Transgender Youth Summit coming to Cambridge

The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and the Boston Alliance of LGBT Youth (BAGLY) have teamed up to present the Transgender Youth Summit, a daylong confab that aims to empower trans youth, create a youth leadership network, and promote political and civic activism. The free event is open to people under age 24 who identify as trans or could fall under the transgender umbrella. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Democracy Center in Cambridge on June 28.

MTPC Executive Director Gunner Scott said the summit was prompted as the organization sought ways to encourage civic engagement and decided to focus some of their efforts on young people. To that end, the organization has recently begun doing voter registration at various LGBT events; Youth Pride brought their highest number of registrants at a single event thus far, said Scott. He also noted that MTPC's youth committee wanted to do an event aimed at trans youth because "a lot of the trans stuff tends to be adult-focused. And so the youth committee also saw it a way to bring more youth into working on trans issues."

Scott also cited a personal reason for organizing the summit: His recent speaking engagements have brought him into contact with trans youth from far-flung corners of the state who are often isolated from other trans youth. "We figured if we did this youth summit then we could at least be able to bring them all together on one day and they would be able to meet each other and see that there are other people their age that are also trans identified," said Scott. To that end, summit organizers are offering travel stipends to qualified attendees who are traveling to the event from outside of the Boston area.

The roster of presenters will include Attorney Janson Wu of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), who will answer questions pertaining to legal rights and MassEquality youth organizer Katherine Patrick, who will discuss community and school-based activism. MTPC members will school attendees on voting and transgender activism; BAGLY peer educators will discuss healthy relationships to bodies and sex.

Attendees will receive a free t-shirt and lunch.

Space for the Transgender Youth Summit is limited. Register by June 24, either online at www.masstpc.org or by calling 617-778-0519.