Union County Pride holds diversity and disability conference

Intersectional Dynamic Pride’ offers networking opportunities and guest speakers

by David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer

Union County Pride will present ‘Intersectional Dynamic Pride: Diversity and Disability Conference 2023’ in the Charlotte Metro area town of Monroe June 15 and 16.

Presentations will take place on both days, beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until 5 p.m. The goal of the event is to educate attendees about various ways to raise, educate and employ a diverse community, while protecting and empowering one another in today’s complex society and volatile political environment.

Intersectional Dynamic Pride offers two methods of interaction: in person and virtual. If you decide on the in-person option, the presentation will be held at the Union County Chamber of Commerce building, located at 903 Skyway Drive in Monroe. For more information on the virtual option, visit unioncountypride.org/conference.

Organizations participating in Intersectional Dynamic Pride that will have speakers present include PFLAG Charlotte, Gender Education Network, Equality NC, Freedom Center for Social Justice, Pauli Murray LGBTQ Bar Association, Union County Pride, Incorporated, Council for

Children’s Rights, NC Disability Rights, North Carolina Justice Center, Save our Schools NC, Time Out Youth, ACLU of North Carolina, Gender Cool and New Rural Project.

Special guest speakers during lunch will be available for both days. Thursday will feature Bishop Tonyia Rawls, the founder and former pastor at Sacred Souls Community Church/United Church of Christ, and the founder and executive director of the Freedom Center for Social Justice. Rawls sits on the governing board of the North Carolina Council of Churches and on the board of the Mecklenburg County Community Building Initiative.

Friday’s lunchtime presentation will feature guest speaker Lydia XZ Brown, a writer, public speaker, educator, trainer, consultant, advocate, community organizer, activist, scholar and attorney. Brown is also the founder and leader of the Fund for Community Reparations for Autistic People of Color’s Interdependence, Survival and Empowerment.

The schedule of events for both days is as follows:

Thursday, June 15

9 a.m. – LGBTQ Local and National Review: Various Panel Speakers - Union County Pride, Pauli Murray, LGBTQ Bar Association and Carolina LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce

10 a.m. – Transgender and Gender

Diverse Kids: Joshua Jernigan (he/him/his)

- Gender Education Network

11 a.m. –

Transgender Affirming Services: Bethany Corrigan (they/ them) - Carolina CARE Partnership

12:30 p.m. – Keynote Speaker - Social Justice: Bishop Tonyia Rawls

- Freedom Center for Social Justice

1 p.m. – Family Panel: Growing up a Trans Teen: Maddie Jenifer (she/her) - GenderCool Project

Parenting Queer Children: Katie Jenifer (she/they)

2 p.m. – Parent Support: Mollie Burkholder (they/she) - PFLAG Charlotte

3 p.m. – Youth Support: Tuere Khanyisa (she/they) - Time Out Youth

4 p.m. – Authentic Self Challenges: Chantal Stevens - ACLU NC

Friday, June 16

9 a.m. – Disability & LGBTQ Legal History: Cristal Robinson (they/them) - CODE, Inc. and others

10 a.m. – Bully Prevention: Caitlin

Whalan Jones - Council for Children’s Rights

11 a.m. – Family Panel

12:30 p.m. – Disability Justice: Lydia X Z Brown (they/them/theirs/themself or no pronouns) - writer, public speaker, educator, trainer, consultant, advocate, community organizer, community builder, activist, scholar and attorney

1 p.m. – Educational Rights: The Leadro Case and Disability Education Funding

2 p.m. – Educational Funding: Susan Books (she/her/hers) - Save Our Schools

3 p.m. – Rural Activism: Cynthia WallaceNew Rural Project

4 p.m. – Action Steps: Artie Hartsell (they/ them) - Equality NC

For more information, visit unioncountypride.org/conference. ::