Free conference to examine issues facing LGBTQIA community

April 17, 2018 / Jersey City, NJ – As issues facing the LGBTQIA community evolve, individuals learn to embrace self-expression, foster inclusiveness, and unify communities through understanding and acceptance.

On Friday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will present the Third Annual LGBTQIA Conference. Entitled “Back 2 Basics,” the conference will be held in the HCCC Library Building – 71 Sip Ave in Jersey City, and will address a multitude of topics facing the LGBTQIA community.

Part of the Collegeâ€s celebration of LBGTQIA Month, “Back 2 Basics” is presented by the Office of Student Activities and the HCCC Georgia Brooks Stonewall Project. The conference is open to students, faculty, and the general public. Tickets are free, but registration is preferred.

Several workshops are designed to engage participants in the LBGTQIA community and encourage others, especially individuals who are part of the historically marginalized voices. The workshops include:

“Tired at the Table: Social Justice Work and Self Care”

Social justice advocacy can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Participants learn how to recognize signs of compassion fatigue and burnout in themselves and others, and will explore ways to maintain health while engaging in critical and demanding work.

“LGBTQIA…H?: HIV and the LGBTQIA Community”

Recognizing the history, impact, and effects of HIV/AIDS is key to fighting it. Participants will come to understand the ways HIV affects the immune system, how the virus spreads, high-risk behaviors, become acquainted with Hudson County community resources available for individuals with HIV/AIDS, as well as how to bring HIV/AIDS awareness to the community.

“Understanding the Alphabet”

Participants will learn the various terms in the LGBTQIA community as a function of several combinations of the Sexuality Spectra: genetic sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. The group will discuss reliance on a finite amount of terms, including “lesbian,” “gay,” “bisexual,” “pansexual,” and “queer” to represent the entire LGBTQIA community, which doesnâ€t necessarily reflect the fluidity of and within sexual identities.

“Bi Visibility: In the LGBTQIA Community and Beyond”

The workshop explores the meaning of bisexual erasure, the importance of being a part of a community, and why representation is needed for all.  Participants will be exposed to the current media representation and provided with historical context of bisexual erasure. By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to identify bisexual erasure, how it presents itself in the media and daily interactions, and how to disrupt it in practice.

 â€œThe Flavor Chart”

Language evolves and word choices matter.  Participants will learn how vocabulary changes and how, since there is no universal agreement about the definitions of many terms, it is important to keep a working definition of the current terminology within the LGBTQIA+ community. This workshop aims to look at these terms without losing sight of the importance of allowing individuals to dictate the terms of their identity and how the world addresses them.

“From High-Heels to Hightops: Defining Gender”

This session will examine the social constructs of gender identity and expression. Participants will gain an understanding of important terms, issues, and identities across the gender spectrum.

Those who wish to attend may register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hccc-lgbtqia-conference-spring-2018-tickets-44224900869. For more information, please contact the Office of Student Activities at 201-360-4195 or email OSA@live.hccc.edu.

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