International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE), Announces Plans for Transgender 2009 – the 23rd Annual Conference

Waltham, MA, January 15, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE), in association with the Transgender Education Association (TGEA) of Greater Washington, D.C., is proud to announce the 23rd annual conference to be held at the Hilton Mark Plaza Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, February 4 – 8, 2009. “We are very excited to be staging this year’s conference right next door to our nation’s capital at such a pivotal time in our country’s history,” noted Denise Leclair, Executive Director of IFGE. “We believe it is very significant that the entire transgender community will be gathering in the Washington, D.C. area just a mere two weeks after the presidential inauguration,” Leclair continued. “2009 is a critical year for our community in terms of securing the same employment rights and protections enjoyed by the rest of society, and we firmly believe that this year’s conference will create momentum for change that will carry through the rest of the year.”

Program Highlights

A full slate of over sixty (60) workshops and presentations are planned, featuring leading experts in Transgender Health & Medicine and Sexual Identity/Gender Identity

Saturday Luncheon Keynote Address features Kelley Winters, Ph.D., the founder of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) Reform Advocates, whose mission it is to advocate reform of the psychiatric classification of gender diversity as a mental disorder.

Special performances by singer-songwriters Cathy Worthley on Friday evening, and Georgie Jessup on Saturday Evening.

Presentation of the 2009 Trinity Award winners:

Ms. Lisa Mottet
Mr. Spencer Bergstedt
Mr. Gunner Scott

For specific details regarding the conference program, workshops, speakers, evening activities, hotel and registration information, please visit: http://www.ifge.org/conference/

Media Inquiries
Please direct all media inquiries and interview requests to Ms. Stephanie Battaglino, IFGE Communications Director.

The International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE), with offices in Waltham, MA and Washington, DC, is a non-profit advocacy organization founded in 1987. Its purpose is overcoming the intolerance of transvestitism and transsexualism brought about by widespread ignorance. Since its founding, it has provided outreach through education for the emancipation of all gender variant people from restrictive gender norms. It is a registered non-profit educational corporation and is recognized by the I.R.S. as a 501c(3) charitable organization.

The Transgender Education Association of Greater Washington, Inc. (TGEA) provides a supportive environment for transgender individuals to understand and accept their lifestyle through day-to-day assistance, peer counseling and/or referral to professional, institutional, and other appropriate resources. TGEA helps transgender individuals overcome their sense of isolation by providing appropriate educational and social opportunities.

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