Transgender Advocates Media Training 2014

GLAAD's Transgender Advocates Media Training was an event designed to prepare activists to traverse the media landscape, getting them fully equipped to handle media inquiries for themselves or their respective organizations smoothly. As transgender people become increasingly visible and the issues facing the community are consistently in the news, it's important that transgender activists and allies are ready to speak about these things in a way that is concise, succinct and beneficial to the community. The Trans Advocates Media Training was a four hour training at GLAAD's Manhattan office on February 12th. We had an informative and fun afternoon discussing some of the most pressing issues facing the community and how to use the media to advocate for change.

Jonovia Chase

Jonovia Chase is from the Bronx, Ny. She works as a LGBT Outreach Worker and Trans Peer Advocate at the HEAT (Health and Education Awareness for Teens) Program in Brooklyn. Ms.Chase is a also known for a being a Dancer in the Hip/Hop, Modern, and Vogue Techniques as well a Runway Instructor.

Sean Coleman

Sean is the Executive Director of Destination Tomorrow, a grassroots agency in the South Bronx that provides services for LGBT youth 13-25. He currently sits on the NYS Planning and Prevention Group (PPG) representing the Transgender community and the National Ballroom Coalition. Sean is a 2014 fellow with the We Are the Bronx Fellowship, sits on the Bronx Borough President’s “Saving Pride in the Bronx” coalition and is a contributor to GBM News. He is an accomplished speaker and offers Transgender sensitivity workshops and courses geared toward companies and agencies that wish to make their work place more culturally competent for Transgender People of Color. For more information visit: www.destinationtomorrow.org

Christine Michelle Duffy

Christine Michelle Duffy is Senior Staff Attorney with the Pro Bono Partnership, which provides business and transactional legal services to nonprofit organizations serving the disadvantaged or enhancing the quality of life in neighborhoods in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Prior to joining the Partnership, Ms. Duffy initially was in a private law practice in Newark, New Jersey, for 12 years, and then she was the chief compliance officer and chief labor and employment counsel for 12 years for an international group of environmental services company. Ms. Duffy received her undergraduate, graduate, and law degrees from Seton Hall University.

Ms. Duffy has written and lectured extensively on a variety of matters, including labor and employment law, nonprofit law, administrative and civil practice, ethics and compliance, and professional responsibility. In 2012, Ms. Duffy received awards for feature writing from Communication Concepts and the International Academy of Visual Art.

Ms. Duffy is the editor-in-chief of a forthcoming new treatise, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Workplace: A Practical Guide, to be published by Bloomberg BNA in early 2014. All royalties from the treatise are going to the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

Ms. Duffy serves or has served on the boards and committees of several organizations, including the Board of Visitors of Fenway Health, the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Advisory Board of Seton Hall Preparatory School, the Editorial Board of the New Jersey Law Journal, and the Supreme Court of New Jersey Committee on Civil Practice.

Miasha Forbes

Miasha Forbes is the founder and Executive Director of Just For Us Transgender Empowerment Project (JFUTEP), a not-for-profit organization geared toward job training, job placement, resume building and interview workshops for transgender women and men, Intersex, gender nonconforming, and gender-queer individuals (TIGNQ).

As a transwoman of color who grew up in New York City, Miasha has experienced homelessness, sex-work, discrimination, and violence against her. However, she counts herself as one of the fortunate ones, believing that she has gone through all she had to go through to tell/show someone who will have to go through those kinds of hardships that there is hope.

Miasha is an active member of the trans community. She is a Peer Health Navigator (PHN) at The Center for HIV Educational Studies & Training (CHEST), helping transwomen through interventions developed in response to the acute health needs of transgender women in New York. She also volunteers for Harlem United as an HIV testing counselor.

www.facebook.com/LepidopteraGurls
https://twitter.com/JFUTEP
https://www.facebook.com/miasha.forbes

Cecilia Gentili

CECILIA M. GENTILI is a Trans-Latina original from Argentina by way of Miami. Cecilia has worked at the Gender Identity Project at the LGBT Center since 2011, as a volunteer, intern, and now consultant, facilitating groups, organizing, and working on prevention, harm reduction and self-empowerment, focusing mostly on undocumented Trans-Latinas. She is currently the Trans*Health Program Coordinator at APICHA Community Health Center and a board member for “Trans-bodies Trans-selves” a nonprofit publishing a Resources guide book with Oxford this upcoming spring and for “Translatina Network” a non Profit focus in empowering the trans-Latina community. She received her education at the National University of Rosario in Music studies and worked as a music teacher for special needs children. For more about Cecilia, visit: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/for-transgender-latinas-a-refuge-in-queens-away-from-streets/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 http://healthland.time.com/2013/07/10/identity-crisis-changing-documents-no-easy-task-for-transgender-individuals/

Lourdes Hunter

Originally from Detroit, Lourdes has been involved in community organizing for over 20 years.

An academic, practitioner and educator Lourdes' personified leadership has influenced the development and implementation of trans* inclusive culturally competent policy reform and best practices at New York City Department of Homeless Services, New York City Human Resources Administration and The New York City Police Department.

Ms. Hunter and has earned a B.A. in Social Theory, Structure and Change with concentrations in Race, Class and Gender Studies from SUNY and is finishing an Executive MPA at Rutgers in May.

As the Co-Founder of The Trans Women of Color Collective, Lourdes' leadership is galvanizing a transformative movement of sustainable initiatives that support, empower and uplift trans*women of color to be the writers of their own narratives. By living unapologetically in her truth, Ms. Hunter is inspiring the change she wants to see in her lifetime.

Contact:
Lourdes Ashley Hunter on Facebook @Hunterlourdes on Twitter lourdesashleyhunter@gmail.com Trans Women of Color Collective of Greater New York on Facebook

Kim Watson

Kim Watson is the Co-founder of Community Kinship Life, known as CKLife that assists affirmed men &; women with necessary life skills, medical needs, counseling, and access to the resources needed to improve their quality of life & contribution to society. CKLife provides a safe, secure space for affirmed people (& allies when applicable) to meet and learn about life inside & outside of transition. CKLife also sponsors a benefit to raise funds for the CKLife scholarship fund that has helped many affirmed people with paying for necessary transition related procedures. CKLife also participates in many conferences centered around affirmed people such as WPATH, PTHC in Philadelphia, & many more. People across the United States & the world have benefited greatly from the selfless acts of Kim Watson & the CKLife organization. CKLife has set a precedent for non-profit organizations that assist affirmed people and continues to do amazing things in the community at large.

Lala Zannell

LaLa began her tenure with New York City Anti-Violence in early 2012 in Community Organizing and Public Advocacy. She used her power as a survivor of Intimate Partner Violence and Hate Violence to empower other survivor to take back their lives and. In 2013 after being a longtime volunteer at AVP she was offered a full time internship in that same department where she worked closely with staff to develop and train other volunteers. Attended many trainings, Attending and/or organization many rallies, spoke on panels on Transgender issues, and continues to build community allies and teach allies how to be an affective ally. LaLa has also been considered a leader and mentor with in her own community as well as here at the New York City Anti- Violence Project and to the TPOC Community. LaLa serves also on AVP’s Community Safety nights, Member of the Real Talks, Pride, and Hate Violence Committees. LaLa also has a passion for speaking up for and organizing around all issues for TWOC and TPOC she feels we have to stand for something and do our part for our community. LaLa uses this passion and drive to keep being that voice for the community and building allies in spaces where TWOC and TPOC may not be present or fairly represented .Utilizing her passion for organizing and skills in outreach allowed her to developed additional skills in and around the office and hired full time as Executive and Programs Assistant. In her current position she serves as the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director and Programs Assistant to Finance and Administration. LaLa is also looking for more opportunity to share her story and be the voice for the community when needed.