| Go to Plenary Session Videos
|
Nearly
300 transgender community members and allies gathered at UC Berkeley
for an inspiring weekend of skills-building workshops, presentations,
networking and fun. Attendees of the 3 rd Annual Transgender Leadership
Summit ranged from seasoned community leaders to emerging transgender
young people, families and allies.
The Summit
was planned by a dedicated core of more than 25 community volunteers,
including 14 transgender women and 8 transgender men. Community
members and Transgender Law Center staff worked together to secure
a location, plan workshops and plenary sessions, and manage logistics.
The theme
of the 2008 Summit, “Transgender Grows Up, Change from the Inside
Out,” was woven through the four inspiring plenary sessions and
twenty-six workshops. Participants reflected on the incredible
progress the transgender civil rights movement has made in recent
years, and discussed what it will take to continue to gain equality
for our communities.
Participants
came from all over California, with heavy representation of the
Los Angeles area, Sacramento, San Diego, and the Bay Area. There
were participants from rural communities in far northern reaches
of the state, and people from suburban areas of the central valley.
The diversity
of the participants truly reflected the diversity of California's
transgender communities. Of the participants who indicated their
cultural and ethic backgrounds, 53% self-identified as people
of color. The ages off participants ranged from 14 to 65. A wide
array of gender identities were represented, and the vast majority
of participants indentifies as transgender.
Evaluations
of the plenary sessions and workshops were overwhelmingly positive.
Participants commented on the usefulness of the skills-building
workshops and the resounding inspiration of the plenary sessions.
Workshop and plenary presenters also provided incredibly positive
feedback; many stating that the caliber of the discussions sparked
added to their own expertise. Although simultaneous Spanish translation
was provided for all plenary sessions, many participants asked
that translation services be provided in all workshops in 2008.
The Leadership Summit planning committee will do all it can to
accommodate this request!
In
all, the 2008 Summit was a huge success. Community members walked
away inspired, empowered, and armed with information. Momentum
for the 2009 summit is already brewing. . .
Read
the full 2008 Summit Report here
(190k pdf).
Summit Sponsored by:
Supported in part by a grant from The David Bohnett Foundation
Community Sponsors: Ally Action, Antelope Valley
GLBT Community Center,
Center of Excellence at UCSF, Community Health Partnership’s Transpowerment
Program,
Equality Federation, FTM International San Buenaventura Reed Erickson
Chapter,
Gay and Lesbian Center of Orange County, Gay Straight Alliance
Network, GenderQueer Revolution
LGBTI Resource Center at UCSF, Lighthouse Community Center, Lou
Sullivan Society,
Marina Nolasco, OCFTM, Orange County Transgender Coalition, Pacific
Center in Berkeley
Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative, TransVision
- Plenary Session
Videos -
Opening Statements:
Trans Grows Up: Maturation of a Movement:
Reflections on Leadership:
Deliver California: The Local and National
for a Trans Inclusive ENDA:
What's Next: Building the Movement for
Transgender Equality:
