[This column appears in the March/April 2021 issue of Boston Spirit magazine. Subscribe for free today.]
Trans Club of New England turns major conference into super-successful, ongoing series of online workshops
First Event, an annual conference organized by Trans Club of New England (TCNE), is one of the oldest conferences on transgender issues in the nation. For decades, TCNE has hosted the weeklong event in January or February, attracting both transgender people and those who love them, and providing them with services, workshops and presentations by specialists in many fields with specific knowledge to help this community live their best lives.
Not to be sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has quickly pivoted to an online format and is offering the same lectures and workshops on Zoom.
“This new approach has proven to be advantageous in many ways,” says Workshop Director Samantha Ambrose. “The virtual workshops are much more versatile than the physical ones.” By offering the content live, in real time, as well as streamed, participants can opt to view the events at their convenience. This is good for those who have other commitments during the live time slots or who live in different time zones. “Best of all, viewers can catch those workshops that run concurrently,” says Ambrose, “rather than having to choose which one to attend, which was always an issue with conference attendees in the past.”
Another very significant feature of the virtual format is there is no cost. While every effort is made each year to keep costs low for the in-person conference, the fact that it is all free this year makes the workshops truly accessible to anyone.
The list of workshops is dizzying. There are dozens, with topics ranging from medical issues to finances, and from health care concerns to legal rights.
For example, in January, Dr. Sherman Leis, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in gender-affirming surgeries, explained classic prototypes of masculine and feminine facial features. He discussed a variety of options for feminizing facial features, showing examples that demonstrate how selective and customized procedures can offer dramatic results.
On another day, Greater Boston PFLAG hosted a series of workshops and presentations focused on information, resources and social activities for both trans youth and their families. The offerings included a medical panel talking about hormones, medical procedures and more. There was also a mental health panel, offering resources to families for emotional support.
Then there was the workshop on military service led by Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram, an active duty Air Force astronautical engineer. She is currently the highest-ranking out transgender officer in the Department of Defense.
In addition, there are workshops on coming out to family and friends, voice modulation, practical tips, wellness and explorations into dress, skin care and makeup, hair styling, and more.
Person-to-Person Connection
The chance to meet and mingle has always been a very popular feature of First Event. For some, this event is people’s only opportunity to spend time with other members of their community. Organizers knew they had to come up with a way to create alternatives that would be, if not the same, at least similar. Having given this issue much consideration, there are multiple opportunities to virtually socialize built into the conference plans. First of all, the chat feature on Zoom allows participants to ask questions of the presenter in a way that could never be replicated in a live, in-person scenario. Attendees can also use this same feature to chat with one another. Only a few short years ago, this might have seemed cumbersome and ungainly, but most of us are now quite accustomed to chatting virtually. This can in fact be more comfortable for those who are not ready to be out in public. In addition, casual Zoom get-togethers, outside of the workshop schedule, can offer attendees the opportunity to listen to live music while chatting.
The ideas for creating the best possible conference come from everywhere. In her day job, Ambrose recently took on a project with a start-up company selling a wi-fi tool to schools. This gave her the opportunity to listen in on students brainstorming ways to make virtual learning sessions more interesting. This practical information, coming from people who are currently living in the virtual school world for hours every day, gave her the idea to offer live workshops on location. The first one was about shopping, with a seamstress, a boutique owner and a fashion designer joining the discussion, which produced delightful results.
Turns out, the experience of going to a virtual conference model has had such positive feedback, TCNE will continue offering virtual workshops even when we can once again gather in person. “I am so optimistic that this can grow and evolve into something even better,” said Ambrose. “It is really only limited by your imagination.”
More at tcne.org.
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