A free bilingual conference for parents, guardians, adult allies, and educators from Monterey, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties who want a deeper understanding of gender and youth.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
9:30 am – 2:00 pm
Watsonville High School
250 E. Beach Street
Watsonville, CA 95076
For more information, contact us at gendersummitsc@gmail.com or call (831) 427-4004.
Have an elementary school student? Check out Rainbow Glitter Kids, happening during the parent conference!
Read about the 2024 Rainbow Conference and the Understanding Gender Conference in the September 2024 Growing Up in Santa Cruz Magazine “Rainbow Conference Offers Opportunities for Teens“
View & share our PSAs from 2025 in English & Spanish
About the Conference
Understandings of gender are changing rapidly and it can be challenging to keep up! All children are limited by traditional gender roles and stereotypes, whether they are transgender, gender expansive, or not. Parents, guardians, educators, and adult allies play a crucial role in creating a safe and supportive environment for all young people around their gender. We hope you’ll join us for a day of learning, conversation, and reflection about youth and gender!
About Our Presenters:
A.D. Sean Lewis (he/him)
A.D. Sean Lewis is a Senior Attorney with Lambda Legal. Prior to joining Lambda, A.D. worked at the Prison Law Office where he advocated for thousands of trans and LGBTQIA+ people on a number of important class action cases. A.D. was also an Equal Justice Works fellow at Disability Rights California where he advocated for trans people with disabilities in jails, state hospitals, and psychiatric confinement. During law school, A.D. worked for Disability Rights Washington’s Trans in Prison Justice Project and East Bay Community Law Center, organized with abolitionist collectives to support incarcerated people, and founded the TGI Pro Bono project at Stanford Law School, which he continues to supervise. Before law school, he worked in government oversight at the City of Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the Office of Inspector General. A.D. graduated from Stanford Law and is a member of the California State Bar.
Jen Hastings, MD (pronouns: jen)
Jen Hastings, MD (jen/jen), Board Certified in Family Medicine, has been providing transgender health care for many years. Dr Jen is part of Ibis Reproductive Health, a research group studying the reproductive needs and experiences of transgender and gender expansive people in the US, and a national consultant and educator on transgender healthcare, increasing medical access and understanding. Jen is also an abortion provider with Aria Medical Group. In Santa Cruz, Jen is the physician consultant with SafeRx and the Health Improvement Partnership, working with Opioid Safety, Behavioral Health integration, Trauma Informed Care and Mindfulness in Medicine.
Marcia Ochoa (she/they)
Marcia is an anthropologist specialized in the ethnography of media. Marcia’s first book is on the accomplishment of femininity among beauty pageant contestants (misses) and transgender women (transformistas) in Venezuela. Marcia’s work focuses on the role of the imaginary in the survival of queer and transgender people in Latin America, and the place of these subjects in the nation. Marcia is co-founder of El/La Para TransLatinas in the Mission District of San Francisco, CA, a social justice organization that promotes transgender Latina participation and reflects the style and grace of translatina survival. Marcia is also co-editor ex-oficio of GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies.
Ashlyn Adams (pronouns: she/her/sir)
Ashlyn Adams, Lead Equity Trainer, EDI Educators. Ashlyn raised herself and her siblings in the Bay Area and came to Santa Cruz for college at UCSC. Ashlyn works as a commissioner on the Justice And Gender county commission, digital literacy and access educator, filmmaker and film distributor, and EDI trainer. She considers herself to be a professional in the arts and sciences of connecting people with resources, movie watching, helping you fix your computer, fitting everything in the car, and providing basketball commentary. She lives with her wife and two pretty cute dogs.
Wren Reeve (they/he)
Wren, Lead Equity Trainer, EDI Educators, is a local Santa Cruzian who grew up learning quickly that in order to see equality and equity, you have to start at the heart of your own stomping grounds and make waves. They have been advocating for themselves and others primarily in the Queer and the Disability communities since they were a teen and continue to advocate for representation and inclusion in the education system and community at large. Their activism-focused written work has been published by multiple organizations, and he has been nominated for numerous awards as a young person and as an adult advocate for his on-the-ground efforts. They are currently working on becoming a social worker, working with queer youth across the county, and facilitating safe spaces. Wren lives with their five reptiles and family and spends his free time geeking out over music and hyperfixating on marine wildlife and comics.
Azul (they/them)
Raised in the resilient and beautiful vivacious valley of Salinas, Azul is a Bilingual Non-binary Queer and First Generation Chicane college student. They were raised by immigrant parents who helped foster a fighting spirit for community care and advocacy. They are currently pursuing an associates degree in Sociology at Hartnell College. They have helped cultivate a welcoming LGBTQIA+ space and create activities for students at their local community college with the Office of Equity Programs at Hartnell College. They used their experiences and knowledge from working with students to help cultivate an inclusive environment that considers the intersectionality of Queer students and youth at Hartnell College when helping establish the LGBTQIA+ space and activities. They understand the dedication and perseverance Queer B.I.P.O.C. Youth and Students face, and with such understanding, they are determined to ensure community resources and aid stay accessible to all. They hope to help expand their knowledge within Queer Chicane studies to share articles, art, and stories within their community.
Understanding Gender schedule
- 9:30 am – 9:50 am
- Welcome and introductions, with coffee and pastries
- 9:55 - 11:15 am (choose one)
- Gender 101 (in English) - for those newer to the topic with Ashlyn Adams and Wren Reeve of EDI Educators
- Gender 101 (in Spanish) - for those newer to the topic with Azul of The Diversity Center
- Gender 201 (in English with Spanish interpretation) - a more advanced workshop exploring the frontiers of research on gender and identity with Marcia Ochoa, UCSC professor & author
- 11:25 am – 12:30 pm (choose one)
- Gender Affirming Medical Care with Dr. Jen Hastings (in English with Spanish interpretation)
- The Legal Landscape for Trans Youth with A.D. Sean Lewis of Lambda Legal (in English with Spanish interpretation)
- 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
- Lunch break – lunch will be provided
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
- Transgender & Non-binary Youth Speak - panel with local trans and nonbinary young adults
Registration is free and coffee, snacks, and lunch are provided.
Simultaneous Spanish interpretation provided
Volunteer
To volunteer for the Parent/Guardian Workshop, please visit Parent/Guardian, Educators, and Adult Allies "Understanding Gender" Conference Volunteer Opportunities
If you have any questions, please contact us at gendersummitSC@gmail.com or (831) 427-4004.
Thank you!
Community Sponsors
Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast -- Fall 2026
Thank you for helping get the word out to LGBTQIA2S+ and allied students about the Fall 2026 Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit taking place the same day, time, and location as the Parent/Guardian, Educator & Adult Allies Workshop on Saturday, September 26, 2026!
Archive
Parent/Guardian, Educators & Adult Allies "Understanding Gender" Conferences
- 2025: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Summit -- Fall 2025
- 2024: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Summit -- Fall 2024
- 2023: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Virtual Summit — Fall 2023
- otoño 2023 taller para padres y aliados adultos
- 2022: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Virtual Summit — Fall 2022
- 2021: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Virtual Summit — Fall 2021
- 2020: Parent/Guardian Summit — Fall 2020
- 2020: Spring 2020 Parent/Guardian Summit
- 2019: Fall 2019 Parent/Guardian Summit
- 2019: Spring 2019 Parent/Guardian Summit