30th annual MBLGTACC: "Limitless: Queer Activism of the Future"

Schedule

All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time

FRIDAY, OCT. 21

Registration & Check-in

2:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Station Ballroom A

Maker Market

5:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Station Ballroom A

Welcome & Keynote: Schuyler Bailar

- 8:00 p.m.

Open Mic Night

8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Station Ballroom

Advisor Social

8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 22

Check-in & Info desk

8:00 a.m.10:00 p.m.

Vendor Fair

10:00 a.m.5:30 p.m.

Station Ballroom A

A

Workshop 1

- 9:45 a.m.

Workshop 2

10:00 - 11:15 a.m.

The Revoluncheon

Open to all, plus food for lunch ticket holders

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Identity Forums

1:00- 2:15 p.m.

Workshop 3

2:30 - 3:45 p.m.

Workshop 4

-5:15 p.m.

Keynote: Imani Barbarin

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Station Ballroom B-C

Dinner on your own

- 8:00 p.m.

Drag Show

- 11:00 p.m.

Station Ballroom B-C

Awise woman once said: “the limit does not exist.” And while that particular statement was about a complex equation only the math gays would understand, we can confidently extend this sentiment to describe queer and trans communities.

Thirty years ago, Midwest queer and trans college students found common ground in their shared feelings of detachment from other LGBTQ+ students and being overlooked by national rights initiatives and political progress. In response, they established what has become the largest and longest-running LGBTQ+ college conference in the country.

We convene this weekend as the inheritors of this 30 year legacy, landmark, and gift. As dynamic individuals, friends, coconspirators, and kin. We come together in this space to generate new knowledge and understanding, to share vital skills and resources, and to co-create expansive new futures that build upon what’s been planted before us.

There is a lifeforce forged in this space, an energy that emerges from the combined connectivity, empowerment, and community present here. As attendees and participants, you carry home with you fractals of this lifeforce and embed them in your organizations, campuses, sacred spaces, activisms, and beyond.

Our wish for you is that your fractal is vibrant, buzzing with abundant possibility, shimmering, and satiating. We hope you obtain the tools and guidance you need to make the next push toward change and to grow in the direction you desire.

It is our immense pleasure to welcome you to the 30th annual Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference and to provide you with a piece of Midwest queer and trans history to call your own.

R.B. BROOKS

Director of Programs, Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity

JUSTIN DRWENCKE

Executive Director, Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity

LIMITLESS: QUEER ACTIVISM OF THE FUTURE

We plant our feet firmly in the present and dream of futures where joy, liberation, love, safety, possibility, and abundance are our collective reality. The work of cultivating these futures is both shared and individual, and it grows upon the fights and efforts of those before us.

At a time of unprecedented and renewed political, legal, cultural, and personal attacks on our very humanity, we cannot stop this work. We are secure in the belief that queer activisms of the future must center the needs of the most marginalized to achieve these dreams for all. We remain committed to cultivating MBLGTACC as a space where this work can land, take root, and bear fruit. And most of all, we believe that when we work together to advocate and act for justice, our potential for positive change is limitless.

TEAM

HOST COMMITTEE

Abby Smith she/her

Daleelah Ali she/they

Labe they/them Gabe Myers he/him

Redman she/they

Montes they/them

We would like to acknowledge and thank Ose Arheghan for their passion and drive in proposing Columbus for the conference this year; Mustafa Ilgin for their work on the bid team and theme; and Jeff Perkins, one of the planning committee’s very biggest supporters.

OUR COMMUNITY COLUMBUS

Welcome to Columbus and the Buckeye State! Please enjoy your time in this classic Midwest capital city—there are a number of restaurants, shops, and attractions nearby when it comes to meal times or if you’ve got extra time before or after the conference—scan the QR code on page 61 for more.

The land occupied by Columbus is the ancestral and contemporary territory of the Shawnee, Potawatomi, Delaware, Miami, Peoria, Seneca, Wyandotte, Ojibwe and Cherokee peoples.

Charles Van Leuven

What would later become the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference emerged in the early 1990s as an answer to the question of how to connect, educate, and empower queer students throughout the region. This came at a time when the continued growth of the mainstream lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights movement— largely underrepresenting transgender and gender non-conforming folx—was most present and powerful on the east and west coasts, isolating students in the Midwest from national

LGBT work by geography, political realities, and access to resources.

In 1991, college students at another conference in Des Moines came together around this reality and dreamt MBLGCC into existence. They wanted to be part of the solution; to give a voice to queer students in the Midwest; and to make it and MBLGTACC a destination for acclaimed entertainers, activists, and thought leaders. They sought to create an oasis in what Justin Connor (MBLGCC ‘94) says was seen as “a queer desert.”

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For the first time, conference hosts were selected two years in advance to create a longer planning horizon

2005

General information

Friday:

a.m.

HOTEL

WIFI

Free WiFi for light use like reading emails and web browsing is available in all public spaces including all meeting rooms.

Park near the Greater Columbus Convention Center

Hilton Columbus Downtown 401 N. High Street Columbus, OH 43215

PARKING

Park at the hotel

On-site parking is available at the Hilton Columbus Downtown for guests staying at the hotel. Access the parking facility through the motor court off of North High Street. Current daily parking rates (may be subject to change) are:

• Self-park: $33

• Valet: $35

There are several parking facilities near the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

• Ohio Center Garage 400 N High Street Columbus, OH 43215

GPS directional address 500 N. 3rd Street

• South Garage 50 E Nationwide Boulevard Columbus, OH 43215

• Goodale Garage 70 East Goodale Street Columbus, OH 43215

• Vine Garage 37 Vine Street Columbus, OH 43215

• North Surface Lot 50 E Goodale Street Columbus, OH 43215

• East Surface Lot 80 East Nationwide Boulevard Columbus, OH 43215

• Battelle Grand Loading Dock 500 N. 3rd St. Columbus, Ohio 43215

LOCAL TRANSIT

City bus

COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority)

228-1776

and Uber

Accessibility

MBLGTACC planners and the Institute are committed to the accessibility of the conference for all attendees.

SERVICE ANIMALS

Service animals are welcome at MBLGTACC. The ADA defines a service animal as “any animal that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.” Were the animal not readily apparent as a service animal, staff at the conference may ask the individual if the animal helps to mitigate a disability and what tasks the animal has been trained to perform.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS

MBLGTACC recognizes that ESAs serve an important role in many individuals’ lives; however, per Greater Columbus Convention Center policy, ESAs are not permitted in the venue.

AUDITORY

There will be CART interpretation for all plenary sessions. ASL interpreters will be available to attendees who requested this service during the registration process.

MOBILITY

All sessions will be held in the host conference space. The facility is ADA compliant and has large spaces to accommodate the traffic peaks during session transitions. All sessions will be held in close proximity and transition time will be allowed in the schedule. We ask all attendees who can use the stairs to do so—this will allow those who need to use elevators to do so with a minimum of disruptions, crowding, and wait times. Please help us keep at least 36” aisles free in common spaces.

QUIET SPACE

Visit our quiet space in room A225, open on Saturday from 8:00 a.m.11:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Ear plugs will be available in the quiet space during those hours, and at the conference info desk while supplies last.

SCENT

To keep shared spaces suitable for those with scent sensitivities, we ask attendees to use scent-free products or limit/forego the excessive use of scented hygiene products while at the conference. Please use the fragrancefree hand soap provided in the restrooms and fragrance-free hand sanitizer in common spaces.

VISUAL

We have sent all presenters information on accessible color, contrast, and text size for their materials. Large-print programs will be available for all on-site attendees who registered prior to the registration deadline and opted to receive one. There may be a limited number produced for on-site registrants.

Policies and guidelines

CODE FOR INCLUSION

Everyone is responsible for their own behavior in this space. While we wish for everyone to be able to express themselves, explore and learn in their own way, this code for inclusion sets an expectation that all attendees be considerate and careful of those around them. Failure to adhere to these necessary guidelines could result in removal from the event at the Institute’s discretion. This policy has been created for the greater safety and access of all guests and attendees. If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please contact our director of programs, R.B. Brooks (roze@sgdinstitute.org).

By attending the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference, you agree to the following Code for Inclusion:

Zero tolerance for harassment

We have zero-tolerance for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to: stalking, offensive verbal comments, non-consensual photography or recording, bathroom policing, unwelcome physical attention, intimidation, physical or sexual assault, and/or inappropriate physical contact.

Sexual responsibility

We encourage anyone engaging in sexual activity to do so safely and

consensually. We encourage the use of condoms, dental dams, lubricant, or other forms of protection. While this is a sex-positive space, be courteous to those who do not wish to engage in sexual activity, or those who may be sex-repulsed. Inversely, do not shame or judge those who engage in sexual activity, especially those who participate in kink communities. Your body, your choice.

Consent

Consent should be received for any sexual and/or physical contact. Consent is ongoing and enthusiastic and can be given or taken away at any time.

Content warnings

Provide content warnings whenever possible. Allow others to name their triggers when they arise and determine how to move forward without causing additional harm or dismissing the incident.

Inclusive language

Be mindful of your language. While we are all learning and you may not be aware of certain phrases that others may find offensive, be receptive to being informed by attendees, reflect when addressed, and adjust accordingly. This includes honoring people’s pronouns and names and avoiding ableist language (ex: “crazy,” “lame,” “crippled).”

Accessibility awareness

If you encounter someone with a service, assistance, or guide animal, you should NOT touch, offer food to, or interact with the animal in any way unless otherwise explicitly stated by the owner. Service animals can sometimes be identified by a vest or other article of clothing indicating they are assisting.

Please honor any accommodation or accessibility needs provided to attendees. Do not inhibit the assistance provided to and/or used by attendees such as ASL interpreters, reserved seating, service animals, or other types of services/equipment.

Consideration for others

Consider how your identities impact the space you’re in. There are numerous intersections of identities present and it is vital to give room to those who are often denied the ability to take up space.

Netiquette

Be sure to obtain permission before posting and/or tagging pictures of other attendees on social media. Avoid using bright or flashing lights whenever possible.

Allergies and scent sensitivity

We ask attendees to use scent-free products or limit/forego the excessive use of scented hygiene products while at the conference.

COVID-19

Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear face masks in the conference venue, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, and to physically distance indoors when possible. We ask attendees to carry those practices into other establishments they enter while visiting.

FIREARMS

We ask in the interest of everyone’s comfort and wellbeing that no firearm be brought into our conference spaces. Though firearm laws in Ohio permit open carry and licensed concealed carry, no firearms or weapons will be permitted on Greater Columbus Convention Center property. Per GCCC policy: “The carrying of firearms and/or other weapons of any kind within the facility is limited to “officers of the law” unless prior written approval is attained from Greater Columbus Convention Center Management,” such as for a hypothetical firearm convention. (There are no firearm conventions scheduled on or around the time of MBLGTACC.)

OHIO GOOD SAMARITAN LAW AND DRUGS

Call no matter what. Ohio’s Good Samaritan Law provides immunity for minor drug possession to people seeking help during a drug overdose.

Conference and Institute staff are trained in recognizing the signs of an opiod overdose and emergency use

of Narcan, a life-saving treatment that reverses the overdose.

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity or authorized contractors for the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference (MBLGTACC) will be photographing common spaces, keynotes, and entertainment during MBLGTACC weekend, and any onstage discussions thereafter. The goal of this photography is to share the best moments of the conference with alumni, supporters, and other community members, to celebrate our community, and to enhance the visibility of the Institute and the event in the Midwest and nationally.

The Institute respects, protects, and centers the rights of students who do not consent to be photographed. To that end, MBLGTACC and the Institute: will offer intentional spaces where photography by attendees is welcome and encouraged; will offer wearable markers for attendees to flag for others that they do not consent to be photographed; will not share on its website or social media any photographs featuring attendees with do not photograph markers; will not tolerate non-consensual photography by attendees and guests; requires that all attendees and guests obtain permission before posting photos of others taken at the conference to social media; and requires that all attendees and guests obtain permission before tagging someone in a post at the conference on social media.

By attending MBLGTACC, you acknowledge that the commissioned photos and recordings belong to the Institute, and you will not receive payment or any other compensation in connection with the pictures and recordings. You further release MBLGTACC and the Institute from any and all liability that may or could arise from the taking or use of the pictures.

This policy has been created for the greater safety and access of all guests and attendees. You may discuss this policy further with the Institute’s director of marketing and communications, Nick Pfost (marketing@sgdinstitute.org).

SMOKING

Smoking is prohibited in the Greater Columbus Convention Center and, under state law, in all other public places and places of employment in Ohio. The law does not regulate smoking outdoors unless smoke is entering a regulated area or smoking is occurring on an outdoor patio that does not meet the criteria to permit smoking. The smoking law gives a proprietor the right to declare outside areas as non-smoking areas or for local municipalities to enact laws that are more stringent than the Ohio Smoke-Free Workplace Act. Cannabis is illegal under Ohio marijuana laws except for the limited use of cannabidiol (CBD) oil for medicinal purposes.

Sponsors

The MBLGTACC host committee and the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity are grateful for the organizations and people that have supported the conference through direct and in-kind donations. The conference would not have been possible without the levels of support they’ve given the conference over the past two years.

A SOCIAL OCCASION. ON

O T U S I N G Y O U R

R E E H O T E L T O I L E T R I

KEYNOTES

SCHUYLER BAILAR

B-C

Schuyler Bailar (he/him) is the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. By 15, he was one of the nation’s top-20 15-yearold breast-strokers. By 17, he set a national age-group record. In college, he swam for Harvard University, on Harvard’s winningest team in 50 years. Schuyler’s difficult choice— to transition while potentially giving up the prospect of being an NCAA Champion—was historic. His story has appeared everywhere from 60 Minutes to The Washington Post.

Schuyler’s tireless advocacy has earned him numerous honors including LGBTQ Nation’s Instagram Advocate for 2020. In 2021, Schuyler also released his first middle-grade novel, Obie Is Man Enough. And in 2022, Schuyler created LaneChanger.com making gender literacy education accessible to every team, school and company.

KEYNOTES

IMANI BARBARIN

Imani Barbarin (she/her) is a disability rights and inclusion activist and speaker who uses her voice and social media platforms to create conversations engaging the disability community. Born with cerebral palsy, Imani often writes and uses her platform to speak from the perspective of a disabled black woman. In the last few years she has created over a dozen trending hashtags that allow disabled folk the opportunity to have their perspectives heard while forcing the world to take notice. #PatientsAreNotFaking, #ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow, #AbledsAreWeird

and others each provide a window into disabled life while forming community. Imani is from the Philadelphia area and holds a master’s in global communications from the American University of Paris, her published works include those in Forbes, Rewire, Healthline, BitchMedia, and more. She runs the blog CrutchesAndSpice.com and a podcast of the same name. She is currently the communications director for a nonprofit in Pennsylvania.

ENTERTAINMENT

DRAG SHOW

Saturday, October 22

- 11:00 p.m.

GAMES & CRAFTS

Saturday, October 22

- 11:00 p.m.

MARKETS

Maker Market

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21

5:00 - 10:00 P.M. UNION STATION

BALLROOM A

Highlighting queer and trans makers and creators.

The Maker Market is an exciting, new, and interactive part of the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference. The space invites conference attendees and vendors to buy, sell and trade their creations and participate in creation stations.

Equitas Health

Janatee Craftily

Music City

Creative

Nifty Giftys Shop

Queer Comics

Peddler

Stewie’s Got Pride

Vendor Fair

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

10:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. UNION STATION

BALLROOM A

The vendor, resource, and career fair offers attendees the opportunity to meet with graduate admissions representatives, LGBTQIA+ vendors, business and corporate LGBTQIA+ groups, HIV/STI testing, non-profits, and more.

ACLU of Ohio Antioch College

College of the Holy Cross

Columbia University School of Social Work

Equitas Health

Janatee Craftily

Kroger

Music City Creative Nifty Giftys Shop Partners in Pride

Peace Corps

The Pride Center of Terre Haute, Inc.

Queer Comics Peddler

Smith College School for Social Work

Stewie’s Got Pride

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

HIV & STI TESTING Provided by Equitas Health

Saturday, October 21 | 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. | A224

& MORE

The Revoluncheon

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. UNION STATION BALLROOM B-C

This lunch and learn session focuses on the greatest issues facing Midwest queer and trans communities.

Featured educators will aid us in grappling with major questions around community building, movement work, and creating a liberated future.

Anyone is welcome to attend this space. Only those who purchased lunch tickets will be provided lunch, and external food is not allowed in the space due to contractual obligations.

Merrique Jenson

Merrique Jenson (she/her) is a transgender, queer, secondgeneration multiracial woman of color of White, Indigenous and Mexican heritage. She is the Founder and currently serves as the Executive Director for Transformations, a

trans and gender-expansive youth organization based in Kansas City. Read Merrique’s full bio at mblgtacc.org

Jade Careaga

Jade Careaga (she/her) is a multi-racial (white, Indigenous, Filipino, Puerto Rican, and Mexican) woman of trans experience who is an accomplished makeup artist and stylist based in Seattle, Washington. Jade is excited to be part of this summit, to lend her voice and experience to help raise awareness to the violence that many trans women of color experience. Read Jade’s full bio at mblgtacc.org

Identity Forums

SATURDAY, 1:00 - 2:15 P.M. SUNDAY, 10:00 - 11:15 A.M.

Identity Forums are designated spaces for communities to gather around similar or shared experiences.

We strongly assert that only individuals who align with the identity centered in each space attend the forum. We will operate on a good faith system that attendees will select spaces in which they are not visitors or guests.

As a reminder: Identity Forums are not ally spaces. Do not police or challenge folks’ identities in the space. If you have concerns about someone’s presence in a space, please connect with the facilitator or a conference volunteer/staff person.

LOCATIONS

Advisor Roundtable A111

Bi, Pan, and Fluid Sexualities A211

QTIBIPOC A120-121

Queer People of Faith A115

Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Gender nonconforming A122-123

Transgender A114

Asexual and Aromantic A210

Gay A113 Lesbian A112

Disabled and Neurodivergent A124-125

Trans BIPOC* (Sat.)

DIY / Overflow (Sun.) A212

*The Saturday trans BIPOC identity forum is part of The Dolls are Thriving track and will center trans women of color, but is open to all trans BIPOC folx.

ADVISORS

Advisor Programming

This programming is curated specifically for advisors, graduate students and higher education professionals. We recognize the vital role you play in supporting the growth and development of students and we invite you to engage with any of the programming detailed below.

ADVISOR TRACK

We’re recognizing the work of and holding space for all those who dedicate themselves to supporting queer and trans college students as advisors, student support service staff or by way of “other duties as assigned”— including roles who often attend the conference with their student groups.

See page 30 for a list of advisor track workshops.

ADVISOR ROUNDTABLE

Saturday | 1:00 - 2:15 p.m.

Sunday | 10:00 - 11:15 a.m.

A111

Participate in a casual discussion among other higher education practitioners. Share your experiences, ruminate on challenges, and connect with others doing this work across the country. This space runs concurrently to the identity forums.

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

This year’s advisor programming was made possible by the integral relationship between MBLGTACC and the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals. The Consortium is an organization that envisions higher education environments where LGBTQ people, inclusive of all of our intersecting identities, are fully liberated. For more information, check out lgbtcampus.org.

Coffee Saturday | Starting at 8:30 am | A110

Join the Institute and planning team for coffee as you start the day.

WORKSHOPS

SESSION

-

SCHEDULE & DETAILS

SESSION

-

SESSION

-

SESSION 4 | PAGES 46-49

4:00 - 5:15 p.m.

SESSION 5 | PAGES 50-53

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

WORKSHOP TRACKS

Activism and Protest as Tools for Justice

Justice and rights will never be handed over by oppressive systems. They must be demanded. College campuses, urban centers, and rural communities have all been sites for direct action, protests, and other forms of activism in recent years specifically around issues of racial justice, police brutality, student loan debt, and climate catastrophes. Queer and trans folks are highly represented among those on the front lines, in medic tents, and leading mutual aid projects.

SESSION

SESSION

SESSION

SESSION

Fat Liberation: LGBTQ+ Bodies & Identities

The Politics of Desirability

Pride with Prejudice

Not-So-Secret Secrets to a Successful Activist Career, Without the Non-Profit Industrial Complex

Creating Change on College Campuses

College campuses are key areas of influence for our conference attendees. The history of higher education is rife with instances in which queer and trans people are underrepresented in programming, initiatives, and opportunities. College students, educators, and practitioners play an integral role in expanding possibilities for our communities on campuses and improving campus climate for marginalized people.

SESSION 1 Cultivating Queer Resilience & Community

SESSION 2 The Fight for Gender-Neutral Bathrooms on Small College Campuses

SESSION

SESSION

SESSION

Integrating and Cultivating Queerness in the Classroom

Get it Together: Building a Strong LGBTQ+ Student Organization

The Design and Proposal of an LGBTQ+ Minor as Done at Central Michigan University

WORKSHOP

TRACKS

Designing a Queer Future Through Media

Queer and trans folks know a thing or two about entertainment, content creation, media, and design! Whether the goal is advocacy for a cause, mobilizing people around an injustice, tightening a community through art and music, or bringing laughter and joy to your followers– media and content creation is a strong tool for gender justice and sexual liberation.

SESSION 1 Positive Transgender Representation in Fiction

SESSION 2 Space Husbands: What We Can Learn from Kirk/Spock Fanfiction

SESSION 3 Our Flag Means Good Omens

SESSION 4 Queer (Dis)identification: Coming of Age in a Heteronormative World

SESSION 5 Criminalization, Sexualization, and Erasure: Recovering from Hays Code

Doing the Work in Rural & Small Communities

Rural and/or small communities are a major focus of this year’s conference to honor the LGBTQ+ communities who exist in these complex campus and community spaces. Communities outside of urban spaces are often disregarded by political campaigning and resource allocation, leaving marginalized communities to manifest their own models of advocacy, organizing, and activism. By focusing on the work being done in rural communities to bridge resource gaps, build extensive communities, and combat small town conservative ideologies, we expand our toolkit of possible tactics and strategies for social change.

SESSION 1 Campus and Community Connections: Rural Survival for Over 50 Years

SESSION 2 LGBTQ+ Histories & the Importance of Archival Work

SESSION 3 Survival and Resistance: Trans and Queer Resiliency in the Flyover States

SESSION 4 Combating Transphobia within our Communities

SESSION 5 Research Without Limits: The Future is Rural

Historical and Contemporary Identities

Historical concepts of identity are essential to how we understand our community and ourselves and all too often our history can be inaccessible, or worse, inaccurate causing misunderstandings, frustration, and community turmoil. During sessions in this track you will learn about sapphic history from the 19th century through today. Presenters will delve into discussions of personal and community identity development and explore the imlications of homophobia, transphobia, racism, and fatphobia on the words we use and the way we structure our lives.

SESSION 1 Whatever Happened to Lesbians

SESSION 2 Stone Soup

SESSION 3 High Heels and Hard Hats: Butch/Femme History & Community

SESSION 4 TERF Wars: Understanding Contemporary Lesbian Identities and Politics

Taking Care of Ourselves to Take Care of Others

There’s no doubt that the last three years since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic have amplified what marginalized groups already know to be harsh conditions, hard fights, and continued struggle. Experiences of burnout, disruptions to existing organization and education efforts, and constantly reacting to waves of injustice have weighed heavily on queer and trans communities. It is essential we dedicate time and attention to pleasure, joy, wellness, and healing in order to sustain ourselves, our communities and our movement.

SESSION 1 Intentional Intersectionality: Fostering Community That Reflects the Community

SESSION 2 Navigating Mobile Dating Apps during the COVID-19 Pandemic

SESSION 3 Rest as an Act of Activism

SESSION 4 Healing QTBIPOC collective trauma and increasing resilience with gentle movement meditation practices

WORKSHOP

WORKSHOP

TRACKS

The Dolls Are Thriving

The Dolls Are Thriving is organized by Transformations and is an annual national virtual summit on women of color of trans experience in leadership, advocacy and mentorship. At MBLGTACC, they are bringing aspects of the national conference, led by trans women of color activists and organizers. Across two super sessions* and an identity forum, you’ll combine facilitated conversations, small group breakout activities, case scenarios, and media clips.

EXTENDED SESSION 1-2 The Dolls Are Thriving on Campus

IDENTITY FORUM

Trans BIPOC identity forum

EXTENDED SESSION 3-4 Expanding Our Communities

*In this track, attendees can choose to attend either or both of the Saturday super sessions. The morning block combines workshop sessions 1-2, and the afternoon block combines sessions 3-4.

Advisor Track

We are huge fans of the folks on college campuses who dedicate themselves to supporting queer and trans college students as advisors, student support service staff or by way of “other duties as assigned.” The work performed by these individuals is often thankless or beyond their job description but plays a huge part in creating affirming spaces and experiences for queer and trans college students. We want to recognize this work and hold space for these roles who often attend the conference with their student groups.

SESSION 1 Advocating alongside LGBTQ+ Center Staff: Reflections from Practitioners and Scholars

SESSION 2 The Art of Calm

SESSION 4 Meeting in the Center

Workshop schedule

TRACK & LOCATION

Activism and Protest as Tools for Justice A122-123

Creating Change on College Campuses A211

Designing a Queer Future Through Media A124-125

Doing the Work in Rural and Small Communities A120-122

WORKSHOP SESSION 1 SATURDAY 8:30 A.M.

Fat Liberation: LGBTQ+ Bodies & Identities

Cultivating Queer Resilience & Community

WORKSHOP SESSION 2 SATURDAY 10:00 A.M.

The Politics of Desirability

The Fight for Gender-Neutral Bathrooms on Small College Campuses

Positive Transgender Representation in Fiction Space Husbands: What We Can Learn from Kirk/Spock Fanfiction

Campus and Community Connections: Rural Survival for Over 50 Years

LGBTQ+ Histories & the Importance of Archival Work

Historical and Contemporary Identities A113 Whatever Happened to Lesbians Stone Soup

Taking Care of Ourselves to Take Care of Others A114

The Dolls are Thriving A212*

Intentional Intersectionality: Fostering Community That Reflects the Community

Navigating Mobile Dating Apps during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Dolls are Thriving on Campus | Morning session, 9:00 - 11:15 a.m.

Advisors A211

A112

A115

A210

Advocating alongside LGBTQ+ Center Staff: Reflections from Practitioners and Scholars The Art of Calm

An Athlete’s Silence

How to Host Trans Day of Remembrance in a Conservative State/ College

GaySL

Let’s Get Dirty: Deviant Pleasures & The Queer Spirit of Resistance

In Defiance of White Supremacist Relationship Hierarchies

*DOLLS ARE THRIVING / TRANS BIPOC IDENTITY FORUM

The Saturday trans BIPOC identity forum is part of The Dolls are Thriving track and will center trans women of color, but attendance is open to all trans BIPOC attendees.

WORKSHOP SESSION 3 SATURDAY 2:30 P.M.

Pride with Prejudice

Integrating and Cultivating Queerness in the Classroom

WORKSHOP SESSION 4 SATURDAY 4:00 P.M.

Not-So-Secret Secrets to a Successful Activist Career, Without the Non-Profit Industrial Complex

Get it Together: Building a Strong LGBTQ+ Student Organization

WORKSHOP SESSION 5 SUNDAY 8:30 A.M.

Our Flag Means Good Omens

Queer (Dis)identification: Coming of Age in a Heteronormative World

Survival and Resistance: Trans and Queer Resiliency in the Flyover States

High Heels and Hard Hats: Butch/ Femme History & Community

Combating Transphobia within our Communities

TERF Wars: Understanding Contemporary Lesbian Identities and Politics

The Design and Proposal of an LGBTQ+ Minor as Done at Central Michigan University

Criminalization, Sexualization, and Erasure: Recovering from Hays Code

Research Without Limits: The Future is Rural

Uwagudidisv: Mapping Queer Indigenous Futures in K-12 Education and Beyond

Rest as an Act of Activism

Healing QTBIPOC collective trauma and increasing resilience with gentle movement meditation practices

The Dolls are Thriving: Expanding Our Communities | Afternoon session, 2:30 - 5:15 p.m.

Meeting in the Center

GaySL

LGBTQ+ Experiences at a Catholic University: Moving Forward with an Intersectional, Queer Activism Lens

Adamantly Bisexual (in a biphobic world) Are your thoughts killing you?

Ace and Aro Q&A: An Introduction to Asexuality and Aromanticism

PrEP: Reimagining Empowering Prevention

Dragging Up the Campus Drag Show: The Story of the Kansas Drag Showcase

Your Rainbow Toolkit - An Interactive Workshop on Identifying Resources

Bridging Pronouns and Neopronouns: The history, conversation, and solidarity behind Neopronouns

SESSION ONE

Saturday, 8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

The Dolls Are Thriving on Campus

A212 | MERRIQUE JENSON, JADE CAREAGA

Track: The Dolls are Thriving

Our initial morning extended session, part one of two, will provide the groundwork for exploring what kinds of common realities young trans women of color, along with young femmes of color, experience on college campuses in the Midwest. We’ll dive into interactive conversations on ways that our instructors and admin, our peers, student housing options, classrooms and campuses can be affirming and create proactive solutions to keeping trans communities of color safer. We’ll also be introduced to harm reduction and transformative justice advocacy approaches to care that value removing judgement, valuing personal choice, centering accountability and exploring alternative avenues to healing and justice.

TIME SHIFT

The Dolls Are Thriving on Campus will start at 9:00 a.m. (not 8:30 a.m.). Other workshop start times are unchanged.

EXTENDED SESSION

The Dolls Are Thriving on Campus will run from 9:00 - 11:15 a.m., covering workshop sessions 1 and 2. Attendees who choose this session would not attend another workshop during session 2.

WORKSHOPS

Whatever Happened to Lesbians?

A113 | STEPHANIE SKORA

Track: Historical and Contemporary Identities

These days, “lesbian” is a dying identity: non-heterosexual women have started identifying in other ways, and we lesbians have had a troubling history with the trans community. It often seems like we’ve lost queer politics in lesbian spaces. This lecture seeks to debunk the notion that transness and lesbianness are at odds, and explore radical potentialities of new lesbian spaces! Take a journey through the unexamined genderqueer parts of lesbian history through a trans dyke lens.

Fat Liberation: LGBT+ Bodies & Identities

A122-123 | STEFANI VARGAS

Track: Activism and Protest as Tools for Social Justice

Mainstream culture defines “beautiful” and “healthy” as “thin,” and while our community has often subverted this notion, fatphobia is prevalent. We will discuss loving our bodies and identities because they are fat not in spite of that fact, the history of the fat liberation and body positivity movements, and the intersection of queer and fat identities. This workshop gives fat folks a space to speak, and explores the intersection of fatness and queerness.

Supporting & Advocating Alongside LGBTQ+ Center Staff: Reflections from Practitioners & Scholars

A111 | KALYANI KANNAN

Track: Advisor

Individuals can appreciate the tremendous work of LGBTQ+ center staff without knowing what it means to support them and their work. This session is for those who want to partner with LGBTQ+ center staff and/or advocate for LGBTQ+ centers to have greater resources. Other topics include: alignment with and advocacy alongside LGBTQ+ center staff, how to inquire and then advocate for their needs, and collaboration opportunities for larger justice efforts on campus.

An Athlete’s Silence

A112 | JOHN-MICHAEL LANDER

Track: General

SH SU SVBHAAB

1-in-6 males are sexually abused before the age of eighteen. This number is higher in sports since this act is deemed as hazing, initiating, a rite of passage. As a gay 15-year-old Olympic bound athlete, I was sexually abused by the adults entrusted in my training. Through this narrative, I will help the audience understand a victim’s perspective of being groomed, the choice of not reporting, and the long-term effects.

Campus and Community Connections: Rural Survival for Over 50 Years

A120-121 | CARLI ÁLVAREZ, SANDY PENSONEAUCONWAY, CARRIE VINE, O.J. DUNCAN Track: Doing the Work in Rural & Small Communities Rainbow Café LGBTQ Center began in rural southern Illinois in 2000, and since then, has grown from a once-a-week youth drop-in center, to a 501(c)(3), grant/communityfunded, multi-program organization. SIU’s LGBTQ Resource Center started as the Gay Student Union in the 1970s. In this workshop, we explain how these two organizations have survived and thrived. We then provide practical ways that similar organizations can tell their stories to effectively and persuasively attain resources and establish partnerships.

How to Host Trans Day of Remembrance on Conservative Campus

A210 | CHARLES VONDAL

Track: General SU T VSRMDBHAB

Come talk about creating safe spaces on conservative campuses with Charles Vondal, president of the University of North Dakota’s Queer and Trans Alliance. Learn about the planning and tactics for hosting or observing the Trans Day of Remembrance as well as how to handle any potentially difficult conversations.

Intentional Intersectionality: Fostering Community That Reflects the Community

A114 | JAMAL KING

Track: Taking Care of Ourselves to Take Care of Others

C R TBHA

The purpose of this workshop is to provide student leaders, advisors, and higher education practitioners with concrete ways to create programs, push initiatives, and advise queer and trans student populations using an intentionally inclusive and intersectional lens. This workshop will provide a basic cultural, environmental, and social context for providing programs that lift up and celebrate many identities within the LGBTQ+ community.

Positive Transgender Representation in Fiction

A124-125 | CHARLIE JOSEPH GARRIPEE

Track: Designing a Queer Future Through Media

S T

My Core Topic is about representation with Trans folks in media, as weird as it sounds positive representation in fiction helps, other than people not understanding trans people (like myself) it could help people understand us and connect with us.

Cultivating Queer Resilience & Community

A211 | MORGAN THOMPSON

Track: Creating Change on College Campuses

This workshop will explore the strategy and impact of queer resilience programming on a small, liberal arts campus in the rural Midwest. We will explore strategies that help LGBTQ+ people better understand themselves and others in efforts to cultivate collective advocacy to embody Adam Eli’s call that “queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere”. The workshop will include resilience cultivation strategies and provide findings from the implementation of the LGBTQ+ Empowerment Workshop Series.

SESSION 1 NOTES

SESSION TWO

THE DOLLS ARE THRIVING

WORKSHOPS

GaySL

A112 | HAYDEN KRISTAL

Track: General

GaySL is a highly-interactive and hilarious workshop led by DearQueer activist and stand up comedian Hayden Kristal that teaches its participants LGBTQ-related American Sign Language signs while also fostering a broader group discussion about horizontal marginalization, intersectionality, and what it means to be intersectionality accessible. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to sign along, and any and all levels of experience with American Sign Language and the Deaf community are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Stone Soup

A113 | STEPHANIE SKORA, STEFANI VARGAS

Track: Historical and Contemporary Identities

Stone identity is as rich and complex as it is misunderstood and oversimplified. Unlike the term implies, stone identity is a place for warmth, growth, and physical fulfillment. Stone identities have existed for decades, and while research suggests that the number of stone people has remained relatively constant, the identity has seen a resurgence in popular queer culture. Delve into the history and politics of this complex sexual and emotional identity! This workshop is 18+.

The Art of Calm

A111 | WILL VAN ROOSENBEEK

Track: Advisor

Work demands, pandemic uncertainty, families, friends, and boredom could be taking their toll on our ability to find quiet, peace, and/or calm. Join University of Wisconsin La Crosse Pride Center Director Will Van Roosenbeek and explore techniques that restore, calm, and get you back to center.

Space Husbands: What We Can Learn from Kirk/Spock Fanfiction

A124-125 | APRIL CALLIS

Track: Designing a Queer Future Through Media

BH M

In 1974 the first queer Star Trek fanfic was published, starring Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Now, almost 50 years later, Kirk and Spock remain a much-loved fanfiction couple. Yet, much has changed in the ways we view gender and sexuality across the past five decades. In this session, I’ll discuss what fanfiction can tell us about changing cultural constructions of LGBTQ+ identities, through a comparative analysis of over 6, 000 pages of Kirk/Spock fanfiction.

LGBTQ+ Histories & the Importance of Archival Work

A120-121 | EMILY PATTERSON

Track: Doing the Work in Rural & Small Communities

R T VCBH

This workshop focuses on archival work in LGBTQ+ communities and will have information on conducting oral history interviews, accessing records that your school may have, national and international LGBTQ+ archives, and an overview of why this work is so important. This workshop would be best for anyone who is starting their journey of learning LGBTQ+ histories and/or has an interest in documenting LGBTQ+ history, whether that be for your larger community or your school’s LGBTQ+ organization.

In Defiance of White Supremacist Relationship Hierarchies

A210 | THE ACE AND ARO ADVOCACY PROJECT

Track: General

RV S SVR

This interactive workshop will focus on white supremacy, amatonormativity, and the ways in which they attempt to control the sexuality of POC and ethnic minorities, impose reproductive and domestic labour, and negatively impact queer activism and community formation. We will explore the meanings and histories of the institution of marriage, compulsory sexuality, and related topics, and brainstorm how we can resist these punitive ideologies and organise as a community outside of such structures.

The Fight for Gender-Neutral Bathrooms on Small College Campuses

A211 | TRUDI PETERSON, IVAIR PACHECO

Track: Creating Change on College Campuses

T

While bathroom accessibility on college campuses is a necessity for all students, trans students are disproportionately affected due to the lack of genderneutral bathrooms that are available. This workshop will help students and organizations understand the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms, from signage, sanitary products, and accessibility while also cultivate advocacy skills through the process of working with their college to create a more trans-friendly environment on campus.

Navigating Mobile Dating Apps during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A114 | ROCKY ROQUE, ABI LEVEILLE

Track: Taking Care of Ourselves to Take Care of Others

This workshop aims to report current research regarding Grindr and Tinder, provide strategies to navigate queer sexual and romantic health during the pandemic, and encourage a fruitful and positive discussion regarding these practices. With the prevalent use of mobile dating apps

among this demographic, we value promoting a positive and inclusive environment to discuss romantic and sexual health.

Let’s Get Dirty: Deviant Pleasures & The Queer Spirit of Resistance

A115 | RACHEL SIMON, LADARIUS DUPREE

Track: General

R S TMCBH

It is often required to silence aspects of identity and hide our authentic selves in professional and academic settings. This educational workshop will explore the concept of queer deviance as it relates to kink/BDSM, romantic relationship structures, the conflation of sexuality with sex, sexual health, and heteronormativity. This critique of social sanitization and how to resist it will give participants tools to ask questions and challenge mandates in their lives.

The Politics of Disability

A122-123 | IMANI BARBARIN

Track: Activism & Protest as Tools for Justice How desirability often isolates and obscures the perspectives of queer disabled, Black, Indigenous and people of color when our inclusion is vital for liberation. In this session, we will explore how structures like white supremacy and ableism inform our notions about who has voices worth valuing and what can be done to tread the path of liberation together.

SESSION THREE

Saturday, 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.

Expanding Our Communities

A212 | MERRIQUE JENSON, JADE CAREAGA

Track: The Dolls are Thriving

Our afternoon

The Dolls are Thriving extended session, part two of two, modifies portions of the award-winning “Queering Violence: Conversations about IPV, Sexual Violence and Trauma in LGBTQ and HIV+ Communities of Color” workshop, from SocialScope Productions, with case scenario group work to explore the complex ways violence and trauma affect queer and trans people of color and our communities. We know that violence directed at trans women of color, as well as femmes of color, is staggering. We also know that trans people of color are extremely creative, strong and resilient. This institute allows participants to reflect on multimedia clips from individual survivors and process the realities, complexities, and nuances in large and small group discussions. Participants will share any potential advocacy approaches and solutions to healing when working on antiviolence issues and the intricate ways a person’s identities intersect with their experiences coping. Participants will increase their ability to effectively advocate and understand different transformative justice healing options for queer and trans survivors of color, as well as how to empower survivors within their own, off-campus, community led initiatives and resources.

EXTENDED SESSION

Expanding Our Communities will run from 2:30 - 5:15 p.m., covering workshop sessions 3 and 4. Attendees who choose this session would not attend another workshop during session 4.

WORKSHOPS

GaySL

A112 | HAYDEN KRISTAL

Track: General

GaySL is a highly-interactive and hilarious workshop led by DearQueer activist and stand up comedian Hayden Kristal that teaches its participants LGBTQ-related American Sign Language signs while also fostering a broader group discussion about horizontal marginalization, intersectionality, and what it means to be intersectionality accessible. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to sign along, and any and all levels of experience with American Sign Language and the Deaf community are welcome and encouraged to attend!

High Heels & Hard Hats: Butch/Femme History & Community

A113 | STEFANI VARGAS

Track: Historical and Contemporary Identities

From factory work, to sex work, activism to organizing; butches and femmes have done it all. As a community, we must learn from our history and we simply cannot do that without delving first into butch/femme identities across the gender spectrum. In this session, we will discuss the coevolution of butch and femme identity and community, the backlash against and erasure of these identities, and the resilience of the communities in the present day.

Pride With Prejudice: Pinkwashing, Palestine, and Queer Liberation

A122-123 | STEPHANIE SKORA

Track: Activism & Protest as Tools for Justice Pinkwashing, the attempt to cover up the human rights abuses of the Israeli State by pointing to its liberal record on LGBTQ rights, is a hot topic of discussion in LGBTQ spaces across the country. This workshop addresses what pinkwashing is and where it came from, what organizations engage in pinkwashing, myths about LGBTQ Israel and Palestine, exposing the Islamophobia industry’s role in pinkwashing, and how queer and trans people can fight back in their communities.

Adamantly Bisexual (in a biphobic world)

A115 | APRIL CALLIS

Track: General

BH

According to multiple studies, bisexuality is the most prevalent LGBTQIA+ identity in the United States. Despite this, bisexual individuals often deal with bi erasure and biphobia within both the straight and queer communities. In this session, I’ll discuss a history of bisexuality and bisexual activism in the U.S. I’ll also delve into the stigma surrounding bisexuality, and discuss the plethora of ways that bisexuality is misunderstood.

Survival and Resistance: Trans and Queer Resiliency in the Flyover States

A120-121 | JAC STRINGER

Track: Doing the Work in Rural & Small Communities

SV T VSRVRMDCAAB

As global culture appears to grow more progressive, trans and queer people’s interaction with it is much more complex. The majority of us live in the “fly over zone;” Central, Midwestern, and Southern states where we are consistently isolated from resources and each other. Living in culturally conservative areas has a significant impact on forming relationships, attending work and school, and navigating self-care. This workshop discusses the varying avenues community building found within our struggle and resilience.

Our Flag Means Good Omens

A124-125 | KAT HOLTZ

Track: Designing a Queer Future Through Media

Good Omens is a show about an angel and a demon and has very intentional representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Our Flag Means Death is a show about two pirate captains. They and their crews also provide intentional representation of the LGBTQ+ community. We will discuss the importance of this media representation. We will have fun and share observations, feelings, thoughts, and reactions to the shows. I will have in-person examples of art and creative expression from various sources.

Integrating and Cultivating Queerness in the Classroom

A211 | ROCKY ROQUE, TYLER PHAM, MARY

KATREEB, NICK STEINMETZ

Track: Creating Change on College Campuses

BH

Many institutions require diversity training for incoming instructors to help build an effective classroom environment with their students; however, much of this training is a broad overview that often excludes queer students. This workshop aims to provide resources that center queer students to have an empowering experience in the classroom from Queer instructors with various backgrounds. Finally, we will invite attendees to share their narratives and strategies to cultivate a safe classroom environment.

Rest as an Act of Activism

A114 | RACHEL SIMON, LADARIUS DUPREE, SARAH

DOHERTY

Track: Taking Care of Ourselves to Take Care of Others

BHA

S SH TRMFC

We are tired. As educators, students, activists, and especially as queer folx in 2022 we are being asked to do more with less and the stakes are high. This workshop session will invite participants to explore how we find needed rest while setting boundaries, finding and sharing resources of rest, and embracing the power of rest with a queer lens. We will look

at ways to restore and repair in a time when so many of us are asked to take on unrecognized and uncompensated work for social justice and equity.

Ace and Aro Q&A: An Introduction to Asexuality and Aromanticism

A210 | THE ACE AND ARO ADVOCACY PROJECT

Track: General

RV S SVRA

Asexual and aromantic people show up in LGBTQ+ spaces seeking support, resources, and community. In order to accommodate this growing group in your organization, work, or activism, a clear understanding of these identities is essential. This session builds that understanding, while highlighting specific intersectional issues that arise from systemic racism, ableism, and cissexism. Please take this unique opportunity to ask questions, participate in discussions, and connect with resources on aromanticism and asexuality!

3 NOTES

SESSION FOUR

Saturday,

THE DOLLS ARE THRIVING EXTENDED SESSION

The Dolls Are Thriving: Expanding Our Communities will run from 2:30 - 5:15 p.m., covering workshop sessions 3 and 4. Those who attend the morning extended session would not attend another workshop during session 4.

WORKSHOPS

TERF Wars: Understanding Contemporary Lesbian Identities and Politics

A113 | STEPHANIE SKORA

Track: Historical and Contemporary Identities

Studs and separatists and sapphics, oh my! The wide world of identity can be intimidating to navigate, especially for folks exploring their identities and attempting to find community. All too often our history can be inaccessible, or worse, inaccurate causing misunderstandings, frustration, and community turmoil. TERF Wars dives into the many facets of sapphic sexuality, gender, and orientation, to help you figure out what the L is going on.

Get it Together: Building a Strong LGBTQ+ Student Organization

A211 | STEFANI VARGAS

Track: Creating Change on College Campuses

This workshop discusses ways in which one can build an effective and long-lasting organization that best serves the needs of LGBT+ students and the campus as a whole. Be it a new organization or one that can use an overhaul, this session allows time to focus on both short and long-term goals and how the organization fits into campus culture.

LGBTQ+ Experiences at a Catholic

University: Moving Forward with an Intersectional, Queer Activism Lens

A112 | HANNAH REIKOWSKY

Track: General

AB BH T

This workshop surveys select experiences of LGBTQ+ undergraduate students through narrative reflection to contrast between affirming and unaccepting educational institutions, drawing out key factors that impact their experiences: the importance of open dialogue, resource availability, preparation for life after college, finding support

and community in unaccepting learning environments, and the coexistence of faith and sexual orientation or gender identity intersections within higher education.

Are Your Thoughts Killing You?

A115 | JOHN-MICHAEL LANDER

Track: General

SH SV SABHAB

“Your thoughts are not your friends.”—Cheryl Hunters. This workshop explores how the thoughts we tell ourselves create false identities. Research has shown that negative self-talk causes inflammation, attacks the immune system, causes pain and discomfort, and possibly leads to disease(s) and death. I will share my journey of discovering ways to ease the inflammation, change the story I tell myself, and dare to live as my authentic self.

Combating Transphobia within our Communities

A120-121 | ADAM WHITNEY

Track: Doing the Work in Rural & Small Communities

SU T VSASVSSHRVRMAB

This workshop is about recognizing and pushing back against transphobia within the LGBTQ+ community. Even with how inclusive our communities, media, social movements, and spaces can be, there is much work to do. Trans people endure inequalities, civil rights violations, and violence because of ignorance, fear, and prejudice toward their identities even from other LGBTQ+ people. When we recognize and confront these inequalities we make safer, more inclusive spaces for trans people to exist in.

Not-So-Secret Secrets to a Successful Activist Career, Without the Non-Profit Industrial Complex

A122-123 | JAC STRINGER

Track: Activism & Protest as Tools for Justice

SU T VSVSHRVRMDCABA

This combination of a workshop and storytelling focuses on the elements and obstacles of professional activism outside of the non-profit industrial complex, drawn from a 20 year career of a freelance organizer, trainer, and founder of multiple sustained initiatives. It will discuss the intricacies of finding our people, building grassroots resources, and navigating multi-community dynamics inherent to Midwestern (and other politically conservative) environments in the face of poverty, isolation, and selfpreservation.

PrEP: Reimagining Empowering Prevention

A210 | EVAN HALL

Track: General

PrEP has established itself as a powerful tool of prevention against HIV infection. In this presentation, participants will learn about the current state of PrEP, including the addition of cabotegravir (Apretude) for prevention. Concurrently, we will also overview the historical context to how PrEP was made possible because of the activism from the fight for HIV medication in the 1980s and 1990s.

Healing QTBIPOC Collective Trauma & Increasing Resilience with Gentle Movement Meditation Practices

A114 | DEVANTE LOVE

Track: Taking Care of Ourselves to Take Care of Others

R S T

For queer folks of color, it’s difficult to navigate our society which often works to disempowers us. This workshop is an active step toward reversing the psychological wounding incurred from trying to live honestly as our genuine, whole selves. We begin with a talk about the imprint of collective

trauma and end with a facilitated gentle movement journey to help liberate us from old wounds of collective trauma so we may feel more resilient and confident

Meeting in the Center

A111 | CORNELIUS BAKER

Track: Advisor

BH R T

Queer and trans (QT) educational trainings can often occur at the detriment of QT individuals in the space that may feel tokenized or experience harm for the benefit of non-QT folks’ learning. In this workshop I plan to exam the ways in which we can center QT peoples’ learning in educational trainings. We plan on re-focusing our assessment efforts to better understand the gaps in educational support and personal development for QT individuals.

Queer (Dis)identification: Coming of Age(ncy) in a Heteronormative World

A124-125 | STEVIE LEIGH

Track: Designing a Queer Future Through Media

M S TBH

This workshop provides an opportunity to think critically about the subversive practice of disidentification and the creative ways LGBTQ+ youth enact agency in their comingof-age experiences. I begin with an overview of my research on the practice of disidentification among queer youth in the One Direction/Harry Styles fandom and share findings which explicate their use of disidentification as a strategy of resistance. This will lead into a guided discussion about attendees’ personal experiences of disidentification.

WORKSHOPS

Research Without Limits: The Future is Rural

A120-121 | STEFANI VARGAS

Track: Doing the Work in Rural & Small Communities

When considering the future of LGBTQ+ people, centering rural community-based design allows a future created for and by LGBTQ+ people living in areas often left out. We will delve into methods and best practices for understanding our desired future, community-based research methods, and deployment in rural communities. Utilizing case studies the presenters will discuss the importance of documenting rural experiences and creating long-lasting communities through uniting institutions of higher education with communities.

Dragging Up the Campus Drag Show: The Story of the Kansas Drag Showcase

A112 | CODY MURRAY, ZACH PARKER, BAILEE MEYERS

Track: General

Can our campus drag shows do more? Can they work towards economic justice for performers and connect our students to a network of queer community and support?

Join a conversation with the team who reimagined the University of Kansas’ drag show--bring your questions and wigs!

Bridging Pronouns and Neopronouns: The History, Conversation, and Importance of Neopronouns

A210 | JAMIE HENK

Track: General

SU T

Our time together will be spent discussing the history of pronouns and neopronouns, the current conversation, and importance of neopronouns. People who use neopronouns are often faced with questions regarding their identity

and expression. Over the course of this workshop, we will seek to answer those questions. Finally, we will spend time looking inward at our pronouns and practicing a variety of pronouns.

The Design and Proposal of an LGBTQ+ Minor as Done at Central Michigan University

A211 | LUCAS SHERMAN, SARA DANIELS

Track: Creating Change on College Campuses

Join us for a discussion around the process undergone to advocate for an LGBTQ+ Studies Minor at Central Michigan University. We will go over research, faculty mentorship, data analysis, peer institution comparisons, and presentation styles to best develop ways to advocate for changes and build connections on campus. This process is designed for individuals who are interested in raising awareness of LGBTQ+ concerns on campus whether they are students, faculty, staff, alumni, or other stakeholders.

Criminalization, Sexualization, and Erasure in Media: Recovering from Hays Code

A124-125 | ALENA HANSEN

Track: Designing a Queer Future Through Media

BH T

Film traditions created by Hays Code continue to permeate the American collective consciousness for generations, influencing the way queer and transgender people are viewed. Most notably, patterns of criminalization, sexualization and erasure are more present in media after Hays Code. This workshop explores how Hays Code effects queer and transgender people today and what we can do to recover.

Uwagudidisv: Mapping Queer Indigenous Futures in K-12 Education and Beyond

A113 | KADEN ANGEL

Track: General T VRDBHAB

Uwagudidisv in the Tsalagi (Cherokee) language refers to the future or the “times to come.” This workshop will examine the history of Indigenous education on Turtle Island (North America), its role in destroying traditional worldviews of gender and sexuality, and what educators (and others) can do to support two-spirit/LGBTQIA+ Indigenous students.

Your Rainbow Toolkit - An Interactive Workshop on Identifying Resources

A115 | RACHEL SIMON, LADARIUS DUPREE

Track: General

SV T VSSHRVRMCBHABA

How can you support a trans high school student in a state that has just outlawed gender affirming healthcare? What can you do when the only all gender bathroom in a building is closed? Where can you find support for an educator who has their queer affirming facebook posts broadcast to an intolerant school board? Who do you turn to when a campus-funded group is looking to bring in a speaker who promotes white supremacy and hatred? What does it mean to “refill your cup” after you’ve executed 8 fabulous events in a week?

5 NOTES

Reflecting on your MBLGTACC experience

My favorite moment of the weekend was...

3 important things I learned

One thing that inspired me was....

One thing that challenged me was... because...

To me, “Queer Activism of the Future” is...

Something I can do in my community is...

At MBLGTACC next year, I want to...

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

Greetings:

Welcome to the City of Columbus! We couldn’t be happier to have you here and to host you for the very first time

It is an honor for our city to welcome America’s largest and oldest continuously held conference for queer and trans+ college students. We are inspired by your mission to connect, educate and empower students, faculty and staff around the Midwest and beyond. The workshops and programming planned for this weekend are sure to inspire everyone involved.

You’ll find that Columbus is an excellent choice for your 30th annual conference. We are a welcoming and inclusive community. With the 15th largest LGBTQIA+ population in the nation, more than 100 LGBTQIA+ owned businesses and organizations, the largest Pride celebration in the Midwest, and a number of thriving and historic LGBTQIA+ neighborhoods, the LGBTQIA+ community is integral to Columbus and a key part of what makes this such a great place to live, work and visit. We are proud to achieve a perfect score and then some on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index year after year.

In between the keynotes by Schuyler Bailar and Imani Barbarin, workshops and vendor fair, I hope you have fun exploring our city U.S. News & World Report named Columbus one of the “Best Weekend Getaways in the Midwest” in 2021. Our innovative food scene includes more than 100 restaurants within a couple miles of the convention center.

Across the street, you’ll find the 145 year old North Market, home to creative local vendors, coffee and culinary concepts. Finally, just minutes south in the heart of Downtown, there are top-ranked museums, nationally renowned cultural arts centers and bustling performance venues.

We hope you enjoy your stay with us and plan a return visit to experience all the attractions you don’t get to this time around. Best wishes for a successful and memorable visit and, again, welcome to Columbus!

Sincerely,

Andrew J. Ginther (he/him/his) Mayor

LGBTQ+

CENTER

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of crisis, go beyond.

Our low-residency M.S.W. and Ph.D. programs will challenge and inspire you and our post-graduate Professional Education offerings will keep you on the cutting edge of clinical social work practice.

Our low-residency M.S.W. and Ph.D. programs will challenge and inspire you and our post-graduate Professional Education offerings will keep you on the cutting edge of clinical social work practice.

Professional

In a time of crisis, go beyond.

Our low-residency M.S.W. and Ph.D. programs will challenge and inspire you and our post-graduate Professional Education offerings will keep you on the cutting edge of clinical social work practice.

Our low-residency M.S.W. and Ph.D. programs will challenge and inspire you and our post-graduate Professional Education offerings will keep you on the cutting edge of clinical social work practice.

programs will

Here, you can make a career and a difference at the same time.

In a time go beyond.

In a time of crisis, go beyond.

In a time of crisis, go beyond.

In a time of crisis, goInbeyond. a time of crisis, go beyond. In a time of crisis, In a time of crisis,

a time

a time

a time of

Emergency and crisis information

EMERGENCY

ANY IN-HOUSE PHONE

The GCCC Public Safety Department works closely with the Columbus Fire Department to assist with medical emergencies.

In the event of a medical or other emergency where you would normally dial 9-1-1, please do the following instead:

• From any in-house phone dial 614-827-2547. This will put you in contact with the GCCC Public Safety Department, on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

• Their Public Safety staff will take the necessary

information regarding your emergency, notify emergency services, meet emergency services upon their arrival, and escort them directly to the location of the emergency.

• At the same time, another of their officers will immediately go to the area of the emergency to provide first response.

• Pe-established Emergency Response Stations (ERS) with the Columbus Fire Department ensures they go to the exact area. Dialing 9-1-1 yourself could delay the arrival of emergency personnel since it may be confusing where to direct help.

• The GCCC Public Safety team and many members of the GCCC staff are trained both in First Aid and the use of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators). AEDs are located in the main concourse outside Exhibit Halls A, B, C and D.

• Public Safety staff arrives on the scene of an emergency with a First Aid kit, an AED, and oxygen.

PHARMACIES

Nearest pharmacy

CVS, 759 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43215 (0.6 mi from conference)

Nearest 24 hour pharmacy

Walgreens, 2150 E Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, OH 43229 (10.8 miles from conference)

Narcan

In the case of an opioid overdose, Narcan (Nalaxone) is available at the info desk. Notify a conference planner/staff and call 614-827-2547 IMMEDIATELY.

OTHER URGENT ASSISTANCE

Call or text (810) 666-1053 to reach Institute staff. You can use this number 24/7 during the conference. Please only use this line for crisis or emergency situations. Note that this line is not confidential. For general questions, please visit the information desk. Please notify a conference staff member or call this number to report an emergency situation, especially if the GCCC emergency number is called.

On-site counselors Please visit the information desk.

Quiet room: A225 Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m., Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.