jordan leonard, aria arus-altuz, christine link & megan
speakers: jordan leonard, aria arus-altuz, christine link & megan
DAY/TIME: thursday at 12:00 PM
tent location: love tent
Transcending Misconceptions: Demystifying Trans & Non-Binary Identities
Join us for a thoughtful and engaging session designed to increase understanding of trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people.
We’ll dive into the rich history of trans and non-binary identities, explore the science and healthcare related to being transgender, and share personal experiences with HRT and other gender-affirming care. We’ll cover common acronyms, discuss practical and respectful ways to approach pronouns and engage with diverse gender identities, and challenge common harmful stereotypes along the way.
We’ll wrap with a Q&A/AMA segment. This session will foster a deeper understanding of what it means to live authentically, while offering ways to better support your greater LGBTQ+ community. Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge as an ally, contribute as a TGNC person, or simply listen, all are welcome to join this journey of discovery and empathy.
Your hosts for this session will contribute their unique perspectives…
- Jordan Leonard (non-binary transmasc, they/he)
- Aria Arus-Altuz (transwoman, she/her)
- Christine Link (Aria’s partner, genderqueer, they/she)
- Megan (Jordan’s sister, cis woman, she/her)
Meet
the panel
of speakers
Jordan (they/he) is a community cultivator and has been in large scale event production for the past 20 years. Involved as a co-coordinator, staff member or team lead for various projects and events over the years such as AllGood, Transformus, Burning Man, Party Liberation Foundation 501(c)3, and Shakori Grassroots Festival, Jordan is passionate about cultivating spaces for community to gather, strengthen, and celebrate. In their professional life, they work as a meeting planner in the healthcare industry. Jordan identifies as non-binary transmasc and has been undergoing gender affirming therapy for two years.
Aria Arus-Altuz (she/her) is a transgender immunologist at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, where her research focuses the B and T cell interactions in lymph nodes responsible for long-lasting immune responses. Beyond her work on HIV and coronavirus vaccine work, one of Aria’s current projects include the development of one of the first animal models of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) in order to study the impacts that exogenous sex hormones may have on innate and adaptive immune responses. Beyond her work in the lab, Aria is an entrepreneur and community builder with her wife, Christine, who both run a shibari rope and education business by the name of Dyes That Bind.
Christine Link (they/she) aims to advocate for healthy, open communication and believes in consent as an ongoing dialogue. A gender non-conforming, kink-positive, polyamorous pixie, they delight in queering worldviews and reshaping societal norms. As an esthetician for 15 years, Christine loves helping people with their skin, while challenging traditional beauty and heteronormative standards.They also help organize PUSH, a thriving BDSM event in Durham, and run Dyes That Bind, a hand-dyed shibari rope shop, alongside their wife, Aria