Community is Invited to Attend Understanding Gender Diversity Seminar

Gender education specialist, Aidan Key, is hosting a seminar on March 3 to discuss the challenges with gender diversity, current research and ways to enhance societal awareness of gender diversity. Key will touch on a variety of objectives from 6:30-8 p.m. at The Mercantile.

"There's a lot of misconceptions about transgender kids and transgender people as a whole," said Key. "It is understandably confusing, not only for those families that have those children as they try to learn more. But also for anyone else who knows what it's like to create an inclusive environment for transgender kids in school."

Key will the lead the seminar and provide insight on the stigma and misinformation that surrounds the transgender community. A large focus point of the seminar is to move through fears and concern, because according to Key, the solutions themselves are simple.

"A lot of these solutions are basic practices that benefit all kids," said Key. "For example, often times transgender children in locker rooms is brought up and concerns about privacy. What we find (when seeking solutions to this problem) in general, we need to look at the privacy concerns of all the students."

The event is sponsored by the Wenatchee School District, The City of Wenatchee Diversity Council, Wenatchee Pride, Our Valley, Nuestro Valle and the Mercantile. If interested in attending in order to ensure a seat is saved, visit Eventbrite to register a spot.

"We have to be able to step into this conversation with open hearts and open minds and we have to do so in a way that respects people from all faith backgrounds, all political affiliations, from different cultural norms," said Key.

On the same day of the community targeted seminar, a handful of Wenatchee School District employees will also get a training version of the gender diversity event led by Key.