This program is subject to change.
Public Activism: Ways to Advocate in Support of Trans Youth
Workshop Description
All parents of trans youth advocate for their children. Some will only ever advocate privately with the local school or the pediatrician’s office. If you choose to become more vocal to take a stand against anti-trans legislative initiatives, tell your story in the media, or file a discrimination lawsuit, you need strategies for your messaging and for your protection. In this workshop, we will cover different situations from writing blogs, posting on social media, giving interviews to reporters, lobbying efforts through letters and phone calls, giving testimony in front of legislators, and how to deal with any backlash you receive from being public.
Conference Track
Professional
Topic
General Interest
Primary Contact
Debi Jackson
Workshop Presenters
Debi Jackson
Pronouns
Presenter Bio
Debi Jackson and her family live in Kansas City, Missouri. She became an advocate for transgender rights in 2014 when her speech about her daughter's transition at the age of 4 went viral. The "conservative Southern Baptist Republican from Alabama" now speaks on behalf of transgender children and their families around the world. Debi received the 2016 NEA GLBT Caucus Role Model Award for her contributions to education about the LGBTQ+ community. She trains schools on trans-inclusive policies and supporting students through their transitions.
Asaf Orr, JD, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Pronouns
Presenter Bio
Asaf is the Transgender Youth Project Staff Attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. He has been advocating for the rights of transgender youth for nearly a decade. Asaf has represented transgender youth and their families in cases from discrimination in school and health care to child-custody disputes and abuse-and-neglect proceedings. In addition, Asaf has also authored publications and presented on topics related to transgender youth.