Daniel Williams, Karen Thompson, Ramish Nadeem, Sheri Allen

Far too often, religious faith is used as a justification for homophobia. From the hatred espoused by members of the Westboro Baptist Church to individual families’ intolerance of their own LGBTQ+ children, homophobic approaches to faith and spirituality have brought violence against queer and trans people for centuries. It doesn’t have to be that way. This panel of faith leaders from various religious backgrounds will address and dispel common religious justifications for homophobia, uplift affirming approaches to theology, and discuss how to create a queer-inclusive community within your faith environment. 

Briona Jenkins

Accepting LGBTQIA+ youth for who they say they are and supporting them and their needs are the responsibility of every adult in their lives. This is your chance to get your “How do I…?” and “What if she, wait no, he…?”  and “Why do they…?” questions answered by real life queer adults!

Jessica Soukup, Kameron Koeffler, Matthew Shead, Susanne Kerns

For LGBTQIA+ students, even a single supportive adult can transform their lives. We'll share some 'Ally 101' tips and give you a handy cheat-sheet version of the local and online resources you can use to help ensure LGBTQIA+ students are safe and supported in school, (even when it's distance-learning-school!)

AJ Espinosa, Darcie Lenz, Erica Heller, Neathery Thurmond

What do eating disorders, self-harm and drug use all have in common? How prevalent are these concerns among LGBTQ+ youth? How can we talk about these things as a community in a way that is supportive and uplifting, not shaming and harmful? Join our panel of licensed medical and mental health providers for a conversation about compassion and harm reduction.

Beth Rich

“Parenting Beyond the (Gender) Binary” is a conversation about bringing gender expansive ideas and practices to our parenting, no matter what the specifics look like. Whether you’ve been a parent for decades, hope to parent in the future, already know you’re a parent of a trans or gender non-conforming person, chose to assign a sex/gender to your kids at birth or didn’t, this workshop will focus on moving beyond gender inclusion as something “out there” in the world and bringing gender liberation into our homes, families, and parenting. I’ll teach from my perspective as a white, trans non-binary parent who chose not to assign a gender to my kid, and will hold space for and do my best to see and acknowledge the many (valid and wonderful) approaches to gender expansive parenting, as well as the many ways our identities shape our experiences and philosophies as parents.

Beth Rich, Jo Ivester, Rachel Gonzales

At some point in their life, your child may express a desire to experiment with gender. Maybe they already have! For many parents, this can be a scary thing to navigate. However, this team of parents is here to explain that raising, supporting, and affirming your trans, non-binary, or gender non-conforming child does not have to be difficult or scary, no matter what age your child is. Join Jo Ivester, Rachel Gonzales, and Beth Rich for a panel discussion about how to support your TGNC kids.

Susan Cottrell

Parents, this one is for you! FreedHearts founder Susan Cottrell is here to answer all of your questions about supporting your LGBTQ+ children.