Gender Revolution

We had an amazing panel participate in the Question and Answer session after the National Geographic Gender Revolution screening on March 26th at LikeMeLighthouse!

Kathryn Boman completed her Masters of Social Work at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2016 and is a licensed social worker working in Kansas and Missouri. Kathryn’s professional purpose is to provide services with compassion and kindness while focusing on empowerment, social justice and advocacy.  Kathryn’s personal pronouns are she/her/hers.  She works at Children’s Mercy Gender Pathway Services Clinic.

Fiona Nowling is originally from England and moved to Kansas to marry her wife, Una, a transsexual woman over 14 years ago.  Since then, she has led the SOFFA group for four years, spoken at conferences and in schools, co-hosts Trans Talk, an episode of the Tenth Voice on KKFI, sings with Transfinity KC and is on the board of the LGBT employee resource group at McKesson, where she works as a software engineer.

Una Nowling is an out and proud transgender historian and activist who hosts the Trans Talk radio show on 90.1 FM KKFI, along with her wife, Finoa.  She is the director of studies at the Transgender Institute and the researcher behind the website transascity.org.  In her day jobs she is the chief engineer for combustion at Black & Veatch and a professor of mechanical engineering at UMKC.

Nancy Simons Bean is a licensed clinical social worker, Director of Adoption & Counseling Services for Families, Inc., an agency that is licensed by the states of Kansas and Missouri.  She is licensed at a clinical level in both Kansas and Missouri as a social worker.  Ms. Bean has been involved directly in working with families and children in therapy and consultation since her early days in the Child Psychiatry Department at K.U. Medical Center and later at the Johnson County Mental Health Center.  She has extensive training in family system theory, which guides her practice.  Nancy began her work in the adoption field in 1983, when her agency was licensed, and for over 30 years has worked with adoptive families.  She has worked with families of the gay and lesbian community to support them for the entirety of her adoption practice.  Nancy has been on the Board of Modern Family Alliance (formerly Midwest Alternative Alliance) since its inception in 2005.  She supports LGBTQ youth and adults and families headed by LGBT parents and their families, as we learn more about how to respect and nurture all people.  Nancy appreciates all that she has learned over the years from the clients that she has served, especially the children of adoption.  That information enhances the work that she presently does.

 

Posted by Lisa

April 9th, 2017 Meeting

Our April 9th Meeting at the Village Presbyterian Church will be at 3:00.  Our speaker will be Andy Schuerman.  Andy has been a high school counselor since 2005 and taught Business/Marketing prior to that. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Secondary Education. He holds a Master’s of Arts in Guidance and Counseling and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he is currently pursuing his Educational Doctorate in PK-12 Educational Administration. He has presented about working with and supporting LGBTQ students to hundreds of people, mostly educators. He is a board member for Jackson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and GLSEN of Greater Kansas City. He lives in midtown Kansas City with his husband, Jim, and daughter, Grace.

I know you will enjoy hearing Andy!  See you there!

Posted by Lisa

PFLAG KC Meeting, March 12, 2017

Our speakers this month will be members of the Heartland Men’s Chorus. The Artistic Director, Dustin Cates, is also a father, husband and former high school teacher. The Development Director, Cliff Schiappa, will share his passion about the Chorus. Dustin and Cliff will share about the history and work of the Chorus as well as the upcoming concert, Identify, that will be March 25-26 at the Folly Theater. Part choral concert, part Ted Talk, Identify celebrates living lives of authenticity.

I have always enjoyed listening to the Heartland Men’s Chorus and cannot wait to hear more about them  What a talented group!  I am sure everyone will enjoy this meeting.  See you there!

Village Presbyterian Church, 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Posted by Lisa in From our president

February 12th Meeting

Paula Wilson will be our speaker at the February 12th meeting. Paula Wilson, LCMFT is a Marriage and Family Therapist who has been working with individuals, couples and families who are dealing with issues that arise when a smily member or loved one has identified as LGBTQ. The spiritual and emotional concerns can be difficult on the Christian Family. individually and collectively. As a Christian, Paula has seen the pain and suffering that can arise in these situations. As a therapist her specialization has been working with people who have struggled with sexual and gender identity issues within a Christian context. She believes her spiritual calling is to be a beacon of hope that reveals God’s love of al people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. In her work she seeks to help individuals, couples and families find common ground so they are able to feel connected, supported and respected.

Our meeting is 3-5 PM at the Village Presbyterian Church, Room 307.

Posted by Lisa