Mid-Atlantic LGBTQA Conference Schedule - 2026

Please join us for a welcome reception hosted by the Office of the President, at Buckalew Place. Light refreshments will be served.

Parking is available in the Swisher Circle Lot.

Driving Directions (Google)

McCormick Center, East Wing Lobby

Parking is available in the Bakeless/McCormick Lot.

Driving Directions (Google)

McCormick Center, East Wing Lobby

Menu includes pastries, fruit, juice, and coffee.

McCormick Center, Room 1303

Join our conference committee for an overview of the day's events and available resources with special welcome remarks from University President, Dr. Jeff Osgood.

Session 1A - Making Room at the Table: Revising the Trans Reveal from Sleepaway Camp to Together - Room 1303
Transness in horror cinema has often been presented as monstrous, and yet progress toward acceptance and even celebration is evident. Exploring the shifts in historical representations of transness in horror films, this paper outlines the use of the “trans reveal” trope, and suggests that the 2025 film Together shows that transition isn't horror at all, but a happy ending.
Rebecca Willoughby, Associate Professor of Languages, Literature, and Writing, Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg

Session 1B - Queerness as a Model for Transformation Towards a Sustainable Future - Room 1316
This session explores how queerness can show us the connection and empowerment needed to bring on social change and work towards a sustainable future. By examining the meaning of both sustainability and queer activism, we learn that queer justice and sustainable action are not separate issues, but rather movements towards equality that teach and inform each other.
River Shields, Peer Educator, West Chester University

Session 1C - Creating a Safe and Joyful Spiritual Space - Room 2303
An interactive non-Christian spiritual program where people can celebrate their inherent worthiness and dignity, a central value in Unitarian Universalism. UUs regularly create worship experiences that create joy, affirm and promote full acceptance of individuals, and provide space for anyone to feel whole and loved. This service will include readings, affirmations, music, crafting, and human touch at whatever level is comfortable or needed by each participant.
Sara Kelley, Director of Religious Growth and Learning, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley (UUCSV)
D Coen, Board Secretary, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley (UUCSV)

Session 1D - LGBTQ Student Retention - Room 2314
This session focuses on factors relating to LGBTQ student retention, and effective strategies to combat the structural barriers that LGBTQ students face while attending a higher education institution or university. Utilizing West Chester University's 2024 HOPE survey data, I aim to examine the relationship between LGBTQ identity, resource scarcity, and student success, as well as effective interventions for LGBTQ students across the PASSHE system and higher education institutions.
Ryan Cassidy, Graduate Student, West Chester University

Session 2A - The Voice As a Playground: Joy in Gender-Affirming Speech - Room 1303
What if gender-affirming voice work wasn't about finding the "right" sound, but rather about discovering all the possibilities already available? In this interactive workshop, participants will be invited to explore their voice through playful exercises in pitch, resonance, vocal weight, and other expressive qualities. Drawing on contemporary vocal pedagogy, participants will discover how releasing judgement and embracing experimentation can create moments of euphoria, self-discovery, and joy!
Wes Harris, Voice Teacher and Speech Coach, Philadelphia Voice Studio

Session 2B - Where We Flourish: Finding Your Joy - Room 1316
What does it mean to not just exist, but truly flourish? This interactive workshop explores how LGBTQIA+ students can create queer joy, find their people, and build meaningful community. Through engaging activities and conversation, participants will explore friendship, chosen family, mentorship, and belonging while identifying what helps them feel seen, valued, connected, and celebrated. Activities that you can take back to your college.
Jacob Kelley, Sexologist, Mx. Kelley Queer Education LLC

Session 2C - We Were Never Supposed to Be This Happy: Queer Joy Beyond the Trauma Narrative - Room 2303
Queer and trans people are often expected to tell our hardest stories to prove our resilience through pain. But trauma doesn't have to be the narrator of our lives. This session explores what happens when we acknowledge what hurt, leave behind what no longer serves us, and choose what comes next. Through storytelling and reflection, we'll challenge the idea that queer stories must center suffering and make room for something just as powerful: perspective, connection, and unapologetic queer joy.
Cameron Wein, Professor of Sport Management, Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg

Session 2D - Finding Joy in Inclusive Classrooms: Nurturing Queer Journeys in Public Education - Room 2314
Ignite your passion for teaching in an inclusive, welcoming public school district! This session celebrates the profound joy of being an educator where diversity is embraced and every student belongs. Through collaborative discussions, inspiring success stories, and uplifting peer connections, you will discover the core "why" behind your calling. Leave feeling deeply energized, valued, and empowered to cultivate a vibrant, accepting classroom culture that honors every unique voice.
Julie Bramer, Queer Equity Committee member, Pittsburgh Public Schools
Lenny Orbovich or Devin Browne, Queer Equity Committee member, Pittsburgh Public Schools

Scranton Commons Dining Hall

A meal ticket was included with your name badge and is required for admission to the buffet.

Menu listing is available at the link above but is subject to change.

Parking is available in the Tri-Level Garage.

Driving Directions (Google)

McCormick Center, Room 1303

Emile Ennis Jr. is a Los Angeles–based TV host and content creator whose blend of humor, heart, and authenticity has captivated audiences across platforms. As a regular contributor on FOX’s Emmy-winning talk show The Real and lead host and executive producer at Clevver News, Emile became a trusted voice in pop culture while informing, entertaining, and connecting with millions worldwide. Today, he brings that same energy to Amazon Live and his daily digital series ‘Gay Agenda Meeting’; a viral, joy-driven blend of queer culture, current events, and community storytelling. The series was recently featured by NBC News for its positive impact and celebration of LGBTQ+ voices shaping the digital landscape. Whether he’s commanding a red carpet or connecting through a screen, Emile leads with presence, purpose, and a contagious joy that inspires others to show up as their full selves.

Session 3A - Queering Your Company: The Importance of Found Family - Room 1303
This session is for folks to come together to explore the importance of the different bonds that can be included in a found family for LGBTQ+ individuals. Using personal experience as a roadmap, the facilitator will explore the varieties, impact, and utility of building one's own community and support network.
Dakota Corcoran, Student, Peer Educator for the Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy, West Chester University, The Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy

Session 3B - Queer Friends, Found Family & Spreading the Joy - Room 1316
My name is Shawn. This session is a presentation about my own queer experience and friends, how they helped me thrive, and how to involve yourself so that you might find your own community full of queer joy, acceptance, and love. I am specifically looking to highlight the importance of taking part in on-campus clubs and activities, finding people like you, and having the willingness to be vulnerable enough to build those friendships. You never know where they may take you.
Shawn Raymond, Student, Commonwealth University, Mansfield Campus

Session 3C - Lipstick and Lecture Halls: Drag Artistry Across Academia - Room 2303
Through a lively panel, the organizing presenter and drag artists share their journeys of mentorship, artistry, and navigating college campuses. Rooted in storytelling, they highlight drag as both performance and pedagogy, while reflecting on the challenges and possibilities of higher education. This session underscores the importance of community-involved scholarship in capturing authentic narratives, demonstrating how drag artists’ lived experiences shape artistry, identity, and belonging.
Gabriel Pulido, Assistant Professor, West Chester University

Session 3D - Building Politicality in Safe Space - Room 2314
This session will center on the question: how do queer university spaces function in relation to safety and political activism? Focusing mainly in the Bay Area, we will consider differential responses to administrative repression and how organizing movements can re-emerge. We will also discuss tangible proposals to bridge gaps between safe spaces and the larger community.
Elliot Markovic, Undergraduate Student, University of California, Berkeley

Session 4A - Beyond Survival: A Dialogue on Medical Transition and Self-Actualization & We Are the Archive: Storytelling, Memory, and the 50 States of Trans Voices - Room 1303
Transgender lives are too often framed solely by struggle and survival; this session shifts that focus. In this interactive, discussion-based session, a queer student leader and RA shares how medical transition became a catalyst for joy and leadership by removing internal barriers to thriving. Attendees will join a facilitated dialogue about expanding their capacity for joy. Join us as we shift the focus from persistence to flourishing and building a future centered on queer joy.
Leo Karsan, Student, Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg

What happens to trans history when we only preserve the stories that make headlines? Drawing from the 50 States of Trans Voices project, Cam will share stories & lessons gathered while traveling the country & documenting everyday trans lives. This session considers whose stories are remembered, whose are left out, & why preserving ordinary experiences matters. Trans history is more than crisis or activism—it is also found in the lives, relationships, & communities of people who simply lived.
Cameron Wein, Founder of 50 States of Trans Voices/ Professor of Sport Management, Connect with Cam/ Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg

Session 4B - Queering the Workplace - Room 1316
Entering the workforce, in any field, can be a daunting prospect for many members of the queer community. Heteronormative traditions may restrict one’s personality, mannerisms, or dress to adhere to rigid norms. Join us as we discuss the relationship between queerness and professionalism and explore ways to be yourself, feel comfortable, and establish long-term queer normativity in the professional space.
Bryce Corrigan, Graduate Student of Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs, West Chester University

Session 4C - Spoken Word Poetry as Method for Healing and Action towards Liberation. - Room 2303
Through live performance, critical dialogue, and collective writing, this session explores how poets transform trauma into imagination, bridging art, activism, and education. Participants will experience original pieces alongside the work of contemporary poets whose activism challenges geopolitical borders and linguistic hierarchies. Together, we will imagine what healing sounds like in our own words, exploring how art can restore accountability, belonging, and possibility in educational spaces.
Gabriel Pulido, Assistant Professor, West Chester University

Session 4D - LGBTQ-Affirmative Internship experiences: A Critical Narrative Review and Commentary on Silence, Practice, and Possibility - Room 2314
This session will discuss a study currently being conducted examining experiences and power dynamics in LGBTQIA+ supervision within the social work field. Using the data from this study, the presentation will explore how LGBTQ identity, systemic oppression, and cultural humility is navigated by students in university. An ecomap of relevant resources will be presented. The focus will be on the experiences of joy and learning the presenters have had once placed in affirmative educational settings.
Jax Alarie, BSW Student, West Chester University

McCormick Center, Room 1303

Our annual drag show is held in the Kehr Union Ballroom. Admission is free for conference participants. Parking is available in the Tri-Level Garage.

• Date: October 17
• Time: 7:00 PM
• Admission: Free for conference participants; $3 donation others
• Location: Kehr Union Building Ballroom

Host & Performers

• Trixy Valentine (Host)
• Alizee Ladiamond
• Majestee
• Nick O'Teen
• RARE (Dance Group)

Proceeds benefit the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center and BUEA.

Driving Directions (Google)

Visit the following organizations during the conference:

• Danville PFLAG
• Pittsburgh Public Schools Queer Equity Committee

Feeling overstimulated? Stop by the quiet room.

• McCormick Center, Room 1214

Just need to get away but don't necessarily need silence? The chill lounge right outside the Quiet Room is for you!

During the conference events, restrooms in the East Wing of McCormick Center will be designated as gender neutral.

Please note: All other restrooms in the building will remain gender designated.