Grayson Hunt works at UT Austin as the Associate Director for LGBTQ Studies, an academic program within the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies. He completed a PhD in philosophy at the New School for Social Research in NYC before beginning a postdoc at Bard College teaching political and feminist philosophy for the Bard Prison Initiative. Grayson's work explores moral emotions, particularly the feminist value of resentment and indignation, and queer oppression, including the shared struggle of bisexual and transgender people. Grayson hosts a monthly transgender feminisms reading group (currently held virtually, but otherwise at BookWoman bookstore in Austin). You can find him on Facebook and Instagram or email him at graysonhunt@austin.utexas.edu.

Greg Bravo-Bonetti (he/him)

Greg Bravo-Bonetti is an English teacher and diversity coordinator at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas.  He attended undergrad at NYU and is currently finishing his PhD dissertation at UC Berkeley on the intersection of literature and gender in the late 19th century.  Greg has spoken widely about LGBTQIA+ identity and the vital power of empathy, including in a recent TedEx talk entitled "Gender, Drag, and the Importance of Play."  When he’s not in the classroom, Greg can be found around Austin paddle boarding, reading, or cooking at home with his husband, Joss.

Heather Frederick (they/them/elle)

Heather Frederick (they/them/elle) has been the Texas Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Network Coordinator for Out Youth since 2018. Originally from a tiny, rural town in Northern California, Frederick co-founded their high school’s first GSA. They hold Bachelor of Arts degrees in Spanish, Women’s Studies, and Linguistics from San Diego State University, and a Master of Arts in Gender & Peacebuilding from the UN-Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. They have lived in Austin for more than 8 years, committed to serving their community in nonprofit organizations helping survivors of domestic violence, and assisting Central Texans accessing reproductive healthcare.

A fierce bisexual, Frederick is still figuring out what their gender means to them. In the process they’re working to destroy the gender binary (and capitalism, white supremacy and ableism, among other systems of oppression) as a femme-presenting person using a masculine name and gender neutral pronouns. Frederick is a big nerd for languages, having studied Spanish, Turkish, Dutch, Irish, Mandarin, Russian, Polish, Nahuatl, and Miwok, and is passionate about language accessibility. When they’re not engaged in activism and social justice work, Frederick loves to write, read, travel, eat, and snuggle up with their partner and their adorable dog. Frederick is a Taurus sun, Sagittarius moon, Gemini rising born in the year of the Ox. 

Heran Kidane (she/her)

Heran Kidane is a recent public health and social work masters graduate from Austin, TX. Her dream community role involves addressing and eliminating the health and social disparities that disproportionately impact Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color while also honoring the strengths and creative solutions communities have developed to care for one another - especially those developed by and for queer and trans BIPOC. Currently, Heran is exploring prison abolition and reparations, and she enjoys learning (in all its forms), rollerskating, embroidery, and spending time with her beloved community.

Jaden Janak (they/them)

Jaden Janak is a third-year PhD student in African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Their research interests include prison abolition, trans studies, the Black Radical Tradition, and Black feminisms. Jaden is the author of “Fierce Urgency of Now: Protecting Trans People Within the Criminal [In]justice System,” which was published by the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. Additionally, they serve as a criminal justice correspondent to The Tulsa Star and The Oklahoma Eagle, two Black newspapers in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. As part of their summer research, Jaden coordinated a partnership between the Oklahoma Eagle and the Oklahoma Historical Society which resulted in the digitization of the paper’s entire 100-year archive, available to the public in 2021. They serve as a Donald D. Harrington Graduate Fellow and Coordinating Committee member of the Rapoport Center for Human Rights. In their free time, they organize with the Black Futures Collective and facilitate an abolition political education group. Jaden received their undergraduate (and political) education in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Jean Dorak (they/them)

With almost ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Jean is a people-loving fundraising professional with dedication to community, policy and social justice.

They joined the Catchafire team as Manager of Nonprofit Engagement to amplify their impact in the nonprofit sector. Jean is also President of a nonprofit board. When Jean isn’t working, Jean dances and instructs Latin Dance through a consent and gender inclusive lens.

Jean’s top priority in life is to be as empathetic and welcoming as possible to others, particularly the least advantaged. From educating people on social justice issues, to supporting nonprofits through development and management, Jean is committed to community, inclusion, and understanding.

Mx. Dorak is a member of the Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Jean received their B.A. in Political Science from Pace University.

Jessica Smarr (she/her)

Jessica Smarr, MPH, is a sexuality educator and curriculum writer with the non-profit UN|HUSHED. She has worked to deliver dynamic, inclusive, and fun sex education to toddlers, trainers, and everyone in between. Jessica co-authored the UN|HUSHED Middle School Curriculum and is also co-authoring the upcoming UN|HUSHED Elementary School curriculum. She has also taught over 400 hours of comprehensive sexuality education.

Jessica Soukup (she/her)

Jessica Soukup is a LGBTQIA+ Trainer, Speaker, Author and Activist determined to make a positive difference in the lives of queer and transgender people.

Jo Ivester (she/her)

In 1967, when Jo was ten years old, her father moved their family to an all-black town in the Mississippi Delta, where they were drawn into the civil rights movement. Because of this experience, Jo is committed to advocating for equal rights for all. Her best-selling, award-winning memoir about her family’s time there, The Outskirts of Hope, has led to numerous speaking engagements about racial relations.

When Jo’s son Jeremy realized that he’s transgender, Jo broadened her focus to raise awareness about what it means to be trans. Through her writing and speaking, she shares the story of what it was like for Jeremy to grow up in a world not quite ready for people like him. Jo’s recently published book, Once a Girl, Always a Boy, has been recognized by several magazines as one of the top reads for Spring 2020 and was included in USA Today’s list of top 10 LGBTQ books to read during Pride Month.

Jo serves on the boards of the Central Texas Anti-Defamation League, Equality Texas, and the Austin branch of GLSEN.

Joshua Ben-Escher (he/él)

Hello, I'm Joshua! I'm queer, trans, and Puerto Jewcan (Puerto Rican and Jewish). I use he/él pronouns. I'm an undergraduate student at University of California - San Diego studying Visual Arts - Media and Pre-Optometry. I primarily work in photo and video, and I'm particularly interested in the relationship between sound and visuals. I am currently going into my second year working at the campus LGBT Resource Center, where I put to work my deep passions for QTBIPOC power and leftist politics. Feel free to contact me (or just follow me!) on social media @joshuabenescher :-)

Jules Mandel (she/her)

Jules Mandel (she/her) is the Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator at Texas Freedom Network. Originally from Dallas, she moved to Austin three years ago to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Central Texas Food Bank, where she was part of Feeding Texas's Client Empowerment Corps. Jules then worked for six months on the field team of Beto O'Rourke's 2018 Senate bid. A little over a year ago, she found her way to Texas Freedom Network, where she is able to combine her skills in program development and community organizing to fight for a more equitable Texas. When not organizing Texans for progressive change, Jules can usually be found taking care of her sixty-plus houseplants or brushing up on her Spanish.

Kameron Koeffler (he/him)

Kameron Koeffler is a modern-day changemaker. He grew up in a small town in East Texas as a gay, biracial, cis-male. His passion for theatre and education brought him to Austin in 2012.

He earned a B.S. in Applied Learning and Development: All-Level Special Education with additional certifications in EC-6 th grade and English as a Second Language (ESL) from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016. That same year, Kameron began his role as a board member of GLSEN Austin, where he continues to serve LGBTQIA+ youth at the elementary level.

As a teacher and Chairman of the Social Justice Committee at UT Elementary Charter School, Kameron has integrated social justice curriculum on his campus over the past five years. His purpose in education is to provide equitable opportunities while promoting diversity, inclusion, and fostering critical-thinkers who will change the world.

Karen Thompson (she/her)

In May 2008, the congregation of upRising (formerly MCC Austin) elected Rev. Karen Thompson as Sr. Pastor. In this role she holds responsibility for planning and conducting worship, serves as head of staff, and leads the Board of Directors as its Moderator. A graduate of Austin Presbyterian Seminary, Rev. Karen began her journey to ordination as a Presbyterian. However, the Presbyterian Church’s refusal to ordain openly gay pastors at that time, combined with Rev. Karen’s growing desire to work in and with the LGBTQ faith community, led her to change denominations and to become ordained in MCC (Metropolitan Community Churches). She is a constant advocate for the LGBTQ community speaking regularly to GSAs, PFLAG, and other organizations as well as addressing the Texas Legislature and other governmental bodies.

KB Brookins (they/them)

KB is a Black queer poet, educator, organizer, and student affairs professional living outside of gender. Their interest lies in transformative justice for marginalized folks. They split their time between being Program Coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Center at the University of Texas at Austin, Founder/Lead Organizer of Interfaces, Teaching Artist for the Austin Library Foundation, and being a well-published and constantly-performing poet. Catch them where the free things are in Austin, TX or talking sweetness and other (non) human things online @earthtokb. 

Kelly Marshall (they/them)

Kelly Marshall is a wellness educator and has worked in varying capacities as a massage therapist since 2007; clinically alongside chiropractors and physical therapists as well as in various spa environments. A registered yoga teacher since 2012, and a certified Yoga Therapist since 2016, they specialize in facilitating a safer space for clients and students to reconnect with their bodies and drop into a deeper state of awareness in order to heal. With Spectrum Wellness, they offer individual and corporate education, mindfulness coaching, individual and group yoga instruction and Yoga Therapy. They focus upon creating a safer space of healing and empowerment for individuals in the LGBTQIA+ population, and those whom are addressing trauma, anxiety/depression, body and gender issues, and more.

Kyra Thrilkill (she/her)

Kyra Thrilkill has been a Reiki practitioner since 2007 and a massage therapist since 2011. Shortly after graduating at The Lauterstein-Conway Massage school, she moved to Houston to pursue a clinical focus in post-surgery work, inspiring her to open a private practice for 5 years, focusing on working with post-operative care and professional opera/classical singers. Since then, she's returned to Austin to be closer to her family.

In her free time, she spends a lot of her energy working on her body of watercolor paintings, increasing her repertoire on the violin and cello, studying Yoga and functional movement, and activism/advocacy work for the transgender and LGBTQ community.  

Leo Heinrich (he/him)

Leo Heinrich was the 2019-2020 President of the Westlake High School GSA. In that role he implemented ideas that increased membership and active participation by over 400%. He credits a focus on: early publicity; bringing in speakers relevant to the LGBTQ+ community; always having a mix of fun and substantive activities at meetings; and a strict “no-outing” poli- cy as reasons for the increase in GSA participation.

Heinrich will be attending American University in Washington, DC as a Health Promotion major. During the past year, Heinrich worked as a clinician at Austin Neuromuscular Clinic. After college, he plans to go to medical school.

This year, he will also be campaigning for political candidates who are supportive of LGBTQ+ rights.

In addition to school and his work with LGBT+ causes, Heinrich is an avid and creative cook, gardens, and plays both electric and acoustic guitar. He is also an intrepid traveler, and has been to all 50 states and 49 foreign countries. Often his travels include scuba diving.

Liam Garcia (he/him)

Liam Garcia is a queer transgender man and a proud immigrant residing in Texas. He is a DACA recipient from Mexico and has been living as an undocumented immigrant for over 30 years. He actively works advocating for immigrant and LGBTQIA+ rights. He often speaks publicly about his experiences navigating the complex intersections of personal identity and how we can actively work to connect and understand each other.

Meg Bishop (they/them)

Meg Bishop (they/them) is a Ph.D. student in the Human Development and Family Sciences department at the University of Texas at Austin, working in the SOGI: Health and Rights Lab. Meg’s research focuses on examining factors that influence the identity development, health, and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in schools and healthcare settings. Meg is currently exploring intersectional sexual identity development, transmasculine youth's healthcare communication, and research-based policies and practices for supporting LGBTQ+ youth in school. Meg’s goal is to produce rigorous research that informs programs and policies aimed at eliminating disparities experienced by LGBTQ+ youth.

Michael Alvarez (he/him/el)

Michael Alvarez (He/Him/El) is a Queer Hispanic from San Antonio, Texas. He is a sophomore at The University of Texas at Austin studying environmental engineering. He is an advocate for many social and human rights issues such as LGBTQIA+ rights, BLM, teen sexual education, and environmental policy. During high school Michael was an active member of the Youth Advocacy Council of Healthy Futures of Texas in which he fought for better sex-ed for youth in Texas Public Schools to cover topics such as consent, sexual protection, and healthy relationships. In his free time he enjoys creating art, reading, and cooking.

Naomi Wilson (she/her)

Naomi is a second-generation immigrant, trans and black equality activist born and raised in Austin Texas. Naomi's life experience gives her the ability to see the ways that poverty, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and transphobia, all intersect and believes that improving the quality of life for people experiencing these intersectional issues at once, truly highlights the faults in our society and proves that more work is needed to be done. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” - martin luther king jr.

Natalie Clifford (she/her)

Natalie Clifford (pronouns she / her) is a public school educator who currently provides support for newcomer immigrant youth at a high school on the South Side of San Antonio, Texas. She is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, but also lived in Fort Worth, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico, before moving to San Antonio. Natalie served as a youth worker for 5 years before formally entering teaching when she moved to San Antonio 3 years ago. She is fluent in Spanish.

Natalie is the founder and co-sponsor of her school district’s first Gender and Sexuality Alliance for LGBTQIA2S+ youth. As the co-sponsor of another student club focused on bilingualism, Natalie organized a field trip for 80 youth from her campus to attend the National Chicano Student Walkouts Conference in November 2019. This past summer, she taught an online literacy enrichment course called “Zoom into Activism” for middle and high school students in her school district.

Natalie is the Secondary Director for her district’s local educators’ union, and the founder of the LGBTQIA+ Caucus within the Texas State Teachers Association. Alongside other public school educators and community members, she has been extremely active in organizing with the San Antonio Coalition on School Reopening throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Natalie values the power of relationship building and telling the truth to our precious youth.

Lastly, Natalie is a huge fan of her hometown legend Prince, because she believes he is a role model of artist-activism in practice. She has had the honor of presenting at several conferences dedicated to the life and legacy of Prince, and was recently published in an anthology entitled Prince and Popular Music: Critical Perspectives on an Interdisciplinary Life.

Neathery Thurmond (she/they)

Neathery Thurmond (she/they) is a licensed clinical social worker, certified group psychotherapist, and certified meditation teacher. Neathery is the owner of a group psychotherapy practice and specializes in working with LGBTQ+ communities, eating disorders, body shame, relationship concerns, and trauma. Neathery is rooted in Health at Every Size®, Body Trust®, Harm Reduction, sex positive, fat positive, and anti-oppressive frameworks.

Nicky Ishaak (he/him)

Nicky Ishaak is an upcoming senior at St. Edward’s University where he studies Biochemistry with minors in Physics and Mathematics. In these past few years, he’s spent his time fighting for Texas to raise the age (from 17 to 18) at which someone can be tried as an adult for “criminal” offenses. He is passionate about transforming our society to operate under an anti-capitalist model, and heavily investing our resources (time, energy, money, etc.)  into community-led programs. He’s also very passionate about science and wishes to pursue a career in academia and research pertaining to astrophysics/cosmology! You can find him on Instagram @nickypls. 

Nima Rahman (she/her/hers)

Nima Rahman (she/her/hers) is a rising senior at The University of Texas at Austin studying Neuroscience and Plan II Honors with minors in English and Asian Studies. Her interests include health humanities and narrative medicine, addiction/substance use, higher education policy, and LGBTQ+ health. Rahman is passionate about the integration of patient narratives within primary care settings to improve treatment methods. Her research background includes investigation of the molecular mechanisms of transgenerational alcoholism and development of an app and curriculum promoting inclusive healthcare alongside an interdisciplinary team of students and Indian NGOs. She is incredibly excited to complete her thesis on “The Role of Narrative Medicine in Portraying Mental Illness and Substance Abuse in the Netflix series Bojack Horseman” by the end of this year. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a job in social impact and in the future hopes to attend medical school for psychiatry or family medicine. In her free time, Rahman enjoys reading plays (Tennessee Williams is her favorite!), creative writing, and making espresso every morning.

Quỳnh-Hương Nguyễn (she/they)

Quỳnh-Hương Nguyễn (She, They) has a strong research background with a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from Dominican University and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) focused on Student Affairs in Higher Education from Texas State University. Their academic focus is on queer identities, Asian identity, and mental health. Their professional passion is to provide educational opportunities for everyone to make spaces more welcoming affirming for women, LGBTQIA+ people and people with more than one of these identities. Additionally, they use intersectional research, personal experience, compassion, and storytelling to foster and develop allyship practices that center the voices of marginalized communities. Finally, they love using dry humor and food to connect with others.

Rachel Gonzales (she/her)

Rachel Gonzales, Program Manager at Reimagine Gender, has testified several times at the Texas Capitol, spoken at rallies and protests, and has maintained a local to national media presence in the fight for equality for transgender Texans. As the mother of a transgender child, equality for LGBTQ youth is her passion. She is delighted to be able to combine her passion with her background in cultural applied anthropology to advocate for the equal treatment of LGBTQ youth, providing support for families to be their own best advocates. She is an active member of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) National Parents for Transgender Equality Council.

Ramish Nadeem (they/them and he/him)

Ramish is an unabashedly Texan Queer Immigrant Muslim organizer who works to dismantle Islamophobia and white supremacy in a Southern context. He directs programming that aims to create an Arab, Muslim, and Middle Easterner sociopolitical bloc at I-AMM. He also works within the Texan Muslim communities to reimagine religious spaces and reclaim the potential for spirituality and religion to serve as sites of healing from trauma, liberation from oppression, and reengagement with our spiritual selves. Towards these ends, he works with Muslim Solidarity ATX, is a founder and board member of Muslim Space, and a founder of Muslims and Allies.

Ray (they/them)

I'm Ray and I'm queer and genderqueer and my pronouns are they/them. I left an abusive home at 17 and wasn't in contact with my parents for about 20 years. We're now civil to each other but we're still not close. I've been houseless, I've hitchhiked and train hopped. I've worked at a collectively run bakery, I've been a pro domme, I'm trained as an astronomer, and now I work on the tech side of animation. I've been through some shit, and I'm way more stable and comfortable now than I ever thought I had a chance at being.

Robert Firme (he/him)

As an Insights Program Manager, Robert manages the analytics offerings for LinkedIn Learning's Academic & Government Segment. In his gay job, Robert co-leads Out@In San Francisco, LinkedIn's LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. Robert is passionate about empowering underserved communities (specifically BIPOC and LGBTQ+) with access to educational and career opportunities. To this end, he has collaborated with organizations such as Maven Youth & YearUp, completed a Fellowship with San Francisco's New Leadership Council, and served on the advisory board of PowerMyLearning.  Prior to joining LinkedIn, Robert worked as an Energy Consultant with Navigant Consulting (now Guidehouse). Robert earned a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering, both from Stanford University.

Rocky Lane (he/him)

Rocky Lane is the current board chair for TENT, he grew up in Austin Texas and has spent his life devoted to causes and creative pursuits. As an advocate, Rocky has participated in countless leadership trainings and community-led fundraising events. As a health provider he has worked in careers ranging from certified nurse assistant to City of Austin Paramedic to a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Personal Trainer. Rocky’s story is one of tenacity, resilience, struggle, and triumph.  He understands intimately the power of advocacy and action. As a paramedic, he served as the creator of the Austin Paramedic Relief fund and board member for the Paramedic Association in the early 2000’s, a member of the  collective bargaining team for workers rights and wages with the City of Austin. He has learned the procedure and strategy necessary to create real change and he is eager to offer his experience and knowledge to the fight for protections for our community. 

Rosaleen Xiong (she/her)

Hi y'all! My name is Rosaleen (she/her), and I am currently a senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Computer Science with a certificate in Digital Arts and Media.

After high school, I decided not to attend college right away (much to my parents' chagrin). Instead, I moved across the country for a full-time job with City Year, an education non-profit aimed at bridging the gap between what students need and what schools can provide. Through the classes, student organizations, and jobs I've pursued since then, I have spent my entire academic and professional career figuring out how I can continue serving my communities to the best of my ability.

Ryan Dillon (they/them)

Ryan Dillon, LPC is a psychotherapist in Austin, TX. Ryan has a specialty in gender and sexual orientation development and primarily works with relationships and young adults. Ryan is also a sex educator with UN|HUSHED, a non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas that is dedicated to creating and implementing the highest quality sexuality education possible. They published their first book with the Executive Director of UN|HUSHED, Dr. Karen Rayne, titled, An Introduction to Sexuality Education: A Handbook for Mental Health Practitioners. Ryan is passionate about educating other mental health, medical, and sexual health professionals through their workshops such as “Bye Bye Binary,” “Transgender and Non-Binary Youth 101,” and “Developing Identity: Queer Youth.” They assisted in creating a social justice-oriented, culturally responsive therapist listserv, Inclusive Therapists, to connect marginalized populations with skilled therapists. Ryan lives in East Austin with their husband and 11-year-old puppy, Egan.

Sam Davis (they/them)

Sam is a  Black, Queer native of  Washington DC but has lived up and down the east coast before moving to Texas. Sam works at a private school in Austin, Texas.  They are a community activist who is passionate about celebrating and supporting LGBTQIA+ students. They are also an advocate for Gender-care services for those who defy the binary as well as someone who is Non-Binary. Sam considers themselves a master of none but has a love for Educational Technology as well as Diversity, Equity and  Inclusion. In their free time, they love to travel and watch TedTalks. 

Sarah Emily Baum (she/they)

Sarah Emily Baum, 17, of Marlboro, NJ, loves writing for Sex, Etc., so she can share reliable and accessible sexual health information with other teens. She feels young people should always have a voice regarding their sexual health. She is most excited about being the voice she wishes she had heard when she was younger. Sarah’s writing has previously been published online in Women’s eNews, ADDitude and iGeneration Youth. In her free time, she participates in the Junior State of America, the United States’ largest student-run debate organization, as well as volunteering at a hospice for elderly and disabled pigs! Sarah is also president of her school’s Equality Alliance and is a huge LGBTQ advocate. A fun fact about Sarah is that her favorite food is vegan bacon! In the future, Sarah would like to be a journalist for The New York Times.

Savion Morgan Cooper (they/them)

Savion Morgan Cooper was born and raised in San Diego, an alumni of Samuel F.B Morse High School and previously the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance’ club president. Outside of planning school events, they give a youth’s perspective for the city’s GLSEN Board and various panels. They currently attend San Diego City College with a goal of achieving a bachelors in computer science and utilize their skills to be an advocate for marginalized communities. When there’s nothing on Savion’s plate, they enjoy tinkering with computer hardware, painting, and lifting weights.

Shanae Adams (she/they)

Shanae "HonestlyNae" Adams, MA, LPCC, CIGT (she/they) serves their community in a variety of ways including as a therapist, educator, and sex-positive enthusiast. Their mission is sexuality normalization, explanation, and melaninated representation. Their passion revolves around the liberation of embracing sexuality. They are known for their dynamic workshops, sex-positive mindset, and eliminating the "taboo" surrounding sex and sexuality.

Shane Whalley (ze/hir)

In February of 2020, Shane Whalley, LMSW, became the Community Coordinator for the Austin Independent School District Office of Equity. Mx. Whalley came to AISD after being a long time social justice educator. Ze has been an adjunct faculty member at the UT School of Social Work, the Education Coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Center at UT and has worked at several mental health nonprofits in Austin. Mx. Whalley is deeply relational and a playful genderqueer facilitative educator, who enjoys engaging in conversations around the complexities of "all the things.”

Shannan Wilber (she/her)

Shannan Wilber has dedicated her legal career to advocating for disadvantaged children and youth. In 2013, she joined the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) to direct the organization’s Youth Project and focus specifically on LGBTQ youth in child welfare and youth justice systems. Shannan helped create professional standards responsive to the needs of queer and trans youth in state custody and has worked with numerous state and local jurisdictions to develop affirming practices. She supports policies that prevent young people from entering state custody by expanding the social safety net and promoting the well-being of youth and their families. Shannan is a mother, lesbian/feminist, civil rights lawyer for youth, and avid gardener.

Shelby Hobohm (She/Her)

Shelby Hobohm (She/Her) is a rising senior studying Mechanical Engineering and Government at The University of Texas at Austin. She has been involved in various initiatives fighting for LGBTQ+ Rights including advocating for gender-inclusive housing options and for better treatment of LGBTQ+ engineering students. She also is the Social Coordinator of LGBQT-ies, UT Austin's LGBTQ+ Engineering organization. Currently, Hobohm has been working with an interdisciplinary team of students and Indian NGOs to develop an app promoting inclusive healthcare. 

Hobohm has also been an advocate for other causes around campus, most recently the fight against sexual misconduct with the Coalition Against Sexual Misconduct. In her free time, Hobohm enjoys traveling, and has spent a semester in both Edinburgh, Scotland and Washington, DC. She also enjoys stress-baking, reading, and watching Netflix. She is currently pursuing an Integrated Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, and in the future hopes to attend law school for public interest law.

Sheri Allen (she/her)

Cantor Sheri Allen has been leading Congregation Beth Shalom in Arlington, TX for eleven years. She serves on the Ethics Committee of the Cantors Assembly (CA), and is also the moderator of the CA listserve, Hazzanet. She is on the board of Care & Prepare, a non-profit organization that addresses end-of-life issues and conducts advance care planning discussions, and serves as the Jewish Community Chaplain for VITAS Healthcare in Ft. Worth.

Cantor Allen helped create The Arlington (Texas) Interfaith Consortium, with the goal of fostering friendship, understanding and education among faith communities. She is also an enthusiastic ally and advocate for LGBTQ rights. She has served on the Transgender Rights Leadership Committee of the RAC (Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism), was a guest panelist for the Texas Freedom Network’s “Countering Hate in the Transgender Community” program, participated in UNTHSC’s symposium, “Out for Health,” and was a panelist for Care and Prepare’s program, “Spiritual Care for LGBTQ Palliative and Hospice Patients.”

Cantor Allen lives in Ft. Worth with her husband Richard, who is a Professor in the Film, Television and Digital Media Department at TCU. They have three grown children: Jeremy, Emily, and Preston.

Sheridan Aguirre (they/them or any)

Sheridan is the Arts + Culture Change Strategist at United We Dream, the largest undocumented youth led organization. They have been with the organization for 8 years: 4 years as a communications manager and prior to that, 4 years as a member of the Austin youth-led team, coordinating pro-bono clinics to provide assistance for families applying for DACA and leading immigrant and queer justice campaigns. Born in Guerrero, Mexico, Sheridan immigrated with their mom at a year old and they have lived undocumented since 1996. They studied film production and screenwriting at the University of Texas; their passion for culture change is rooted in a deep love of performance and theatre-for-education, audience engagement, and authentic storytelling anchored in truth and a proactive vision for the future.

Shilpa Rajagopal (she/her)

Shilpa Rajagopal is a fourth-year biology honors and marketing major at UT Austin. She is passionate about community health and has previous experience serving as a health communications intern and peer health educator. Her interest in understanding the intersectionalities of health and social care delivery systems has guided much of her research, which examines health disparities and the ways in which identities, culture, and the surrounding environment all affect health outcomes and wellbeing. 

Shira Siegal (they/she)

Hi! I'm Shira (they/she), and I'm a rising senior at Griffin School in Austin, Texas. I'm an artist, musician, and massive queer nerd! Since my sophomore year, I've been involved in my school's GSA, and this past year, I got the opportunity to be a leader of it and will continue to do so as a senior. I work hard to make the club a safe space for everyone there, and I try to be someone that people can come to if they have a problem. I value being active in educating people, both in school and out, about LGBTQ+ related subjects because not everyone is lucky enough to be taught about those topics, let alone have a designated club for it.

Shiva Velingker (he/him)

Shiva is currently a Solutions Engineer at Facebook, working in a hybrid role that consists of coding, product management, and consulting. He graduated from UT Austin in 2019 with majors in Computer Science and Humanities, and minors in Philosophy and Entrepreneurship. Prior to working at Facebook, Shiva interned at Google and participated in the charity bike ride Texas 4000, spending his summer after graduation biking from Austin, TX to Anchorage, AK to fundraise for cancer. He is an upcoming MBA candidate at Harvard Business School, having been accepted into their deferred 2+2 Program. Beyond work, Shiva focuses on working with local nonprofits, hiking in local state parks, and working on mental health passion projects.

Steven Tamayo (he/him)

Steven Tamayo is the Outreach and Testing Manager of Texas Health Action – Kind Clinic. Steven handles the oversight and reporting of the Outreach, Volunteer, and Mobile Testing teams, who go out into the community and meet potential clients to inform them of our services as well as providing sexual health information and testing services. Steven holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin and brings with him over 5 years of experience in this field. In his free time, Steven loves cooking, dancing, video games, performing as his drag persona Grandma Steven, and spending time with his cats, Catherine and Zeta-Jones.

Susan Cottrell (she/her)

Susan Cottrell is an international speaker whose TEDx talk has more than 1.3 million views. OutSmart magazine called her “The Mother of All MamaBears.” The Advocate dubbed her “our favorite affirming matriarch.” She is a prominent voice for the LGBTQ community and their parents who has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, Nightline and Good Morning America, and on NBC News Out. She is a public theologian and through her nonprofit organization—FreedHearts—Susan champions the LGBTQ community and families with her authentic love; and she challenges people to love as the foundation of their faith. She spent 20+ years in the nonaffirming Evangelical church, has a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, and served as the Vice-President of PFLAG Austin. Her FreedHearts Blog and YouTube videos have millions of viewers, and her books ”Mom, I’m Gay”—Loving Your LGBTQ Child and Strengthening Your Faith; True Colors: Celebrating the Truth and Beauty of the Real You; Radically Included: The Biblical Case for Radical Love and Inclusion; and Be the Love You Want to See in the World are critically acclaimed. She and her husband Rob have been married for 33 years and have five children, two of whom identify as queer. 

“Susan has this fierce, loving, don’t mess with me, Mom vibe.”—Rev Ashley Harness, Auburn Seminary

Susanne Kerns (she/her)

Susanne is a humor writer living in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children. In 2017, she founded, "Informed Parents of Austin," to educate parents (especially cis-het parents,) about the importance of advocating for LGBTQIA+ students, families and staff, and comprehensive sex-ed in Austin ISD. She also serves on the board of GLSEN Austin.

Tasnim Islam (she/her)

Tasnim Islam is an upcoming junior at The University of Texas at Austin where she studies Plan II, Women & Gender Studies, and Portuguese with certificates in LGBTQ+ Studies and Pre-Health Professions. In these past few years, she’s spent her time fighting for survivors’ justice and organizing with her Queer and Trans BIPOC communities. She is passionate about incorporating abolitionist and revolutionary politics in healthcare as a future healthcare professional. She spends much of her free time trying new recipes and taking hip-hop dance classes! You can find her on Instagram @tasnimislamatx.

Toby Johnson (he/him)

Toby Johnson, PhD, former Catholic monk and comparative religions scholar turned gay psychotherapist, community organizer, AIDS educator, bookseller, editor and book designer, novelist and gay cultural commentator has been a gay activist since the early 1970s in San Francisco. He is author of six non-fiction books that present spiritual wisdom he learned from his mentor and friend, renowned religions scholar Joseph Campbell, including Gay Spirituality: Gay Identity and the Transformation of Human Consciousness, and four gay genre novels, including Two Spirits: A Story of Life Among the Navajo (in collaboration with Walter L. Williams). 

Johnson and his partner since 1984 Kip Dollar ran Liberty Books, the lesbian/gay community bookstore in Austin for seven years in the 80s and 90s. They were the first male couple registered as Domestic Partners in Texas in 1993. They were legally married on their 34th anniversary.

Tonja Payne (she/her)

Tonja Payne is a femme presenting queer African American who currently resides in Phoenix AZ. The pronouns identified are s/he & her. She is described as the "relaxation expert" and uses her natural gifts to help magnify the spiritual journeys of those she encounters. Tonja is very well versed in Sexual health and pleasure activism. Making sure to have a safe sexual relationship with her partners and living a life of pleasure. Her philosophy is that - "pleasure comes from all aspects of life. A partner only adds on to the pleasure that you already project onto yourself". Massage therapist, reiki master and intuitive tarot card reader is how Tonja connects with her clients and the community around her.

TreShaun Pate (he/him)

TreShaun Pate joined the ACLU of Texas in August of 2019 as the volunteer coordinator in the Dallas area. Prior to his work with the ACLU, he volunteered heavily with the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition where he is currently the conference coordinator/conference program chair. It was after attending his first BTAC conference in 2013 that he wanted to step up from a general volunteer and do more work centering the empowerment of his fellow Black trans people.

TreShaun is an advocate through education and empowerment and wants to help create equitable policies and legislation in the state of Texas. He is most passionate about LGBTQ issues and criminal justice reform. In his spare time, he loves to ride his skateboard, box, and go on camping trips where he can fish and enjoy nature.

Will Crow (he and she)

Will Crow (he and she) is a multiply disabled & blind two-spirit educator leading workshops about creating access in Central Texas. He works locally speaking with LGBT youth and the coordinators of their spaces, performing accessibility audits, and teaching abled people of all ages how they can recognize inaccessibility in their communities.

Earlier in the year she gave her workshop "Visual Access in Art" for the Virtual Sick & Disabled Fair, a 30-minute talk on creating tactile zines for the blind & visually impaired. Later in the year she will be presenting video and photography work centering the lived intersection of transgender, disabled, and Indigenous experiences at Austin's Gender Unbound and Art Heals festivals.

Additionally she works with Austin's Chronically Queer as a­ co-admin, and as one co-founder of Fineline, an informal group comprised of transgender street medics as well as regional tech people who work online to steer them from obstacles and toward areas which need them on the ground.

Decolonization informs the heart of his work, whether that work is done in her support of prison abolition, harm reduction, decriminalization of sex work, Indigenous language revitalization, or mutual aid efforts.

Zoe Odulinski (she/her)

Bi-o: Zoe Odulinski is co-president of the Lake Travis High School Gender-Sexuality Alliance, a student-run organization that aims to provide information to help educate the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies, provide a safe space for the students of LTHS to be themselves, and host speakers and workshops for its members.  Zoe uses she/her pronouns, identifies as bisexual, and as the title for this short bio demonstrates, she loves terrible puns.