Seattle Holds Intl. Gender Odyssey Conference

About a thousand people will head to the Emerald City for Gender Odyssey, an international conference focused on the needs and interests of transgender and gender-nonconforming (GNC) people, held in Seattle, WA from August 19-23.

The conference is expecting approximately 1,000�diverse participants, from practitioners to activists to families to trans and GNC individuals of all ages. This one-of-a-kind annual gathering attracts people from all over the world for an weekend of skills building, sharing of best practices and community connection and is packed with thought-provoking workshops, discussion groups, social events and entertainment.
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"We are thrilled at the breadth and diversity of the program, presenters and participants," said Aidan Key, the director of Gender Diversity, an organization that provides education to teachers, staff, counselors and administrators regarding gender-inclusive schools grades K-12 and the founder and director of the Gender Odyssey and Gender Odyssey Family conferences.�

Confirmed Keynote Speakers for 2015 include Kate Bornstein, internationally known author, performance artist, playwright and public speaker who has written several award-winning books in the field of Women and Gender Studies, including "Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us," and "My Gender Workbook."

Her 2006 book, "Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws," has become an underground bestseller, propelling Kate into an international position of advocacy for marginalized youth.

Another presenter is Andrea Jenkins, an award-winning poet and writer. Most recently she was awarded a Bush fellowship and a fellowship in the Cultural Community Leadership Institute at Intermedia Arts, sponsored by the Bush Foundation, and named a fellow in the Many Voices Fellowship at the Playwrights' Center. Last year, she won the Verve Grant for Spoken Artist at Intermedia Arts and the Naked Stages Grant for Emerging Performance Artist at Pillsbury House Theatre. Andrea has earned degrees in community economic development, human services/interpersonal communications, and creative writing.

Also speaking at the conference is parent and advocate Debi Jackson, whose powerful video entitled "That's Good Enough" went viral and has inspired scores of trans activists and parents of transgender children.
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The opening days of the conference, on Wed/Thu August 19-20, is for professionals in various fields who focus on working with adult trans individuals and Thursday will be geared toward those who work with youth. From Thursday August 20-Saturday August 23 there is general registration.

Workshops vary in content from the personal (building community, raising a child who is transgender or GNC, dealing with medical, school and other challenges) to those more focused on advocacy related to transgender rights, from identification to cultural competency in healthcare.�

For professionals there are two full day of educational, peer-to-peer discussion related to health and medical care of transgender and GNC individuals, with many workshops focusing on the growing number of trans children and teens.

"We have see a virtual explosion in visibility of transgender people and issues, from Caitlyn Jenner's coming out to Jazz's new reality show as an out trans teenager," continued Key. "This conference offers anyone who is part of trans/GNC communities, allies and professionals the opportunity to learn, network and create community as we quickly move forward in a culture that is beginning to better understand our lives and is hearing our stories more and more."
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For information, visit http://www.genderdiversity.org