Below is the schedule for the 2012 Gender Odyssey Family conference’s exclusive programming for teens. You can print this page by clicking here.
Our teen programming is created by gender non-conforming and transgender youth themselves. These workshops and overall conference experience will help youth across North America connect, develop friendships, and learn about themselves and others. By creating these opportunities, we hope to help our youth empower themselves and decrease their own risk for some very real problems, such as physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, homelessness, drug use, and suicide.
Coming soon: Mobile-friendly schedule.
Thursday, August 2 , 2012
| 12:00pm – 5:00pm | 5:00pm | 6:30pm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEENS | REGISTRATION Silver Cloud Broadway Hotel 1100 Broadway |
Meet & Greet Silver Cloud Broadway Hotel |
Pool Party Silver Cloud Broadway Hotel |
| TWEENS | REGISTRATION Silver Cloud Broadway Hotel 1100 Broadway |
Friday, August 3, 2012
| Room | 8:30 – 8:50 | 9:00 – 10:30 | 10:40 – 12:10 | 12:10 – 1:20 | 1:20 – 2:50 | 3:00 – 4:30 | 4:50 – 5:45 | 7:00 | 8:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEENS Rm 602 |
WELCOME | Ice Breakers | Gender Mapping | LUNCH | Lost at Work: Employment Rights |
Adult Panel for Teens & Tweens Rm. 602 |
KEYNOTE Gene Tagaban Rm. 607-608 |
BLIZZARD: Silver Cloud |
Gender Odyssey Jam Silver Cloud |
| TWEENS Rm 610 |
WELCOME | Ice Breakers | Wall Murals | Tween Camp Activities | Closed | Closed |
Saturday, August 4, 2012
| Room | 8:30 – 10:00 | 10:00 – 11:40 | 11:40 – 12:45 | 12:45 – 2:15 | 2:25 – 3:55 | 4:10 | 5:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEENS Rm 602 |
Sold: Examining the T in TV Advertising |
Advocacy In Education | LUNCH | Medical Q & A |
Stories From the Front: Teen Panel | KEYNOTE Janet Mock Rm. 607-608 |
Gender Odyssey Picnic CLC, 1710 11th Ave. |
| TWEENS Rm 610 |
Playshop Art | Tween Camp Activities | Stories From the Front: Teen Panel | ||||
| Tween Camp Alternate Activity | Tween Camp Activities | Closed |
Sunday, August 5, 2012
| Room | 8:30 – 10:00 | 10:00 – 11:40 | 11:40 – 12:45 | 12:45 – 2:15 | 2:25 – 3:55 | 4:00 – 7:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEENS Rm 602 |
Gender Odyssey Olympics | Dating & Relationships | LUNCH | REEL Queer Videos | Teen Conference Wrap Up |
Wind Down Party Silver Cloud |
| Siblings & Friends | ||||||
| Siblings & Friends | ||||||
| TWEENS Rm 610 |
Gender Odyssey Olympics | Navigating Friends & Relationships | Tween Conference Wrap Up | |||
| Tween Camp |
Workshop Descriptions
THURSDAY EVENING
5:00pm – 6:30pm
Teen Meet & Greet (ages 13-19)
Silver Cloud Hotel – Madison Room
Come hang out with us and meet the other peeps attending the conference this year. Pizza and games will be provided.
Facilitators: Gil Rich & Carolyn Fuller
Tween Meet & Greet (ages 9-12)
Silver Cloud Hotel – Room TBA
Come hang out with us and meet the other middle-school-age youth attending the conference this year. Pizza and games will be provided.
Facilitators: Kathyrn Chociej, Tom Murray & Diana Kurtz
FRIDAY
8:30am – 10:30am
Welcome to Gender Odyssey / Ice Breakers & Intros
Let’s start the conference off with a blast! Come to this opening session to get an overview of what’ll be happening over the weekend and to meet conference coordinators. We’ll start out with a couple of icebreakers to find out who else is here—you’ll meet new people and/or reunite with old friends. You’ll learn about the conference programming as well as have a chance to ask questions about the weekend.
Facilitators: Gil Rich & Carolyn Fuller
10:40am – 12:10pm
Gender Mapping
How do you define your gender identity? Is there a gender that fits you or have you crafted your own personalized blend that better expresses who you are? What language do you use to describe yourself? In this workshop we’ll go through a gender-mapping activity that can provide us with language and ideas to help us explore the wide spectrum of gender identities and expressions in the world.
Facilitator: Megan M. Kennedy & Gil Rich
12:10pm – 1:20pm
LUNCH
1:20pm – 2:50pm
Lost at Work? Navigating Your Employment Rights from the Application Stage through Termination
Can a prospective employer ask you questions about your gender identity? What can you do if a co-worker or supervisor harasses you at work? What are your rights if an employer terminates you because of your gender identity? The law provides various levels of protection for gender-nonconforming and transgender job applicants and employees. Come to this workshop to learn about your employment rights from the application stage through termination. Through a facilitated discussion, we will also discuss practical approaches for responding to workplace harassment and employment discrimination.
Note: Open to teens and young adults.
Facilitator: Angie Perone
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Stories from the Community: Adult Panel for Teens
Join us for this question and answer session with a diverse panel of genderfluid and transgender-identified adults. They will share with you how they define their gender and discuss how they have learned to successfully navigate life through school, social situations, and beyond. Topics will include dealing with school, friends, bathrooms, pronouns, dating, and life in general. Join us to see that our futures hold endless possibilities!
Facilitators: Gil Rich & Carolyn Fuller
4:40pm – 5:45pm
Keynote with Gene Tagaban
7:00pm – 8:00pm
Blizzard Teen Social with Special Guests
Silver Cloud Hotel
Come chill out and see who can make the fiercest ice cream blizzard. Then stick around for some crafty fun and a chance to connect with our guest mentors Janet Mock and Stephen Ira. After the teen social stick around for the Gender Odyssey Jam featuring Alexander James Adams & Athens Boys Choir.
Facilitators: Gil Rich & Carolyn Fuller
8:00pm
Gender Odyssey Jam with Alexander James Adams & Athens Boys Choir
Silver Cloud Hotel
SATURDAY
8:30am – 10:00am
Sold: Examining the T in TV
Join presenter Nadja Dee Witherbee on a round-the-world tour of TV commercials featuring transgender characters and themes. From the early days of television to today, see how this gender identity “twist” is used in comic, sexy, and unfortunately offensive ways. Nadja Dee will examine the pros and cons of these commercial representations, show clips, and facilitate discussion on this unique and rare collection of advertisements. Facilitator: Nadja Dee Witherbee
10:10am – 11:40am
Advocacy in Education: Creating a Safe School Environment for Gender-Nonconforming Students
A safe and supportive school environment will enhance the likelihood of academic success and emotional well-being for all students, especially transgender children. Many, if not most, transgender students find themselves being the first openly transgender student in their school. The task of optimizing a supportive environment for students can be made easier by learning about effective approaches to advocating in schools. This workshop is designed to help participants develop an effective approach to creating safety in schools for gender-nonconforming students.
Facilitators: Eli Erlick & Alex Sennello
11:40am – 12:45pm
LUNCH
12:45pm – 2:15pm
Ask the Doctors – Medical and Surgery Q&A
Our heads and hearts tell us who we are but our bodies seem to have a mind of their own. In this workshop a panel of experienced medical professionals will discuss health information and medical options relating to puberty blockers, hormones, surgery, and more. You’ll have an opportunity to ask specific questions and get straight-up answers directly from providers who work with the trans community.
Presenters: Dr. Jo Olson, Dr. Michael Brownstein & Dr. Marci Bowers
2:25pm – 3:55pm
Stories from the Front: Teen Panel
What are the real-life experiences of older transgender and gender variant youth? During this powerful session, transgender adolescents, friends, and relatives tell their stories from the heart. Honest, emotional, and inspiring stories can help other parents and youth to believe in a better and happier future. The goal of this workshop is to provide parents & families with hope by seeing that trans youth thrive once their gender issues are addressed.
Facilitator: Dr. Melady Preece
4:10pm – 5:20pm
Keynote with Janet Mock
5:30 – 7:30pm
All Conference Reunion Picnic
Join us at Gender Odyssey’s most popular event! This event is all about the food and hanging out with friends.
SUNDAY
8:30am – 10:00am
Gender Odyssey Olympics
Calling all athletes, artists, and fashion designers! Come connect with the youngest members of our community and participate in the first Gender Odyssey Olympics. Be a team coach or help design your team’s flag or uniform. Help out with face painting, relay races, costume contests and general goofing around while connecting with the awesome youth at our tween & kids camps.
Facilitators: Teen, Tween & Kids Camp coordinators
10:10am – 11:40am
Dating and Relationships
Sex Ed in school often completely leaves out trans youth. This is your chance to fill in the blanks and get information that’s really relevant to your life and experience. We’ll provide a safe place for trans-identified youth to talk about being trans, dating, sexuality, and sex. We’ll discuss some of the particular challenges, talk about safer sex for trans bodies, and consider how being trans affects (or doesn’t) romantic and sexual relationships. Note: This workshop is open only to youth who are junior high or middle school age and older.
Facilitator: Lukas Walther
10:10am –11:40am
Siblings and Friends
Come connect with other teens that have siblings who are transgender and gender nonconforming. How does this impact your life? Do you have a transgender friend? What is your experience? This session is for folks who have a trans or genderfluid sibling or friend only.
Facilitator: Joey Pickering
11:40am – 12:45pm
LUNCH
12:45pm – 2:15pm
Media Literacy with Reel Queer Youth and Reel Grrls
Let’s face it. Mainstream media representations of gender and LGBTQ identities and issues are often misinformed or biased. Reel Queer Youth is a media-literacy and video-production training program for LGBTQ-identified and allied youth ages 13-20 in partnership with Reel Grrls and Three Dollar Bill Cinema in Seattle. In this workshop we will screen several Reel Queer Youth productions that work to confront media stereotypes and discuss them together. You will explore concepts of media literacy, and have the opportunity to share your own thoughts and critiques on how gender is portrayed in media.
Facilitator: Monica Olsson & Jude Watson
2:25pm – 3:55pm
Teen Wrap Up Session
We’ll finish up this fun and empowering weekend with some closing games and activities that will give participants the opportunity to share final thoughts and reflect on their conference experience and time spent together. Don’t miss this opportunity to say goodbye to new and old friends and wrap up this amazing weekend!
Facilitators: Gil Rich & Carolyn Fuller
Teen Program Presenters
Dr. Marci Bowers, M.D., a pioneer in the field of gender reassignment surgery, is the first prominent transgender woman to perform the surgery. After practicing in Trinidad, CO, she recently relocated to San Mateo, CA. She is a frequent media commentator on transgender issues, having appeared on The Oprah Show, The Tyra Banks Show and as the subject of a Discovery Health documentary entitled Transgender M.D. She was voted as one of America’s Best Doctors for 2002-2003 and was recently elected to the European Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Michael L. Brownstein is a Board Certified plastic surgeon, and a member of ASPS, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, specializing in plastic, reconstructive, and gender related surgery. He has performed gender related surgery since the late 1970′s. Dr. Brownstein has been performing gender related chest reconstructive procedures for almost 30 years and his practice is exclusively limited to this surgery. He performs approximately 200 of these procedures annually.
Kathyrn Kemp Chociej is the Tween Program Co-Coordinator and this is her second year volunteering with Gender Odyssey Family. She is a domestic violence advocate at an emergency shelter in South King County and teaches youngsters through music and play at Saltwater Unitarian Church on Sunday mornings as part of her self-care. She is also on the board of the Gender Alliance of the South Sound and is an MSW student at the University of Washington-Tacoma. Kathyrn is dedicated to ending oppression and creating a more just and nurturing world for future generations. She is married and has a hilariously bright five-year-old sprite.
Eli Erlick is a 16-year-old student who assists school districts in creating and adopting transgender policies. He has spoken to supervising bodies about being a transgender student in school, and helped create one of California’s first LGBTQ conferences north of San Francisco.
Carolyn Fuller has been involved with Gender Odyssey and Gender Odyssey Family for several years. She also is a volunteer with the youth and teens of the Gender Diversity family support groups at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She is a naturopathic physician with a specialty in GLBTQ health. Carolyn is dedicated to living and helping others live an authentic, empowered, healthy life and looks forward to meeting you at the conference!
Megan Kennedy, MA, LMHC, is a youth and family therapist and sexual minority mental-health specialist positioned at Youth Eastside Services. Kennedy provides in-depth training and consultation around youth gender and sexuality nationally. As a media-maker, therapist, and educator, Kennedy has presented at universities, government agencies, hospitals, community organizations, cultural centers, and centers of faith. Kennedy is the codirector and producer of the debut documentary film PUT THIS ON THE {MAP}, as well as THIS IS A MOVEMENT and THIS IS Reteaching Gender & Sexuality.
Diana Kurtz is excited to participate in her first Gender Odyssey Family conference. Diana has a love and passion for honoring the integrity and gifts of children and teens. A single mother of two children, she has worked with youth in foster care, Native American communities, and schools. She is humbled by the amazing strength and resiliency seen in LGBTQ youth and hopes to honor that in her work and life. Diana graduated from University of Washington Tacoma with her Masters Degree in Social Work.
Monica Olsson is a Program Coordinator at Reel Grrls, focusing outreach to youth with disabilities, and working to improve the organization’s accessibility initiatives. During 2007-2008 she helped create a discussion guide for a Reel Grrls short film “Coming Out”, a parody about a straight-identified girl coming out in a queer world. Monica presented “Coming Out” at several schools across the state, and co-facilitated the multi-generational group conversations following the screenings. Monica graduated in June 2011 from the University of Washington with a BA in Women’s Studies, Cinema Studies, and Disability Studies. She is native to Seattle, nurturing a deep love affair for good coffee, femme fierceness, and happy animals fed organic food.
Angie Perone is a staff attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She has represented workers in numerous discrimination and harassment cases and facilitated workshops through the Transgender Rights Project. Angie is also a member of the LGBT Advisory Committee to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
Gil Rich runs the youth groups for the Gender Diversity family support meetings at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital. Currently a corporate training manager, Gil also volunteers with Camp Ten Trees and the WSU – 4H Challenge program and has spent the past 16 years pursuing his passion of facilitating experiential education programs that help youth recognize their potential.
Alex Sennello is a 17-year-old Chicago-based writer, photographer, and activist. As a queer and gender-independent individual she has been involved in the queer community since her early teens.
Lukas Walther, a gender-diversity consultant based in Canada, is an in-depth educator and trainer for a wide range of agencies, workplaces, schools, and institutions. He has provided care and advocacy within the trans population since 1997, and belongs to an international multidisciplinary group of healthcare providers specializing in gender issues. As a certified counselor he assists gender-variant and transgender youth and adults, in groups, 1-to-1, and in conjunction with their parents, guardians, and families.
Nadja Dee Witherbee, from southern California, is an SDSU Telecommunications & Film graduate. She spent twelve years working in film production, a Local 600 Camera Union member. Credits include Sweet Valley High, Renegade, Indictment: The McMartin Trial, Wishmaster, Falling Sky, and Inlaws & Outlaws. Her LGBT credits include Ingersoll Gender Center, Lambert House, Reel Queer Youth, the Board of Directors for Camp Ten Trees, and Three Dollar Bill Translations Film Programmer. She loves husband David and two furry daughters, Noa and Nico.
Last updated 07/30/12. Schedule subject to change.
Conference hashtag: #GOFcon
