Anna Nguyen, Deirdre Walsh, Robert Firme, Shiva Velingker

Technology is the fastest-growing industry in the world, and that will likely continue to be the case, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased reliance on virtual activities. If you have ever been interested in the tech industry, we hope you’ll join us for this panel discussion with queer folks who work in this field. This panel is a great opportunity to learn about the diverse range of tech careers (it’s not all STEM!) and to hear about how queer folks navigate the industry.

Ena Ganguly, Heran Kidane, Jaden Janak

The mainstream queer narrative in the West consistently centers whiteness and excludes the experiences of communities of color. From a failure to recognize and celebrate Indigenous and Native expressions of gender and sexuality to the all-too-common inclusion of the phrase “No Asians, No Blacks” in dating profiles, white supremacy has stifled the voices of folks of color in queer spaces and movements. This panel hopes to excavate how QTBIPOC navigate the predominant whiteness of the mainstream queer community, and they will discuss how QTBIPOC can assert their Blackness and Brownness within these white spaces.

Ames Zocchi

Agency over gender describes the belief of a child’s freedom to determine their own person. And, that an educator’s choice to guide, not control, that determination can help create spaces of such freedom. The idea of agency over gender through art came from my first teaching job out of college as a counselor of an elementary after school center. In college, I had finished my thesis in using an intersectional lens in public school pedagogy. This illustrated ways in which teachers should frame their curriculum using an intersectional feminist lens that centers those that are most marginalized and erased. I was excited to practice these thoughts and writings into my work with students. Within two weeks of my previous job I was promoted to Art Director and was able to put into practice my ideas, and challenge myself in new ways.

Alister Womack, Ashley Morrison, Brian Kunde

LGBTQIA+ youth deserve to see themselves in the stories they read and the lessons they learn. Multiple studies have shown the importance of LGBTQ-related resources and inclusive curricula for queer students’ sense of safety and belonging. Libraries – whether in schools, communities, or homes – are powerful tools for encouraging queer youth to explore their identities and histories. Three of Out Youth’s past and present librarians will join us to discuss strategies to make libraries a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ youth, queering the stacks, and responding to parent and community backlash.

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. 

AJ Majd

Researchers use the term “Minority Stress” to describe the strain required by members of a marginalized group to partake in society. This session is a conversation about Minority Stress and its effect on healthy lives and relationships. Understanding the term and the ways in which it affects our queer community will allow us to acknowledge the common trauma that we often share. Although our community has gained visibility and more equality, we still observe very high rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse for queer individuals. The continuous stress endured by queer people growing up in a cisgender heteronormative society greatly impacts our ability to nurture healthy relationships and affects our physical and mental health. Moreover, these stressors are multiplied for Queer People of Color. Acknowledging this trauma will cease the circle of abuse that is often recreated within our community and ensure more joy, happiness and growth. AJ will define the terms, present data, link it to healthy relationships, and offer helpful resources too.

Aram Han Sifuentes, Dani Marrero Hi, Liam Garcia, Sheridan Aguirre

📣 "Undocumented, unafraid! Trans, queer, unashamed!" 🎶🏳️‍🌈 Just this summer, in the midst of Pride Month, trans and undocumented folks won major protections for their communities in the Supreme Court: their movements grounded in people power, love, and resilience. Speaking up and taking action have been a tradition even since Stonewall — so how can LGBTQ teens and their allies continue that spirit to protect their immigrant friends, classmates, and community members? Join Q+ EDU for a panel discussion about immigrant LGBTQ justice, the abolition of detention camps and prisons, and how you can get involved to create a better world that treats everyone with dignity!

Nima Rahman, Rosaleen Xiong, Shelby Hobohm, Shilpa Rajagopal

We are a team of four interdisciplinary undergraduate students at the University of Texas at Austin to develop an app-based curriculum for Indian healthcare providers to work more effectively with LGBTQ+ patients. We are collaborating with two Chennai-based NGOs, SAATHII and Nirangal. During this teach-in, we will share our current findings and discuss the importance of interdisciplinary, intersectional research about LGBTQ+ health. We will discuss the ways in which LGBTQ+ identities are lived and experienced in health settings. We will address the critical knowledge gaps in existing healthcare education about the needs of LGBTQ+ communities. You can read more about our project on our blog.

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!

Joshua Ben-Escher

This program will provide a base understanding of how the world's concepts of gender and sexuality are deeply colonized, and how transphobia and homophobia (among countless other social issues) are rooted in anti-Blackness. We will finish with a Q+A session and methods to work on dismantling these concepts in our own minds.

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.

Briannah Hill

At the end of the day LGBTQIA+ history and POC history are inherently intertwined, you cannot have one without the other. This presentation will trace the historical context and stories of QTBIPOC activism and highlight certain individuals from social movements in the past such as the Stonewall Riots, the Civil Rights Movement, and various others in the U.S., and current movements like Black Lives Matter. It is important that we know the history, that we know the names, that we continue to learn and educate ourselves for our futures and beyond.

Brian Klosterboer, TreShaun Pate

Join us to play virtual trivia and learn about LGBTQIAP2+ students’ rights in schools. This interactive program seeks to inform young people, families, and advocates on the current state of students’ rights in Texas and across the country, including providing updates from the ACLU of Texas on recent court cases and how students, parents, educators, and allies can help make schools more inclusive and affirming.

Anna Nguyen, Darla Harrison, Rocky Lane, Toby Johnson

Our society's obsession with youthfulness unfortunately infiltrates the LGBTQIAP2+ community too, but your sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression don't become null and void when you turn 30. Join Queering Education for an intimate and personal conversation with Anna Nguyen, Darla Harrison, Rocky Lane and Toby Johnson, moderated by Out Youth's own Kathryn Gonzales!

Heather Frederick, Ray

LGBTQ youth represent as much as 40% of the homeless youth population. This discussion will address both how queer young people can try to prepare themselves if they fear their parents or guardians might kick them out if they came out or were outed, and what rights and options they have if they have already been expelled from their homes. National Safe Place is a good resource to start with if being unhoused is a concern.

Grant E. Loveless

As an AfroQueer non-binary student leader and social entrepreneur in the City of Austin I have experienced racism, homophobia and discrimination. During the presentation I will be discussing my experiences as a Queer non-binary person of color and emphasizing how my existence is resistance. This entails discussing the importance of intersectionality, equity and inclusion and the use of social media to dismantle systems that perpetuate Eurocentric and heteronormative conditioning and ideals.

The question is how do we create spaces for QTBIPOC+ students to feel celebrated, needed and heard? From my experience as a student leader and community member, I will go in depth on the importance of amplifying the voices of youth to claim their space, constructing a table to bring youth and their peers to the table and creating opportunities for youth, not only to piece together their identities, but to become catalysts of change in their communities, schools and homes.

In all, how do we use the concept of intersectionality, structures of equity and inclusion and the tool that is social media to make it known that as QTBIPOC+ youth our existence is resistance and it’s our time to claim our space(s)?

Colton Dowling

Firstly, go watch Disclosure on Netflix - if you haven’t seen it, see it. It is not ‘required-reading’, but it provides countless examples of what we are going to talk about. Why queer people are so flipping funny! Spoiler Alert: it’s perspective. From joke structure to societal expectations, we will talk about finding our voice. For clarity, this webinar is assuming that you are not a comedian or know much about comedy and we can pivot to meet the wants of the audience.

Jean Dorak

So, the Supreme Court just decided LGBTQIAP2+ folks can't be fired just for being queer – yay! But that doesn't mean every employer in the country is magically queer-friendly. Join us for a conversation about where to find reviews of employers from current and past employees, what to look for on a potential employer's website and social media to distinguish a safer workplace from a corporate rainbow Pride wash, and how to make the most of your local LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. You'll also learn how to see what the Better Business Bureau has to say about a potential employer, and if there's time, maybe even how to find their political ties and tax returns, and if they've been sued by employees, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or community members. Although there is no equivalent to the Campus Pride Index for employers, there are lots of ways to get the dirt on a company before you decide if you want to spend 40 hours of your week there.

Quỳnh-Hương Nguyễn

Planning for the future can be overwhelming, especially when you are not sure where to start. This workshop will provide resources and things to consider as you are thinking about your next steps. Explore your options after graduating from high school – from finding queer-friendly colleges and scholarships to safety tips for traveling abroad, or things to consider when heading into the workforce – and learn how to find and create your own community.

Fatima Mann

We are in the wake of a new beginning. A beginning that has invited us to be present, to hear, to feel, and to see. We are all flowing through a period of time that has invited us to connect with ourselves, our environment, and one another. The world before COVID-19 no longer exists, and we are the conjurors of our realities.

Conjuring Our Power invites participants to remember their power, learn ways to invoke their power, and have an opportunity to reflect on how to utilize their power. This experience invites participants to feel free to unapologetically be themselves. The space will be opened with gratitude, the flow of the experience, an invitation to introduce oneself, a learning portion, and time for connection.

Kelly Marshall, Kyra Thrilkill, Rocky Lane

Transforming Wellness is a panel discussion created by transgender wellness professionals. It focuses on educating health and wellness practitioners about the health, wellness, safety, accessibility and competent care for clients whom are transgender and/or gender non-conforming. It's based off a regular 3 hour workshop offered and co-facilitated by Kyra Thrilkill, Kelly Marshall, and Rocky Lane. 

Grayson Hunt

Have you considered taking a class in LGBTQ Studies, or earning a degree in it? If you’ve ever had questions like “What even is LGBTQ Studies?” or “What kind of job can you get if you take LGBTQ Studies classes?” then this session is for you! Grayson Hunt, the Associate Director of LGBTQ Studies and the University of Texas at Austin will answer all your other questions about LGBTQ Studies too.