When we enter a space and don’t see ourselves reflected in others, or we hear language that is in effect rooted in microaggression and harm, we are more likely to make ourselves small, to contract, repress, disconnect, or even flee. This is the opposite of what we want in our intentional communities.

While we cannot guarantee safety in the spaces we hold, we can aim to create safer, more inclusive spaces. As members of any community, each of us plays an important role in culture shift, growth and accountability. It's not only the role of the teacher, the minister, or the facilitator to be the advocate for change, but each of our responsibilities to pursue relevant information and hold ourselves and our communities accountable.

Join Tristan Katz (they/them) for this two-hour workshop to explore the topic of gender equity and how to creating trans, nonbinary, and queer-affirming communities. We’ll spend some time grounding, creating shared culture and frameworks, unpacking the difference between biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation, exploring pronouns, what to do when you mess up, and the nuances of the word transgender, along with actionable steps you can take to be an ally for trans folks. Privilege, proximity to power, and intersectionality will be core themes woven throughout our time together.

The practice of allyship requires action—it requires a dedicated commitment to interrupting harm as it occurs, to understanding our own privileged identities, to centering impact over intent, and to investigating our internalized biases relating to gender assumptions and trans identity.