The following comes from a current posting on the website of St. Mary’s College in Moraga.

Jan Term 2015 Speaker Series at St. Mary’s College of California

220px-Theresa_Sparks_-_SF_Center_Soiree_8bTheresa Sparks is one among seven planned speakers. She is executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

THERESA SPARKS
“The Emerging TGNC (Trans-Gender-Non-Conforming) Community: Challenges and Opportunities”
1/28/15, 1pm, Hagerty Lounge

Theresa Sparks, executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, addresses advocacy for basic human rights for the transgender community.

For the last two decades academics, intellectuals and activists have been advocating for establishing basic human rights for the transgender community, from health care, to identity, safety and employment. These groups have primarily been working towards creating space for trans-people within the traditional gender binary. During this period, tremendous gains have been made but there are enormous challenges still to be addressed. Over the last few years, a different aspect of gender has begun to emerge in the community, that of gender fluidity / queer / non-conforming and other identities outside of the binary. This growing concept is stretching the boundaries of current thought, presenting new challenges and opportunities. Currently the community is leading the discussion. It is essential that academic, intellectual and government institutions get more involved in developing research, strategies and messaging to support this contemporary movement to further expand the boundaries of gender.

To read the original posting, click here.