are straight? Come hear trials, tribulations, and rewarding experiences directly from youth who have LGBTQ parents. Laugh with us about funny gay moments and learn how be our ally, just as we are allies to you.

Homo No Mo?!? Orientation, Gender & the Ex-Gay Movement by Peterson Toscano
Having spent 17 years and over $30,000 on three different continents attempting to change and suppress his gay orientation and gender differences, Peterson Toscano presents a lively lecture about the ex-gay movement and the often-tragic outcomes of pursuing such a change. He also takes a special look at the role of gender policing in ex-gay programs. Interjecting scenes from his one-person comedy Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House—How I Survived the Ex-Gay Moveement and the most current information about the ex-gay movement, Peterson's interactive presentation leaves his audience informed and better equipped to address false claims of the Ex-Gay Movement.

Lemons and Lemonade: The Pain and Pleasure of Poly/Mono Relationships by Anita Wagner
Probably the greatest challenge in find what works to resolve conflict in polyamorous relationships is working out the challenge that arises when one partner is polyamorous and the other is monogamous. How do people manage? Is it even possible to find mutual happiness under such circumstances?

This workshop will explore the ways in which poly/mono relationships wither for some and thrive for others. Every effort will be made to present this workshop and conduct discussion sensitively to the experiences of the monogamous partners as well as the polyamorous partners. Poly/mono couple and groups who have a story to tell are especially welcome. A useful handout and ample time for discussion will be included.

Polyamory in Media's Spotlight by Anita Wagner
Over the last few years much has happened on the public stage that has the power to affect poly lives in ways both good and bad. More than 200 media events that focus on polyamory or are polyamory-related have been documented. Their sources range from prime-time TV plot lines to articles in campus newspapers.

The good news: Polyamory is no longer socially obscure

The bad news: Visibility attracts attention from people who actively oppose the way we live our lives.

Increasingly the media is the grass-roots playing field that offers the most effective means of influencing public opinion - and hopefully public policy - in polyamory's favor. There is no doubt that media interest in polyamory is at an all time high with no real end in sight. Whereas for many years sightings of poly-specific media events were very few and far between and consisted mostly of hostile daytime talk show experiences, today local, regional and national broadcast, print and internet-based media are driving a much more positive trend, with polyamorists and polyamory movement leaders often in media's spotlight. This tends to reflect well on the concept of polyamory, but troublesome media events still happen, events about which we must remain aware and address as is appropriate.

Come hear more and ask questions about this exciting and challenging trend.

“Well, that’s a **foo** problem." by Michelle Wexelblat, MSW, LCSW
People may describe the problem they are having in their relationship as being a “poly problem” or a “GLBT” problem, or a problem that is indicative of their relationship sub-culture.  This presentation will unpack those assumptions about relationships and expand on how many of them have common threads, themes, and solutions.

Polyamory Problem-solving by Valerie White
Living polyamorously, and, more significantly, parenting while poly, is fraught with difficulties.  It may be true that "life's a beach, and then you die", but if you're poly, it can be a ROCKY beach.  Dealing with partners, dealing with authorities, dealing with families of origin, dealing with schools, dealing with children--all present special challenges when your life involves multiple partners.   This workshop will provide useful information for polyfolk.  Bring  questions, bring  answers--let's share our wisdom and experiences.

Interfaith Service on Sunday Morning (details forthcoming)

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meeting

If you have any questions about your submission or other workshops, please contact the Programming Committee at tbc.programming@gmail.com.