Invite Me to Speak

Posted by on Oct 31, 2013 in Dallas | Comments Off on Invite Me to Speak

I’m an expert public speaker on transgender policy issues and the history, nature, and treatment of transsexualism. Over more than two decades I’ve given hundreds of formal and informal talks to civic groups, universities, and professional organizations, have made hundreds of presentations at conferences and conventions all over North America, and appeared on radio and tv dozens of times. Topics have ranged from general coverage of gender identity issues to specific presentations on electrolysis, history, media, sexuality, relationships, violence directed at transgendered people, results of research projects, and the transsexual transition process. I’ve given keynotes and invited talks at many conference, including Outgiving, the Metropolititan Community Church, Southern Comfort, Atlanta Pride, the first New Annual Transgender and Transexual Health Empowerment Conference, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and more than a dozen support groups. I’ve consulted on policy issues with Accenture, the City of Atlanta, and other places. I’ve moderated group discussions and panel presentations and read from my printed works at bookstores in Atlanta, Ann Arbor, and other cities. For more than twenty years I’ve taught a class on gender identity at Emory University. I’m personable in front of audiences and prepared for any question that might be asked. My depth and breadth of knowledge makes me comfortable no matter the topic or audience. If you need a speaker, please think of me. I’ll tailor a talk to meet your needs.

I’ve written three books and hundreds of articles in professional and lay journals and magazines, written press releases, brochures, newsletters, and booklets, written or co-written twenty textbook chapters, and made thousands of  blogposts. Along the way one of my plays and a number of my poems and short stories have appeared in print and one of my novels was serialized. I’m experienced with a wide range of writing styles, from APA format for scientific journals to popular non-fiction styles to fiction. I can make even difficult concepts easy to read and understand, and be “rather charming,” as a reviewer once said of my work, in the doing. I work fast and efficiently, needing minimal re-writing, over a broad range of topics from popular culture to history to civil rights. I often work alone, but have collaborated effectively with many other writers. My work has resonated with helping professionals and transsexual and transgendered people and many of my articles have been reposted on the internet and reprinted and translated into other languages. I’ve written on a wide range of topics ranging from gender identity to the behavior of animals to virtual worlds. My words are powerful and move people. If you’re looking for a writer, ghost-writer, or co-writer, I’m ready to help.

I was Editor-in-Chief of two national print magazines, for a total of 15 years, producing dozens of intelligent, balanced, and informative issues. At the nonprofit American Educational Gender Information Service I edited dozens of advisories, press releases, flyers, and booklets and, under AEGIS’ Sullivan Press imprint, Vanessa Sheridan’s book Cross Purposes. I’ve edited nearly a dozen newsletters and produced program books for the Fantasia Fair conference and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. Between 1995 and 1998 I edited what I believe to be the first online transgender newsfeed and designed and implemented an interactive telephone system to disseminate information via spoken word. My edited 1998 text Current Concepts in Transgender Identity includes chapters from more than 20 eminent clinicians and scientists in the field. I’ve worked with dozens of authors to improve their manuscripts and make them suitable for publication. Good editing requires not only mastery of language and page layout, but the ability to assemble many small pieces into a coherent and attractive whole while working with writers with varying abilities and often sensitive egos and being responsive to the needs of the publisher. My published work is a testament to my writing and editing skills. I have the experience and skill necessary to take on any editing assignment. Let me help.

I am an applied behavior analyst with decades of experience analyzing human behavior in residential and institutional settings with children and adults with disabilities. My training enables me to quickly analyze human behavior  and develop common-sense solutions to even the most complex behavioral problems. I’ve more than two decades experience working directly with transgendered and transsexual people and the organizations that support them. I’ve formally consulted with the Fortune 500 corporation Accenture, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, The Centers for Disease Control, and other entities to formulate policies and solve problems. I’ve counseled thousands of transsexuals, their spouses and family members, giving them the tools they need to make informed decisions. I’ve spoken on the phone and in person with hundreds of journalists and filmmakers, many of whom later produced television shows, books, and films on transsexualism. I have intimate experience with the formation and maintenance of 501(c)(3) nonprofits, support groups, crisis management, and organizational needs  to develop coherent policies in regard to transgendered and transsexual people.

I offer in-person and online voice support for individuals who need assistance with gender identity issues. I draw upon thirty years as a licensed clinician, behavior analyst, and mental health specialist and twenty-plus years of intensive one-to-one work with hundreds of transsexuals and their loved ones– and I draw also upon my own experience as a transsexual woman. I will provide you with the information and resources you need to understand your options and make intelligent decisions about your life. I will direct you to support groups and conferences so you can meet and learn from your peers. If you make the decision to transition gender roles I’ll refer you to trusted sources for psychological and medical support. Based upon your meeting the eligibility and readiness requirements of the WPATH Standards of Care and your adherence of the Standards, and absent significant psychopathology and provided you are a legal adult I can provide you with letters of support for hormonal therapy and genital surgeries. My approach is primarily one of education based upon a healthy transgender model. My goal is to provide my clients with the information they need to make healthy decisions about their lives. Please contact me for a schedule of fees or to arrange for an appointment.