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Volunteer at PrideFest!

PrideFest Milwaukee, WI, United States

Want to attend Pridefest 2022? Volunteering with FORGE for a short 3 hour shift will get you in for free, as well as gear you up with a fantastic, uniquely designed T-shirt for this year’s event. Our theme this year:  I’m here for trans & nonbinary survivors Sign up today!  http://signup.com/go/Pride2022   Pridefest kicks off the Milwaukee festival season. The Wisconsin festival season is rapidly approaching, and it all starts with the nation’s largest LGBT festival, Milwaukee’s annual Pridefest. This year’s Pridefest runs from Thursday, June 2nd through Saturday, June 4th, 2022. FORGE is once again a co-sponsor of the Health & Wellness area. The Health & Wellness area was created as a space to increase the visibility of LGBTQ non-profit organizations and programs and to showcase their robustness and viability. Each booth has fun and creative content and activities to engage participants and promote health and wellness of the LGBT communities. FORGE has one […]

Connecting with Community: Pods and Mutual Aid

Pod mapping is a useful way to identify the resources you need, where to connect to those resources, as well as what you have to offer others. Pod mapping can be useful in building community and creating mutual aid structures. In this pod mapping workshop, we will discuss creating supportive networks, navigating stalking or harassment-related behaviors by others, reducing violence in our communities, and protecting ourselves and communities from COVID-19 and other illnesses through connection and mutual aid. While pods are not a perfect solution, they are useful as a way to increase support and reduce risks. Join us on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 for conversations about the positive impact of pods and pod mapping.

Give me a boost! What you need to know about COVID, vaccines, and treatments

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and impact our lives in different ways. Join us on Tuesday, August 16th at 7:00 PM central for an engaging info session with two trans-knowledgeable and -empowering providers: Donna Whittle, MD, and Ericka Sinclair, MS, MPH.  The presenters will discuss the latest COVID-19 information about new variants, vaccines and boosters, strategies for staying safe and healthy, and more!  Video clips from "Give me a Boost!" https://youtu.be/st_rVxICArQ https://youtu.be/GOHawyfdlSs https://youtu.be/pE9G7XIdiLM https://youtu.be/nyKtOYu2uUs

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Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. Join FORGE and Rob Vallentine for a two part training to develop skills for supporting people in crisis. Trans and nonbinary communities often support each other. Many of us and our loved ones experience challenges with our mental health. This course will help people learn how to identify symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges, interact and connect with a person in crisis, and support others in accessing the care that they need. The training involves a two-hour pre-training self-paced course, and two three-hour workshops (6:00 - 9:00 PM Eastern on September 12th and 13th). Please register for Mental Health First Aid Training at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MHFirstAid22 Registration will close two weeks before the training, on August 29th, 2022. Presenters: Rob Vallentine and Suzanne Pearlman Rob Vallentine is an Executive in Residence at […]

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WiTEACH Launch with James Santelle

Former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, James L. Santelle, will help launch WiTEACH with the presentation, “What is Our Government Doing About Transgender Rights and Opportunities in 2022 and Beyond? A Discussion of Recent Federal and State Developments in the Law.” There will be a Q&A session. 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Central More about James Santelle:  James L. Santelle served for 6-1/2 years as the Court-appointed and Presidentially-appointed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, in which capacity he was the chief federal law enforcement officer for the area encompassing the 26 eastern-most counties in the State.  For approximately 25 years prior to that, he was employed as an Assistant United States Attorney, assigned responsibility for the prosecution of a wide variety of criminal actions (including violent offenses, human trafficking/child exploitation, drugs/guns/gangs matters, and financial crimes, and many others) and civil actions (including health care, program fraud, and housing, […]

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Trans Vax Scene Clinic

Zao MKE Church 2319 East Kenwood Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI, United States

Trans community members are invited to participate in a free vaccine clinic! Get an initial COVID or monkeypox vaccine, booster shots, and testing. Receive a $50 gift card when you get vaccinated, boosted, or tested! Other activities offered include free massages, connection, conversation, and buttons. The Trans Vax Scene Clinic will be held at Zao MKE Church on two dates: September 24th and October 29th, 2022

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Shared Solidarities: Abortion & Transgender Healthcare

This workshop will discuss how reproductive rights and trans rights are inexplicably linked and how the Dobbs decision has impacted Trans and Nonbinary people seeking healthcare. Content will include the implications of this intersection specific to trans and nonbinary folks who have experienced sexual assault and trauma. We will share real life stories of the impact this is having on TGNB individuals and provide some historical and current political context as well. Register: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BoqL5MUaSZGEK0bvapjpPg Presenters: Afton Bradley is a nurse and social worker who has provided direct care and managed multiple trans health programs in Virginia. They work as a direct practice nurse, consultant, trainer, and educator for LGBTQIA+ health services amongst providers, institutions, and community consumers. Afton Bradley, FNP, MSW, BSN, RN (they/them pronouns)       J (they/them) currently coordinates a Trans Health Program in the South. Their background is in social work with an emphasis on LGBTQ health, sexual health, immigrant justice, HIV, reproductive […]

WiTEACH – Resource mapping

Wisconsin’s trans community has exploded in recent years, and so has interest in serving us. In this interactive meeting we will collaborate in creating maps and directories of resources available to trans community members. Registration: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf-qrrT8tGtwV9y2dXvOjpc_m9bjoS0W5 Who is welcome at WiTEACH? Everyone who wants a Wisconsin within which trans and nonbinary individuals and families are welcomed, supported, and helped to thrive. About Wisconsin Transgender Education and Advocacy Coalition for Health: WiTEACH is a new trans people/service providers/community members statewide coalition designed to focus and make more effective efforts to improve the lives of transgender and nonbinary individuals and families. We invite you to join us! Our first year will be devoted to expanding and improving the availability of quality mental health care for transgender and nonbinary people throughout the state. WiTEACH Community Meetings (Zoom) 2nd Wednesday of the month

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Supporting Trans Mental Health: Uncovering Barriers and Building Solutions

Mental health challenges are common in the trans community. This webinar is intended for therapists, mental health providers, and other social services professionals.  Topics to be explored include the higher rates of mental health issues, why rates might be higher, common barriers trans community members face in accessing effective mental health assistance, and what steps providers can take to reduce those barriers. We will also examine the resilience so many trans people embody, as well as the challenges. Other webinars in this series: This is part of a four-webinar series in year 1 of WiTEACH. Join us for any or all of these training events.  Webinars are intended for mental health and other service providers, as well as open to any community member who is interested in improving the mental health of trans and nonbinary people. 1_ Supporting Trans Mental Health: Uncovering Barriers and Building Solutions Thursday, October 13, 2022 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. […]

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Good Grief! Strategies for Coping

Anti-trans legislation and attitudes have been heartbreaking. Increases in anti-trans and anti-other-marginalized people have often compromised our safety. The unrest throughout the world has been daunting. The COVID years have been hard. The reversal of basic rights has shaken many of us to our core. All of these things and more have led many of us to feel deep, profound, and pervasive grief. This gently moderated panel will bring together individuals from multiple perspectives: spiritual (Jennifer Nordstrom), clinical/mental health/therapy (Travis Trott), and within-community perspectives (Cameron Overton).

Overturning Roe v. Wade doesn’t mean overturning the right to inclusive, trauma-informed healthcare for trans and nonbinary people

This workshop will explore what reproductive health care looks like for Trans and Nonbinary people. Topics will include accessing reproductive trans health including everything from birth control to abortion options. Trans and nonbinary sexual assault and trauma survivors often have additionally complex relationships to reproductive healthcare, which will be woven into this workshop. We will provide real-life stories of Trans and Nonbinary accessing this care Presenters: Afton Bradley is a nurse and social worker who has provided direct care and managed multiple trans health programs in Virginia. They work as a direct practice nurse, consultant, trainer, and educator for LGBTQIA+ health services amongst providers, institutions, and community consumers. Afton Bradley, FNP, MSW, BSN, RN (they/them pronouns)       J (they/them) currently coordinates a Trans Health Program in the South. Their background is in social work with an emphasis on LGBTQ health, sexual health, immigrant justice, HIV, reproductive justice, harm reduction, and anti-violence. J is particularly interested in […]

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Trans Vax Scene Clinic

Zao MKE Church 2319 East Kenwood Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI, United States

Trans community members are invited to participate in a free vaccine clinic! Get an initial COVID or monkeypox vaccine, booster shots, and testing. Receive a $50 gift card when you get vaccinated, boosted, or tested! Other activities offered include free massages, connection, conversation, and buttons. The Trans Vax Scene Clinic will be held at Zao MKE Church on two dates: September 24th and October 29th, 2022

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Trans/Gender-Expansive Tech Safety in the post-Dobbs Political Climate

It’s a tough time for bodily autonomy if you defy reactionary ideas of gender and reproduction. Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe, there’s been a lot of discussion about tech safety, digital privacy, and access to medical care. Most of it has been centered on non-trans women, and most of it has been focused on a few specific potential concerns, such as period tracker apps. At the same time, there has been an increasing social and political backlash against trans/nonbinary/gender-expansive individuals and communities, their supportive family members and friends, and their care providers. This webinar will go beyond the spotlight to discuss tech safety, privacy, and security for trans/gender-expansive survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking who are seeking care in a fraught political climate. Register: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y6HWLjKjSmi-OaJD93nvng Presenter: Jessie L, Technology Safety Specialist at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)

WiTEACH – Mental Health Resources

The WiTEACH intention of improving mental health availability and effectiveness is not starting from scratch. In this meeting we will talk about where trans people and families are accessing services now, and who else is working on the problem. We will also establish the baseline and set concrete goals and strategies for the WiTEACH mental health project. Registration: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf-qrrT8tGtwV9y2dXvOjpc_m9bjoS0W5 Who is welcome at WiTEACH? Everyone who wants a Wisconsin within which trans and nonbinary individuals and families are welcomed, supported, and helped to thrive. About Wisconsin Transgender Education and Advocacy Coalition for Health: WiTEACH is a new trans people/service providers/community members statewide coalition designed to focus and make more effective efforts to improve the lives of transgender and nonbinary individuals and families. We invite you to join us! Our first year will be devoted to expanding and improving the availability of quality mental health care for transgender and nonbinary people throughout the state. WiTEACH Community Meetings […]

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Standard and Trans-specific ACEs: Shifting the Course of Trauma to Create Healthier Trans Adults

What happens in childhood impacts our physical and mental health for the rest of our lives. Trans people experience even more Adverse Childhood Experiences than other people, a fact that contributes to our greater mental health problems. This webinar will introduce the ACE studies to those who are not yet familiar, review trans-specific experiences that may help explain trans people’s higher ACE scores, and delineate some strategies for helping to right the disparities. 0:00 Introduction and overview 2:39 Who is FORGE? 8:20 Quick stats about the trans community 11:27 The ACE study 19:12 Lifelong violence and health disparities 34:58 Video: Jada’s Story 38:56 Health disparities cont. 41:08 Trans-specific ACEs and resilience factors 50:18 Video: Conversion therapy 54:16 Trans-specific ACEs and resilience cont. 1:06:13 Disrupting the ACEs with practical interventions 1:12:36 Video: Let Kids Play, Wisconsin 1:14:43 Resources 1:17:24 Trans hope and joy quotes 1:22:57 Closing Recorded November 11, 2022. Other webinars in this series: This […]

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#MKE TDOR 2022

MKE TDOR 2022: Our voices. Our community. Our TDOR. The greater Milwaukee community will be honoring those who have lost their lives due to anti-transgender bias or violence on Friday, November 18, 2022. Guest speaker Dee Dee Watters will focus on “This is why we’re here!” Description: We stand and fight in the trenches because we deserve to exist!  We say HER name HIS name THEIR name because we will not be erased!  We honor our siblings that were taken from us far too soon and celebrate all of our existence for we will not be erased! Everyone is welcome.  Together, we build and strengthen our large community, supporting each other through loss and remembering our joy.   Agenda: Welcome. Political leaders acknowledge TDOR. Honoring those who died in MKE. Candle light vigil. Music. Dee Dee Waters. Connection. Sharing a meal together. Accessibility: ASL and childcare provided. Bathrooms: All gender, sit, stand. COVID safety: Masks […]

WiTEACH – Health Clinics

Wisconsin hospitals and clinics are creating LGBTQ+-specific clinics and programs specifically for trans people at an incredible pace. In this meeting, we’ll hear from several of the leading programs and inventory the others. Registration: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf-qrrT8tGtwV9y2dXvOjpc_m9bjoS0W5 Who is welcome at WiTEACH? Everyone who wants a Wisconsin within which trans and nonbinary individuals and families are welcomed, supported, and helped to thrive. About Wisconsin Transgender Education and Advocacy Coalition for Health: WiTEACH is a new trans people/service providers/community members statewide coalition designed to focus and make more effective efforts to improve the lives of transgender and nonbinary individuals and families. We invite you to join us! Our first year will be devoted to expanding and improving the availability of quality mental health care for transgender and nonbinary people throughout the state. WiTEACH Community Meetings (Zoom) 2nd Wednesday of the month

WiTEACH – Youth resources

Negotiating with schools. Finding in-person support groups. Locating safe and reliable online resources. Supporting parents. In this WiTEACH meeting, we’ll explore what’s available for supporting Wisconsin’s trans and nonbinary children and youth, and their parents. Timestamps: 0:00 Speaker introductions 0:31 Action opportunity (January: Waukesha school board) 7:30 Wisconsin updates 9:45 Youth resources 15:59 What is GSAFE? 23:29 Other resources for LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin 30:45 What's expected from the WI legislature this year for trans kids 35:05 How to weigh in on current issues impacting trans youth 37:04 Joint Committee on the Review of Administrative Rules 2023 contact info 37:59 Closing thoughts Who is welcome at WiTEACH? Everyone who wants a Wisconsin within which trans and nonbinary individuals and families are welcomed, supported, and helped to thrive. About Wisconsin Transgender Education and Advocacy Coalition for Health: WiTEACH is a new trans people/service providers/community members statewide coalition designed to focus and make more effective efforts to […]

State-Sanctioned Hate: The Impact of the “Culture Wars” on Trans Lives

There are actual human casualties of the current U.S. “culture war” involving trans identities and rights. In this training webinar for therapists and social services professionals, we’ll discuss the actual effects what’s happening in legislatures, social media, and “news” shows are having on trans and nonbinary individuals and families. We’ll also discuss what individuals can do to help mitigate the damage. 0:00 Introduction and agenda 2:31 Who is FORGE? 5:27 Moments of trans joy / trans hope 7:55 Intersecting realities 9:07 "Trauma informed" and webinar content 9:48 What is "State-Sanctioned" hate? 15:24 What have you seen in your community? 17:59 Social media and online hate 24:54 Healthcare access 29:17 Threats against providers 32:16 Child abuse claims 34:11 Transition bans / detransition bills 36:15 Schools and book bans 38:46 Bathrooms 41:55 Trans people in sports 43:25 Workplace discrimination 45:44 Money spent on anti-trans political agendas 48:24 Politicians behaving badly 53:59 Drag shows / drag queen story […]

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Dismantling the Gates: Informed Consent Models of Care

A substantial barrier to care for many trans and nonbinary people has been standards of care that put therapists in a position of “gatekeeping” for those pursuing hormones, surgery, or even name changes. More providers are adopting an informed consent model, that empowers trans and nonbinary individuals and opens up the therapist/client relationship. This webinar will help therapists and social services professionals understand informed consent models of care and how it can work for them and their clients. 1:10 Agenda overview 2:20 Who is FORGE? 3:52 Framing informed consent/standards of care 6:46 History of care for trans folks 14:58 Why do we have standards of care or informed consent? 16:25 Shifting toward informed consent models 21:43 How standards of care worked in the past 27:31 What is informed consent? 33:27 Importance of autonomy 36:28 Limited scope for standards of care and informed consent 43:52 Implications in today's world 48:37 Impact on the therapeutic relationship 52:31 […]

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Trans self-defense and empowerment for all bodies

Trans and non-binary people, especially trans women of color, experience some of the most severe and frequent gender-based violence of any group in the US. Defend Yourself offers practical skills that anyone can learn (you don't have to be an athlete, or train for years in martial arts) -- skills for preventing, interrupting, and healing from harassment, abuse, and assault. Join Defend Yourself teacher Stephania Mahdi to find out more about how empowerment and self-defense training can help you be safer and more confident when dealing with everything from daily problems like problematic family members or intrusive coworkers to physical assault. You'll leave this session with techniques you can use right away. 0:00 Introduction to presentation 2:04 About Stephania and Defend Yourself 6:16 Basics of empowerment self-defense 9:55 Self-defense and neurodiversity 12:09 Building confidence and empowerment 20:10 Practical self-defense skills 26:27 Self-defense with physical disabilities 28:31 The “tunnel zone” 31:02 What skills can people learn […]

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Q&A Webinar: Transdisciplinary Team (Understanding Cancer Disparities in the Transgender/Nonbinary Population)

Are you interested in helping reduce health disparities within the trans/nonbinary community? Are you a Wisconsin community member who would like to contribute to a PAID collaborative working group to explore cancer disparities in trans populations? This project is a collaborative partnership between the Community & Cancer Science Network, FORGE, and the Medical College of Wisconsin. 0:00 Intro and agenda 1:47 Team introductions 6:46 What is this project? 9:07 Overview of the project 10:10 Who should apply? 10:53 Responsibilities of team members 13:02 Applicant qualifications 13:13 Time committment and compensation 15:18 How to apply Q&A 16:50 Structure of the project 19:48 What are social determinants of health? (Shared language) 24:34 Closing thoughts

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WiTEACH – Roundup of support organizations

Even though we started our WiTEACH meetings by mapping the state’s trans resources, by the time we’ve been working together for eight months, we should have identified additional groups and resources that we didn’t know about in the beginning. At this meeting, we’ll invite these new and newly-discovered groups to introduce themselves. Registration: https://forge-forward.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf-qrrT8tGtwV9y2dXvOjpc_m9bjoS0W5   Who is welcome at WiTEACH? Everyone who wants a Wisconsin within which trans and nonbinary individuals and families are welcomed, supported, and helped to thrive. About Wisconsin Transgender Education and Advocacy Coalition for Health: WiTEACH is a new trans people/service providers/community members statewide coalition designed to focus and make more effective efforts to improve the lives of transgender and nonbinary individuals and families. We invite you to join us! Our first year will be devoted to expanding and improving the availability of quality mental health care for transgender and nonbinary people throughout the state. WiTEACH Community Meetings (Zoom) 2nd Wednesday of […]

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Drawing Our Future

The theme of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is Prevention Demands Equity. Equity means that we must listen to and value all voices in the creation of a better world. Trans/nonbinary perspectives are critical in creating safety now and in the future. Drawing Our Future is a space for trans/nonbinary community and loved ones to gather and explore our visions of safety. In this workshop, we will use prompts to help us imagine a safer world and create images, descriptions, or other forms of art related to our visions. Participants will be able to share what they’ve created with each other and discuss ways to continue using arts for healing and social change. When registering, you will have the option to request a free care package to be mailed to you with all the supplies you need for this event. Please register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DrawingOurFuture If you would like to receive a care package, please complete the registration […]

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WiTEACH – Harm Reduction

Stay tuned for information about the guest speaker who will lead us through a wide-ranging and thought-provoking discussion of using harm reduction principles with trans and nonbinary people who have experienced harm. Both professionals and community members will find much to think about in this engaging workshop. Registration information available soon. Who is welcome at WiTEACH? Everyone who wants a Wisconsin within which trans and nonbinary individuals and families are welcomed, supported, and helped to thrive. About Wisconsin Transgender Education and Advocacy Coalition for Health: WiTEACH is a new trans people/service providers/community members statewide coalition designed to focus and make more effective efforts to improve the lives of transgender and nonbinary individuals and families. We invite you to join us! Our first year will be devoted to expanding and improving the availability of quality mental health care for transgender and nonbinary people throughout the state. WiTEACH Community Meetings (Zoom) 2nd Wednesday of the month