Thursday, September 17, 2015
Second Annual TransPride Pittsburgh Conference comes to Lawrenceville
The trans community in Pittsburgh is growing and TransPride Pittsburgh’s second ever conference exemplifies this trend. To accommodate the growth in number of events, speakers and attendees, the conference has been moved from the First United Methodist Church in Shadyside to the larger (and new) Persad Center in Lawrenceville. The conference starts Friday Sept. 18 and concludes Sunday Sept. 20.
TransPride Pittsburgh Conference organizer Lyndsey Sickler says the weekend conference will have 22 different workshops and four keynote speakers. She says turnout could be as high as a few hundred people.
“We worked really diligently this year to try to meet the needs of the community and we are super excited,” says Sickler. “This is definitely bigger than last year.”
Workshops will cover topics such as advocacy, makeup and job interview techniques. Free HIV and Hepatitis C testing will also be available.
Sickler says the conference is meant to be inspirational and educational, and converge on the theme of “VisibiliT beyond the body.” Local doctors will provide information on navigating healthcare and speakers will tell stories of transgender history.
“We started as a performance showcase, but as we have grown, people were asking for more on the educational side,” says Sickler.
Keynote speakers, like ex-military trans advocate Brynn Tannehill, have traveled from across the country to speak about their experiences and offer advice to conference attendees. Local trans advocate and performer Alexander Smithson will also speak at the conference.
Not to disappoint anyone looking for some lively shows, Cruz Bar will be hosting the TransPride Showcase starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 19, featuring performances by JAC Stringer, the Midwest GenderQueer, Orion Blaze Brown and Tate.
Organizers are asking for $10 donation, but Sickler says that “no one will be turned away if they do not have the funds.”
“We kind of do this on a wing and prayer, and all the money goes directly back into the conference and related events,” says Sickler.
Visit www.transpridepittsburgh.org for more information or contact Lyndsey Sickler at [email protected] for questions.
TransPride Pittsburgh Conference organizer Lyndsey Sickler says the weekend conference will have 22 different workshops and four keynote speakers. She says turnout could be as high as a few hundred people.
“We worked really diligently this year to try to meet the needs of the community and we are super excited,” says Sickler. “This is definitely bigger than last year.”
Workshops will cover topics such as advocacy, makeup and job interview techniques. Free HIV and Hepatitis C testing will also be available.
Sickler says the conference is meant to be inspirational and educational, and converge on the theme of “VisibiliT beyond the body.” Local doctors will provide information on navigating healthcare and speakers will tell stories of transgender history.
“We started as a performance showcase, but as we have grown, people were asking for more on the educational side,” says Sickler.
Keynote speakers, like ex-military trans advocate Brynn Tannehill, have traveled from across the country to speak about their experiences and offer advice to conference attendees. Local trans advocate and performer Alexander Smithson will also speak at the conference.
Not to disappoint anyone looking for some lively shows, Cruz Bar will be hosting the TransPride Showcase starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 19, featuring performances by JAC Stringer, the Midwest GenderQueer, Orion Blaze Brown and Tate.
Organizers are asking for $10 donation, but Sickler says that “no one will be turned away if they do not have the funds.”
“We kind of do this on a wing and prayer, and all the money goes directly back into the conference and related events,” says Sickler.
Visit www.transpridepittsburgh.org for more information or contact Lyndsey Sickler at [email protected] for questions.
Tags: TransPride Pittsburgh , Persad center , Lawrenceville , Image
