Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance (INTRAA)

Speakers Bureau

Monday, 06. 29. 2009

Dispelling myths, educating people, and providing human connections are primary goals of the INTRAA Speakers Bureau. Since its inception in October 2003, the Speakers Bureau has provided over 100 panels and lectures comprised of intelligent, informed transgender speakers to universities and community and professional groups throughout the state. The typical event has been comprised of three to four panelists, a moderator, and an audience of 30 to 40 people. Upon request, we can also provide specialists who can do Trans 101 lectures, facilitate Q&A’s, etc.

INTRAA is committed to providing well-informed, articulate individuals who can explain the issues involved with living as a transgender person in Indiana. Our panels have reached over 3,000 people.

The response to our presentations has been overwhelmingly positive. For many people this is their first, and perhaps only, interaction with transgender individuals, and they are typically very grateful for the opportunity to hear our stories and to ask questions. They are impressed with our ability to communicate our lives and issues, and they gain a lot of respect and appreciation for us and our experiences.

“Recently three members of INTRAA’s Speakers Bureau came to my class, ‘Mediating Queerness’ at Indiana University. They were absolutely phenomenal!! My class loved listening to their experience and really got a lot out of the presentation,” noted Jeffrey Bennett, an Indiana University Instructor.

After a presentation to a large group of Indiana University Residence Programs staff, Associate Director of Residence Life William Shipton observed, “We have heard many positive comments and you have opened the door for us to look at our policies and procedures. Thanks so much.”

It is often said that the best thing that a gay person can do to advance the cause of gay rights is to be “out” as a gay person to family, friends, and acquaintances. This is true, because it is hard for people to hold on to their misconceptions and stereotypes about gay people when someone they know and love is gay. Now they have to reconcile any animosity or bias they may have accumulated against gay people as a group with their feelings of love, admiration, and respect for their friend or loved one. Once they are forced to put a name and a face with being gay, many of their preconceived ideas fall away and a truer picture emerges as to just exactly who gay people are. In fact, most people come to realize that there is not a big difference between most gay people and themselves.

The same is true for transgender people. Letting people know us and our stories helps them to put a name and face with being transgender. It gives people a frame of reference from which to discern that transgender people are as diverse as any other group of people and that transgender people are also a lot like themselves. It helps to counter the myths and stereotypes that many people have about transgender people, typically gained from seeing marginalized people exploited on daytime talk shows or the internet.

One by one, as we go through these panel presentations, the awareness level of the public is increasing, and people are getting a truer representation of just who we are and what issues our diverse community faces.