Second Annual Trans Community Health & Wellness FairFriday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, 2008 An event for trans and gender variant people, partners, friends, family, medical providers, allies and community -- presented by the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition.
Free, with meals provided (Fri. dinner, Sat. breakfast & lunch; vegan, vegetarian, or meat option), and everyone is welcome!
To register, to volunteer, or if you have questions, go to our website at
http://www.mntranshealth.org call us at 612-823-1152, or email
mntranshealth@yahoo.comLocation:
South High School, 3131 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407
-- Enter through doors off the parking lot
-- Near bus lines 19 & 21 or Lake Street light rail station
-- Free parking lot, wheelchair accessible
No-scent policy: Please refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, and other scented products so that everyone, including those with allergies and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, can participate safely. For ideas of products to use or more information, see this website:
http://www.genderblur.org/about_no_scent.htmlCommunity Housing is available for anyone coming from out of town needing a place to stay -- email Amy at <amymarsicano@yahoo.com>
Supervised Children's Activities will be offered both Friday night and Saturday all day. If you didn't indicate this when you registered, please let us know via phone or email if you plan to
bring children and what ages they are.
Friday, May 9, 6-9pm: Dinner (free!) followed by Keynote Speech by surgeon Marci Bowers, M.D.
Saturday, May 10, 8:30am-6pm: Full day of 21 Workshops led by local and national health professionals, experts, trans community member and allies, Health Screenings, Information Tables, Chair Massage & more!
ASL INTERPRETING: The full program on Friday night, and the lunch program and closing ceremony on Saturday will be ASL interpreted.
HEALTH SCREENINGS: Health screenings on Saturday will include confidential and free OraSure HIV testing, syphilis testing, hepatitis C testing, blood pressure and diabetes screenings, and more. The HIV and syphilis testing will only be available from 11-3 on Saturday. If you're interested in the blood glucose / diabetes testing, this will be available starting right at 8:30 a.m. and it's much more accurate and helpful if you've been fasting for 8 hours (only drinking water).
Friday night Keynote: From Madness to Maternity: seeking gender identity in a dysphoric world
Dr. Bowers will mix anecdote, humor and medical information in her review of gender-related issues.
Additional Special Guests:
Loren Schechter, M.D., surgeon from Morton Grove, Illinois will lead the workshop Gender Confirmation Surgery and Revision Vaginoplasty.
André Wilson, national expert on transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage (and last year's Keynote Speaker), will lead the workshop Getting Us Covered: advocacy for trans-inclusive health insurance.
Full workshop schedule grid, descriptions and presenter bios are available on our website!
NOTE ABOUT SURGERY DISCUSSIONS: Both Dr. Bowers and Dr. Schechter will be on hand during part of the day Saturday (exact times to be determined) to discuss surgery options with individuals in 15 minute increments. If you are interested in this, please note that we are
NOT signing anyone up ahead of the Fair. Sign-up for these short discussions will be first come, first served starting at 8:30 a.m. at the registration table on Saturday, May 10 (not Friday).
NEW: Youth Town Hall Meeting!
At the Health Fair -- Sat, May 10, Workshop Session 3 from 2:15-3:45 pm For youth ages 21 and under to talk about the unique experiences, challenges, and resources specific to trans, genderqueer, and allied youth.
ENTERTAINMENT:
TransVoices Chorus will sing two songs to kick off the Health Fair on Friday evening
Empowered Expressions youth performance troupe will perform several skits on Saturday right after lunch Andrea Jenkins will share her poetry with us throughout the Fair
Detailed Schedule
Friday, May 9, 2008, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
6:00-7:30 pm: Dinner (Free: vegan, vegetarian and meat options available) -- in Cafeteria
7:30-9:00 pm: Keynote Speech by Marci Bowers, M.D. -- in Auditorium Opening program: TransVoices singing two songs and Andrea Jenkins reading a piece of poetry
Saturday, May 10, 2008, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
All day: Browse Health Fair tables, participate in free health screenings and services, attend workshops
8:30-9:15 Registration & Breakfast
9:15-9:30 Opening: Welcome and Announcements (in Cafeteria)
9:30-11:00 Workshop Session 1 (in Auditorium and Classrooms A through E)
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-12:45 Workshop Session 2 (in Auditorium and Classrooms A through E)
12:45-2:00 Lunch, with a short program at 1:30 featuring queer poetry by local author and activist Andrea Jenkins and community announcements (in Cafeteria)
2:00-2:15 Empowered Expressions youth performers (collaboration of District 202 and Outward Spiral Theatre) will perform several skits (in Auditorium)
2:15-3:45 Workshop Session 3 (in Auditorium and Classrooms A through E)
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-5:30 Workshop Session 4 (in Auditorium and Classrooms A through E)
5:30-6:00 Closing Ceremony hosted by Andrea Jenkins and André Wilson (in Auditorium)
Over 30 GLBT and health organizations and service providers will host tables at the Health Fair -- here are a few of them:
Access Works
Bisexual Organizing Project
Changing Pathways
Chrysalis
District 202
GLBT Host Home Project / Project Offstreets
Face to Face
Heteroflexible Therapy
Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Scent-Free Resources
Neighborhood Health Care Network
Outfront Minnesota
PFLAG
PFund
Pro-Choice Resources
Sexual Violence Center
Transition 101
TransParent
Twin Cities Trans March
TransVoices
Thank you's:
-- The Twin Cities visit of surgeons Marci Bowers, MD and Loren Schechter, MD is made possible through funding from the University of Minnesota's All Gender Health Program (through the Division of Epidemiology and the Program in Human Sexuality). Both surgeons will also be presenting a session that is free and open to the public on Friday, May 9 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Moos Tower room 2-650 on the east bank campus of the University of Minnesota.
-- This event has been made possible in part with a grant from PFund.
Thanks for reading, and we'll see you at the Fair!
Sincerely,
The Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition
