TRANS SUMMIT
TRANS SUMMIT
October 17, 10am - 6pm | Main Library
Celebrating the Past, Present, & Future of Our Trans Selves and Loved Ones
The Center for Community Impact & Innovation at DML is proud to partner with PFLAG Dayton and the Gatlyn Dame Group for We'll Always Be Here: A Trans Summit. Everyone is welcome to attend this daylong event filled with educational, inspirational, and celebrational moments. Our keynote speaker this year is the award-winning Black non-binary author and activist, George M. Johnson.
Black Trans Men of Ohio panelistsfrom the 2025 Trans Summit
Summit Schedule
Opening Ceremony | 10am
Main Library | Eichelberger Forum, First Floor
Learn more about the summit, plan which breakouts to attend, and make new friends.
Who is the Trans Summit for?
The Trans Summit is for everyone. Trans and non-binary folks belong at the summit, as do people who are not transgender, but who would like to learn more about the trans community and how to support trans people. We encourage everyone to join us in this daylong exploration of the joyful diversity of the human experience.
Pictured to Right: Lambda Literary Award Winner Robin Gow, 2025 Trans Summit Keynote Speaker
Breakout Sessions | 10:30 - 11:20am
Breakout Option One:
Use Your Voice! A Workshop on Gender-Affirming Voice Care
Community Room, Second Floor
Voice pathologist Marissa Nguyen returns to DML to lead a workshop on gender-affirming voice care. Nguyen holds a Master of Arts degree in speech-language pathology from Miami University and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP).
Breakout Option Two:
Knowledge Is Power! A Workshop on Tracking State Legislation
The Center for Community Impact & Innovation, First Floor
DML’s own Legal Resources Specialist librarian leads a workshop on how you can navigate the progress and passage of state bills throughout the Ohio State House and Ohio State Senate.
Take a Break: 11:20 - 11:35am
Breakout Sessions | 11:20 - 11:35am
Breakout Option One:
Call Me By My Name: A Workshop on Legal Name Changes
The Center for Community Impact & Engagement, First Floor
Experts from the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project provide a step-by-step breakdown of how you can pursue a legal name change.
Breakout Option Two:
All About Allyship: A Panel on How to Support the Trans People in Your Life
Community Room, Second Floor
Experts from Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio moderate a panel on how you can better support and show up for the trans people you know and care about.
Lunch: 12:25 - 1:30pm, Eichelberger Forum, First Floor
Enjoy lunch provided by PFLAG Dayton, and connect to resources provided by community partners.
Breakout Sessions | 1:30 - 2:20pm
Breakout Option One:
Black, Brown, and Lavender: A Workshop on Finding BIPOC LGBTQIA+ History
The Center for Community Impact & Innovation, First Floor
Local librarian Lajmar Anderson, MLIS, shows how to find primary sources on LGBTQIA+ people of color.
Breakout Option Two:
Alteration Nation! A Workshop on Gender-Affirming Clothing Alteration
Community Room, Second Floor
Jesy Kessel is the owner and creative director of Needle, Ink, & Thread: A Modern Sewing Studio. Learn from her how to alter your existing clothing to better align your gender identity and gender expression. No experience necessary. Some supplies are provided, but for the best learning experience, we recommend bringing one of your own shirts from home that you can alter.
Take a Break: 2:20 - 2:30pm
Rainbow Reels Film Screening | 2:30 - 3:50pm
Film: Framing Agnes
Watch a documentary hailed as “a brilliant investigation into the role of trans history,” (Shannon Keating, Buzzfeed). A star-studded cast of trans performers, artists, and thinkers reinterpret and reenact the story of Agnes, a transgender trailblazer who sought—and received—gender-affirming medical care in the 1960s. Film by Chase Joynt.
Keynote Address with George M. Johnson | 4pm
Eichelberger Forum, First Floor
An award-winning Black non-binary author and activist, George M. Johnson is one of the TIME100 Next, TIME‘s annual list of rising stars, as well as one of Out’s 100 Most Influential LGBTQ+ People.
George is the author of the New York Times Bestselling Young Adult Memoir All Boys Aren't Blue, which explores their adolescence growing up as a young Black Queer boy in New Jersey through a series of powerful essays. The book is a Teen Vogue Recommended Read, a Buzzfeed Recommended Read, a People Magazine Best Book of the Summer, a New York Library Best Book, and a Chicago Public Library Best Book. In 2024, it topped the American Library Association’s list of most-challenged books, which also included titles by authors like Toni Morrison and John Green.
George’s second memoir, We Are Not Broken, tells the vibrant story of George, Garrett, Rall, and Rasul—four children raised by Nanny, their fiercely devoted grandmother. Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, calls the book “a deeply impactful account of intergenerational love that reveals the power of accepting young people exactly as they are while encouraging them to be ever more themselves.” They’re also an HIV activist, serving as Chair of the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition for Black Gay Men for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a National Advisor for ViiV pharmaceutical, and Gilead Speaker.
In their latest book, Flamboyants, George celebrates the writers, performers, and activists from 1920s Black America whose queer identities have been obscured throughout history. Through 14 essays, they reveal just how much American culture has been shaped by Queer Black icons, and why their stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety.
They’ve written for major outlets including Teen Vogue, Entertainment Tonight, NBC, The Root, Buzzfeed, Essence, Ebony, THEM, and The Grio. They have also served as Guest Editor for BET.com’s Pride month. They were awarded the 2019 Salute to Excellence Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for their article “When Racism Anchors Your Health” in Vice Magazine and was named to The Root 100 Most Influential African Americans in 2020.
George is a proud HBCU alum twice over, and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.
All Photos of George M. Johnson by Vincent Marc
Celebrate Your Most Fabulous Self Party | 5pm
Eichelberger Forum, First Floor
Celebrate this awesome day, your fabulous self, and our amazing community. Dance with friends, eat snacks from PFLAG Dayton, and reflect on what you’ve learned. Celebrate this awesome day, your fabulous self, and our amazing community, starting with a special performance by the Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus.
Who Runs the Trans Summit?
Dayton Metro Library first sprouted the Trans Summit in 2024, from the understanding that our transgender and non-binary patrons have always been here and will always be here. This event allows the library to advance our strategic plan in two main ways: by connecting patrons to community support systems, and by deepening community partnerships. The focus is on fortifying futures with powerful pasts. DML is proud to partner with PFLAG Dayton, the Gatlyn Dame Group, Closet Transformation, and the Greater Dayton LGBT Center to ensure the summit continues to grow and bloom every year.
NCB150: This event is part of DML's series of programs honoring Natalie Clifford Barney's sesquicentennial. Join us in celebrating the artistic and literary legacy of a local legend.
DML welcomes everyone to our programs. If you have questions or need any accommodations, please contact us so we can help make the program a good experience for you.
