Michigan Community College Gender & Sexuality Conference

Queerness, by definition, defies stagnation, implying a diverse and ever-changing landscape of people and possibility. In this always-changing world, how can we make a difference that truly helps the equally shifting & growing  queer community? Join the conversation to hear how queer activists make concrete, actionable change in the community, and how they keep the momentum of their work marching forward with radical pride. 

In this session we will discuss intersecting identities between LGBTQIA+ and disabilities. Medical barriers, difficulties, empowerment, and intersectionality will be discussed.

This presentation will consist of laws that have been passed, argued, overturned, and anything else that helped provide a safer country for LGBTQIA+ citizens.

AI! War! The Attention Economy! Voting! Joe Biden! Obamna! Soda! How do you tell what's real or what's not? What deserves your attention? Why do people say what they say, and what do they want you to believe? And should you believe that? Bonus: fun things to do instead of doomscrolling and a reading list.

Table read sneak peak of an original play of a retelling of the fairytale of Snow White. This time Snow White has a younger brother named Ravenard. Their fates are separated and later revealed what it means to be truly the fairest of them all.

This presentation will trace the historic validity of singular they in the English language, provide theoretical frameworks to think about queering grammar, and give practical advice and examples for debunking the myth that singular they cannot correctly exist in English.

It’s widely recognized that children’s books play a role in socialization. This presentation will provide an overview of gender representation in the award-winning children’s picture books.

Anatomy textbooks often focus on traditional male/female descriptions of patients. Join me for some quick and easy ways to make your course (any course!) more representative of the diversity we see in the actual population and help your LGBTQIA+ students feel more included.

Gender is a social construct, and society no longer agrees with its traditional definition. Studies have shown that the gender binary is becoming less and less relatable, and it is time for academia to embrace it! This presentation proposes that the concept of gender needs to move beyond the binary and into a multi-dimensional representation, and suggests the steps needed to get there.

We live in a society that objectifies kids, but trans kids disproportionately. If I could say one thing to parents it would be that "your kids are not your property, they're their own people." I aim to raise societal and parental awareness to the harm it does, and the consequences trans kids are forced to endure when their thoughts and feelings are ignored by the very people they are meant to trust absolutely. The identities of trans kids should not and must not be crushed out of them by parents who are irrationally afraid.

There has been a historical lack of designated queer spaces–especially ones that are sober/alcohol free—for LGBTQ people to meet, mingle, and exist in without fear of violence and discrimination. Queer people also face alcoholism and addiction at far higher rates than their cis-straight counterparts. I am arguing that there is a significant impact on the rates of alcohol abuse and heavy episodic drinking within queer populations and the lack of sober community spaces for LGBT people to meet, mingle, and socialize.

LGBTQIA2S+ representation has been improving as we gain ownership and representation of our own narratives– both on and off screen. If you are looking for shows, music, movies, and games that represent you, kiki with us as we discuss representation of the community. We will also discuss how we can push for our identity(ies) to continue to be represented loud, live, and always in color. Content Warnings: This presentation may contain mentions of homophobia, transphobia, and racism.

In this session, Brittany Kelley will define identities on the asexual and aromantic spectrums; explore the split-attraction model, which distinguishes dimensions of attraction (e.g., aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, romantic, sensual, sexual, etc.); and discuss tips for challenging allonormativity and amatonormativity. We will investigate the ways in which society prioritizes and even privileges sexual and romantic relationships (over platonic ones, such as familial bonds, friendship, and QPRs) and presents dating, marriage, and children as the default or expectation. Amy Gardner's presentation, subsequently, interrogates whether love is necessary for intimate partnerships, conceptually separating queer relationships without romance from friends with benefits scenarios. This project argues that intimate relationships require some kind of contract that elevates it beyond friendship, commits one to their partner(s), and discusses what the relationship will entail.

This session will raise awareness for the recent rise in anti-trans legislation, outline the strategies being used to attack trans rights, and introduce some ways that we can fight back.