The International Foundation for Gender Education

The Steel City Gender Conference
Totally Free and open to the public

Saturday November 19, 2005
9:00am to 5:00pm
Holiday Inn Select-Oakland
100 Lytton Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
www.pghdor.org/conference.htmConference Schedule

9:00 to 9:50

Schenley Room
The Harry Benjamin Standards of Care presented by Judith DiPerna.
The standards of care represent the professional consensus about the psychiatric, psychological, medical, and surgical management of gender identity disorders. This session will inform people about its content and its role in providing care to trans-people.

Carnegie Room
Gender Identity Disorder Reform and Related Issues by Emilia Lombardi and Khalia.
The purpose of this session is to discuss the future of medical treatment of Transsexuals (i.e. Gender Identity Disorder [GID]) as well as alternative ideas as to what it means to be a transsexual, transgender, crossdresser, etc. There is a movement towards the removal of GID as a mental disorder, and the people
involved in this may or may not have trans people's best interest in mind in regards to this. There is also a movement for alternative forms of gender that can be more critical of medical model of trans identities as well as be very different from what others consider
to be transsexual or crossdresser. This will be a discussion rather than a presentation with the audience participating as much as the moderators.

Panther Room
Transgender Question and Answer presented by Wendi president of PTSG assisted with Monica.
This is an open forum to ask any questions about
transsexualism and gender identity.

10:00 to 10:50

Schenley Room
Transgender Law Concerns presented by Elise Delong, esq.
The law regarding gender identity can be confusing. This lecture will provide some basic understanding of legal protections against discrimination.

Carnegie Room
Keeping Yourself Mentally Healthy while dealing with gender issues using Rational Thinking presented by Miranda Vey Kent
How we think, the attitude we have, and the beliefs we form can affect how we feel and act. This lecture will discuss several common pitfalls transgender individuals may fall into and how to tend to your mental health while exploring your gender.

Panther Room
Electrolysis Question & Answer by Rose Corrado of Ladonne
Electrolysis
Hair removal is a major concern of many male to female transgender individuals. This lecture is an open forum to ask questions and discuss how electrolysis works, the healing process, and the permanency of hair removal.

11:00 to 11:50

Schenley Room
ACLU presented by Scott Safier
Description to come

Carnegie Room
The Sexuality Paradigm presented by Chuck Christensen
This lecture defines the various attributes that make up
gender and sexuality. The five constructs of body image, gender
role, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual behavior are
defined and explored.

Panther Room
Panel on Transgender Surgery presented by locale transgender people
Casey, Nicole & Alex.
This lecture is a sharing and discussion of those who have
undergone various forms of surgeries for their gender expression.
Hear the treatment and recovery procedures of common surgeries.

12:00 to 1:30 Lunch Break

1:30 to 2:20

Schenley Room
Transgender Civil Right Concerns & Issues presented by Richard M.
Juang of the National Center for Transgender Equality
The National Center for Transgender Equality located in
Washington, DC will provide a lecture on the civil rights, or lack
there of. The transgender community still has civil rights hurdles
with employment, safety, privacy, and marriage.

Carnegie Room
Crossdressing -- Balancing the need to get out with safety,
security, and family issues presented by Nikki Noble and Willa
Koenig of Transpitt
A crossdresser needs to find a balance point in several
areas: having adventures vs. safety and security; time as a CD vs.
time with family; and getting involved in the gay or straight
community vs. maintaining your "other" identity. Nikki and Willa
will provide personal experiences regarding activities in
Pittsburgh, traveling around the country, and family experiences.
They will finish the session with a question and answer
session.

Panther Room
Hormone Replacement Therapy presented by Dr. Martin Seltman of
Forbes Regional Hospital
The prescription of hormones is a significant medical
procedure for transsexual people. Dr. Seltman will discuss both
female to male and male to female hormone replacement therapy and
what hormones can and can't do. The lecture will end with questions
and answers.

2:30 to 3:20

Schenley Room
Transgender Campus Concerns Presented by Brett Genny Beemyn, PhD OSU
This workshop will present the results of the first multi-campus
qualitative and quantitative studies of transgender students, and
discuss how a small but growing number of colleges and universities
are beginning to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment
for transgender people.

Carnegie Room
Spouse & Family issues presented by Jerry Sweeney of Persad
Families can have a hard time adjusting to a family member
expressing their gender in non traditional ways. A spouse or
partner may have the biggest hurdle in adjusting. This lecture
discusses the problems and issues families face and how a
transgender person can help family members through to acceptance.
This is a great lecture for those with family or spouse problems.

Panther Room
Spirituality Issues of Transgender People presented by Brenda Cole,
PhD
Religion is sometimes used by their family, friends, and even
themselves in order to show that being transgender is wrong, but
that doesn't have to be the case. This presentation will discuss
how religion and spirituality can be affirming rather than a
negative force for people.

3:30 to 5:00

Schenley Room
Keynote Speech presented by Author Kate Bornstein