Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen is the Executive Director of Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), which was born from the merger of two national transgender rights organizations, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF). Rodrigo is a policy, advocacy, and messaging expert and a proud Cuban American transgender man. His expertise is sought out by advocates and lawmakers eager to craft persuasive messaging to advance transgender rights with audiences across the political spectrum. He has conducted international Spanish-language interviews, including on Univision, Telemundo, and CNN en Español, as well as English-language interviews with outlets such as NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and Politico. Over his 16 years in the LGBTQI+ movement, he’s worked with many organizations, including Freedom for All Americans, GLAAD, the Transgender Law Center, Gender Justice LA, and the National LGBTQ Task Force. Rodrigo graduated from Brown University and lives in Washington, D.C. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP).

Schuyler Bailar (he/him) is an educator, advocate, and bestselling author who made history as the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. Originally recruited to swim for the Harvard women’s team, Schuyler made the difficult choice to transition while potentially giving up the prospect of being a women’s NCAA Champion. His story has appeared everywhere from 60 Minutes to The Washington Post and the Ellen Show. Schuyler’s tireless advocacy has earned him numerous honors, including Forbes 30 Under 30 and the Out 100. In 2023, Schuyler’s critically acclaimed nonfiction bestseller became the preeminent resource on trans inclusion, He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters. Schuyler’s works include his middle-grade novel Obie Is Man Enough, his online gender literacy training LaneChanger.com, and his hit podcast Dear Schuyler, including exclusive interviews with trans icons and allies like Lia Thomos, Dylan Mulvaney, Rafael de la Fuente, and many more.

AC Goldberg (he/him) PhD CCC/SLP is a physically disabled, intersex/transgender Professor, DEIB Consultant/SLP whose mission is to cultivate affirming spaces for everybody. He teaches at Northeastern University, where he runs a gender-affirming voice clinic and leads courses in DEI and transgender health. AC's consulting centers empathy, humanity and intersectional cultural responsiveness. His continuing education nonprofit, The CREDIT Institute, is dedicated to advancing equity in higher education and healthcare. AC is the inventor of the SAFE-Trans Housing Extension, the first and only primary prevention tool that reduces violence and harassment against LGBTQ+ students on college campuses.

Through scholarship and entrepreneurship, Ivan Hsiao, MPH (he/she/they) is resolving health inequities faced by the transgender population. At the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Ivan is a Teaching Fellow for WGH 230, a trans health seminar in the Women, Gender and Health concentration. They also conduct research on the mental health of transgender and nonbinary youth with Dr. Sabra Katz-Wise, and the use of sex and gender in clinical algorithms with Dr. Nancy Krieger. Ivan is also the Founder of the award-winning organization Trans Health HQ, a one-stop shop for health care teams that centralizes resources around gender-affirming care and facilitates access to the dignified and affirming health care their community deserves. Trans Health HQ is developing the largest resource hub of information on trans care for clinicians and patients, and nurturing an international, cross-sector collective of leaders advancing the field of transgender health – with the end goal of creating an online platform connecting the trans community with affirming providers. Ivan received their BA from Columbia University, and MPH from Harvard University.

Kris King (they/he) is a nonbinary transmasc Autistic multiply-disabled athlete, activist, and recent graduate of Harvard College. Kris is passionate about intersectional and margin-to-center equity approaches to policy and reform, particularly for Autistic & neurodivergent individuals, trans+ individuals, athletes, and broader disability communities. They are driven to learn about bioethical and policy-based approaches to accessibility and disability law, as well as public health, and intend to attend law school. In their free time, they are a nationally-recognized curler. Kris is a proud mobility device user, puppy parent, Sonoran desert resident, and Wisconsinite.

Donavan Begay Postier, M.Ed., an esteemed member of the Navajo Nation, has dedicated over a decade to fostering connections between individuals and community resources. Her expertise in digital content creation and marketing, combined with her experience in higher education, has been instrumental in her leadership roles. At SPEAK MPLS, she has been pivotal in promoting the narratives of Minneapolis residents, while her contributions to the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis have ensured vital health services reach American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Her commitment extends to her service on scholarship and small business grant committees, where she champions the rights and visibility of LGBTQ2S+ individuals and groups. In her current role, she is a beacon of support for families in the East Phillips Neighborhood, enhancing the lives of those within the HUD Section 8 housing community. Her work exemplifies the power of community-driven change and the importance of inclusive support systems.

Chastity Bowick is an award-winning activist, civil rights leader, and transgender health advocate. She led the Transgender Emergency Fund of Massachusetts INC for seven years, establishing it as the state's leading crisis agency for transgender communities, and in 2023 launched Chastity’s Consulting & Talent Group, LLC. CCTG's vision is to uplift and guide the Transgender and GNC communities to be able to live a more adequate life with equal protections & opportunities and to educate everyone who provides services for our community on our needs and wants. Currently, she serves on boards for the Boston Women’s Fund, LGBTQ Senior Housing, and Boston Pride 4 the People. Originally from Rochester, NY, Chastity began her transition at 18 after moving to Boston. She has been a dedicated leader in transgender health programming at AIDS Project Worcester, and her work has earned numerous accolades, including the 2020 Audre Lorde Trailblazer Award, the 2021 Mass Now Feminist in Action Award, and the 2024 Tiffany Club New England Trans Community Leadership Award.

Delia Sosa (they/them) is a third-year medical student, a transgender and intersex advocate, and an LGBTQIA2+ educator. As part of the inaugural cohort of the Medical Education Medical Student Scholars Program at their medical school, Delia is working to incorporate LGBTQIA2+ health into phase I undergraduate medical education curricula and provide continuing education to clinicians and researchers regarding the care of intersex patients. They are the Associate Executive Director of the national Medical Student Pride Alliance and an executive board member of the Association of Native American Medical Students representing the Midwest. Delia has co-authored policy for the American Medical Association to strengthen protection for gender-affirming care across the United States and policy for the Ohio State Medical Association to prevent unnecessary surgeries on intersex youth and infants. Delia spends their free time creating educational resources and social media educational tools for healthcare providers and staff on how to care for LGBTQIA2+ patients.

A Diné scholar born and raised within the Navajo Nation, Charlie Amáyá Scott, Ph.D. (she/they) is dedicated to inspiring joy and justice. Their scholarship and writings are imbued with a desire for a more just and liberating education that supports and cultivates the next generation of Queer, Trans, and Indigenous brilliance, beauty, and power. In addition, Charlie reflects, analyzes, and celebrates what it means to be Diné, Queer, and Trans in the 21st century on her personal blog, dineaesthetics.com, and celebrates her entirety on Instagram and TikTok at @dineaesthetics.

Tre’Andre Carmel Valentine (he/they) is a Black and Indigenous immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago. An advocate for trans rights for almost 20 years, Tre’Andre has over a decade of experience in the anti-violence movement supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, and DEI work specializing in LGBTQ+ inclusion. He is the first BIPOC Executive Director to lead the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, the oldest active transgender advocacy organization in the United States, solely focused on trans and nonbinary communities. 

Boozhoo, hello! My name is Giiwedin and I am Anishinaabe. I grew up on Leech Lake Indian Reservation and I am a Two-Spirit educator who uses Instagram to share what it means to be Two-Spirit and aspects of Anishinaabe culture. My Instagram account is @giiwedinindizhinikaaz 

Burhan is a Gen-Z multimedia "artivist," innovation expert, and immigrant rights organizer with over a decade of experience in sustainability, tech justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. One of the youngest in nonprofit boards and leadership rooms, they’ve pioneered economic empowerment initiatives for underserved communities and organized protests across sectors. Born as a queer Muslim child in low-income Pakistan, Burhan emerged as a scholar and social entrepreneur in the US, excelling in math and software engineering while contributing to their college's carbon neutrality and local climate action planning. They've led global initiatives at the intersection of technology, race, caste, class, immigration, and gender, benefiting over 100 grassroots movements and organizations like Out in Tech, Mass Humanities, and the United Nations. Recently, Burhan accelerated over 30 startups across Tanzania, Japan, and Taiwan, empowering underrepresented founders to address social impact challenges while educating hundreds of CEOs and global governments. Passionate about art as a tool for social change, they are currently the founder of Intersectional Innovation and Inclusion (III), working to decolonize innovation and education for collective liberation.

Trudie Jackson is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Her Clans are Bitterwater, Folded Arms, Mexican, and Yucca Strung Out In A Line. She resides in Phoenix, Arizona. She identifies as a grassroots organizer for racial and social justice movements, an advocate, and fierce activist. She is the founder of Miss Indian Transgender Arizona pageant and the Southwest American Indian Rainbow Gathering. Most recently, she a published poetic in My Life Growing Up Native In America. She is also the only native trans author contributor of a chapter in A History of Transgender Medicine: From Margins to Mainstream. She obtained her master and bachelor degrees from Arizona State University.

Justice Roe Williams is a poet, writer, and co-editor of Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex: How to Resist, Disrupt, and Reclaim What It Means to Be Fit in American Culture. This anthology shares experiences from diverse bodies in the fitness industry, emphasizing inclusive movement spaces. Recently joining Boston's Mayor’s Office of LGBTQAI2s+ Advancement, Williams continues his advocacy for equitable healthcare and community safety. As a Certified Personal Trainer, head coach at Kettlebell Justice, and founder of BodyImage4Justice and Fitness4AllBodies, he champions fitness for all and challenges toxic masculinity and white supremacist ideals within the fitness world. Known for creating safe spaces globally, his work has been featured in Men’s Health, Good Housekeeping, NPR, and more. He also appears in the upcoming documentary When We Free the World on deconstructing Black by Kevin Powell, which drops in January 2025. Find him on LinkedIn.

“Matta” Matthew Haide Zheng (any/all pronouns) is a 3rd year Masters of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, studying the anthropology of Buddhism and racial capitalism. As a practitioner, Matta trains in clinical chaplaincy and spiritual counseling, and has delivered intensive spiritual care at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard College Office for BGLTQ+ Life. With extensive background in clinical service for underrepresented communities, interdisciplinary research, and political organizing and action, Matta works across the social and spiritual domains to engender visions of liberation which leave no person behind. Most importantly, Matta is a devoted queer Buddhist whose practice and passion extends to every corner of the Asian Buddhist diaspora. Most currently, Matta is authoring his MDiv thesis which utilizes critical ethnography to proffer a liberatory framework of ‘diaspora Buddhism” as an alternative to the ethical bankruptcy of colonially-constructed categorizations of Buddhism. Prior to HDS, Matta graduated from Stanford University with a dual B.A. in Political Science and Human Biology with Interdisciplinary Honors in LGBTQ+ Studies. In the future, Matta hopes to further complete an MD/PhD in medical anthropology to accomplish their dream of synthesizing Buddhism, anthropology, and psychiatry.

Dr. Salinas-Quiroz (they/them) is an Assistant Professor in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. Fernando is a trans, nonbinary, neuroqueer, femme, and racialized Mexican immigrant with just enough melanin to be light Brown and ambiguous, allowing them to benefit from colorism. This unique perspective informs their groundbreaking work in psychology, education, and trans studies. Their research challenges traditional fixed-sequence theories of human development, with a particular focus on the fluid nature of gender identity and expression. Drawing inspiration from young people who are redefining gender norms, Professor Salinas-Quiroz explores how individuals navigate social landscapes and construct identities beyond conventional boundaries. Their work aims to trans-form childhood, parenting, schools, and decision-making processes to ensure life-sustaining resources are accessible to all, regardless of institutional legibility. For Fernando, this work isn't just a career—it's a passion-driven journey into the beautiful complexity of human trans-formation. Outside of academia, they are devoted to practicing and facilitating Ashtanga yoga, dancing, laughing, and spreading kindness and compassion.

Dr. Debbie Bazarsky is the inaugural director of Boston University’s LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff. Previously, she founded LGBTQIA+ centers at Princeton University, where she worked for 16 years, and at UC Santa Barbara. Before joining BU, she served as Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Dean of Enrollment at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Bazarsky also teaches in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies at Widener University, where she's been adjunct faculty for 16 years, and has consulted on LGBTQIA+ issues across higher education, conducting campus assessments for numerous institutions. Along with colleagues, she co-wrote the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals’ Core Competencies and Standards of Practice for the LGBTQIA+ profession and a recent Journal of Diversity in Higher Education article about them. Most recently, she co-wrote the Promising Policies and Practices for Supporting Trans and Nonbinary People in Postsecondary Education. She is honored to be joining third annual Trans+ Community Celebration at Harvard. 

Shir Lovett-Graff is a writer and community organizer originally from New Haven, CT. They hold a BA in Literature from New College of Florida and an MTS in Religion, Ethics and Politics from Harvard Divinity School. They are a co-founder and lead organizer for Matir Asurim: Jewish Care Network for Incarcerated People and a co-founder of Harvard Jews for Liberation. They are passionate about building radical Jewish communities; queer liberation theology, and hosting excellent dinner parties.

Heron Greenesmith is the Deputy Director of Policy at the Transgender Law Center. They live in Boston with their small family. Free Palestine.

Jordan Jamil Ahmed (they/he) is an artist, educator, and organizer from Central Ohio currently living in Cambridge. Across fields and disciplines, their work lives at the intersection of faith, queerness, and play. Their creative work blends the worlds of performance art, dance, drag, puppetry, and poetry. They currently organize with Queer Muslims of Boston and attend Harvard Divinity School where they are pursuing a Master of Divinity degree.

Cameron Samuels (they/them/theirs) organized efforts against book banning and LGBTQ+ internet censorship in Texas. Within months of once facing the school board alone, Cameron built a movement of students who packed school board meetings, distributed hundreds of banned books, and filed legal action with the ACLU. Co-founding Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, known as SEAT, they have spearheaded grassroots opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ mandates in Texas school districts and the Texas Legislature, centering student narratives to demonstrate youth visibility in policymaking.

Dion (she/her) grew up in central Mass and went to Occidental College where she studied Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture. She interned for Ms. Chastity Bowick in 2021 as a Case Manager with TEF. The housing program was in its beginning stages then, so she’s honored to be back and stepping into the role of Housing Director. Dion is planning on getting her JD in the next few years, and would love to continue working with TEF once she becomes a lawyer.

Larissa Glasser is a librarian-archivist from New England. She writes dark fiction and essays centered on the lives of trans women, library science, and heavy metal. Her debut novella F4 is available from Eraserhead Press. She is on LinkedIn and Amazon.

As the Assistant Director for BGLTQ Student Life - I support the Dean of Students Office primarily via maintaining the daily operations of the Office of BGLTQ Student Life (also known as the "QuOffice"), stewardship of our Queer undergraduate intern program (deemed "QuInterns"), and curation of a vibrant portfolio of collaborative programs open to all within The College.  My praxis and expertise centers on assisting undergrads to be as gay as possible; no matter what color of our rainbow-community one might be, I encourage Queer folk to achieve success, while remaining true to our deviance. In my spare time I am owned by my 10-year diluted-tortie name Jelaminah (though I just call her Jelà), as well as enjoy a variety of anime, video games, and exploring the vast realm of Queer sexuality. Students should reach out to me for: explorations of Queer identity development, conversations on Black Queer Studies and queer literature, identifying/examining normativity, inclusive-Queer sexual education and related resources, as well as anything related to anime! My favorite color is Purple! You'll rarely see me in any other color.

Teasha Purdy is a trans woman of color residing in Boston, MA who has been an advocate, performer, working in the political sector for over 21 years she has received many awards and recognition because of her work, she prides herself on being a chosen mother in the community with numerous children who have gone on to be successful in their life.

Alejandra Caraballo is a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Law School's Cyberlaw Clinic. Prior to joining the clinic, Alejandra was a staff attorney at the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and a Staff Attorney at the LGBTQ Law Project at New York Legal Assistance Group. Alejandra's professional focus has been on advancing the civil rights of LGBTQ people in a variety of civil legal contexts such as healthcare access, immigration, and family law. Alejandra previously served as the Secretary of the LGBTQ Rights Committee of the New York City Bar Association and was appointed as the first openly trans community board member in Brooklyn.

Allure (also known as miss pink succubuss) is a musician, performer, and burlesque dancer based here in Boston. You can find them performing at raves, cabarets, and queer ragers throughout the city!

Killah Croc (they/them) is a Boston based drag artist who has made a name for themself in the Boston drag scene since February 2023. Nominated as Best New Performer to Watch at the The Zonie Awards, Killah has graced the stages of amazing venues like The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Jacques Cabaret, Legacy Nightclub, The Crystal Ballroom, The Love Shack (NYC) and more. Don't let Killah’s simplistic approach to drag fool you; their command of the song and the stage will leave you full but also wanting more. As a proud member of The House of Calpyso and House Mother of The Delusional House of Meh, Killah Croc uses their platform to uplift their fellow Black & Brown Trans Artists of Color.

Izzy Ready is a 26 year old trans woman of color from massachusetts. Her drag embodies body positivity and sex appeal, with a twist of humor!

Ben is a transmasc musician, drag king, and show boy based out of Boston with a passion for fashion and a big loud mouth! He has now divorced and remarried his drag wife twice and she got to keep half of the drag brunch at Club Passim in Cambridge that they still host together. You can also catch him hosting every 5th Monday at Jacques Cabaret - the next show is RUSH! (Frat and sorority themed) and takes place on 12/30!