I had a great time at the conference yesterday and Friday at the True Colors conference, I got up there a little bit before 10 to bring up the material for our support groups’ table. Thursday night I printed off 50 copies each of our conference handouts and also copies of the CTAC conference (It looks like so far 6 people signed for the conference as a result of the conference blitz.).
The first workshop that I attended was “Enforcing Gender Identity and Expression Non-Discrimination Laws” which was presented by lawyers from GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders). Of course it caught my eye since it was about the CT law. Most of it was stuff I already knew, but one of the attendees asked a question that I had always wonder what we should do if the parents did want accept a child’s gender identity. I knew the basic answer; you can’t do anything unless you have the parents’ permission. However, what I didn’t know is once they are around the age of fourteen they can become emancipated and determine their own gender identity.
After the workshop I went to lunch with a former classmate, before the conference she emailed me and asked me if I wanted me to join her and her GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) for lunch. It was nice to see her again and also answer the questions her students had about being trans. Afterward I headed over to a workshop called “The New DSM 5 Let’s Talk About Change” and the presenter had a good discussion on the changes in the DSM 5. Most of the attendees were therapists and they had a different view than I think the trans-community has of the DSM. Most of the therapists wanted to keep something in the DSM so that they can bill the insurance companies. I pointed out that I thought it should be in the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) and they can bill the insurance companies for depression and not Gender Dysphoria.
My workshop was next, “Policies for Gender Variant Students” and as I was waiting to begin my workshop I was worrying “would anyone show up?” Then the first person showed and no one else showed up I was getting depressed by the starting time, but then they started drifting in. in the end I had about eight attendees. Just after I started a group of ten people came in and I thought “Wow!” but it turned out they were just prospective students on a tour of the campus (I wonder what they thought about the largest LGBT youth and family conference in the world). At the end of my workshop I collected the evaluations and they all but one rated me “excellent” and the other person rated me “very good” and one even wrote on the eval, inspirational. You can see my PowerPoint presentations here
After the conference I went out to dinner with a friend at Rein’s Deli and I had my Pastrami Rubin on rye with their famous half sour pickles.
Saturday the first workshop that I attended was “TRANSgenderational Conversation” we had a good discussion about how our different generations think about being trans or how we interact with society. The next workshop that I attended was “TransENDing Boundaries” it was another discussion group and it didn’t cover anything new for me, but for the other attendees it was an informative workshop. The presenter went over the laws both state and federal laws and then he broke us up in to groups gave each group case studies to discuss about which laws best applies to the case.
I skipped the last workshop of the day and went over to the student co-op to buy an alumni license plate frame. On the way over to the co-op the UConn women’s basketball was getting out (UConn beat Idaho in NCAA Opener, 105-37). In the Student Union where the conference is held, the bathrooms are gender neutral for the conference. When I was walking by the men’s bathroom two older men who looked like they attended the basketball were entering the bathroom a girl walked out of it. They stopped looked at the men’s sign and then they saw the gender neutral sign, turned around and stated walking away, then turned around again walked in.
On Thursday on my blog post of “My Story” I will be writing of my first True Colors conference.
The first workshop that I attended was “Enforcing Gender Identity and Expression Non-Discrimination Laws” which was presented by lawyers from GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders). Of course it caught my eye since it was about the CT law. Most of it was stuff I already knew, but one of the attendees asked a question that I had always wonder what we should do if the parents did want accept a child’s gender identity. I knew the basic answer; you can’t do anything unless you have the parents’ permission. However, what I didn’t know is once they are around the age of fourteen they can become emancipated and determine their own gender identity.
After the workshop I went to lunch with a former classmate, before the conference she emailed me and asked me if I wanted me to join her and her GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) for lunch. It was nice to see her again and also answer the questions her students had about being trans. Afterward I headed over to a workshop called “The New DSM 5 Let’s Talk About Change” and the presenter had a good discussion on the changes in the DSM 5. Most of the attendees were therapists and they had a different view than I think the trans-community has of the DSM. Most of the therapists wanted to keep something in the DSM so that they can bill the insurance companies. I pointed out that I thought it should be in the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) and they can bill the insurance companies for depression and not Gender Dysphoria.
My workshop was next, “Policies for Gender Variant Students” and as I was waiting to begin my workshop I was worrying “would anyone show up?” Then the first person showed and no one else showed up I was getting depressed by the starting time, but then they started drifting in. in the end I had about eight attendees. Just after I started a group of ten people came in and I thought “Wow!” but it turned out they were just prospective students on a tour of the campus (I wonder what they thought about the largest LGBT youth and family conference in the world). At the end of my workshop I collected the evaluations and they all but one rated me “excellent” and the other person rated me “very good” and one even wrote on the eval, inspirational. You can see my PowerPoint presentations here
After the conference I went out to dinner with a friend at Rein’s Deli and I had my Pastrami Rubin on rye with their famous half sour pickles.
Saturday the first workshop that I attended was “TRANSgenderational Conversation” we had a good discussion about how our different generations think about being trans or how we interact with society. The next workshop that I attended was “TransENDing Boundaries” it was another discussion group and it didn’t cover anything new for me, but for the other attendees it was an informative workshop. The presenter went over the laws both state and federal laws and then he broke us up in to groups gave each group case studies to discuss about which laws best applies to the case.
I skipped the last workshop of the day and went over to the student co-op to buy an alumni license plate frame. On the way over to the co-op the UConn women’s basketball was getting out (UConn beat Idaho in NCAA Opener, 105-37). In the Student Union where the conference is held, the bathrooms are gender neutral for the conference. When I was walking by the men’s bathroom two older men who looked like they attended the basketball were entering the bathroom a girl walked out of it. They stopped looked at the men’s sign and then they saw the gender neutral sign, turned around and stated walking away, then turned around again walked in.
On Thursday on my blog post of “My Story” I will be writing of my first True Colors conference.
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