Gender Conference NYC Professional Symposium 2019: Full Schedule

8:30am EDT

Gender Basics

This session is designed to give participants a foundational understanding of some of the terms and concepts about gender that they will encounter during the conference. Intended for individuals who may be grappling with some of these ideas for the first time, as well as for more experienced participants who may be seeking to hone their own use of gender terminology when speaking with or presenting to others. Workshop will include key terminology, examples of various forms of gender diversity across cultures, and perspectives from gender-expansive youth and their families.

Speakers

Nadia Swanson

she/her/hers and they/them/theirs, Professional Symposium Lead

Nadia Swanson, LMSW, is the Coordinator of Training and Capacity Building at The Ackerman Institute’s Gender & Family Project (GFP), a therapist at The Institute for Human Identity and a consultant for GLSEN’s National Student Council. Nadia received their B.A. in Dance and Anthropology... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II

General Audience

9:00am EDT

Conference Introductions

Friday May 31, 2019 9:00am - 9:10am EDT
Grand Ballroom II

General Audience

9:10am EDT

Keynote Speech

Speakers

Aaryn Lang

she/her/hers

Aaryn Lang (Brooklyn, NY) is an Artist, Advocate, Writer, Public Speaker and Media Host who uses unwavering honesty to affirm the plight of black transgender people everywhere.An Ohio native, Aaryn has played a vital part in solidifying and strengthening social justice movements in... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:10am - 9:30am EDT

General Audience

9:45am EDT

Growing a Gender-Inclusive Biology Curriculum

Nearly all students in secondary education will study biology, the science of living things. For transgender and gender-expansive youth, the subject presents many opportunities for authentic inclusion. How can we teach about X and Y chromosomes while acknowledging diverse identities? How can we frame the science of reproduction to affirm all families? I will present a guide to developing gender-inclusive lessons about genetics, sexual reproduction, anatomy, disease, and evolutionary biology. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss and to practice adapting lessons.

Screen reader support enabled.

Speakers

Sam Long

he/him/his

I am an out trans teacher and former trans high school student. I teach high school biology and AP biology in Denver, Colorado

Lewis Maday-Travis

he/him/his

Lewis Maday-Travis is a middle school science educator dedicated to promoting equitable, accurate, and universal biology and health education to students of all ages and identities. He currently teaches 8th grade human biology at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences in Seattle, WA... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
East Elmhurst Room

Education Track

9:45am EDT

Interfaith Conversation on Trans Inclusivity in Religious Spaces: Community Support and Family Support

This intersectional interfaith panel will bring together spiritual and faith leaders to discuss how to support religious families with transgender kids. The conversation will also discuss how diverse faith communities are thinking and evolving around trans issues. The participants will bring perspectives as parents, people of color, family therapists, LGB and TGNC individuals to create a fruitful discussion.

Speakers

Naz Seenauth

he/him/his and they/them/theirs

Naz is a Trans* Queer Activist and first-generation Indo-Caribbean New Yorker that was raised in an interfaith home and community where Islam and Hinduism were primarily practiced. This unique upbringing has led to an ongoing journey to understand what it means to be Queer and Muslim... Read More →

Kamryn Wolf

they/them/theirs

Kamryn Wolf is a queer and nonbinary activist, artist and graduate student at Union Theological Seminary in NYC, where they are studying chaplaincy and spiritual care with transgender and gender nonconforming people. Their studies live at the intersection of care work, spirituality... Read More →

Lea Matthews

she/her/hers

Rev. Lea Matthews, a native Mississippian, is the Associate Pastor at St. Paul & St. Andrew. She is on the Executive Leadership Committee of the Queer Clergy Caucus and the Advisory Board of Methodists in New Directions. She is also on the Board of Directors of New Horizons, an after-school... Read More →

Derrick Jordan

he/him/his

Derrick T. Jordan, M.Div, LMSW, earned his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, and his Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. For years, Derrick has led faith-based educational initiatives while serving in various ministerial capacities at nationally... Read More →

Mike Moskowitz

he/him/his

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is the Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York, NY. He is a deeply traditional and radically progressive advocate for trans rights and a vocal ally for LGBTQ inclusivity. Rabbi Moskowitz received three... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
Jackson Room

Faith Track

9:45am EDT

Feel It In Your Bones: Challenging White Supremacy and Improving Outcomes for Trans Youth Through Narrative and Gender Embodiment Practices

What do sci-fi, memes, and synaesthesia have to teach us about gender? And how does white supremacy culture impact the construction of gender and transness? Furthermore, how do we address and challenge these impacts to build resilience? Join us and find out! This interactive workshop brings together presenters from the fields of mental health and education to engage participants in an exploration of the somatic aspects of gender as well as how these are communicated to others. Through a historical and non-exploitative lens, we will also witness voices and narratives of gender variance from various cultures. These will both address the crucial role of storytelling—and ancestral wisdom—as well as the representation of gender expansive beings in improving outcomes for youth. By allowing participants to gain concrete strategies as well as experience the activities they can bring home, this workshop offers an extra layer of skill-building and reinforcement.

Speakers

Aida Manduley

they/them/theirs

Aida Manduley, LCSW is an award-winning Latinx activist, therapist, and educator known for big earrings and building bridges. At the core of Aida’s work is a strong set of anti-oppressive values, an insatiable curiosity for others’ perspectives, and a powerful work ethic. They... Read More →

Chahney Young

they/them/theirs

Mx. Chahney Young is a Brooklyn-based Program Developer and Facilitator, focusing specifically on topics of identity and community development, healthy and constructive communication, trauma-informed practice, and program/curriculum design and implementation. An artist and maker... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
Fairfield Room

Intersectionality Track

9:45am EDT

Name/Gender Marker Changes & ID Document Update

When faced with changing identity documents, parents and transgender clients are often entering an arena that is unknown and confusing. This session will guide legal professionals through the process of how do successfully change names and gender markers. The conversation will include birth certificate litigation and self-attestation developments. It will also recognize the particular challenges faced by non-binary clients. In addition, there will be a discussion of identity and ancillary documents as well as estate planning.

Speakers

Charlie Arrowood

they/them/theirs, Legal Track Lead

Charlie is Transcend Legal's Director of Name & Gender Recognition. They assist transgender clients with name and gender marker changes in New York, and work to obtain health insurance coverage for transgender health care nationwide. In addition to their role at Transcend Legal, they... Read More →

Celeste Fiore

they/them/theirs

Celeste Fiore is an Owner of Argentino Family Law & Child Advocacy. Their practice consists of family law, special education and anti-bullying work, legal assistance for the transgender and non-binary identified community and advancement of LGBTQ rights in general. Celeste is a... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
Hamilton Room

Legal Track

9:45am EDT

Approaches to Hormone Care for Transgender and Gender Expansive Adolescents

This panel will convene three healthcare providers addressing the primary care and hormone needs of transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive (T/GE) children and adolescents. Discussants will be asked to provide their perspective on the biomedical, programmatic, and psychosocial aspects of caring for T/GE Adolescents

Speakers

Gaines Blasdel

he/him/his, Medical Track Lead

Gaines Blasdel is a medical case manager at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, an LGBTQ-focused Federally Qualified Health Center in NYC. He works in the teen program there, with transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) adolescents. He also runs the website www.healthytrans.com, and his... Read More →

Diane Bruessow

she/her/hers

PA Diane Bruessow’s interest in transgender medicine began in 2001 when a close friend came out to her. Bearing witness to their transition, she recognized the inadequacy of her training and has been following the medical literature ever since. She currently divides her time between... Read More →

Andrew Goodman

he/him/his

Andrew (he/him) is the Associate Director of Medicine at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to care for New York’s underserved LGBTQ community. As a family physician, Andrew provides primary care, HIV treatment and prevention, and... Read More →

Hayley Adkisson

she/her/hers

Hayley Adkisson, LCSW, is the senior social worker for The Adolescent Gender Clinic at NYU Medical Center, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. Hayley received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and holds a master’s degree in social work from NYU. She has... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
Ditmars Room

Medical Track

9:45am EDT

General Practices in Working with Gender Expansive Youth

This workshop aims to outline ways of engaging children, teens, and families in traditional models of therapy, highlighting their adaptation to gender diverse youths and their families. The workshop will emphasize cognitive behavioral techniques for anxiety and mood disorders and family therapy techniques using a gender affirming approach. The NYU team will provide a general overview of gender identity’s unique impact on the adaptation and treatment of mental health disorders. They will offer practical recommendations on how to create gender affirming spaces, discuss minority stress in a meaningful way, enhance social support, and adapt Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, including exposure and cognitive restructuring, to both validate gender identity and address mental health concerns. We will also address adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), through emphasizing the importance of balancing a change orientation with the use of acceptance-based strategies. The Gender & Family Project will present a literature review of family therapy and family engagement techniques used to increase family acceptance and to support transgender youths while engaging all members of the family. The use, advantages and challenges of multi family groups will also be discussed.

Speakers

Samantha Busa

she/her/hers

Samantha Busa, PsyD, is a psychologist in the Gender and Sexuality service and the Anita Saltz Institute for Anxiety and Mood Disorders at the Child Study Center of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. Dr. Busa completed the Foundational Course in Transgender Health as... Read More →

Jeremy Wernick

he/him/his

Jeremy Wernick, LMSW is a clinical social worker Gender and Sexuality service and the Anita Saltz Institute for Anxiety and Mood Disorders at the Child Study Center of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. Mr. Wernick completed the Foundational Course in Transgender Health... Read More →

Jean Malpas

he/him/his, Leadership Team

Jean Malpas, LMHC, LMFT, is the Founder and Director of the Gender & Family Project at the Ackerman Institute for the Family (ackerman.org/GFP), Director of International Training, and a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City. He has presented nationally and internationally on topics of gender, sexuality, addiction, couple and family therapy. His work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, couples, and families has been published in numero... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
Bellaire Theater

Mental Health Track

9:45am EDT

Strategies for Supporting Families of TGNC Youth in Navigating Disclosure

There is a growing body of research on transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse children and their families. However, little is known about the ways in which parents and guardians buffer (address) potential experiences of stigma and discrimination for their TGNBGD child. Utilizing data from an ongoing study with parents/guardians of TGNBGD children this presentation will: 1) identify strategies and interventions parents/guardians use to support their TGNBGD child through the gender identity disclosure process; and 2) address the concrete ways individuals working with TGNBGD youth and their families can help integrate these strategies into their existing work.

Speakers

Sarit A. Golub

she/her/hers

Sarit A. Golub, PhD, MPH, is Professor of Psychology at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center. Dr. Golub directs the Hunter Alliance for Research and Translation (HART), which conducts collaborative, community-based research focusing on gender, sexuality, and HIV. Dr. Golub’s... Read More →

Gus Klein

he/him/his, Multidisciplinary / Research Track Lead

Gus Klein, PhD, MSW is a postdoctoral fellow and senior research associate at the Hunter Alliance for Research and Translation (HART) at Hunter College. Dr. Klein’s work is designed to disrupt the negative impact of health disparities on the physical, social and emotional health... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
Ivy Room

Multidisciplinary/Research Track

11:15am EDT

Teaching Trans Health: Effective Workshop Facilitation and Capacity Building

Teaching about trans health and inclusion is a vital step in creating and strengthening organizational and individual capacity to serve transgender and gender expansive youth in a variety of settings, including healthcare facilities, mental health clinics, academic institutions, and others. There are both practical and ethical considerations that must be examined in order to teach this material effectively and work with learners’ needs. This workshop will provide an interdisciplinary introduction to teaching about trans and gender expansive youths’ needs and health, and approaching capacity building using trans-affirming conceptual frameworks. We will discuss basic facilitation skills and curriculum building, and examine the ethical responsibilities we take on in teaching about gender and speaking about trans youths’ experiences. We will also address issues around how facilitators' identities interact with the material, and the importance of using intersectional frameworks that center marginalized experiences on multiple axes.

Speakers

Elana Lancaster

he/him/his

Elana Lancaster is a workshop facilitator, health educator, and technical assistance consultant specializing in transgender health and inclusion, and sexual and reproductive health. He facilitates workshops on best practices in LGBTQ inclusion and health for clinicians and healthcare... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
East Elmhurst Room

Education Track

11:15am EDT

Clogging the Pipeline: Your Role in Disrupting the Incarceration of Trans Communities

Despite often being removed from public sight and affect, prisons, jails, and practices of policing remain as some of the most critically destructive forces in the lives of trans, gender non-conforming and queer people. More than 57% of trans people report fear of engaging with law enforcement; more than 16% of trans people, 21% of trans women, and 47% of Black trans women have been incarcerated at some point in their lives; and while incarcerated, trans women consistently experience ongoing gender-based violence. Although the work of organizations to intervene and protect these communities in their adult age is critical, earlier interventions in a person’s youth and their social environments as well as sustained advocacy for prison abolition can be powerful tools to help mitigate the impact of these violent systems on a personal level. In this workshop, participants will explore the prison industrial complex and its relationship to the school-to-prison pipeline, hetero- and cisnormative familial structures and their resulting impacts on trans, gender non-conforming, and Black and brown communities spanning from youth to adulthood.

Speakers

Egypt Dior

she/her/hers

Egypt Dior (she/her) is a passionate community engager focusing on transgender justice, abolition, and prisoner justice. She is an aspiring paralegal who believes in the advancement of the rights and protections of transgender and gender non-conforming people universally.

Tanya Nguyen

she/her/hers

Tanya Nguyen (she/her) has been a volunteer organizer with Black and Pink for five years. She has a social sciences background and is always learning from her community. She lives in NYC and spends her time scheming for abolition, cooking for Vietnamese potlucks, and reading novels... Read More →

Rona Sugar Love

she/her/hers

Rona Sugar Love (she/her) is a Black and Pink member who was released from incarceration. She is a gentle, caring loving person who loves nature, animals and protecting lgbtq rights. She loves writing and helping others with social problems and as a paralegal she gives legal advice... Read More →

Xaelah Jarrett

she/her/hers, Intersectionality Track Lead / High School Program Lead

Xaelah Jarrett (she/her) is a Black trans womanist pursuing her interests in public health and queer and trans liberation. She’s particularly interested in cultural and intergenerational trauma, youth empowerment, and critical engagement with ideas of love and intimacy. She holds... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
Fairfield Room

Intersectionality Track

11:15am EDT

Working with Transgender Youth

This session will offer the legal community an overview of the legal program. There will be a conversation to help legal professionals understand general cultural competency when working with transgender and gender-expansive clients and their families. It will also provide an opportunity to learn specifically about ways of supporting transgender youth in out-of-home care. There will be a discussion of parental rights as well as children’s right during divorce, including dispute resolution and supporting your clients, as well as their cisgender parents, through family transitions.

Speakers

Celeste Fiore

they/them/theirs

Danielle King

any pronoun

Danielle King, Esq., Alt. Rep. of the LGBTQ Caucus of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA), UAW 2325 and Co-chair of The United People of Color Caucus (TUPOCC) of the National Lawyers Guild. Danielle King is an Attorney for the Child practicing in Family Court in New York... Read More →

Jean Malpas

he/him/his, Leadership Team

Asaf Orr

he/him/his

Asaf is the Transgender Youth Project Staff Attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. He has been advocating for the rights of transgender youth for nearly a decade. Asaf has represented transgender youth and their families in cases from discrimination in school and health... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
Hamilton Room

Legal Track

11:15am EDT

Birth Control Counseling and Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

This workshop will introduce participants to best practices in birth control counseling for patients of all genders, reviewing pros and cons of each method as well as address frequently asked questions from patients. We will also review how to take an open and affirming sexual health history.

Speakers

Javier Nunez Cespedes

he/him/his

Javier Nunez Cespedes is the Patient Navigator for Transgender Health at Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC). In this role he provides care coordination for the TGNC community in the New York City area and is working on expanding gender affirming hormone therapy throughout... Read More →

Kate Steinle

she/her/hers

Kate Steinle is a Nurse Practitioner at Planned Parenthood of NYC. She provides clinical services including sexual and reproductive health services, gender-affirming hormone therapy, and medication abortion services. Kate is also the Director of Clinical Services and Transgender Health... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
Ditmars Room

Medical Track

11:15am EDT

Collaborative Safety and Treatment Planning with Child Welfare Involved Transgender Youth of Color

This presentation has two parts. First, we will present data collected from former foster youth of color who are transgender or nonbinary. Data comes from a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) study focusing on the experiences of LGBTQ former foster youth in Los Angeles using photovoice and qualitative interviewing. Thematic content analysis of interview data was used to explore the specific experiences of seven participants, who identified as transgender or nonbinary, from among a larger sample of 25 LGBTQ former foster youth. These seven participants also self-identified as youth of color. Participants ranged in age from 18-26. Findings revealed that transgender and nonbinary youth within the study experienced 1) increased placement disruption as compared to LGB youth (approximately twice as many placements compared to larger sample of LGB youth) 2) lack of worker and caregiver competency 3) barriers to accessing gender-affirming medical care and 4) barriers to housing, education, and employment that contributed to engagement in the underground economy and 5) strength and resilience in the face of adversity The second part of this presentation presents a practice model responsive to the unique concerns and strengths of trans and nonbinary youth of color. Specifically, the authors present an Inclusive Safety Plan of Care (I.S.P.O.C.) for transgender youth of color. An exemplar of application of this model to work with a child welfare involved young trans person of color is provided. The Inclusive Safety Plan of Care (I.S.P.O.C.) encourages client and therapist to co-create a plan to bring together concerns, ideas, strengths, and members of support to support transgender youth of color in meet their basic needs and achieving their goals and aspirations. Special consideration is given to permanency needs of child welfare involved young trans people of color. The ISPOC is designed to leverage the support of practitioners, family members, and other individuals, groups or communities a young person has identified as supportive, for the safety and well-being of the young person, without pathologizing their identities.

Speakers

Sarah Mountz

she/her/hers

Sarah Mountz, PhD, MSW is an assistant professor at University at Albany. Her research focuses on the experiences of LGBTQ youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Sarah’s most recent research project, From Our Perspectives, used a community based participatory research... Read More →

Allen E. Lipscomb

he/him/his

Allen E. Lipscomb, Psy.D., LCSW is an Assistant Professor at California State University Northridge, in the Social Work Department. Dr. Lipscomb is a license in clinical social worker in the state of California. Dr. Lipscomb received his doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) with a clinical... Read More →

Wendy Ashley

she/her/hers

Wendy Ashley, Psy.D., LCSW is an Associate Professor and the Associate Chair of the California State University at Northridge’s Masters of Social Work program. Dr. Ashley received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from Ryokan College and her MSW from the University of... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT
Ivy Room

Multidisciplinary/Research Track

12:30pm EDT

Lunch

Friday May 31, 2019 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

General Audience

1:15pm EDT

SCREENING OF "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARSHA" a film by Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel

Happy Birthday, Marsha! is a film about iconic transgender artist and activist, Marsha "Pay it No Mind" Johnson and her life in the hours before she ignited the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City.
Written and directed by Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel.

Friday May 31, 2019 1:15pm - 1:45pm EDT
Bellaire Theater

General Audience

2:00pm EDT

Gender in the Classroom: A Panel with Educators

Moderated by GLSEN's Education Associate, Jamey Jesperson, this panel presentation and Q&A with delve into the topic of navigating gender identity and expression in the school classroom. Seasoned educators and practitioners will share their experiences providing support to trans and gender nonconforming youth from elementary to secondary school levels. The panelists come with expertise in early childhood education, political education and peer education in middle and high schools, supervising Genders and Sexualities Alliances (GSAs), and managing afterschool programs for students. This workshop will focus heavily on applied best practices of making the classroom a safe and inclusive environment for trans and gender nonconforming students, and how to facilitate conversations around gender with all students in the school community.

Speakers

D. M. Maynard

she/her/hers

D. M. Maynard, MS/MA, a veteran teacher with 30+ years’ experience and Founder/Director of Maynard’s W.I.S.D.O.M., Inc., an Education Service. She has spoken at conferences within the U.S. and throughout the world, supporting gender diversity for children and giving voice to the... Read More →

Johanna Burgos

she/her/hers

Johanna Burgos: works with middle school to college age teens providing political education and peer development; while working with adult professionals and caregivers on supporting young people.

Jamey Jesperson

they/them/theirs, Education Track Lead

Jamey Jesperson is a non-binary transfemme educator, activist, and researcher based in New York City. In 2016, they completed their degree in Global Gender Studies at The New School after researching queer activist movements across the globe with a critical focus on trans and intersex... Read More →

Lexx Gonzalez

they/them/theirs

Alex is a queer, gender fluid, latinx, single parent facilitator and educator. Alex is also an aspiring MSW student as their passion lies at looking at how systems of oppression negatively impact the mental health of marginalized people, particularly QTPOC. Currently their time is... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
East Elmhurst Room

Education Track

2:00pm EDT

Spiritual Care for Trans Young People and their Communities: An Interactive Introduction for Secular Care Workers

This workshop provides an opportunity to learn about the unique spiritual experiences and needs that affect transgender and gender variant young people and their communities. We will discuss matters pertaining to religious and spiritual trauma, rituals of transition, chosen names, visibility politics, wholeness, etc. We will present case studies for interactive engagement and opportunities to work in small groups about how to apply the principles and practices of spiritual care to diverse professional fields. Though the workshop is designed as an introduction to the field of interfaith spiritual care and pastoral counseling for secular care workers, such as social workers, educators, and clinicians, it is also suitable for faith leaders who wish to learn more about how to minister effectively to the trans* community.

Speakers

Kamryn Wolf

they/them/theirs

Lea Matthews

she/her/hers

Friday May 31, 2019 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Jackson Room

Faith Track

2:00pm EDT

#4intersex: Supporting Intersex Youth

An estimated 1.7% of the population is intersex, making being intersex about as common as being a twin. However, there is a lack of education on intersex traits as well as resources for intersex students. This session will provide an overview of intersex variations, the issues intersex young people face in and out of educational settings, and resources and tools to help support intersex students.

Speakers

Axel Keating

they/them/theirs

Axel Keating (they/them) is an educator, community organizer, and activist based in Brooklyn, NY. Axel has been presenting on topics regarding sex characteristics, gender, and sexuality for over 10 years. They have developed and facilitated numerous trainings and workshops at conferences... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Fairfield Room

Intersectionality Track

2:00pm EDT

Obtaining Health Insurance Coverage for Transgender Care

Navigating the medical world is a unique challenge for transgender and gender expansive youth and their families. In this session, there will be a conversation around the standards of care and informed consent for youth. It will address the specific issues that are of particular concern to parents and transgender clients including gender markers on insurance and coverage for puberty suppression, hormones and surgery. There will also be a discussion of the ACA under the current administration.

Speakers

Noah Lewis

he/him/his

Noah E. Lewis, Esq. is the founder and executive director of Transcend Legal a national, New York City-based organization focused on eliminating barriers to insurance coverage for transgender-related health care. Noah previously worked for the Transgender Law Center, the National... Read More →

Nikki Easterday

they/them/theirs

Nikki Easterday is a health attorney at Community Health Advocates (CHA), New York State’s designated health insurance Consumer Assistance Program under Section 1002 of the Affordable Care Act. Mx. Easterday focuses on ensuring access to healthcare benefits and fighting against... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Hamilton Room

Legal Track

2:00pm EDT

Complex Cases in Transgender Health Care Provision

Many medical providers are well versed in the prescribing of hormones and basic medical management of transgender patients. There is still a lack of practical application of the management of less commonly seen challenging conditions that are seen by providers with a high volume of transgender patients. This presentation will be of cases highlighting some of these conditions and how to manage them. We will cover a case which challenges informed consent hopefully providing clinicians with confidence in working with more complex patients seeking hormones for medical transition.

Speakers

Dane Menkin

he/him/his

Dane is a family nurse practitioner who has worked in LGBTQ health with children adolescents and adults for over 10 years. He presents in multiple academic and clinical settings for providers and learners on topics specific to the LGBT community. Dane has been a contributor to the... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Ditmars Room

Medical Track

2:00pm EDT

Supporting Young Adults In Transition

In this panel expert clinicians and parents will discuss the experiences of supporting a young adult through transition. Focusing on the approaches to supporting their mental health, the parent experience and how family acceptance continues to be an important part of the well being of trans youth as they grow out of the home.

Speakers

Judy Sennesh

she/her/hers, Leadership Team / Finance Coordinator / Parent Program Lead

Judy Sennesh is the Chair of the Board of Directors of PFLAG NYC. She founded a support group for parents after her younger child came out as transgender in 2004. In 2011 PFLAG NYC adopted that group and the TransFamilies Project (formerly the TransParents Project) was born... Read More →

Jean Malpas

he/him/his, Leadership Team

Kit Rachlin

she/her/hers

Dr. Katherine Rachlin (Kit) is a clinical psychologist and gender specialist in private practice in New York City. For three decades she has worked to build bridges between the professional and transgender communities through community and organization work and by promoting research... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Bellaire Theater

Mental Health Track

2:00pm EDT

LGBTQ Affirming Care for Youth and Families: An Intersectional Approach for Child Welfare Providers

This workshop will highlight experiences designing and implementing The LGBTQ Institute for Family Therapy (LIFT) at The LGBT Community Center in New York City. LIFT is an integral component of family programming at The Center, which focuses on acceptance and permanency among families with LGBTQ youth.The presentation will also include information on transforming organizations to become more LGBTQ affirming and to develop programs that address the needs, well-being, and permanency of LGBTQ and gender non-conforming children and their families. To do so, discussion will also cover the intersection between race, culture, ethnicity and SOGIE, and the necessity to address the whole and complex identities of individuals and families served. This workshop will have include interactive activities throughout, including roleplays, as well as a Q&A session at the end, in order to allow child welfare providers to understand the needs of LGBTQ and gender expansive youth in care.

Speakers

Lindsey Hennawi

she/her/hers

Lindsey Hennawi, LMSW, MPH currently works as the Family Permanency Coordinator at The LGBT Center, where she provides family therapy and parent coaching to families experiencing conflict around the child's LGBTQ identity. Lindsey also implements the LGBTQ Institute of Family Therapy... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Ivy Room

Multidisciplinary/Research Track

3:30pm EDT

Creating a Trans-Inclusive School from A-Z: Working with Parents, Educators, Students, and School Administration

The formula for creating a school environment that is safe, inclusive, and affirming for transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive students is a multi-faceted one. This panel workshop will provide attendees insight into four of the most critical components of fostering a space where students can flourish--training educators, guiding school administration, providing counseling to parents and families, and encouraging youth organizing. Representatives from the NYC Department of Education, Ackerman Institute's Gender and Family Project, and GLSEN will come in conversation about the importance of these four elements in achieving trans-inclusion in schools.

Speakers

Delilah Seligman

she/her/hers, High School Program Lead

Delilah Seligman, MSW, is a Training & Capacity Building Associate for the Gender & Family Project at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. Originally from Boston, Delilah studied psychology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, receiving her Masters in Social Work from Columbia... Read More →

Sophia Arredondo

she/her/hers

Sophia Arredondo is a first-generation queer femme of color and parent to two young adults. Prior to moving to NYC a month ago, she lived in San Diego for 24 years where she managed a program devoted to the well-being of LGBTQIA+ students in San Diego Unified School District. Before... Read More →

a.t. furuya

they/them/theirs

a.t. furuya identifies as an Transgender Queer Asian American Femme who uses they, them, and theirs pronouns. They are a U.S. Historian with an emphasis in LGBTQ studies. They have been working with youth for the last 17 years and specifically with transgender youth for the last seven... Read More →

Shoshana Lief

she/her/hers

Shoshana Lief, LMSW serves as the Family Support Manager for the New York City Department of Education. In her current role, she works with parents to help support and empower them through the various challenges they encounter. She specializes in the unique issues facing LGBT youth... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
East Elmhurst Room

Education Track

3:30pm EDT

TGNC-4-TGNC: Radically Loving Beyond Binaries

In a society that shames transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folks (TGNC), especially and always those further marginalized by Blackness, a lack of material resources, and other forms of social difference, navigating love can be thought of as nothing less than a radical, life-affirming, and transformative act. Too often, though, we know that pursuing loving relationships with cisgender folks can result in further internalized shame, intimate partner violence and even death. What does a world look like in which TGNC folks are offered visions of loving partnerships and communities with other TGNC folks? How can these unions serve as healing spaces to work through shame, internalized biases, trauma and the violence of navigating the world as a TGNC person? How can we model possibilities of these types of transformations for young folks? Explore with us as we unpack the importance of TGNC-4-TGNC relationships, the meaning of love outside of binary imaginings, and apply lenses to seeing the transformative power of rejecting hetero- and cis-normative realities.

Speakers

Xaelah Jarrett

she/her/hers, Intersectionality Track Lead / High School Program Lead

Sasha Alexander

she/they/he

Sasha Alexander is a queer trans, black/south asian, artist, educator, and healer. A former youth organizer, Sasha has been working at the intersections of lgbtq, youth, media, economic, gender and racial justice movements for 20 years. Sasha was named one of the inaugural Trans 100... Read More →

Olympia Perez

They/Them and Her-She like the chocolate bar.

Olympia Perez is a Afro-Latina Transwoman who was raised in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. She is a poet, healer, multimedia artist, and facilitator invested in decolonizing spaces. She has been organizing since 2006 around the intersections of violence she and her trans and gnc communities... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Fairfield Room

Intersectionality Track

3:30pm EDT

Policy: The Current Legal Landscape for Trans and GNC Youth

Transgender and gender nonconforming youth have secured numerous legal victories in recent years, while being increasingly under attack by federal and local governments. TGNC youth must navigate many challenges on a daily basis, including attacks on their ability to access education and healthcare free from discrimination and obtain identity documents that accurately reflect who they are. This session will discuss notable federal court decisions, pending litigation, and the changing judicial landscape on rights for TGNC youth, as well as address future avenues for continued advocacy.

Speakers

Carl Charles

he/him/his

Carl Charles is staff attorney with Lambda Legal, the nation’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to advancing the civil rights of LGBTQ people and people living with HIV. Carl’s work focuses on protecting and expanding the rights of transgender and nonbinary people in... Read More →

Shayna Medley-Warsoff

she/her/hers

Shayna Medley is an attorney at the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project. Her work focuses on litigation, advocacy, and public education on behalf of trans, non-binary, and gender nonconforming youth facing discrimination in schools. She has been counsel on several ACLU cases defending transgender... Read More →

Asaf Orr

he/him/his

Friday May 31, 2019 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Hamilton Room

Legal Track

3:30pm EDT

Multidisciplinary Pre and Post-Operative Care of Transgender/Non-Binary Patients

This workshop is intended for all providers who care for young transgender and gender non-binary patients pre and post-operatively from gender affirmation surgery. We will address pre and post-operative concerns, education, and clinical skills to help ensure successful surgical outcomes and improved quality of life. This workshop seeks to address the physical and psychosocial aspects of surgery, how best to work together as an inter-disciplinary team, and strategies to provide continuity of care. We will address how to care for patients at every stage of their surgical transition ensuring surgical preparedness, support, resources, accessing barriers to self-care, conducting a holistic assessment of each patient, integrating trauma informed care, signs/symptoms to contact the surgery team, and follow-up exams.

Speakers

Nathan Levitt

he/him/his

Nathan Levitt is the NP coordinator of the transgender surgery program at NYU Langone. Nathan was previously the Director of Transgender Care at Community Healthcare Network (CHN). He was at CHN in New York's first Family Nurse Practitioner fellowship program. Nathan worked as a Transgender... Read More →

Rachel Bluebond-Langner

she/her/hers

Dr. Rachel Bluebond-Langner is a Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Associate Professor of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at the Hansjorg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Health. Dr. Bluebond-Langner performs both aesthetic and reconstructive surgery working closely with... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Ditmars Room

Medical Track

3:30pm EDT

Applying Intersectionality to Therapy with Transgender and Nonbinary Adolescents and Their Families

TGNB adolescents and their family members hold many social identities, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, etc. One issue that frequently arises in working with TGNB adolescents is lack of family acceptance, or ambivalence a family may have in moving forward with medical or surgical changes. TGNB adolescents often need parental consent, financial and logistical assistance to move forward with transition. Therapy with TGNB adolescents often focuses on gender alone. Affirming family therapy involving TGNB individuals further explores the complex ways an adolescent’s gender identity intersects with and is understood in context of family members’ identities. This panel will briefly overview intersectional theory and how it informs practice, will explore provider location of self and will present several case examples applying the intersectional understanding of a family system. This presentation will aim to expand on how intersectionally informed affirming therapy may serve to bolster the therapeutic process targeting acceptance.

Speakers

Rachel Lynn Golden

she/her/hers

Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD is a psychologist who utilizes social science to promote allyship and inclusive practices across therapeutic, family, school, and business settings. As an educator, her teachings are centered in intersectional practice. Her research explores sexual development... Read More →

Matthew Oransky

he/him/his

Matthew Oransky, PhD, is a licensed psychologist on faculty at the Icahn school of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. Prior to this position, he oversaw the mental health portion of the transgender health program at the Mount Sinai... Read More →

Randi Kaufman

she/her/hers

Randi Kaufman, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who has been working with gender identity issues since 1998. Currently the team psychologist at the Gender & Family Project of the Ackerman Institute for the Family in NYC, she previously worked at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard... Read More →

Thomas Vance

he/him/his

Thomas A. Vance, Ph.D. is a Clinical and Research PostDoctoral fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. His research and clinical practice examine the intersection of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race/ethnicity, and other identities and experiences... Read More →

SJ Langer

he/him/his

S.J. Langer is a writer and psychotherapist in New York City, where he maintains a private practice. He is on faculty at School of Visual Arts in both the MPS Art Therapy and Humanities & Sciences departments. His most recent academic article Trans Bodies and the Failure of Mirrors... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Bellaire Theater

Mental Health Track

3:30pm EDT

Research Debates in the Psychological Literature on Gender Diverse Youth

In the psychological literature on transgender and gender nonconforming youth, there are two large questions that shape the field. One asks whether children who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming as children will continue to identify the same way when they are adults. Another asks what decisions families make (e.g., early social transitions vs. watchful waiting) are associated with the best mental health outcomes. There are number of studies that are frequently cited as providing answers to these questions, though, like all studies, they each have methodological limitations. This presentation aims to (1) present the most commonly cited findings that address these questions, and (2) take a close look at both the contributions and limitations of each study. This presentation also seeks to grapple with the ethical implications of applying research findings to highly personal matters like one's gender identity and expression -- though it will likely present more questions than answers.

Speakers

Lily Durwood

she/her/hers

Lily Durwood is a PhD student at the University of Washington in Child Clinical and Developmental Psychology, and she has authored and co-authored numerous research papers on transgender and gender diverse youth. Lily became interested in working with gender diverse youth when she... Read More →

Friday May 31, 2019 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Ivy Room

Multidisciplinary/Research Track

5:00pm EDT

Networking Event

After a chock-full day of rich presentations and discussions, take the time to relax, enjoy some refreshments, and mingle with colleagues, both old and new. So much of this work depends on having networks of colleagues in other disciplines, and in other geographical locations. Many conference participants find that networking naturally ushers in conversations about the work that helps integrate the day.

Friday May 31, 2019 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Upper Elements

General Audience