Inclusive Families Conference 2015

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**schedule is subject to change

Friday, October 23, 2015- Professional Track Afternoon

1:00 pm -2:15 pm

Transracial/Mixed Adoptions, Melody & Curtis Linton, Domino Foundation.

Introduction to Antidiscrimination Response Training, workshop. Irene Ota, PhD. Most people would like to be able to effectively address discriminatory words and acts. However, some people don’t know what to say when they witness discriminatory acts or hear discriminatory words. This group-based social skills workshop is designed to train and empower bystanders to take an active role in witnessing offensive and discriminating situations, instead of remaining passive or silenced. Participants will learn and practice phrases they can use in response to a wide variety of prejudicial and discriminating situations, which include homophobia, sexism, racism, classism, etc.

"Life Lessons Learned from our survey of 1,612 LGB Mormons"- John Dehlin, PhD & Bill Bradshaw, PhD. In 2010 an online survey was administered to 1,612 LGB Mormons and Post-Mormons to understand three domains: 1) their attempts to change their sexual orientation, 2) the psycho-social costs and benefits of LDS Church participation, and 3) the psycho-social costs and benefits of various "lifestyle" choices including celibacy, mixed-orientation marriage, and same-sex relationships. This is the largest study ever conducted of its kind, and the findings have now been published in several scientific journals including the Journal of Counseling Psychology, the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, the Journal of Homosexuality, and the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. This presentation will discuss the primary findings from the study, focusing primarily on: 1) the costs/benefits of sexual orientation change efforts, 2) the costs/benefits of retaining an LDS identity and LDS participation as an LGB Mormon, and 3) the costs/benefits of celibacy, mixed-orientation marriages, and same-sex relationships for LGB Mormons and former Mormons

2:30 pm -3:45 pm

"Embracing & Supporting Your LGBT Children"- Neca Allgood & the Mama Dragons. Mama Dragons exist to inspire and empower mothers. We actively promote healthy, loving, and supportive environments for mothers of LGBTQIA children. We celebrate, educate, protect, and provide the love and support families need to survive and thrive. Our goal is to embrace one another, so none need ever feel alone. We are a supportive group of mothers. We are shelter for their children. We are champions of faith, family, and LGBTQIA communities. We are sisters. We are Mama Dragons. (This panel will be repeated on Saturday morning.)

"White Fragility: Parenting away from race-related stress as a common good?"- Dr. Brian Hotchkins. How do parents navigate White Fragility (DiAngelo, 2011) when raising Black children? White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. It is oppositional to Racial Battle Fatigue (Smith, 2007), which is experienced by Black youth, and adults when interacting directly with perpetrators of racism, racial microaggressions, prejudice or discrimination.

"Growing UP LGBT and Mormon in America: What Our Youth Have to Tell Us"- Dr. Anne E. Nicoll . The Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) report “Growing Up LGBT in America,” provides details about what life is like for LGBT teenagers including their personal well-being, family support, community and religious connections, and the extent of being out and accepted by their families and at school. Dr. Nicoll will present the findings from the Mormon youth who participated in HRC’s Survey including what being a Mormon LGBT youth is like, what these youth identify as the most difficult problems facing them, what they would change if they could, and why they are not “out” to family or at school.Suggestions for what families and communities can do to ensure the growth and well-being of LGBT youth will also be discussed.

4:00 pm -5:15 pm

"Considerations, Priorities, and Supports for an Intentional Family"- Kassandra Vaughan-Bibas, ACC. This presentation will discuss the research findings related to single motherhood by choice, family outcomes, and the long term impact of this intentional family on things like attachment, nurturing, and adjustment. Case studies as well as personal example will be used to illustrate the different perspectives, ideas, and frameworks that have emerged as a result of women choosing motherhood on their own terms. The presentation will end with an open Q&A as a means of developing a new dialogue around the idea of what an intentional family looks like and what level of support, therapeutic intervention, and continued research needs to be done on the family dynamics that emerge from single motherhood by choice.

"Cultural Trauma & Minority Stressors"- Mary Stanley, ACMHC, ATR-BC, ATCS & David Parker, PhD

"GSA's, Creation & Sustainability"- Allison Martin. Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and Queer-Straight Alliances (QSAs) are student-led and student organized school clubs that promote a safe, welcoming and accepting school environment. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control issued a health briefing on LGBT youth recommending that schools encourage the creation of GSAs/QSAs as a way to reduce suicide, drug abuse, and absenteeism related to the negative attitudes many LGBTQ youth experience in their schools. The CDC recommendations are based in well-accepted research finding that schools with active GSAs/QSAs have dramatically improved climates than those without them. This will be an interactive workshop on how to establish a GSA or QSA at a local school. The presenter will cover the benefits of having an Alliance club at school, current Utah law, and tips for approaching the topic with school/district administrators. Participants will be encouraged to discuss the topic with others in the workshop. The goal of this workshop is for participants to leave wit the knowledge and tools necessary to start a GSA/QSA at their own school.

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

“Coming Together in Changing Times: How Our Stories Expand and Unite Us” Dinner & Panel Discussion. Panel: Kate Kelly, Lesley Ann Shaw, Liz Owens, C. Jane Kendrick, Berta Marquez

7:00 pm -8:30 pm

"Conversion Therapy: Exposing the lies, ending the harm."- Plenary Session with Michael Ferguson, PhD, J. Seth Anderson, MA, & Sam Wolfe, JD, Southern Poverty Law Center

8:30 pm -9:00

Closing Reception: Socializing, Networking, and Jazz Band

Saturday, October 24, 2015

8:45 am -10:15 am :

Opening Plenary: Utah Homeless Youth & Street Families, Cai Noble, Rachel Peterson, and Panel

10:30 am -11:45 am

Breakout Sessions

"Attachment, The Family, & The Outside World," Panel Discussion. Mary (ACMHC, ATR-BC, ATCS) & Eric Stanley (BA), Dr. Doug Goldsmith, PhD, Demoya Gordon, JD, Lambda Legal, Rev. Jean Schwein. There is no blueprint for raising a child, let alone a gender exceptional one. This panel will address, in an open discussion format among the panelists, different and real-life scenarios and how one family has tried to navigate this with authenticity and maintain their spirituality. Most important, how they have, hopefully, differentiated themselves from the dominant cultures they are surrounded by with their faith and strive to more successfully affirm all of their children.

"SAGE: Issues impacing the Aging Community in LGBT society"- Jerry Buie, MSW, LCSW. This workshop will explore issues relevant to the aging Queer community. What are the social implications of growing older in aqueer community that glamorizes youth? We will explore the relevance of aging and how Eldership in our Queer community becomes vital in keeping our traditions and history alive.

(Repeat of Friday's panel) "Embracing & Supporting Your LGBT Children"- Neca Allgood & the Mama Dragons. Mama Dragons exist to inspire and empower mothers. We actively promote healthy, loving, and supportive environments for mothers of LGBTQIA children. We celebrate, educate, protect, and provide the love and support families need to survive and thrive. Our goal is to embrace one another, so none need ever feel alone. We are a supportive group of mothers. We are shelter for their children. We are champions of faith, family, and LGBTQIA communities. We are sisters. We are Mama Dragons.

Addressing Youth Homelessness, Panel

"We Are More"- Anna Tremonte. This workshop provides a safe space to set aside our usual hyperfocus on our gender identity or sexual orientation to share the things that we all have in common interest like nature, art, literature, drama, science, being silly! This is a great workshop for LGBTQ youth and their peers. Let’s expand this dialogue!

Lunch Plenary

12:00 pm -1:45 pm

"Hate Crimes and the Church"- Steve Sprinkle, PhD, Keynote Plenary.

2:00 pm -3:15 pm

"Staying the Course, Life in the LDS faith with LGBT/SSA family" Neca Allgood. I'll Walk With You is an LDS themed website and secret FaceBook group for active LDS parents of LGBTQ children. Several parents in the group will share their experiences as they choose to stay committed to both their Mormon faith and their children.

"Safe at School"- Bo(nnie) Owens, MEd. Traditionally, Safe at School is an anti-harassment/bully-prevention seminar for educators and others who work with youth. For the Inclusive Families conference, we'll focus more on what Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning students and their families can expect from educators when it comes to creating safe classrooms and schools in Utah. We'll explore educational disparities affecting LGBTQ youth in schools and how Utah law both enables and limits educators' responses to bullying. Parents and families who understand these requirements and limitations can be strong advocates for their students safety and well-being at school. We'll also workshop some useful bullying intervention strategies that anyone can use to help respond to anti-LGBTQ language and behavior. Learning Objectives include 1) Understand how Utah law both supports and limits educators when it comes to keeping all children safe at school, 2) Understand the experiences of LGBTQ youth in schools through data and narratives, 3) Begin to develop tools to intervene in oppressive or hostile behavior at school which positively affects school climate.

Religion & Sexual Minorities, Adam Stoker, BA

"Being Present, An Experiential Workshop in Holding Space for Varying Viewpoints." Kristy Bartley, PhD & Jania Sommers, LCSW

"Queer Spirit"- Jerry Buie, MSW, LCSW Indigenous communities for hundreds of years from Native Americans to South American tribes to European pagan cultures have often had a different relationship to God/Creator, with the land and the environment around them. The social paradigm was inclusive and gave everyone an opportunity to fulfill and find potential in their community. What are the implications today for Queer folks in relationship to ourselves, our Higher Power/God/Creator in terms of our self-esteem, identity and contributions to our tribe and greater community? Lecture and discussion.

"Queering Your Family"- Kilo Zamora, MSW: Accepting your child’s identity is the first step to inclusion but is that enough? This workshop will use Inclusion Center’s experiential activities to generate a dialogue to learn about how families are intentionally making their households more inclusive for the multiple identities within the home.

3:30 pm -4:45 pm

Seeking Justice for Darrien Hunt- Cynthia Moss & Rocky Anderson

Married Couples in Transition, Angie & Sandy Rice

Queer Families in America, Beth Clement, PhD

"Gender Expansive – Genderqueer Youth: Who, What, Where, and Why!"- Dr. Anne E. Nicoll. The Human Rights Campaign, in collaboration with Gender Spectrum, has released its groundbreaking report Supporting and Caring for Our Gender-Expansive Youth: Lessons from the Human Right’s Campaign’s Youth Survey. Learn about youth aged 13 through 17- how they define and describe their gender, their personal well-being, family support, community connection, extent of being “out,” and; their hopes for the future. Learn about what parents, caregivers, educators, and other professionals can do to create an inclusive environment for gender expansive youth.

Trans Vets and Trauma, Breeze Hannaford

5:00 pm -6:30 pm

Closing Plenary with Caitlin Ryan, PhD and FAP

7:30-9:00 pm

Closing Party and Desserts, Courtesy of the Mama Dragons.