SPRINGFIELD — Join the Equality Illinois Institute for EqualityCon 2017 on May 6 in Springfield. EqualityCon brings together Illinois’ LGBTQ community and allies, progressive advocates, civic leaders, and community groups to train and share insights on how to make Illinois and the nation more just and equal.
FRIDAY, May 5
EqualityCon Reception: Club Station House
306 East Washington Street
5:00pm until 7:00pm (Hosted by the Phoenix Center of Springfield)
SATURDAY, May 6
Check-in opens at 8:30AM
Breakfast on your own
10:00 – 10:50am: Opening Plenary
MCs: Jonna Cooley, Phoenix Center, Anthony Galloway, Equality Illinois
Welcome | Springfield Mayor James O. Langfelder
Charge of the Conference | Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson
Opening Address | Shannon Price Minter, National Center for Lesbian Rights
11:00 – 11:50am: Breakout #1
Organizing with Religious Leaders against License to Discriminate Bills Panel Discussion | Dr. Johari Jabir, Associate Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago, Jean Saloan, Peoria Insight Meditation, Stephanie Skora, Jewish Trans Activist.
Panel Description: This group of esteemed panelists will talk about groups and individuals can engage religious and non-traditional religious entities in engaging these groups in changing policies on non-discrimination against LGBTQ communities.
“Growing Your Family: A Guide for Prospective LGBTQ Foster Parents” | Jane Kelly and Claudia Mosier, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services; Elizabeth & Caroline Fox Anvick, subject matter experts
Workshop Description: This workshop discuss DCFS department initiatives – Immersion Site involving all stakeholders. Our focus in foster care recruitment for LGBTQ kids, all teenagers, with a specific focus on African American teen boys, medically complex children and last but not least, our LGBTQ/Rainbow youth.
“Navigating Identity Documents: Legal Name and Gender Change Processes for Illinoisans” | Owen Daniel-McCarter, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Tanvi K. Sheth, Transformative Law Project of Illinois, Chip Loghry, Rainbow Café LGBTQ Youth Center
Course Description: This workshop will prove an overview of the Illinois legal name change process as well as state and federal gender marker changes. We will cover nuances in the law such as name change processes for minors, people with criminal backgrounds, and non-citizens as well as variations and contradictions in gender change processes. The workshop will conclude with a brief overview of pending cases and legislation that impact current laws.
12:00 – 1:15pm: Lunch Plenary
1:25 to 2:20 pm: Breakout #2
“Organizational Development”: Board Development | Brian C. Johnson, Equality Illinois
Course Description: Equality Illinois CEO Brian Johnson will lead a discussion and share some best practices – and common mistakes – for how to build a non-profit Board of Directors that helps lead your organization forward.
“Queering Violence: Conversations about IPV, Sexual Violence and Trauma in LGBTQ Communities” | Randall Jenson, SocialScope Productions and Consulting and Rachel Tillman, LCPC, Center on Halsted
Course Description: This workshop uses multimedia clips from individual LGBTQ and HIV+ survivors in order to examine the complex ways intimate partner violence, sexual violence and trauma affect LGBTQ survivors and communities. This workshop allows participants to reflect on clips from survivors that serve as case¬-scenarios and process in both large and small group facilitated discussions. Participants will share any potential advocacy experiences and approaches when working on anti¬-violence issues and learn about the unique experiences of LGBTQ and HIV+ survivors and the intricate ways identities intersect with an individual’s experience coping with trauma, violence and neglect. Participants will increase their ability to effectively advocate and understand different transformative healing options for survivors. Participants will focus on the invisibility and silencing many survivors face within mainstream anti-¬violence movements and help participants discuss ways to empower, heal and advocate for LGBTQ survivors in our own communities.
“Shifting Landscape: Title IX and the Rights of LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools” | Jordee Yanez & Owen Daniel-McCarter, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance
Course Description: This presentation will provide an overview of the rights of LGBTQ= youth in schools with a particular focus on the rights of transgender students. We will unpack the meaning of recent changes to Federal enforcement of Title IX and what it means for youth in Illinois schools.
2:30 to 3:45pm: Breakout #3
Session 1 of Breakout 3: “Alternatives to Healing: Transformative Justice and Unpacking Collective Trauma from the Criminal Justice System” | Randall Jenson, SocialScope Productions and Consulting
Course Description: How do we work from a transformative justice framework and recognize the realities of the criminal injustice system’s impact on our clients. Further, what happens when most of our resources are inaccessible and inappropriate for our client? Often, mainstream service providers feel tied to using access points to healing. Video clips and case scenarios from survivors of trauma will provide a foundation for reflection and small group activity to discuss how clients may need to navigate alternatives to healing to help keep one another safe, particularly when working outside of traditional, mainstream systems of support (i.e. children’s division, health care, law enforcement, etc.)
Session 2 of Breakout 3: “How do you Advocate to Local, State, and Federal officials” | Mike Ziri, Director of Public Policy for Equality Illinois and Naomi Goldberg, Director of Policy and Research for MAP
Course Description: There’s a ton of work to do both here in Illinois and nationally to advance LGBT equality and fight back against opponents who want to take away our victories. Come learn about how to effectively advocate for LGBT equality with your elected officials, at the local, state and federal levels. In this hands on session, you’ll learn about all the tools in the advocacy toolbox and then get a chance to craft a constituent-driven campaign to educate and persuade your elected officials.
Session 3 of Breakout 3: “LGBTQ Inequality and Health Outcomes” | Jeffery Erdman, IPHA Assistant Director for Programs and Compliance
Course Description: It is well-documented that marginalized and disadvantaged populations experience poorer health outcomes than other populations. This is true for the LGBT population. From sexual health, to behavioral health, to the use of tobacco products and chronic disease, the LGBT population fares worse on health outcomes. This workshop will discuss the connection between LGBT social inequality and poor health outcomes, and will offer some strategies to improve overall health outcomes for the LGBT population.
4:00 – 5:00pm: Closing Plenary
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1144889278946459/
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