The 6th Annual Gender & Sexual Minorities Conference 2022
The LGBTQ Resource Center and Women's Center present:
The 6th Annual Gender & Sexual Minorities Conference
Justice. It's on you, It's on me, It's On Us.
Friday, October 7th 2022 | 10am-3pm | McFarland Student Union Building
Conference Overview:
We cordially invite undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, activists, and independent scholars to attend the 6th annual Gender and Sexual Minorities Conference at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, taking place Friday, October 7th 2022
Over the past decade, we have seen gender and sexual minority advocates work towards equity, acceptance, and visibility in all areas of life. The conference taking place at Kutztown University will serve as an educational opportunity for members of the LGBT community and their allies to learn more about struggles, issues, and movements towards change, while approaching aspects of wellness from the personal, to relational, to political, to organizational. This year’s theme and focus is Justice. It's on you, It's on me, It's On Us.
To Attend the Conference:
The Gender & Sexual Minorities Conference is free to attend!
If you plan on attending the conference, either as a presenter or attendee, please RSVP online through Engage. You will still be able to attend the conference if you don't RSVP, you will just need to fill out a registration form at the conference registration desk.
SCHEDULE
| 9AM |
Registration & Coffee |
| 10AM |
Keynote: Lala Zannell MSU 218 ACLU advocacy leader and organizer of work to support and empower transgender and nonbinary people |
| 11AM - 3PM |
Resource & Relaxation Room MSU 218 Bring your lunch and browse our resources in this calming, relaxed space |
| 11AM |
A Dialogue on Justice and Health Inequities Dr. Colleen Clemens (She/Her) & Dr. Sean Weaver (He/Him) MSU 223 Safe Space Training Jazmine Lord (She/Her) MSU 312 Is That a Girl? A Feminist View of the Gaming Industry Evelyn Caron MSU 322 |
| 12 PM |
Reproductive Justice: A Conversation with Project Silk Lehigh Valley Kylin Camburn (She/They) MSU 223 Safe Space Training Jazmine Lord (She/Her) MSU 312 LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Ed: What You Didn't Learn in Highschool Bec Miller (She/They) & Brit Barlup (She/They) MSU 322 |
| 1 PM |
Abortion 101 Amber Brown (She/They) MSU 223 Now You See Me, Now You Don't: LGBT+ Media Representation Through the Years and the Impacts of Stereotyping Tasha Santiago (She/Her) MSU 312 The Creative Play of Gender: Art Beyond a Binary Model Marissa A. Brunt (They/Them) MSU 323 Continued until 1:30 - LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Ed: What You Didn't Learn in Highschool Bec Miller (She/They) & Brit Barlup (She/They) MSU 322 |
| 2 PM |
“Digging in the Past for Our Futures: Community-Based Approaches for Engaging with LGBTQ+ Archives” Robin Gow (They/He/Ze ) MSU 223 Allyship Alongside Bi & Pan Identities Amanda Slichter (She/Her) MSU 312 Understanding and Practicing Consent Dawn Lam (She/Her) & Samantha Smith (She/They) MSU 322 |
Keynote: Lala Zannell
10 am - MSU 218
LaLa Holston-Zannell leads the ACLU’s advocacy and organizing work to support and empower transgender and nonbinary people.
LaLa spoke at the White House for the first Women’s History Month briefing that included transwoman, the last briefing on transgender people under the Obama administration, and also testified at the first Congressional forum on violence against transgender people. In 2015, LaLa was featured on the Advocate’s Trans 100 list.
As chair of the policy and working group committee for Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), LaLa was part of passing Intro 541 which addresses unconstitutional searches by the NYPD.
Recently, LaLa created the first Trans Discrimination Survey in New York City to collect data on trans people’s experiences in employment.
The findings were released in City Hall Park alongside City Council officials and TGNC leaders.
She was previously Lead Organizer at the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) where she led AVP’s public community organizing work by doing advocacy, outreach and networking on behalf of LGBTQ New Yorkers who have experienced violence.
The keynote presentation will primarily focus on LaLa’s advocacy work with the transgender and non-binary community, especially those impacted by incidents of hate violence, sexual violence or intimate partner violence. This training will bring awareness to a marginalized population of survivors who experience intimate partner violence, and discrimination on varying levels.
11am
Resource & Relaxation Room
MSU 218
Bring your lunch and browse our resources in this calming, relaxed space! The room will be available from 11am - 3pm.
A Dialogue on Justice and Health Inequities
MSU 223
Session Description:
In the face of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the new landscape for reproductive medicine, not everyone is having their voices heard in the ongoing debate over abortion and over reproductive medical services. This talk will look at communities that are often overlooked in the national, state, and regional discussions including members of the trans community, people of color, and those from a place of low-income or living below the poverty line. This presentation will be part of a larger conversation as this panel will consider conversations around medical issues and the material implications on seekers of health services when they are left out of the conversation.
This presentation also compares AIDS and Monkey Pox activism as well as the public health campaigns surrounding each crisis.
Dr. Colleen Clemens (She/Her) & Dr. Sean Weaver (He/Him)
Presenter Bios:
Colleen Lutz Clemens, Ph.D., professor of Non-Western Literatures and Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, earned her Ph.D. in Post-Colonial Literature with a certificate in Gender Studies at Lehigh University. Her academic work has been published in Feminist Formations , Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Routledge Companion to Pakistani Anglophone Writing, South Asian Review, and NCTE’s English Journal and online at World Literature Today. She serves as an academic consultant for the Contemporary Literary Criticism series, where she focuses on postcolonial writing by women, for the Norton Anthology of World Literature, and Oxford University Press’s Gender Studies department.
Sean Weaver, a Kutztown Alumni, holds a PhD in English/Literature with a minor in WGS from Louisiana State University. His research focuses on the intersections between queer and postcolonial literatures/theories.
Safe Space Training
MSU 312
Session Description:
This training provides a beginner overview of creating and advocating for Safe Space for LGTBQ+ students.
Jazmine Lord (She/Her)
Presenter Bio:
I am the current Graduate Assistant for the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and I am in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. I graduated last Spring with my Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Is that a Girl? A Feminist View of the Gaming Industry
MSU 322
Session Description:
The ever-growing gaming media industry has been male-dominated since its early roots in YouTube ‘let’s plays’. Oftentimes when women join public lobbies with other gamers, they earn comments like “I don’t want a girl on my team” and “get off the Xbox and go make me a sandwich”. This history of misogyny has carried over into the world of modern gaming, yet no one seems to believe these women’s cries for help. Using the recent 4chan-led Twitch leak, this presentation focuses on the top 100 highest paid streamers on the platform to show just how disproportionate the wage gap is between male and female-presenting streamers while shedding a light on the harassment that these women face.
Evelyn Caron
Any pronouns
Presenter Bio:
Evelyn Caron is an English Major at Kutztown University who is currently working towards a Minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Their main focuses center around witchcraft, folklore, and gaming from a feminist lens. They intend to graduate in Spring 2023.
12 pm:
Reproductive Justice: A Conversation with Project Silk LV
MSU 223
Session Description:
Project Silk LV is a community program located in Allentown focusing on sexual health and healthy relationships for young people. Their main focus is providing free HIV/STI testing, free condoms, education, and resources for BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth and their allies. In this panel discussion with the staff of PSLV they will discuss what reproductive justice means, barriers community members face when seeking sexual health support, and visions for the future of reproductive health. The discussion will begin with moderated questions and then open up to questions from attendees. This discussion will not be able to encompass the many injustices currently faced by BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and female peoples in the realm of reproductive health, but seeks to begin the conversation around how we can shape our future through the lens of Reproductive Justice.
Kylin Camburn (She/They)
Additional Presenters: Lori Hooper, Chloe Cole, Kenny Screven, Wesly Gonzalez, Michelle Wilson, and Noel Castro.
Presenter Bio:
Project Silk Lehigh Valley is a youth-led, adult-supported program located in Allentown providing free sexual health and healthy relationship services to BIPOC LGBTQ+ people ages 14-29 and their allies. The program provides free HIV/STI/Pregnancy testing, free condoms, a community drop-in space, free sexual health and healthy relationship education and counseling, groups and supportive services to local schools/organizations, and more. PSLV's Instagram (@projectsilkpride) is a great way to stay up to date on their work, and their space is located at 522 W Maple St. Allentown, PA 18101.
Safe Space Training
MSU 312
Session Description:
This training provides a beginner overview of creating and advocating for Safe Space for LGTBQ+ students.
Jazmine Lord (She/Her)
Presenter Bio:
I am the current Graduate Assistant for the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and I am in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. I graduated last Spring with my Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Ed: What You Didn't Learn in Highschool
MSU 322
Session Description:
While high school Sex Ed courses are important, they also tend to be lacking in certain areas - specifically anything regarding the LGBTQ+ community. Come learn about the difference between sex and gender, the care and keeping of your intimate bits, surgeries and hormonal interventions for transgender/non-binary people, the different types of sexual interactions and how to stay safe and happy!
Bec Miller (She/They) & Brit Barlup (She/They)
Presenter Bios:
Bec Miller is a graduate student in the Clinical & Mental Health Counseling program at Kutztown University. They graduated with a BS in Psychology from Kutztown in 2020. They are currently working as a Graduate Assistant for the LGBTQ+ Center and Women’s Center.
Brit Barlup is a Kutztown alum who graduated with their BS in Psychology in 2018. They previously worked at the Women's Center and LGBTQ+ Resource Center.
1pm:
Abortion 101 with Planned Parenthood
MSU 223
Session Description:
In this moment, we recognize that there is unprecedented confusion, misinformation, and a strong desire to advocate and support abortion access in the community. It is important in this moment to provide accurate information about abortion, to build empathy, and deepen understanding around abortion barriers and their impact on abortion seekers, and resources to support abortion access in their communities.
Amber Brown (She/They)
Presenter Bio:
Amber Brown is an educator & trainer with 19+ years experience working with diverse audiences. A Penn State graduate, she has delivered evidence-based education directly to youth as well as providing training and professional development for educators and youth-serving professionals. In 2006, she founded The Spectrum at Planned Parenthood Keystone in 2006, an LGBTQ+ youth group in Berks County PA. In 2021, she began the Patient Navigation program at PP Keystone as part of the Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy program. Amber is a long-time committee member of Reading Pride Celebration.
The Creative Play of Gender: Art Beyond a Binary Model
MSU 323
Session Description:
The Creative Play of Gender: Art Beyond a Binary Model showcases art as evidence of gender non-conforming people back to ancient times! Art is not only a powerful creative outlet, but a long used tool of shaping social opinions. The Gender Binary is explained, and it's implementation and/or defiance explored through examples of art from Greek Mythology all the way to contemporary LGBTQIA+ artists.
Marissa Brunt (They/Them)
Presenter Bio:
Marissa Brunt is a senior at Kutztown University studying Art History, Professional Writing, and the Fine Arts. Willing to talk anyone's ear off about art, Marissa is interning at the Marlin and Regina Miller Art Gallery on campus this fall. When not reading gender theory for class they sometimes read it for fun, and they hope to be a part of making the world a safer and kinder place for all queer youth.
Now You See Me, Now You Don't: LGBT+ Media Representation Through the Years and the Impacts of Stereotyping
Session Description:
In this workshop the presenter will lead the audience through examples of LGBT+ representation in media through the years, the messages that such representation conveyed, and the stereotypes that were fostered as a result. Further the presenter will describe the impacts of these stereotypes on the LGBT+ community that persist today.
Tasha Santiago (She/Her)
Presenter Bio:
Tasha Santiago is the Training and Operations Coordinator for The LGBT Center of Greater Reading. She has her Bachelor's in Technical Leadership and background in Social Work working towards a Master's of Instructional Design through Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania. Tasha is passionate about serving the community around her and social justice.
LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Ed: What You Didn't Learn in Highschool continued until 1:30
MSU 322
2 PM:
“Digging in the Past for Our Futures: Community-Based Approaches for Engaging with LGBTQ+ Archives”
MSU 223
Session Description:
We know LGBTQ+ history is rich and vast and yet we often don't have space to devoted to talk about our history and even when we do, it's rare we get to delve into hearing specific voices. Across the country there are both regional and national LGBTQ+ archives and these collections can provide us with social and political framework to engage in the present and dream towards more just and equitable future. In this workshop we'll learn how to access queer archives and approaches for facilitating creative workshops and conversations around queer history.
Robin Gow (They/He/Ze)
Presenter Bio:
Robin Gow is a trans and queer poet born and raised in Kutztown and currently working at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community. They earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Adelphi University where they also taught for two years as a professor of English. Ze are the author of three poetry collections, an essay collection, and a Young Adult novel, A Million Quiet Revolutions.
Allyship Alongside Bi & Pan Identities
MSU 312
Session Description:
Did you know that more than half of LGBT Americans (57%) are bisexual? That percentage translates to 4.0% of all U.S. adults! In this session, attendees will explore concepts relevant to bisexual and pansexual identities and learn strategies to combat monosexism in their communities.
Amanda Slichter (She/Her)
Presenter Bio:
Amanda Slichter (she/her) is a bisexual, cisgender feminist with multiple mental health conditions who consults and speaks on DEI topics across the region outside of her work here at KU. On campus, Amanda serves as the Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Marketing, and Special Interest Housing for the Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services Office. Amanda lives on campus with her partner, their two fierce, beautiful toddlers, and their cat and dog.
Understanding and Practicing Consent
MSU 322
Session Description:
This presentation will explore the basics of consent. We will discuss how boundaries relate to consent, and practice both setting healthy boundaries and respecting others. Exploring healthy vs unhealthy relationships, we will tie that into boundaries and consent in order to show how these topic wrap into our daily lives.
Dawn Lam (She/Her) & Samantha Smith (She/They)
Presenter Bios:
Dawn - I am the Women's Center Graduate Assistant. I got my bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I am currently in my second year of my master's program in Student Affairs and Higher Education.
Samantha - I am a junior Psychology Major with a dual minor in Sociology and WGS. I am currently an undergraduate assistant at the women's center, as well as president of It's On Us and Vice President of FMLA.