The public is invited to the June 15 meeting of the Democratic Club of Kent County, for an interesting and informative presentation, “The Personal is (Still) Political: Understanding LGBTQ+ Identities and Challenges”. Our presenter will be Cassandra Miller, Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Baltimore County Public Library; she will be speaking as a private citizen rather than as a representative of library.
The term “gender-diverse” is used to refer to persons whose gender identity, including their gender expression, is at odds with what is perceived as being the gender norm in a particular context at a particular point in time, including those who do not place themselves in the male/female binary; the more specific term “trans” is used to describe persons who identify with a different sex than the one assigned to them at birth. Many states, including Maryland, are moving forward with legislation and policies to protect the rights of trans persons, but many other states have seen a blitz of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation since 2020, particularly anti-transgender bills. Areas of contention include public education, books in public libraries, athletic competitions, health care coverage, workplace discrimination, and basic human rights. Additional information is available online:https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender-people-gender-identity-gender-expression; https://www.law.georgetown.edu/gender-journal/in-print/volume-xxii-issue-2-annual-review-2021/transgender-rights-and-issues/.
Ms. Miller will speak about the experience of being trans, explain some of the vocabulary and concepts, give an overview of contemporary trans rights challenges, and offer some advice on what can be done to advocate for LGBTQ+ people. The meeting will take place at Sumner Hall, 206 S. Queen St., Chestertown, on Thursday, June 15; doors will open at 6:00 pm for refreshments, social time and a brief business meeting. Ms. Miller will begin her presentation at approximately 7:00 pm. Please consider attending the meeting on this vitally important topic.
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