The True Colors Conference: True Colors XVI: Mental and Behavioral Health

I just got back from the True Colors conference at the University of Connecticut Storrs campus and once again they out done themselves in organizing the conference.

I first went to the conference back in 2002 when it was called “Children from the Shadows” and it was on the University of Hartford campus. The first time and every since I am always amazed at the kids when they get off the buses, their eyes just light up. The children and their chaperones come from all over the country, as far north as Maine, as far south from North Carolina and as far west as Michigan. For many of the children, this is the first time that they were ever in a safe space where they can be themselves without worrying about being harassed or bullied.
Channel 61 News said…

True Colors Event for LGBT Youth at UConn Draws Hundreds
Jeff Valin
March 13, 2009

The Storrs campus of UConn is hosting the biggest conference of its kind in the country.

It's the 16th annual edition of "True Colors”, by the state-wide agency of the same name.

True Colors promotes education and advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. And this weekend's festivities include teachers, social workers, clinicians, workshops and relatives of gay and lesbian teens.

Robin McHaelen, the Executive Director, of True Colors said, “The most important factor for gay kids is the response of their families; if their families reject them they're at higher risk for everything. If their families support them they're just like any other teen.”

Hillary Weiss, a True Colors intern said, “I also think it's really important for straight people to come out here too and show their support because not a lot of the youth here get the support because people look at them differently.”

The event runs through Saturday, and includes 144 workshops, a dance, and a talent show called "Rainbow Idol".

This year, since I am a graduate student I could attend the professional workshops on Thursday and I could get student rates. The workshop that I attended on Thursday was “From Toddlers to Teens: Creating Developmentally Appropriate Support for Gender Variant/Transgender Youth” which was excellent. I got some excellent information from the workshop that I can use.
One of the support groups that I help out, had a table at the conference where I stayed most of the conference since I have attended most of the workshops before.

One of the workshops that I attended was the “History of the LGBT Movement.” Three guesses on how much “T” was covered, none. Once again we are not even a footnote. I do not mind that they just cover the LG, but it gets my goat that they include the “T” when there isn’t any. Be honest! Lets have truth in advertising. After the professor and her grad student finished, I politely filled them in on all of the “T” history that they missed. I had more questions from the audience then they did. Afterwards the professor came up an apologized for not having any information on the history of the trans-movement (How many times have I heard that before.).

I was contacted a number of weeks before the conference by at film major at Ithaca college who is doing a documentary for a class project and wanted to interview me. Since she was coming to the conference she asked if we could met at the conference, we did and she interviewed me on video for about 45 minute. She wants to do a full interview with a film camera later.

They were three very long and wonderful days.