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Upcoming Events:
 
Support Group meets every Wednesday from 6:00-7:30 p.m. and every Saturday from 3:00-4:30 p.m.
 
Shot Clinic meets every Thursday 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and Friday 4:00-6:00 p.m.
 
Syringe Exchange is every Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in our office at 3405 Chicago Ave S, Suite 103, Minneapolis, MN 55407.
 
Unicorn Support Group is a group for self-identified youth that we co-sponsor along with TYSN, the Trans Youth Support Network. TYSN also offers Open Hours for the youth on Sundays from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
 
Free HIV testing is on some Fridays from 4:00-6:00 p.m. (please call to inquire, currently in transition).
 
Hepatitis C testing, and Case Management referrals are available (call for an appointment). 
 
 For more details check out our Shot Clinic page.   
 

 
Board Meetings of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition:
 
Board meetings are held once per month, and everyone is welcome!  The meetings are always on the first Thursday of the month, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
 
So that everyone can safely participate, including those with allergies and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, please refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, or other scented products.

Meeting Location: office space at 3405 Chicago Ave S, Suite 103, Minneapolis, MN
Directions: from 35W (heading either north or south), take the 35/36th Street exit, turn EAST at 36th Street (right if you were headed north on 35W, left if you were headed south on 35W), turn LEFT at Chicago Ave, and the building will be on your right.  Park on the street then come around to the back, the door should be unlocked.  Enter and take the hallway to the right, the office door will be on your right.
Bus: on the 5 bus line. For detailed directions, visit the Metro Transit Website.
Parking: Park on the street along Chicago Avenue or in the small lot behind the buliding.
 
Board meetings are open to the public. 
 

 
Planning is underway for future Trans Health and Wellness Conferences!  If you are interested in joining the planning committee for the next Conference, or if you have ideas or questions, please contact us for more information.
 


Past Events: 
 
 
The fourth annual Minnesota Trans Health and Wellness Conference was held on Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15, 2010.  Friday was Provider Day and Saturday was Community Day, and the conference was again held at the excellent facilities of Metropolitan State University, St Paul Campus, 700 E 7th St, St Paul, MN 55106.
 
Thank you for helping to make 2010 our best year yet!  The Conference drew approximately 300 people over two days. It was a wonderful success!
 
Thanks again to Metropolitan State University, to all of our sponsors and donors, our incredibly hard working planning committee and volunteers, keynote speakers, presenters, Cabaret performers, and many others for your hard work and contributions toward supporting this life-changing Conference. And thank you to those who completed and turned in evaluations, which we are using to make the 2011 Conference even better.
 

 
Trans Health Matters on Thursday, March 25
 
Please join us for the next free community forum in our Trans Health Matters series:
Presenting Our New Direct Services
Plus Community Input: What do YOU Want?
 
Facilitated by Board Members and Staff of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition

Everyone welcome! Transgender, genderqueer, intersex, transsexual, M to F, F to M, crossdresser, gender non-conforming, partner, family, friend and ally -- including health professionals, providers, students.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

6:30 pm Social time with refreshments provided
7:00-9:00 pm Presentation and Forum (followed by tours of the new office and program space)

Location: Upstairs party rooom in the building where our new space is located, 3405 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407.  Parking is on the street, accessible parking is behind the building. Enter through the front or back door of the building.

So that people with multiple chemical sensitivities can participate, please refrain from wearing perfume or other scented products. NOTE: the building is still under construction, and thus may not be safe for people with multiple chemical sensitivities, however the actual upstairs room where the forum will be held has been finished for at least six months and is very large, and thus isn't as toxic as the rest of the building. The upstairs room is not yet officially wheelchair accessible, but if you have access questions please contact us and we will do everything we can to provide assistance.

For more information, please contact us.


 
The Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition
and Transgender Health Project Shot Clinic
are excited to announce our second annual fundraiser:

Masquerade Ball: Unmasking Our Many Genders
Silent auction, entertainment, refreshments, and lots more!

Friday, November 13, 2009
6:00 to 7:00pm Art and Wine Hour with Appetizers
7:00 to 9:00pm Tranny Jam Cabaret

LOCATION:
Intermedia Arts
2822 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55407

An evening for trans individuals, providers, allies and all of our GLBTIQQA communities to come together and support our work towards achieving equal health care access and quality health care for ALL OF US.

Although we receive grant funding from GLBT foundations such as PFund, we also rely on contributions from our friends, family, providers, allies, and fellow community members to make our work possible. Your donations will help us put on events such as the Trans Health and Wellness Conference and Trans Health Matters community forums. Your support will help educate trans folks on safer hormone injection and provide safe syringe exchange and health assessments through the services offered at the Shot Clinic. Your donations will help train health professionals and students on how to provide equitable, trans-competent care through the services offered by our Training Program, and help provide resources and referral to our communities through our website and online Trans Friendly Provider Directory.

Suggested donation per person: $10 - $100. All proceeds will go to MTHC and the Shot Clinic.

More details will be coming your way in the weeks to come. If you would like to help by volunteering, performing, sponsoring, or contributing an item or service for the Silent Auction, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 612-823-1152.

Thank you for your support! 
 

 
Please join us for the next free community forum in our Trans Health Matters series:

"The National HIV/AIDS Community Discussions: Mobilizing our communities"
Facilitated by Rob Yaeger, HIV Prevention Professional

Everyone welcome! Transgender, genderqueer, intersex, transsexual, M to F, F to M, crossdresser, gender non-conforming, partner, family, friend and ally -- including health professionals, providers, students.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009
6:30 pm Social time with refreshments provided
7:00-9:00 pm Forum
Location: Spirit of the Lakes UCC, 2930 13th Ave S (at Lake Street),
Minneapolis, MN 55407

The White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) is hosting a series of community discussions across the country to offer the public a chance to provide input as the White House works to shape its national HIV/AIDS strategy. Join us for a discussion on HIV in the trans communities and strategize how our input can be meaningful and effective when the event is held in Minneapolis.

“With the insights from communities across the country, we will have a strategy that is focused on the goals of reducing HIV incidence, getting people living with HIV/AIDS into care and improving health outcomes, and reducing HIV-related health disparities." President Obama, White House Press Release, August 21 2009

Spirit of the Lakes UCC is wheelchair-accessible with free parking lot. So that people with multiple chemical sensitivities can participate, please refrain from wearing perfume or other scented products.

This event made possible in part through a grant from PFund

For more information, please contact us.

 
 

    
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
ARCHIVAL 2009 Conference Information
(note: for details on prior Trans Health Conferences, Fairs, and other events, see our Events page)
 
Provider Day: Friday, May 15, 2009, 7:30am to 5pm 
Community Day: Saturday, May 16, 2009, 8am to 6pm
 
Our 3rd Annual Minnesota Trans Health and Wellness Conference on May 15 and 16, 2009 was a huge success!  Thanks so much to everyone who attended, volunteered, presented, and was involved!
 
Did you attend the Conference this year? Did you complete a paper evaluation form?  If not, no problem!  We have an online evaluation.  Please click here to complete our online evaluation form .  (We also welcome further comments if there's something you thought of since the Conference but didn't put on your written evaluation form.)
 
Trans Action Cabaret, Saturday 7:30-9:30 pm -- emceed by Andrea Jenkins with performers including Ignacio Rivera; Katie Burgess; Ali Sands; Lane McKiernan; Karin Anderson; Krystal Klear; Empowered Expressions; Trans Voices Chorus; MeeMee, Vanessa and JonJon from District 202 House of Colors; and several pieces from The Naked I by Tobias K. Davis performed by local actors including Ethan Turcotte, Remy Corso, Katie Burgess and Cheyenne Johnson (first performed in a 20% Theatre production in February 2009)
 
Online pre-registration has now closed.  However, you can still attend and register at the door for either day or both days of the Conference!  We cannot guarantee food for you unless you are pre-registered, but we may have extra food and we will include a list of nearby restaurants in the registration packet.
 
Submit a question about the 2009 Conference if you missed the pre-registration deadline and just want us to know you're attending, or if you have questions you need answers to right away.
 
Scroll all the way down this page for Program details!
 
The two-day Conference will feature a full day of programming for health providers with the opportunity for CME and other continuing education credit, a full day of programming for trans and ally individuals and community, 3 Keynote speakers, over 40 Workshops, Health Screenings, Saturday lunch social gatherings, Resource Fair, mini Surgery Consults with Dr. Tholen, mini Voice Consults with Dr. Kozan, free Chair Massage, Entertainment & more!
 
Location and Parking: Metropolitan State University, St Paul Campus, 700 E 7th St, St Paul, MN 55106. Friday Provider Day will take place entirely on the 3rd floor of the Library Building at 645 E 7th St.  Saturday will take place entirely in the Founder's Hall and New Main Buildings, on Maria Avenue across from the large parking lot.  The Parking Lot for both days is $2.50 for the entire day, and is located on Maria Avenue between 6th and 7th Street E . Metro Transit Bus Routes 61 or 74 will access the campus, see here for bus details. 
 
Everyone is welcome to attend on both days (all day or partial days).  Provider Day programming is designed primarily for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers and all other health care providers and students.  Community Day programming is designed primarily for trans and gender nonconforming individuals and community, including partners, family, friends and allies.

Community Day is FREE with food provided (light breakfast & lunch)
Provider Day includes light breakfast & lunch, and costs:
$200 onsite registration for physicians (MD or DO) with CME credit ($175 was-pre-registration price) 
$125 onsite registration for other providers ($100 pre-registration)
     (other providers may submit for credit on their own through their own Board: we will provide specific attendance documentation)
$35 onsite registration for non-providers and students ($25 pre-registration price)
Provider Day CME credit: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the Minnesota Medical Association and the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition.  The Minnesota Medical Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The MMA designates this educational activity for a maximum of
7.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
You can download a PDF brochure with schedule and full details about Provider Day here.

Community Day will feature 25 unique workshops, a keynote speaker, lunch social gatherings, health screenings, mini Surgery Consults with Dr. Tholen, mini Voice Consults with Dr. Kozan, a Youth social room, a People of Color social room, Resource Fair with health and GLBTA organizations, free chair massage & an evening cabaret!
 
Thank you to our co-sponsorsLavender Bridge GLBT Student Organization and GLBT Student Services of Metropolitan State University.  This is the 3rd year of this annual event, formerly known as the Trans Community Health and Wellness Fair.
 
If you are interested in having a table in the Information Fair, in volunteering, if you're coming from out of town and need information or would like community housing, or if you have any other questions, please contact us
 
Accessibility:
  • Metropolitan State University is fully wheelchair accessible. 
  • ASL interpreting: the Keynote speeches by Earline Budd and Ignacio Rivera, as well as the Cabaret, will be ASL interpreted
  • Scent-Free Policy of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition: so that everyone can safely participate, including those with allergies and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, please refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, or other scented products. Click here for details about how to be frangrance-free. And click here for ideas for fragrance-free products.
  • Children's Activities: on Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm only, we will be providing supervised children's activities for all ages again this year. Pre-registration of children was required, and is now closed as of May 13, 2009.
 
2009 Keynote Speakers
 
 
 
MJ Gilbert, MSW – Provider Day Keynote (Friday, May 15, 11am)
"Following transgender patients and clients: A journey for providers"
 
MJ is a field coordinator and teaching specialist for the School of Social Work in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. She received her MSW from the University of Minnesota in 1990 and worked for 15 years as a clinical social worker and supervisor for the SLIC (Sharing Life In Community) program, providing comprehensive services for people with serious and persistent mental illness. She has done a great deal of teaching and training on transgender issues, is Co-Chair of the University of Minnesota Transgender Commission, and recently wrote an entry on transgender people for the 20th edition of the Encyclopedia of Social work published by NASW and the Oxford press.  http:/cehd.umn.edu/SSW/About_SSW/Faculty_Staff/faculty.asp
 
   
   
 
Earline Budd – Provider / Community Shared Keynote (Friday, May 15, 4pm)
"Move over and share the bench: Transgender health empowerment, HIV/AIDS and trans health advocacy"
 
Earline is a transgender woman fighting to make a difference. She is a founding member and former Executive Director of Transgender Health Empowerment, Inc. (THE), an organization that was created in 1996 and serves as one of the most important transgender service providers in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Earline is currently Special Projects Coordinator for THE, serving at-risk transgender people by providing extensive HIV prevention interventions. In addition, she advocates for transgender inmates in the Washington, DC area. Earline began her advocacy in 1989 and has continued to feverishly fight for social justice. She is a nationally renowned motivational speaker and a dedicated advocate who joyfully serves all in need. Earline is a native Washingtonian and noted LGBT activist in the Washington, DC Metro area who has dedicated her time to helping others, especially in the areas of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and homelessness. http://www.theincdc.org/
   
   
 
Ignacio Rivera – Community Day Keynote (Saturday, May 16, 1pm)
Featured Artist in Cabaret (Saturday, May 16, 7:30pm)
"Why welfare is a queer issue"
 
Ignacio is a Queer, gender fluid, Trans-Entity, Black Boricua performance artist, currently performing "Dancer" and Lagrimas de Cocodrilo/Crocodile Tears internationally. Ignacio is a lecturer/trainer, activist, new filmmaker and self-proclaimed sex educator. As a lecturer/ trainer, Ignacio has spoken at home and abroad on such topics of racism, sexism, homo/transphobia, transgender issues, trans 101, sexual liberation, anti-oppression, anti-violence, multi-issue organizing and more. Ignacio is currently a consultant with various organizations in New York City and conducts professional development trainings for NYC High school staff. Ignacio is the founder of Poly Patao Productions. P3 is dedicated to producing sex-positive workshops, performance pieces, films, play parties, panel discussions, social/political groups and educational opportunities that are specially geared toward queer women, transgender, multi-gender, gender-queer, gender non-conforming and gender variant people of color. Ignacio is also one of the founding board members of Queers for Economic Justice, a progressive non-profit organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. www.IgnacioRivera.com   www.Q4ej.org
 
 
Preliminary Schedule
Minnesota Trans Health and Wellness Conference
 
Check back soon for more descriptions and bios for all presentations and presenters!

Provider Day: Friday, May 15, 2009


7:30-7:50 am Registration and Breakfast
 
7:50 am  Welcome and Opening Remarks: Sue K. Hammersmith, PhD, President of Metropolitan State University and Joshua Breeding, Pharm.D., BCPS, Co-Chair, Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition
 
Sue K. Hammersmith, PhD, assumed her duties as president of Metropolitan State University on July 1, 2008.  She had been provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay since 2002.  Hammersmith’s areas of special interest include international education, cultural diversity and multiculturalism, and the fine and performing arts.  She has three degrees from Indiana University, including PhD and master's degrees in sociology and a bachelor's degree in anthropology.  Her groundbreaking research in conjunction with the Alfred C. Kinsey Institute  for Sex Research, Indiana University, produced major scientific breakthroughs in the study of sexual orientation, homosexual identity, and related topics.  Metropolitan State University is one of the seven state universities in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.  With over sixty undergraduate majors, eight Master's programs and a new doctoral program in Nursing Practice, many of which are offered online, Metropolitan State offers programs that meet the needs of new and returning students from across the Twin Cities and beyond.
 
Joshua Breeding (JB), Pharm.D., BCPS, is a Pharmacy Clinical Leader at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) and a founding member and current co-chair of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition.  Dr. Breeding attended Gustavas Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.  He completed a pharmacy residency and now leads a group of highly specialized pharmacists in the pharmaceutical care of complex cardiac/pulmonary patients at UMMC.  Josh is passionate about creating space where health care professionals can share their medical knowledge and challenge one another to provide the highest level of care to their patients.

8:00-9:15 am Opening large group session
Transgender health: An overview
Julian Bowers, RN and Janet Bystrom, MA, MSW, LICSW

This session will address common questions related to the medical and mental health aspects of transgender care. It will give participants a working knowledge of the breadth of current practice models, an understanding of the felt experience of a person who is presenting for care, common provider/patient dynamics as well as local and national resources.

Julian Bowers is a Registered Nurse working at a level one trauma center in the Twin Cities. He has presented several trainings to health care providers about the special needs of transgender patients.

Janet Bystrom is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She has been providing individual, family and group therapy for LGBT youth for the last decade. She is dedicated to increasing access to mental health services to this community by addressing barriers related to safety, transportation and insurance.

9:30-10:45 am Morning breakout sessions

1 - Hormone therapy for transgender patients: Initiation and maintenance
Jamie Feldman, MD, PhD
 
This presentation will cover the basics of providing feminizing and masculinizing hormone therapy, including the effects, limitations and risks of hormone therapy.  Participants will learn the initial medical evaluation, as well as on going monitoring for safety and response.  Finally, moderate algorithms for feminizing and masculinizing therapy will be presented.
 
Jamie Feldman M.D.,  Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Family Practice and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. As part of the Center for Sexual Health, Dr. Feldman provides medical services including evaluation and treatment of sexual dysfunction and transgender care. She has presented and published extensively on transgender health issues, including hormone therapy and  primary care.
 
2 - Panel discussion: The inclusion of partners and parents in the transgender health experience
Madeleine Miles, Ali Sands, Michael Wright, Sue Burks, Panelists
Katie Harrold, LMFT, Moderator
 
Katie Harrold, MA, LMFT has a private therapy practice in Uptown.  You can learn more about her practice at:  www.changingpathways.net .   She works with individuals, youth, couples and families of all definitions and constructions. Katie is a member of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition Training Committee in order to promote and develop accessible and competent trans-friendly provider services. Her SOFFA (significant others, family, friends and allies) experience is informed through working with people and their partners in the trans community, attending various trans-specific trainings, readings, and through her multi-faceted experiences with the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition.
 
Michael Wright met his partner Alex over a crowded desk while working at the same University Department in the UK. Since then they have had a togethering ceremony, moved house, had a daughter, changed jobs, changed continents, and now Mike is looking for work while enjoying everything  Minneapolis has to offer.
 
Susan Burks has worked as a Forest Health Specialit / Plant Pathologist in natural resources for the states of Missouri and Minnesota for a total of 17 years.  Her M2F daughter, Emeri, transitioned in 2004, completed top and bottom surgeries in 2007, graduated from Boston University in 2008 and is currently teaching English in China.
 
Ali Sands, author and activist, has completed a memoir titled I Know You Are, But What Am I? chronicling her daily experiences as her partner transitioned from female to male.  Ali speaks publicly to raise the awareness
of partner issues.
 
Madeleine Miles is a current student at Argosy University in the radiography department.  She is also a graduate of the University of Minnesota in mathematics, with a background in physics and mechanical engineering.  A member of the GLBT community for the past five years, Lynn identifies as trans and is the partner of a trans person.

 
3 - OB/GYN care for transgender patients: Surgical and non-surgical
Deborah Thorp, MD

 
The objectives for this session are to understand and be able to discuss the following: medical indications for hysterectomy in the female to male patient, common non-surgical gynecologic issues in the female to male patient, and common post-operative issues in the male to female patient.

Deborah Thorp, MD
, is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and is Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Park Nicollet Clinic in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.  Dr. Thorp has a significant LGBT patient base and has established a transgender clinic within her practice at Park Nicollet.  Her research focus addresses the effects of long term hormone use on the development of osteoporosis in the transgender individual.
 
4 - Facilitating the self through group therapy: A trans-affirmative model
Katherine Spencer, PhD and Cesar Gonzalez, PhD


In this interactive workshop, providers will a.) learn about the common concerns transgender individuals bring into group therapy and how growth is facilitated through the group approach b.) the therapeutic goals and processes involved in the development of protective factors, and c.) how the group approach can augment overall transgender health.

Katie Spencer, PhD, is a clinical post-doctoral fellow at the Program in Human Sexuality at the University of Minnesota. She received her degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her primary areas of clinical focus are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health, gender identity and expression, and sexuality.

Cesar Gonzalez, PhD, is a clinical/research postdoctoral fellow at the Program in Human Sexuality at the University of Minnesota. He received his degree in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology/Alliant International University, Los Angeles. His clinical and research focus include gender identity/role and its relation to mental health outcomes.
 
5 - Increasing familiarity and comfort in providing primary care to transgender patients: Applying the scientific method to your patient interview
Samuel Willis, MD

In this session, we will review social science research guidelines and discuss what these can teach us about gathering accurate information from our patients thus improving our ability to draw accurate conclusions from our medical history.

Sam Willis, MD, sometimes refers to himself as an artist who plays a doctor at work. He constantly strives to bring balance to his life and fresh perspective to his work. He is opening an office in Northeast Minneapolis later this year that is a direct extension of this vision.

6 - Gender confirmation surgery: A multi-disciplinary approach
Loren Schechter, MD


Doctor Schechter will present his single-stage technique for MTF gender confirmation surgery as well as a brief introduction to Phalloplasty for FTM. Additional ancillary procedures will be reviewed as well.

Loren Schechter, MD, is assistant professor of surgery and chief of plastic surgery at Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgery, the Midwest Association of Plastic Surgeons, the Chicago Society of Plastic Surgery, and the Chicago Surgical Society. In addition, he is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and hosted the WPATH International Symposium in September 2007 in Chicago. Dr. Schechter's clinical experience includes both gender confirmation and complex vaginal reconstruction. Additional clinical interests include cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast and face, as well as cosmetic body contouring such as abdominoplasty and liposuction, in addition to complex microsurgical reconstruction.
 
11am-12pm KEYNOTE: Following transgender patients and clients: A journey for providers
MJ Gilbert, MSW


MJ Gilbert, MSW is a field coordinator and teaching specialist for the School of Social Work in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. She received her MSW from the University of Minnesota in 1990 and worked for 15 years as a clinical social worker and supervisor for the SLIC (Sharing Life In Community) program, providing comprehensive services for people with serious and persistent mental illness. She has done a great deal of teaching and training on transgender issues, is Co-Chair of the University of Minnesota Transgender Commission, and recently wrote an entry on transgender people for the 20th edition of the Encyclopedia of Social work published by NASW and the Oxford press.

12-1pm LUNCH
 
1-2:15 pm Large group session
Panel discussion: Self-navigation through transgender and genderqueer health
Ilon Preston, Enzi Tanner, Zealot Hamm, Katie Burgess, Saber DeMare, panelists
Andrea Jenkins, Moderator
 
Description and bios forthcoming.
 
2:30-3:45 pm Afternoon breakout sessions
1 - The importance of chiropractic care and nutrition for transgender patients
Rhys Preston, DC
 
The transgender individual faces a unique set of issues whether in the process of transitioning or living in society as a transgender person.  In an attempt to integrate eastern and western philosophy, these isues will be discussed in depth and presented with holistic treatment protocols.
 
Rhys Preston, DC, has been a practicing Chiropractic physician for 18 years.  His practice focuses on the mind-body connection. Dr. Preston emphasizes this philosophy of care for his patients through chiropractic, nutrition and exercise.  As an active member of the trans community, Dr. Preston supports the importance of holistic healing throughout the process of transitioning.

2 - The primary care provider in transgender health: An informed consent approach to medical transitioning for young adults
Eric Meininger, MD, MPH


This program is designed to help participants (1) understand the unique needs of youth/young adults who have, or are considering medical transitioning; (2) consider the basic primary care needs of transgender youth/young adults; and (3) increase knowledge of existing references and referral resources available to them as primary care providers.

Eric Meininger, MD, MPH, is an adolescent-trained internist and pediatrician with a large practice of transgender young men and women under his care. He has experience providing primary hormone management for gender transitioning and teaches residents about the unique needs of transgender people in primary care.

3 - From sex change to coming out: Transforming the paradigm of transgender health
Walter Bockting, PhD, LP

Our understanding of transgender identity and sexuality has gone through important changes over the last 25 years. In the past, transgender individuals who sought body modification were selected on the basis of being a "true transsexual" suffering from Gender Identity Disorder and hence a candidate for a "sex change" from male-to-female or female-to-male. Today, transgender people are coming out and affirming their unique gender identity and expression along a wide spectrum of gender diversity. This change has profound implications for the practice of transgender health. Through facilitating a coming out process and confronting internalized transphobia, providers can assist transgender individuals in achieving an integrated transgender identity. The implications of this shift for the diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder will be discussed.

Walter Bockting, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Program in Human Sexuality, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School. He coordinates the University’s Transgender Health Services. Dr. Bockting has over 20 years of clinical experience in working as a psychologist with the transgender community. Among his publications is a how-to manual for working with transgender clients and their families entitled Guidelines for Transgender Care (Haworth Press, 2006). In addition, he is the Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded study to promote transgender health via the Internet. Dr. Bockting is the 2009-2011 President of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

4 - Nongenital surgery for the transgender patient
Richard Tholen, MD


Dr. Tholen will present 20+ years of plastic surgical experience with non-genital surgery for transgender patients including before and after photographs.

Richard Tholen, MD, completed his surgical training at the Mayo Clinic in 1987, and is Board-Certified by both the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Plastic Surgery. He has over twenty years of surgical experience, and teaches techniques of nongenital transgender surgery at national and international surgical conferences.

5 - Transgender research projects: Current health concerns?
Alessandra Iantaffi, PhD & Marieke Van Eijk, MA

This presentation will highlight some of the current trends in Transgender Health research and will provide overviews of two projects. Dr. Iantaffi will present initial findings from All Gender Health Online, a research project focusing on HIV prevention for transgender people who have sex with non-transgender men. Marieke van Eijk, MA will present preliminary findings from her PhD project comparing transgender-specific healthcare services in Minnesota, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Alex Iantaffi, PhD, is a postdoctoral research/clinical fellow at the Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota where zie is currently coordinating the NIH-funded study All Gender Health Online. Alex is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sexual and Relationship Therapy and Visiting Professor for the Institute of Constructivist Psychology, Padua, Italy.

Marieke van Eijk, MA, PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, is a visiting scholar at the Program in Human Sexuality supported by the Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota. Her PhD project addresses how different healthcare funding and delivery mechanisms affect transgender care and outcomes of care in terms of transgender identity and body modification.

4-5 pm KEYNOTE: Move over and share the bench: Transgender health empowerment, HIV/AIDS and trans health advocacy
Earline Budd


Earline Budd is a 50 year old transgender woman constantly fighting to make a difference in the lives of transgender women and other members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community. She is one of the founding members and former Executive Director of Transgender Health Empowerment, Inc. founded in 1996 which today serves as one of the primary funded agencies targeting specifically transgender people in the Washington Metropolitan area. Earline currently works as the Special Projects Coordinator for Transgender Health Empowerment, Inc.

Earline’s advocacy extends back to 1989 when she was first certified as an HIV/AIDS Peer Educator through an agency known as the Inner City AIDS Network (ICAN). Despite some of her own down falls, Earline returned her concentration to HIV/AIDS advocacy in 1994 through joining a support group called Transgenders against Discrimination and Defamation in the District (TADD). This support group through Earline’s leadership evolved and today is known as “Transgender Health Empowerment.” She is known as a motivational and dynamic speaker nationally and locally. Earline has been recognized locally and nationally as an excellent trainer around cultural sensitivity in working with transgender people. Her training has been utilized locally and by national agencies such as SAMPSA, CSAP and the Pennsylvania Mid Atlantic Training Center along with several others. Earline is a native Washingtonian and enjoys dedicating her time helping others, especially in the areas of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and homelessness which represent the population that she has been serving for the last 20 years. She is a strong advocate for the rights of gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender people.


Community Day: Saturday, May 16, 2009 
 
All day: Health Screenings, Chair Massage, Resource Fair with health and GLBTA organization tables, mini surgery consults with Dr. Tholen, mini Voice consults with Dr. Kozan, Youth social space, People of Color social space, and more!

8:00-8:30 am Registration, Breakfast and Resource Fair


8:30-9:30 a.m. Session One Workshops

A – Documenting Your Change -- Changing Your Documents (Phil Duran & Leigh Smythe)

B – Transgender Health Project: Shot Clinic (Ian Christensen, LPN & Billy Navarro)

C – Transitioning Outside the Box (Anne Hodson & Shawyn Lee)

D – Take Action Toward a Healthy Lifestyle (Deanna Reiter)

E – Self Employment is an Option (Iden Campbell-McCollum)

 
9:30-9:45 am Break and Resource Fair

9:45-10:45 a.m. Session Two Workshops

A – Pee All You Can Pee: Restroom Safety and Access (Ethan Turcotte & Leigh Smythe)

B – Recognizing, Understanding and Challenging White Privilege (Anne Phibbs, PhD, Ben Falter & Ross Neely)

C – Transgender Therapy Groups: the Good, Bad, and Possible (Janet Bystrom, MA, MSW, LICSW & Alex Nelson)

D – Another Hurdle to Clear: What’s it Like to be a Trans Person of Color (Enzi Tanner)

E – Even Trannies Grow Old: What's Ahead as We Age (Barbara Satin)


10:45-11:00 am Break and Resource Fair


11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Session Three Workshops

A – Partner Panel (Facilitator: Sarah James, Panelists: Rachel Syverson, Jesse Miles, Robby Yaeger)

B – Nongenital Surgery for the Transgender Patient (Richard Tholen, MD)

C – Non-Binary Approaches to Gender Identity in Health Care (Katie Spencer, PhD)

D – Rituals and Spiritual Self Care Along the Way (Laurie Crelly & Kristian Clauser)

E – Naked Interviews: Overcoming Barriers to Employment (Connie Moore)


12:00-1:00 pm Lunch – pickup box lunch & optional: move to Social / Support Rooms:

A – Partners

B – FTM / masculine spectrum

C – Genderqueer and gender nonconforming

D – MTF / feminine spectrum

E – Family / Kids / Allies


1:00-2:00 pm Keynote: Ignacio Rivera, Social Justice Activist & Artist
"Why welfare is a queer issue"
 
Ignacio is a Queer, gender fluid, Trans-Entity, Black Boricua performance artist, currently performing "Dancer" and Lagrimas de Cocodrilo/Crocodile Tears internationally. Ignacio is a lecturer/trainer, activist, new filmmaker and self-proclaimed sex educator. As a lecturer/ trainer, Ignacio has spoken at home and abroad on such topics of racism, sexism, homo/transphobia, transgender issues, trans 101, sexual liberation, anti-oppression, anti-violence, multi-issue organizing and more. Ignacio is currently a consultant with various organizations in New York City and conducts professional development trainings for NYC High school staff. Ignacio is the founder of Poly Patao Productions. P3 is dedicated to producing sex-positive workshops, performance pieces, films, play parties, panel discussions, social/political groups and educational opportunities that are specially geared toward queer women, transgender, multi-gender, gender-queer, gender non-conforming and gender variant people of color. Ignacio is also one of the founding board members of Queers for Economic Justice, a progressive non-profit organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. www.IgnacioRivera.com   www.Q4ej.org

2:00-2:15 pm Break and Resource Fair

2:15-3:45 p.m. Session Four Workshops

A – Partners: Having Our Voice (Ali Sands)

B – Voice Care for Trans People (Anita Kozan, PhD, CCC)

C – Reducing Health Disparities with Harm Reduction (Teefari Mallory)

D – Loving Our Bodies and Self-Pleasuring (Susan Miranda, MA)

E – Trans and In Recovery (Ely Kloker)

 
3:45-4:00 pm Break and Resource Fair

4:00-5:15 p.m. Session Five Workshops

A – Safer Sex, Queerer Sex, Better Sex (JL Mohnkern & Alex Iantaffi, PhD)

B – Beauty / Butch Tips from Hair By Morgan: Hair Removal, Styles, and More (Morgan O’Sullivan)

C – Barriers to Access for LGBTQ Youth (Ryan Li Dahlstrom & Rocki Simoes)

D – Preparing for Surgery: Before and After (Rhys Preston, DC & Julian Bowers, RN)

E – Rethinking Access: Conversations about Gender Identity, Disability and Poverty (Lane McKiernan & Ross Neely)
 
5:15-5:30 pm Break and Resource Fair

5:30-6:00 pm Closing Session and Next Steps (Marieke Van Eijk, MA & Alex Iantaffi, PhD)


6:00-7:30 pm Dinner Break (on your own)
 
7:30-9:30 p.m.  Trans Action Cabaret: emceed by Andrea Jenkins with performers including Ignacio Rivera, Katie Burgess, Ali Sands, Lane McKiernan, Karin Anderson, Krystal Klear, Empowered Expressions, Trans Voices Chorus, several pieces from The Naked I by Tobias K. Davis, and more!
 
 
COMMUNITY DAY WORKSHOP GRID:
 
 

A

B

C

D

E

Session One

8:30-9:30 a.m.

Documenting Your Change -- Changing Your Documents

(Phil Duran & Leigh Smythe)

Transgender Health Project: Shot Clinic

(Ian Christensen, LPN & Billy Navarro)

Transitioning Outside the Box

(Anne Hodson & Shawyn Lee, MSW)

Take Action Toward a Healthy Lifestyle

(Deanna Reiter)

Self Employment is an Option

(Iden Campbell-McCollum)

 

Session Two

9:45-10:45 a.m.

 

Pee All You Can Pee: Restroom Safety and Access

(Ethan Turcotte & Leigh Smythe)

Recognizing, Understanding & Challenging White Privilege

(Anne Phibbs, PhD, Ben Falter & Ross Neely)

Transgender Therapy Groups: the Good, Bad, and Possible

(Janet Bystrom, MA, MSW, LICSW & Alex Nelson)

Another Hurdle to Clear: What’s it Like to be a Trans Person of Color

 (Enzi Tanner)

Even Trannies Grow Old: What's Ahead as We Age

 (Barbara Satin)

 

Session Three

11:00 a.m.-

12:00 p.m.

 

Partners Panel Discussion

(Facilitator Sarah James, Panelists Rachel Syverson & others TBA)

Nongenital Surgery for the Transgender Patient

(Richard Tholen, MD)

Non-Binary Approaches to Gender Identity in Health Care

(Katie Spencer, PhD)

Rituals and Spiritual Self Care Along the Way

(Laurie Crelly & Kristian Clauser)

Naked Interviews: Overcoming Barriers to Employment

(Connie Moore)

Lunch

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

LUNCH SOCIAL & SUPPORT:

 

Partners

LUNCH SOCIAL & SUPPORT:

 

FTM / masculine spectrum

LUNCH SOCIAL & SUPPORT:

 

Genderqueer & gender non-conforming

LUNCH SOCIAL & SUPPORT:

 

MTF / feminine spectrum

LUNCH SOCIAL & SUPPORT:

 

Family / Kids / Allies

 

Session Four

2:15-3:45 p.m.

Partners: Having Our Voice

(Ali Sands)

Voice Care for Trans People

(Anita Kozan, PhD, CCC)

Reducing Health Disparities with Harm Reduction

(Teefari Mallory)

Loving Our Bodies and Self-Pleasuring

(Susan Miranda, MA)

Trans and In Recovery

(Ely Kloker)

Session Five

4:00-5:15 p.m.

Safer Sex, Queerer Sex, Greater Sex

(JL Mohnkern & Alex Iantaffi)

Beauty / Butch Tips from Hair By Morgan: Hair Removal, Styles, and More

(Morgan O’Sullivan)

Barriers to Access for LGBTQ Youth

(Ryan Li Dahlstrom & Rocki Simoes)

Preparing for Surgery: Before and After

(Rhys Preston, DC & Julian Bowers, RN)

Rethinking Access: Conversations about Gender Identity, Disability and Poverty

 (Lane McKiernan & Ross Neely)

 

 
2009 Minnesota Trans Health & Wellness Conference
For more details, please see our Conference Page
 
We are excited to announce the date and location for our 2009 Trans Health and Wellness Conference!
 
Our third annual Minnesota Trans Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, 2009. 
 
This year, Friday will be "Provider's Day" featuring programming designed for health care Providers to learn about transgender health, and Saturday will be "Community Day" with programming designed for the trans community and allies.  We are offering CME credits through our co-sponsor the Minnesota Medical Association for Friday, May 15 for qualifying physicians, and other health care providers can self-submit to their boards for continuing ed credit.
 
Our new location for the 2009 event will be Metropolitan State University, 700 E. 7th St., St. Paul, MN 55106
 
A huge thank you goes out  to our new co-sponsors, Lavender Bridge GLBT Student Organization and GLBT Student Services of Metropolitan State University.  Special thanks to Sidney Smith, Coordinator of GLBT Student Services.
 
If you are interested in joining the planning committee for the 2009 Conference, or if you have ideas or questions, please contact us
 
 
 

    
 
"Trans Health Matters" Community Forum
 
Join us for our next FREE forum in our Trans Health Matters series:
"GID and the Medicalization of Gender Identity" facilitated by Alex Iantaffi
 
Everyone Welcome! transgender, genderqueer, intersex, transsexual, M to F, F to M, crossdresser, gender non-conforming, partner, family, friend and ally.
 
Thursday, March 12, 2009
6:30 pm  Social time with refreshments provided
7:00-9:00 pm  Forum
Location: Spirit of the Lakes UCC,  2930 13th Ave S (at Lake Street), Minneapolis, MN 55407

On May 1, 2008, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced the composition of work committees to review scientific advances and research-based information and develop the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). The DSM-V is scheduled to be published in 2012. Anonymous feedback from this forum will be sent to the APA. What do you think? Should Gender Identity Disorder be abolished from the DSM? Should it stay in? MTHC invites you to join with other community members in a discussion of the DSM-V and GID. Listen to an overview of the DSM and current events around DSM-V and weigh in on the pros and cons of including GID in the DSM.
   
Dr. Alessandra (Alex) Iantaffi received a PhD from the University of Reading (UK) and a MSc in Systemic Psychotherapy from the University of Bedfordshire (UK) after moving from Italy to the UK in 2993.  Alex's research interests have focused on gender, sexuality, disability, polyamory and BDSM and zie has published on a range of topics the those fields.  Alex is the editor of the international Journal of Sexual and Relationship Therapy and is Visiting Professor for the Institute of Constructivist Psychology in Padua, Italy.  In August 2008, Alex joined the University of Minnesota to work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Program of Human Sexuality, coordinating the project All Gender Health Online.  Alex has been an actve member of the Minnesoa Transgender Health Coalition since September 2008, and is also a family therapist, a writer, a parent, and a queer activist who is striving to lead an integrated life.
 
Spirit of the Lakes UCC is wheelchair-accessible with free parking lot. So that people with multiple chemical sensitivities can participate, please refrain from wearing perfume or other scented products.
 
This event made possible in part through a grant from PFund
 
For more information, please contact us.
 

    
Announcing our 1st annual fundraiser 
Masquerade Dinner: Unmasking our Many Genders
Pre-event registration is now closed.  However, we do still have space available!
On-site registration for the Dinner will be available that night (while the food lasts).
On-site registration is also still available for the Dessert-only option which includes the program, starting at 8:00 p.m. 
 
Monday, October 20, 2008
6:30 p.m. Social time
7:00 p.m. Dinner (with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free & meat options)
8:00 p.m. Dessert & Program featuring Kate Bornstein with "Dangerous Dreams and Damned Desires"
 
Location: Pi Bar & Restaurant, 2532 25th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
 
An evening for providers and trans individuals, allies and all of our communities to come together and show us your support.
 
Suggested donation: $25-100 per person for complete Dinner, Dessert and Performance, or $10-75 per person for Dessert & Performance only option (seating not guaranteed, due to space limitations). 
 
Additional special guest Rob Yaeger, local longtime HIV/AIDS activist and standup comedian extraordinaire, will also be featured in the program, and the evening will be emceed by Remy Corso from the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition.
 
Costumes and masks not required, but welcome, and we will have a variety of masquerade masks on hand!
 
About Kate's Dangerous Dreams and Damned Desires: "Sex, love, gender and desire - even when they’re consensual and respectful - are rarely granted any seat at the table of public discourse. For thousands of years, radical notions of consensual, respectful desires have been demonized, silenced, and invisibilized. It’s time we talk with each other about sex. Desire is the stuff of laughter, tears, and paradox. The outer edges of our desires are some of the most life-affirming dreams in our lives." 
 
Kate Bornstein is a renowned speaker, author, performance artist, social activist, and infamous gender outlaw whose latest book is "Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives To Suicide For Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws."  Other published works include the books "Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us" and "My Gender Workbook."  Kate's books are taught in over 120 colleges and universities around the world; and ze has performed hir work live on college campuses, and in theaters and performance spaces across the USA, as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria.
 

 
"Trans Health Matters" Community Forum
 
A FREE Community Health Forum for trans and allied communities: everyone welcome!
 
Health Care Access and Advocacy: A Community Dialogue
Facilitated by Beth Zemsky
 
Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 6:30-9 p.m.  
6:30 - Social time with refreshments provided
7-9 - Facilitated community discussion
 
Location: Spirit of the Lakes UCC,  2930 13th Ave S (at Lake Street), Minneapolis, MN 55407

What's on your mind when it comes to transgender health care?
 
Getting and maintaining insurance coverage? Finding the right surgeon? Learning how to be your own best health care advocate? Locating a doctor? MTHC invites you to join with other community members for Trans Health Matters, an ongoing forum to discuss issues and concerns surrounding health care for ourselves and for our communities.
 
Spirit of the Lakes UCC is wheelchair-accessible with free parking lot. 
 
So that people with multiple chemical sensitivities can participate, please refrain from wearing perfume or other scented products.
 
This event made possible in part through a grant from PFund
 
For more information, please contact us
 
 
"Trans Health Matters" Community Forum
 
A FREE Community Health Forum for trans and allied communities: everyone welcome!
 
Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 6:30-9 p.m. 
 
6:30 - Social time with refreshments provided
7-9 - Facilitated community discussion
 
Location: Spirit of the Lakes UCC,  2930 13th Ave S (at Lake Street), Minneapolis, MN 55407

This event will be ASL interpreted.
 
What's on your mind when it comes to transgender health care?
 
Getting and maintaining insurance coverage? Finding the right surgeon? Learning how to be your own best health care advocate? Locating a doctor? MTHC invites you to join with other community members for  the first Trans Health Matters, an ongoing forum to discuss issues and concerns surrounding health care for ourselves and for our communities.
 
Spirit of the Lakes UCC is wheelchair-accessible with free parking lot. 
 
So that people with multiple chemical sensitivities can participate, please refrain from wearing perfume or other scented products.
 
This event made possible in part through a grant from PFund
 
For more information, please contact us
    
 
2008 Trans Community Health & Wellness Fair 
 
Our second annual Trans Community Health and Wellness Fair was held on May 9 and 10, 2008.
Read the complete details by clicking here!
 

 
February 28, 2008 Trans Health Forum
A regular event for health professionals
 
Thursday, February 28, 2008, 7-9 p.m. (6:30 pm to gather, order food, socialize)
 
Located at Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis
In private meeting room with full service menu and private wait staff
(Health professionals or health care students only please)
 
Featuring: 
"The Insurance System: Its Influence on Treatment and Diagnosis"
Katie Harrold MA, LAMFT
and 
"Common Chiropractic Conditions in the Transgender Male"
Rhys Preston, DC
 
Katie Harrold, MA, LAMFT has a private practice in Uptown.  She also works in-home with kids and their families with David Hoy and Associates.  She became involved with the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition upon finding a lack of accessible and competent trans-friendly support services; she hopes to help MFTs (Marriage and Family Therapists) actualize an accessible practice.  She has a particular interest in the complexities of our insurance system and its influence on treatment and diagnosis. 
 
Dr. Rhys Preston is a Chiropractic Physician and nutritional educator, located in the Uptown area. Practicing for the past seventeen years, Dr. Preston is a member of the transgender community, and has taught anatomy and physiology at various private institutions in the Twin Cities area. Primary interests include empowering and educating the trans community regarding health and wellness throughout the course of transitioning. Dr. Preston hopes that by being a visible member of the trans community, it will raise the awareness level of the positive impact of holistic health care.
 

 
2007 Trans Community Health and Wellness Fair
 
Thank you to everyone who helped make our first-ever Trans Community Health and Wellness Fair in June 2007 a stunning success! Over 150 people attended.

Announcing our first annual
Trans Community Health and Wellness Fair

Saturday, June 9, 2007, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Registration will be available at the door! (online pre-registration is now closed)

An event for trans and gender variant people, partners, family, allies, and community

New Location (as of June 1)
South High School
3131 - 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407; enter through doors off parking lot.  
 
Please Note: Children are welcome to attend, and this event is open to all ages. However, this year we are unable to provide any children's activities or childcare onsite, so please plan ahead. Some of our workshops may include material or discussion that is not necessarily child-friendly: it is up to the parent(s) or caregiver(s) to decide what programming is OK for their child. Next year we hope to provide children's activities and childcare.
 
Registration will be available at the door.

Event is FREE, with lunch provided (vegetarian, vegan and meat options)
 
No-Scent Policy: Please refrain from wearing scented products such as perfume and cologne so that everyone can attend safely.

Access Information: Wheelchair accessible; free parking lot; near bus lines 19 & 21 and Lake Street light rail station.

Trans Community Health and Wellness Fair
Saturday, June 9, 2007, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Registration will be available at the door on Saturday! (online pre-registration is now closed)

Access Information
Our location is wheelchair accessible, has free parking available in a large adjacent lot, and is located near bus lines 19 & 21 and the Lake Street light rail station.

No-Scent Policy
There will be a no-scent policy in effect at the Trans Community Health and Wellness Fair.

People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, asthma, allergies, or other immune problems can experience serious and debilitating physical and neurological symptoms when exposed to the chemicals used in most scented products.

Please think carefully about all the products you use and avoid using scented products on the day of the Health and Wellness Fair. Scented products can include shampoo, soap, hair gel, hair spray, perfume/scented oils, skin lotion, shaving cream, makeup etc.

Schedule and Timeline
All day, 10-4: enjoy the Fair's main info area, with health screenings, chair massage, community group information tables & more!

10:00 am: Arrive, check in or register onsite (registration open all day), coffee/tea and light breakfast food available
10:30 am: Workshop session #1
11:30 am: Lunch with Empowered Expressions performance, then Keynote Speech during lunch
1:45-2:45 pm: Workshop session #2
2:45-3:00 pm: Break
3:00-4:00 pm: Workshop session #3

Keynote: "Getting Us All Covered For Everything: Steps to Trans Inclusive Insurance" by André Wilson

Most insurance policies and other health coverage discriminate against transgender individuals with clauses excluding coverage for so-called “sex transformations” and related treatment. Motivated by bias and misinformation, such as the belief that transgender-related health care is merely cosmetic in nature or that providing coverage for transgender transition would be “too expensive,” the transgender exclusions are regularly used to deny coverage for health care even when the services are unrelated to gender transition.

André Wilson will discuss national efforts at changing health care policies in our own backyards – at corporations, unions, university campuses, and public institutions. Wilson will outline common barriers and challenges, and the successful strategies used by grassroots activists in overcoming them.

André is a leading expert on advocacy for transgender-inclusive insurance coverage, currently serving as the Health Access Program Manager for the National Center for Transgender Equality. In 2005, André led a successful union campaign to bring trans-inclusive coverage to graduate employees at the University of Michigan, work now carried forward in the national union movement with resolutions in the American Federation of Teachers and Pride At Work.

Health and Info Fair
Chair massage; Info tables and free stuff by many trans, GLBTA and health community organizations

Health screenings and information (blood glucose, diabetes, stroke prevention, blood pressure, cholesterol, heartburn treatment/prevention, healthy spine chiropractic screenings, safer sex, HIV and STD info, and more)

Workshop Schedule

Workshop Session I, 10:30-11:30 am:

1. Coming Out to Self, to Friends, to Family and at Work (Velma Wagner, MA)
2. Meeting Our Needs: Trans Patient Advocacy (panel discussion)
3. Cross-gender Medical Management (Eric Meininger, MD, MPH)
4. Barriers to Access: A Trans Youth Needs Assessment (Owen Marciano & Ryan Li Dahlstrom)

Workshop Session II, 1:45-2:45 pm:

1. Disability in Transgender Spaces (Jay Wilson)
2. Transition Stories (panel discussion facilitated by Julian Bowers, RN with panelists Saber DeMare, Kristen Jamieson and Marissa Higgins)
3. Partner Time (facilitated by Saren Lightsong, Kathy Blomquist and Wendy Horowitz)
4. Safer & Funner Sex (Robby Yaeger)

Workshop Session III, 3:00-4:00 pm:

1. Natural Care Approach for the Trans Person, through Chiropractic, Homeopathy and Nutrition (Rhys Preston, DC and Alex Lanning, DC)
2. Introduction to Yoga (Leila DeLance)
3. Insurance Policy Change From the Ground Up (André Wilson)
4. Written on the Body (facilitated by Janet Bystrom and Cat Miller)



Trans & Allied Community Potluck / Town Hall Information Session and Meeting on GID (Gender Identity Disorder)
presented by visiting activist and expert Andre Wilson
 
Thank you to everyone who attended the GID Town Hall Meeting and Potluck on Thursday, June 7. We had over 40 people in attendance, and a fantastic conversation took place. Thanks again to our guest presenter, Andre Wilson. Watch here on our website for other events happening this year. 

Thursday, June 7, 2007, 6-9:30 p.m.
(potluck from 6-7, Town Hall Mtg 7-9:30, feel free to attend just part of the night)

Located at Spirit of the Lakes UCC, 2930 - 13th Ave S (at E Lake St), Minneapolis, MN 55407

For the trans and allied community -- all are welcome!

Co-sponsored by Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, CLCC (City of Lakes Crossgender Community), TMen, and Spirit of the Lakes UCC

The event is FREE. A donations can will be set out to cover facility costs for Spirit of the Lakes UCC, who frequently hosts trans community events. Honorarium for guest presenter Andre Wilson has been generously provided by an anonymous donor.

SCENT-FREE SPACE: Please refrain from wearing scented products such as perfume and cologne so that everyone can attend safely, including people with chemical sensitivities.

Spirit of the Lakes is wheelchair accessible, and there is a large parking lot next to the church (at the corner of 13th and Lake).

POTLUCK: It's OK to just show up and not bring food/drink. Bring something if you are able to (ideas: non-alcoholic beverages, dessert, salad, entree, side dish, chips, etc.). There will be a few who will bring a hot or substantial entree dish, so there should be enough food for all. Bring along a list of ingredients in your dish for those with food allergies or restrictions, and consider bringing something vegetarian or vegan.

TOWN HALL INFO SESSION & MEETING ON GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER:

Many argue that the diagnostic category "gender identity disorder" (GID) continues to burden all gender-variant individuals with stigma, reinforcing barriers to social legitimacy and civil rights, while failing to describe the distress of body dysphoria or to articulate the medical necessity (for some) of transgender transition services.

Others also contend that until GID is removed from the DSM, all LGB and gender non-conforming youth and adults are vulnerable to a diagnosis of psychosexual disorder and thus to damaging "conversion" therapies. At the same time, there are some medical and legal advocates who use GID to leverage services for individual clients, so the unintended effects of GID reform or removal on these individuals must also be considered.

Most agree that something must be done, and soon, but what? This Town Hall meeting is structured as a series of facilitated dialogues to uncover this complex terrain. The facilitator will stress exploration of multiple, even contradictory, avenues as we map ideas ranging from psychiatric policy reform to strategic use of GID in medical and legal advocacy.

Discussion will be grounded by a historical overview of GID, including the impact of psychosexual diagnosis on the transgender community and of past efforts for psychiatric reform. The forum will open with a brief overview of the history and current uses of GID by professionals and advocates, as well as providing specific information on diagnosis codes (e.g., DSM, ICD) and the institutions (e.g., APA, AMA) that regulate them. Through the evening, we'll have open discussion of the pros and cons of GID as well as strategies for change.
 
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