This summer marks the 11th year of the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference (PTHC), a program of Mazzoni Center, which will take place from May 31-June 2, 2012, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. What began in 2002 as a one-day gathering of transgender activists, allies, and service providers, has grown in the decade since its inception to become the largest transgender-specific conference in the world.  Last June this free event drew 2,000 attendees from throughout the U.S. and overseas to participate in three full days of educational and social activities, with offerings for family members, community allies, medical and social service providers as well.  

The 2012 conference schedule features some 200 workshops and panel discussions on a diverse range of subjects relating to health and well-being, including healthcare, safety, education, employment, housing, legal issues, and social support. 

“From the beginning, the vision of the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference has been to address body, mind, spirit, community, and well-being,” Mazzoni Center Executive Director Nurit L. Shein said. “We are especially excited to be welcoming a number of international participants this year, as they can shed light on the particular experiences of transgender individuals and communities in their native countries, but also on the common ground we share in seeking to improve health care access and outcomes for trans people worldwide.” 

As much as possible, PTHC strives to ensure that the conference addresses the diverse needs of all transgender communities: transgender men, transgender women, gender-queer, and gender- variant youth and adults, as well as their partners, families, and allies. In an effort to increase the availability of quality, culturally competent care for transgender communities, PTHC also provides workshops for medical, mental health, legal, and social service providers.

“The Trans-Health Conference Planning Committee has put a great deal of time and consideration into the selection of workshops and programs this year,” Conference Coordinator Jacsen Callanan explained.  “Our goal is to provide a meaningful and educational experience both for veteran attendees of the conference, as well as for individuals who may be joining us for the first time.” 

This year’s conference includes an increased emphasis on international issues, including panels on immigration and the challenges faced by refugees and asylees; transgender activism in Europe, as well as spotlight discussions on the state of trans communities in Latin America and South Asia. Funding from the Arcus Foundation and the Open Society Foundation has helped to make this programming possible.

Trans Medicine Education Initiative

New at the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference this year will be the first annual Transgender Education Certificate Course – a three-day intensive for medical providers designed for new as well as experienced medical providers (MD, DO, NP, PA, RN, ND, PharmD) interested in the primary care of adult and pediatric transgender patients. The certificate program will consist of lectures given by nationally known experts in the field of transgender primary care, mental health, pediatrics & adolescent medicine, and endocrinology.

In addition, Mazzoni Center’s Legal Services department has incorporated a significant number of programs in this year’s conference that are specifically dedicated to legal obstacles facing transgender communities, and aimed at practicing attorneys who wish to learn more about these issues, in order to provide culturally competent legal services to transgender clients.  To that end, there will be as many as twelve hours of Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits offered free of charge during this year’s conference, on subjects including: legal identity documentation, immigration issues, employee and employer workplace questions, advocating for transgender equality, and more.  

All three days of the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference are free, but registration is recommended. Visit http://www.trans-health.org/ for all the details.

To view the full press release, click here.