Published: March 3, 2017

Man speaks at TRANSforming Gender Conference sessionCU Boulder’s Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) is pleased to announce the 11th annual TRANSforming Gender Conference, which will be held on the CU Boulder campus Friday, March 10, and Saturday, March 11.

Organizers and co-sponsors of this event are committed to addressing equity, support, visibility and scholarship for transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex people and hope participants will expand their network of affirming people and learn strategies for advocating for and supporting all gender-diverse people.

During this period, when there is widespread misinformation about transgender and intersex people, and transgender rights in the U.S. are more at risk than ever before, GSC is proud to provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about issues affecting the transgender and intersex community and to offer several workshops that focus on practical avenues of advocacy and support.

This year’s speakers will highlight the vulnerabilities and challenges of defending transgender civil rights in the current climate. 

Willie Wilkinson, author of the Lambda Literary Award-winning book Born on the Edge of Race and Gender: A Voice for Cultural Competency, will be giving a keynote talk entitled “TRANSformational Resistance with an Intersectional Lens” on Friday, March 10, at 5 p.m.

If you go
Who: Open to the public
What: TRANSforming Gender Conference
When: Friday, March 10, 2 to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Where: Wolf Law Building

And on Saturday, March 11, at 2 p.m, Elle Hearns, the lead organizer of the first Black Lives Matter assembly held in Cleveland, Ohio, will give the second keynote talk. Hearns will share a collection of thoughts pertaining to the increase in visibility for transgender people in her talk “Invisible Life: Choosing to Be Seen."

In addition to the keynote speakers, the conference will feature presentations tailored to a variety of audiences, from people first learning about transgender communities and how to be an ally to audiences seeking more in-depth topics concerning contemporary transgender studies, transfeminism and the impact of colonialism on transgender indigenous communities. 

A series of workshops will address aspects of trans-inclusive mental healthcare, and another series of workshops will focus on supporting transgender parents, parents of transgender children and trans youth. 

The conference is free and open to the public and will be held at Wolf Law Building. Please visit the GSC website to register and view the full schedule of events.