Conferences for 2012

So I finally planned which conferences I will be FULLY attending in 2012.By Fully attending I mean making it there for all conference days and experiencing as much as possible.

The list  is as follows:

BTMI (Black Trans Man International) conference in Dallas, TX from March 29th, 2012 to April 1st, 2012

I will probably be doing a presentation but waiting to see what to present on. Since this is the first year of me attending the conference (hell this is the first year of the conference) I don’t want to over extend myself.

 

PTHC (Philadelphia Trans Health Conference) which is in Philadelphia, PA from May 31st, 2012 to June 2nd, 2012

I definitely will be doing workshopS (yes plural). I have about 10 days to finish what workshops I will be submitting. So far I submitted on one workshop to present which is my Lower surgery show and tell. I decided to do this one by popular demand. I am contemplating whether or not to do the Ways to afford Transition workshop again but will likely end up doing it.

 

GO (Gender Odyssey) which is in Seattle, WA from August 2nd, 2012 to August 5th, 2012

I will likely give a workshop for this one too but if I do give a workshop it will likely be only one. I will post about what workshops I am doing at which conferences to keep people in the loop.

 

POSSIBLY

SCC (Southern Comfort Conference) which is in Atlanta, GA from September 20th, 2012 to September 23rd, 2012

I will only go if it is covered under one of my business travel arrangements meaning I will be traveling  and attending FOR FREE. To be honest SCC has no real benefit to me anymore outside of socialization.  The people who I look forward to seeing live local to ATL so they don’t even really attend the conference. My mom is out there but I can see her anytime. So why am I going to SCC? For 2011 it was worth it because it was coupled with WPATH but outside of that I can’t relate to most of the participants. There is a decline in the POC who attend plus recurrent racist comments are quite old now. I am not really in need of any consults with surgeons which was a perk in the past. All of the surgeons who go to SCC are the same ones and I have seen their presentations more than once some I now know by memory. Also though I go to gather info and bring it back for the community I need to be saving and it wouldn’t make sense to attend a conference of no personal benefit and spend that money.

 

Outside of the above conferences I might pop in for a day at other conferences along the East Coast that I can get too by either Mega bus or car pool. Other than that I am really trying to limit it to the above 4. Things might change but these conferences are the ones in my budget for 2012! If anyone else is planning to attend any of these conferences or live near these conferences let me know I would love to connect and chat with folks while traveling.