FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Shane Morgan
TransOhio
(614) 441-8167
TransOhio@gmail.com
www.transohio.org
Registration now open for Third Annual TransOhio Transgender and Ally Symposium
Columbus, Ohio — May 22, 2010 — The 3rd Annual TransOhio Transgender and Ally Symposium, which will be held on the campus of Ohio State University from August 13-15, 2010, will feature over 70 workshops and seminars by local and nationally recognized presenters. Registration for this year’s Transgender and Ally Symposium is now open.
TransOhio, Ohio’s only statewide Transgender advocacy and community organization, has expanded this conference, which originally consisted of a single day just three years ago, to three full days of workshops, seminars and social events, including a day that is specifically set aside for medical, social service and legal providers. “This is the first year we will be hosting a Provider’s Day at our Symposium. We’re going to be able to offer continuing education units (CEUs) as we’ve partnered with The Ohio State University’s College of Social Work. Additionally, the GLBT Alumni Society – Scarlet & Gay and The Longaberger Alumni House have also been key partners in making this day come together,” said Shane Morgan, Founder and Chair of TransOhio. The General Symposium sessions, held both Saturday and Sunday, will occur onsite at the Ohio State University Multicultural Center at the Ohio Union.
“Recently, we’ve seen several established as well as new medical and legal providers stepping up to learn about the Transgender community and their needs and the issues that are specific to the community. Part of TransOhio’s mission is to provide opportunities to continue to develop qualified professionals that the Transgender community can seek out for services,” according to TransOhio Board Member Jacob Nash. “People need to know that they have options and need to be able to select a professional who best fits an individual’s needs and works for them.”
Presentations, workshops and seminars will cover topics such as Health & Safety, Partners, Spouses & Family, Sex & Sexuality, Legal Issues & Employment, Religion and Spirituality, Education & Advocacy and Culture, Media and Arts. Friday night events include a Meet & Greet and the Fabulously Fluid! gender-bending performance showcase. Saturday evening, TransOhio will host a special performance of local performer Sile P. Singleton’s – PAINT! A Transformative Project at the Columbus Performing Arts Center’s Shedd Theatre in Columbus. PAINT! is set against the backdrop of a socially constructed notion that communities of color are “more homophobic than white communities,” Singleton, chases the metaphor of the rainbow from her earliest childhood memories in the church to today’s rainbow clad “twirly” boys and “dykes on bikes.” Singleton guides the audience through the very personal journey of an American Black Midwest Queer Trans-person and her quest for the symbol of hope and ‘everlasting inclusion.’
For more information about TransOhio or the 3rd Annual TransOhio Transgender and Ally Symposium, visit www.transohio.org or transohio2010.wordpress.com to register.
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