
Understanding Gender
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 30, 2023
9:30 am – 2:00 pm
Watsonville High School, 250 E. Beach St., Watsonville, CA 95076
Registration Open — Sign up today!
Find us on Facebook
For more information, contact us at gendersummitsc@gmail.com or call (831) 427-4004.
Have an elementary school student? Check out Glitter Kids Camp event, happening during the parent summit!
Haga clic aquí para información en español
About the Workshop
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 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, including such topics as:
- Understanding the dimensions of gender
- Learning common terms and concepts
- Affirmative parenting practices around gender
- Suggestions for talking with children and teens about gender
- Making schools more gender inclusive and safer for gender expansive youth
- Strategies for navigating the school system with transgender or gender nonconforming students
- Exploring mental health topics for gender diverse youth
- Staying connected to your faith community while embracing your gender diverse child
Simultaneous Spanish interpretation provided
Presenters

Spanish-language LGBTQ + Peer Support Group Facilitator, The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz
Roselyn Macias (pronouns: she/her/hers) is a leader for Conexiones, a support group mostly made up of Latina transwomen in Monterey County who are dedicated to raising awareness and visibility in the community for transgender, non-binary, and queer women of color. Roselyn also facilitates the Spanish-language LGBTQ + Peer Support Group for The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz. She is a passionate and active advocate in her community and for more than 7 years has worked with marginalized women to educate them about health and leadership, and to create safe spaces where they can express themselves. Roselyn also works with the Translatina Coalition on policy change and leadership development. Additionally, she raises awareness of the issues affecting her community in the local media.

Lead Equity Trainer, EDI Educators
Photo Credit: Rebecca Stark Photography
Ashlyn Adams (pronouns: she/her/sir) 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.
Zak Keith (pronouns: they/them), Youth & Young Adult Services Coordinator, The Diversity Center. Born and raised in rural Appalachia Virginia, Zak has spent their life learning about Queer identity and best practices for supporting LGBTQIA2S+ communities. They use their knowledge as a foundation for programming and advocacy, and their Drag artistry for teaching and expressing Queer culture. They received their bachelor degrees from Virginia Tech in sociology, criminology, and psychology. They are currently a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) working with LGBTQIA+ youth to expand our understanding of how digital technology and family relationships inform identity development. They are an active member of numerous community affiliates, some of which include the Safe Schools Project, LGBTQ+ Task Force, Santa Cruz Pride, Monterey Peninsula Pride (MPP) Pride Committee, and others. They develop workshops and seminars from their research to provide meaningful information back into our local communities. Their hope is to center the lived experiences of both Queer communities, and generations, to produce knowledge that can create institutional change, and sustainable support for well-being and development.
Educator and GSA/QSA Advisor, LGBTQ Task Force Member
Photo Credit: Rebecca Stark Photography
Jen Salinas-Holz founded and co-advises the first elementary school GSA in Pajaro Valley Unified School District at Watsonville Charter School for the Arts (WCSA). Additionally, Jen is also an advisor to three other GSAs in PVUSD: Alianza QSA, Lakeview Middle School QSA, and WCSA Middle School GSA. Jen’s advocacy and affirming presence as an openly queer adult on these campuses has helped create a safer space for LGBTQ and ally students to express themselves and feel accepted in school.
Since Spring 2019, Jen has collaborated with TransFamilies of Santa Cruz and Gender Spectrum to present several annual Understanding Gender parent/educator workshops. Jen was a 2019 Santa Cruz County Ally to Queer Youth Awardee, serves on the PVUSD LGBTQ Task Force, was honored with a proclamation from the Watsonville Mayor for Pride month in June 2021, and has most recently served on the City of Watsonville Ad-Hoc Committee on Policing and Social Equity. Jen’s tireless commitment to serving queer and trans youth puts her at the forefront of positive change in the Watsonville community.
TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County
Photo Credit: Rebecca Stark Photography
Michelle Brandt is the Co-Facilitator for Transfamilies of Santa Cruz County, a supportive parent, and a tireless ally to LGBTQ+ youth. Michelle often spends her weekends tabling at events to help support local families in understanding gender diversity so they are better able to support their gender expansive youth. In addition to advocating at events and supporting her own gender diverse child,
Michelle has collaborated with the Safe Schools Project and Gender Spectrum to create several “Understanding Gender” adult workshops to better reach local parents and families and educate them on gender. Michelle’s years of work and commitment to helping the families of trans and gender diverse kids have undoubtedly improved the lives of countless youths and made our communities stronger and our world better.

TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County
Photo Credit: Rebecca Stark Photography
Andrea Damon is a leader with TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County, facilitating support group meetings, providing individual peer counseling to parents, and participating in community outreach, advocacy, and education on behalf of gender diverse children and youth in our community. Andrea also volunteers with Gender Spectrum, co-facilitating their national parent support group meetings. This is Andrea’s third year as part of the Understanding Gender workshop organizing committee.
Workshop Schedule
- 9:30 am – 10:00 am
- Registration, Resource Fair, and Light Breakfast
- 10:00 am – 10:15 am
- Welcome and Introductions
- 10:15 am – 11:15 am (choose one)
- Gender 101 with Ashlyn Adams (in English)
- Gender 201 – Moving Beyond the Basics with Zak Keith (in English)
- Entendiendo el género desde una perspectiva Hispana/Latina (en español) con Roselyn Macias
- 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (choose one)
- Creating Affirming Schools – Educators Panel
- 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
- Lunch will be provided
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
- Gender Expansive Youth Mental Health – Panel of mental health clinicians
- 2:00 pm
- Closing
Presented by TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County
Volunteers Needed!
To volunteer for the Parent/Guardian Workshop, please visit Parent/Guardian, Educators, and Adult Allies “Understanding Gender” Workshop Volunteer Opportunities
If you have any questions, please contact us at CoordinateSummit@gmail.com or (831) 427-4004.
Thank you!
Registration Open — Sign up today!
In the News
- Talk of the Bay Radio Show
- Listen to the Sep 18, 2023 Talk of the Bay radio show hosted by Christine Barrington
- Students share about the Queer, Trans, and Allied Student Summit
- Andrea Damon shares about the Understanding Gender Workshop
- Listen to the Sep 18, 2023 Talk of the Bay radio show hosted by Christine Barrington
Workshop Resources
Handouts for the Summit in English and Spanish
Community Resources to Support Youth and Families
Community Sponsors
Download and share the Workshop Flyer on social media — thank you for helping get the word out!
Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast — Fall 2023
Thank you for helping get the word out to LGBTQIA+ and allied students about the Fall 2023 Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit taking place the same day, time, and location as the Parent/Guardian, Educator & Adult Allies Workshop on Saturday, September 30, 2023!