This Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference (PTWC) will return Sept. 5-7 as an in-person event for the first time since the pandemic, and it’s coming back with some changes. One of the most notable differences is that only 1,000 registrants per day will be permitted to gather for in-person sessions at the conference’s new home — Temple University’s Howard Gittis Student Center.
A lottery system was developed to award tickets, and registration for the general public filled up quickly — but the conference’s new logistics coordinator, Jared Brooks, said there are still a few ways to get involved.
Virtual Participation
“Now that PTWC is back in-person for the first time this year since 2019, we still wanted to provide some virtual programming options for remote attendees,” Brooks said, noting that the conference was entirely virtual in 2021 and 2022 before taking a complete hiatus last year.
Registration for virtual attendance is required and will close on Aug. 30, but remote participation is free. Brooks expects approximately 500 online participants.
“Virtual participation is a great option for people who live out of the area and are not able to attend PTWC in person,” said Brooks.
Because childcare and youth programming will not be offered this year, virtual participation also offers a way for caregivers to get involved and can keep those who are especially COVID-cautious more comfortable and safe.
A hybrid approach is technically possible for those who already have tickets for the in-person gatherings and register for the remote track of the conference too. For those without in-person tickets, online attendees will not be permitted to be on-site. Those tuning in from home won’t have the ability to interact with speakers, vendors, workshop presenters, and in-person happenings from the virtual space — but they will have an experience curated for online conference-goers.
On Friday, Sept. 6, virtual attendees can watch the conference’s opening remarks and listen to this year’s keynote speaker, Lia Thomas — a former University of Pennsylvania student who became a public figure as she fought for the right to compete as a collegiate swimmer. She became the first trans athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship before being barred from major competitions — including Olympic trials.
Virtual participants also have access to five virtual-only presentations which are scheduled for one hour and fifteen minutes each and will explore a variety of topics relevant to trans identity and experiences. On Saturday, Sept. 7, they’ll be able to attend five more virtual-only presentations.
Information about speakers and workshops for the conference’s in-person (general) and virtual tracks are not yet publicly available. Virtual attendees can expect — based on topics explored in the general track during previous years — that offerings will cover physical and mental health, gender-affirming surgeries, hormone replacement therapies, relationships and more.
“We always want to ensure that the workshops being presented at PTWC truly serve and center the trans community as their first objective,” reads the conference’s call for proposals, which explains that an interdisciplinary review committee is tasked with ensuring content is “empowering to the trans community and its many intersections.”
Continuing Education
Students and professionals who work in the legal, medical, behavioral health industries can participate in a continuing education track to learn more about how to support trans people as professionals.
“Many people attend the continuing education track to receive continuing education credits,” explained Brooks. “But others may attend to learn more about how to best serve the trans community in their field of work.”
This year’s presentations for behavioral health providers will explore a variety of techniques for approaching mental health care — including body-inclusive and anti-fat approaches to trans healthcare, decolonizing queer experiences, geek therapy, countertransference, the concept of healing justice, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and more. Additional topics for this cohort will explore letter-writing, navigating challenging conversations in family therapy and promoting acceptance of trans youth, supporting young adults, activism and crisis response.
Those participating in the legal track can learn about LGBTQ+ civil rights laws and protections, disparities in child welfare and advocacy for youth LGBTQ+ youth, advocacy during insurance appeals, navigating governmnet ID, parenting issues, as well as bans on trans-affirming and abortion care.
Medical providers will learn about the intersections of LGBTQ+ experiences and chronic illness, reproductive and gynecologic healthcare, pediatric care for trans youth, HIV testing, patient-provider communication, insurance coverage, sexual assault survivorship and surgical interventions. Two especially unique options include harm-reduction models for trans-specific care and utilizing the support of rehab specialists in trans-affirming care environments.
Virtual participation is not available for these professionals, as all workshops are in-person on Sept. 5. Walk-ins will be welcome as long as space permits.
Although the conference has a pay-what-you-can model for general attendees, registration for the continuing education track costs between $225 to $325. Some discounts, including for students, are available.
Volunteering
Although the online form to sign-up to be a volunteer has closed, Brooks said it’s still possible to contribute — and that good deed comes with perks.
“Volunteers are also able to attend workshops when not working,” said Brooks, about those who chip-in.
This includes exploring the vendors and exhibitors tables — which include community-based organizations, small businesses and artists sharing resources and selling trans-affirming goods.
Shifts are generally five hours, but Brooks underlined that various shifts are available to accommodate personal schedules. Roles include assisting with registration, monitoring workshops and directing attendees throughout the venue. Those hoping to support the success of the conference by volunteering their time are encouraged to email [email protected] to learn more about opportunities.
Although staff from the Mazzoni Center is involved in the conference, it’s always been a volunteer-powered production.
“Our volunteer committee members and Mazzoni Center staff have put in a lot of hard work planning PTWC over the past year, and we are so excited for the return of PTWC in September,” Brooks underlined. “We want to see PTWC flourish for years to come.”
To learn more about Mazzoni Center’s Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference or to register for virtual and continuing education opportunities, visit mazzonicenter.org/conference.