Intersections of Equality Symposium

from GEAE

We are pleased to invite you to Greater Erie Alliance for Equality's Second Biennial "Intersections of Equality" Symposium co-sponsored by Penn State Behrend.

The event will take place Saturday, April 30th, 2016 from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM at Reed Student Union Building (on the campus of Penn State Behrend)

This symposium will explore a number of the intersections of equality in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, with respect to the movement for full legal and social equality in the United States, Pennsylvania, and the Greater Erie Area.

Session 1: "Viewing LGBQ & T/GA Youth through a Trauma-Informed Lens" by Mr. Will Koehler, LCSW and Dr. Hilary Copp, LSW

Mr. Will Koehler is a Licensed Professional Social Worker in the state of Pennsylvania and an instructor of Social Work at Edinboro University. His areas of expertise are working with children exposed to violence and with LGBT adolescents and adults. Current areas of research are the role of bystanders in anti-LGBT bullying and LGBT community needs assessment. Will Koehler also serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality.

Dr. Hilary Copp has been a member of the Edinboro University social work faculty since 2008. She is currently the director of the undergraduate program and teaches practice, research, and field in both the Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs. Dr. Copp's research interests center primarily on LGBTQ individuals and issues, with a specific focus on school climate for LGBTQ students at both the secondary and collegiate levels. Her clinical practice experience includes work with members of the LGBTQ population, outpatient mental health, older adults, and Holocaust survivors. Dr. Copp is a co-founder and facilitator of TransFamily of Erie, a monthly support group for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals and their loved ones.

Keynote (Session 2): "Status of Transgender Health Care and Rights in PA" by Pennsylvania Physician General, Dr. Rachel Levine, M.D.

Dr. Rachel Levine is currently Physician General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine. Her previous posts included: Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs for the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She is the first openly transgender individual to be appointed to this position.

Session 3: "Gender Roles: Conformity and Rebellion" by Dr. T. Andrew Caswell

Dr. T. Andrew Caswell received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Bethany College and his Master of Arts in Psychology from Marshall University. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a PhD in Social Psychology and has been an Assistant Professor in the Psychology and Counseling Department at Gannon University since August 2013. His primary research interests are in sexual prejudice and emotion and the social construction of manhood.

Session 4: "Art Power! Access, Visibility, Community" a panel presentation hosted by Dr. Darren Lee Miller

Darren Lee Miller is an artist, professor, gallery director, and curator at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The themes to which Miller returns – power, identity, control – inform both his curatorial work and his art work. His work has been recognized through residencies at Blue Mountain Center, the Vermont Studio Center, the University of Puerto Rico, and in regional and national exhibitions. Miller holds a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, and an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Panelists include: Steve Prince, Mary Tremonte, Jonathan Reyes, and Cavanaugh Quick.

Early registration is now open online at GEAE's web site at http://greatereriealliance.com/purchase-event-tickets-2/.

Because we are limited to 200 seats, Early Registration (which includes continental breakfast and box lunch) is a donation of $20 until April 16th, and increases to a donation of $25 until all seats are full.

Continuing Education Credit is available through Penn State for an additional $35 at the door.

Student scholarships are available. To RSVP as a student, please contact us at: geaeinfo@gmail.com

The symposium will also host an information fair for area organizations who work at the intersections of sexuality, gender, race, education, and/or social services. If you have an organization that is LGBT friendly and you would like to have a table, please contact us at: geaeinfo@gmail.com

As a final note, it has been GEAE's mission since 2011 to plan and host substantive educational opportunities that bring together the LGBT community and our straight allies. This symposium is a banner event for the greater Erie area, and we hope you can join us to take advantage of the expertise of our presenters and to network with attendees and speakers alike.

If you have any questions, please reach us at geaeinfo@gmail.com or call 866-229-1974