ROCHESTER –
With a goal to create more supportive and inclusive educational environments for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex people, the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Initiative of Oakland University's School of Education and Human Services will host the second annual Michigan SOGI Education Conference on March 9.
The event will feature expert presentations, roundtable discussions, informative workshops, dynamic work sessions and networking opportunities – all focused on meeting the needs of GLBTQQI students, staff, faculty and administrators.
Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh will make opening remarks, along with SOGI Initiative Director Timothy Larrabee and event emcee, Affirmations LGBT Community Center Executive Director David Garcia.
Delivering the event's keynote address will be Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Debra Chasnoff – a nationally recognized social justice advocate and pioneering leader in an international movement to create safe and welcoming schools and communities.
Chasnoff's highly acclaimed documentaries addressing youth and bias issues are hailed by educators and advocates as among the best tools available today to help open dialogue and encourage advocacy around many of the most challenging issues affecting young people's lives and school environments.
Garcia, a single gay father, has a degree in communications with a media focus from the University of Michigan-Flint. He began his public fight for LGBT issues after being fired as a result of attempts to start a Gay Straight Alliance in the public schools.
Garcia has continued his efforts to improve lives and advance the cause of justice for all in the LGBT community, including his service on the Board of Directors for the Jim Toy Center in Ann Arbor and his current role on the National Centerlink Board.
The 2013 Michigan SOGI Education Conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 9 in the Oakland Center on the campus of Oakland University. For interactive and printable maps of the campus, visit http://oakland.edu/map.
Registration for the event, which includes a breakfast and lunch, is $100 for the general public and $25 for students. Organizations wishing to host and information table can do so for $25.
Online registration is available at http://oakland.edu/SOGI/register. On-site registration is payable by credit card or electronic check (ACH). Those seeking additional information about the event should visit the conference website at http://oakland.edu/SOGI or call the SOGI Initiative office at 248-370-4160.
Gathering Aims To Promote Inclusion In Educational, Other Settings
Read More
Michigan's Trans Migration Project Is Helping to Protect Trans People Just By Getting Them Somewhere Safe
A faith-based collective of partners across Michigan is shepherding out-of-state trans people to Michigan for the gender-affirming care and affirmation they [...]
Go Girl! Saugatuck Celebrates Women’s Weekend at Nation’s Largest Gay Resort
Women hearing the siren call of Lake Michigan may want to mark May 31-June 2 on their calendars. Those are the days that the largest gay resort in the country [...]
Michigan Democratic Party LGBT and Allies Caucus Holds Spring Meeting
One of the most often derided cliches of political journalism is to say “a lot is at stake in this election” but it is quite literally true this [...]
Why So Many Local Queer Folks Are Flocking to Mishpacha, Temple Beth Emeth’s Thriving LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
Ari Smith was a little worried when her rabbi called to ask her about something he was noticing in her part of the sanctuary during weekly services at Temple [...]
Why a Local Academic Is Fostering Queer Discussion and Community Through an Old-Fashioned Book Club
Queer books on public library shelves have come under fire across the country in recent years, but you wouldn’t know it at the Ypsilanti District Library [...]
Biden-Harris Campaign Launches LGBTQ+ Voter Initiative at Affirmations — How You Can Get Involved in the 2024 Election
The election season is officially heating up in Michigan, with a special focus on queer voters. On April 10, local and statewide community leaders and elected [...]
