July 31st – August 1st, 2013 — This two-day conference, for those professionals or students seeking to advance their understanding and knowledge of gender variance and transgender identities, serves as a prelude to Gender Odyssey and Gender Odyssey Family or as stand-alone conference.
Gender Diversity Awarded $12,150 Diversity Grant
We are thrilled to announce that the Washington Women’s Foundation has chosen to award Gender Diversity a $12,150 Diversity Grant to deepen our groundbreaking work to increase awareness of the range of gender variation and gender identity, providing support and counseling, especially for children, adolescents, and their families. Gender Diversity will use the funds to enhance organizational communications among other things thus enabling us to meet the growing requests for our services. For 2013, the WWF Diversity Partner Grant Committee partnered with Pride Foundation to research and fund issues in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community. Thank you, WWF!!
Washington Women’s Foundation educates, inspires and increases the number of women committed to philanthropy in order to strengthen community and demonstrate the impact that can result from informed, focused grant making.
Gender Diversity Education, Training and Support
Gender Diversity is an education, support, and training organization committed to increasing awareness and understanding of the normal range of gender variations in children, adolescents, and adults. Our services include:
- Providing support to families raising transgender and gender non-conforming children and teens
- Working with public and private schools K-12 to create gender-inclusive learning environments, identify measures to decrease bullying, and provide assistance with gender transitioning students or employees
- Increasing the understanding of transgender and other gender diversity issues for organizations, agencies, providers and professionals through group or individualized trainings
- Developing or modifying policy to include gender diversity and expression and determining the applications and implementation of such policies
- Providing referral services for additional resources
- Understanding and meeting legal nondiscrimination requirements regarding transgender and gender nonconforming populations
Our education and training services provide a simple, straightforward approach to understanding and addressing gender identity and expression. A person’s gender identity and expression encompasses multiple factors including genetic influences, brain chemistry, learned behaviors, and personal choices. These factors – shaped by culture, custom, social constraints and beliefs – affect us all.
I arrived at Seattle Children’s Hospital (SCH) with the hope that I would be able to medically serve transgendered youth. During my quest to learn more about the services here in Seattle, I was introduced to Aidan Key of Gender Diversity. I met with him and found out that he offered support groups for transgender kids and their families at SCH. Since that meeting, I have come to rely on Aidan as a great resource for community and family information regarding transgender youth. I often refer patients to his groups and website for further support and information. Gender Diversity’s program’s are an invaluable resource for youth and families that does not exist anywhere else in the Pacific Northwest.
David J. Breland MD MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics| Division of Adolescent Medicine Seattle Children’s Hospital
Communities are increasing their awareness of gender diversity and gaining a greater appreciation for the need to support healthy identity development across the full spectrum of gender expression. Everyone has a gender identity and everyone has a way of expressing it.
Whether you are familiar with gender variance and transgender issues or are just starting to learn about gender identity and expression, Gender Diversity can meet your specific individual, program or organizational needs. We provide accessible, practical approaches, based on research and experience that will help you understand gender diversity in all its complexities at any stage of life.
