Saturday, 10/4/25

 

8:00am – Registration – 2nd Floor Ballroom Lobby

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8:30am – Welcome to the 2025 Summit – Očeti Šakowin Ballroom

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9:00am – PRESENTATIONS

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Keynote Speaker & Special Guest - Nico Lang (they/them) - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom (CE)

Lang is an award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience covering LGBTQ+ issues and in recent year there reporting has focused on trans kids and their fight for equality. Their work has appeared in major publications, including Rolling Stone, Esquire, The New York Times, Vox, The Wall Street Journal, Salon, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Lang is the creator of Queer News Daily and previously served as the deputy editor for Out magazine, the news editor for Them, the LGBTQ+ correspondent for VICE, and the editor and cofounder of the literary journal In Our Words. Their industry-leading contributions to queer media have resulted in a GLAAD Media Award, 10 awards from the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA), and three awards from the Los Angeles Press Club, including the 2023 Online Journalist of the Year. Lang is also the first-ever recipient of the Visibility Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), an honor created to recognize their impactful contributions to reporting on the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Author of the best-selling book “How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era”, Nico comes to the summit not only as our speaker and special guest, but as one stop on his 50-state book tour. Book signing will follow.
 

10:45am - PRESENTATIONS 

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Spilling the Tea on Stigma & Survival in ND - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom (CE)

Jason Greuneich (he/him) - Shine Bright and Live

Let’s cut the fluff: HIV stigma is alive and well—even inside queer spaces. Meanwhile,

federal funding is under attack for the first time in 35 years, and rural America is on the

frontlines. But hey, it’s not all doomscrolling—we also just scored a huge win: North

Dakota is the first in the Upper Midwest to modernize its HIV laws in 2025. So, what

now? Join me for a mix of truth bombs, a little humor (because we need it), and some

fierce conversation on how we can keep showing up, shutting down stigma, and sharing

the science that saves lives.

 

Mental Health Resilience through Advocacy – Hidatsa Room (CE)

Kyle Teller (she/her) - The Trevor Project

Join The Trevor Project to learn practical ways to combat bias, interrupt microaggressions, and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. This interactive session focuses on identifying bias in ourselves, our communities, and our legal systems. Together, we will discuss strategies to interrupt and prevent future harm. We will learn about the unique mental health challenges and risk factors faced by LGBTQ+ young people in North Dakota and nationally, including the impact of discrimination, stigma, and political rhetoric. This facilitated training utilizes evidence-based practices and community-informed approaches for reducing suicide risk and building LGBTQ+ resilience. Throughout, we will learn approaches to recognize and combat bias in ourselves and our communities to promote LGBTQ+ health and joy. Participants will also identify strategies to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and protections. At each level—interpersonal, community, and legal—this session promotes harm reduction and fosters healing.

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Overcoming Failure – Sahnish Room (CE)

Dayna DelVal (she/her)  

Failure can feel like a rock that’s sitting on your chest; over time, a bunch of failures can feel like a field full of boulders that are you desperately try to keep buried in the hopes that no one notices them. But what if failure is not a field of boulders that are crushing you but actually the very experiences and moments that make you who you are and give you a new vantage point from which to walk your life’s path?

 

Build Your Local Pride – Nueta Room

Thane Solberg (he/him) - Fargo-Moorhead Pride

Pride celebrations are a cornerstone of queer resistance and queer joy. Over the last few years across the state, local Pride celebrations have grown, and new Pride events keep popping up. If you are currently a part of organizing local Pride activities in your community or interested in starting a new Pride in your area, this workshop is for you. From funding to organizing and running an event, this session will provide the space for you to engage with others and truly workshop new ideas, existing models, and tried and true strategies to create, expand, or refresh Pride for your community back home. This session will be facilitated by members of ND’s largest and longest running Pride event.

 

BIPOC Panel - Prairie Room

 

INclued – Rose Room (3 hours/includes lunch) (Y)

Hannalee Shaw (she/her) – Planned Parenthood

You’re invited to a unique sex ed experience—definitely not the kind you had in high school! INclued is fun, inclusive, and designed with LGBTQ+ youth in mind (allies welcome too). Together we’ll dig into real-world topics like safer sex practices, consent, communication, healthy vs. unhealthy dynamics, and even ethical non-monogamy. Come ready for honest conversation, practical tools, and a class that actually reflects your life and relationships. 

 

TGNB Oral History Listening Session - Anishinaabe Theatre

Larry Peterson (he/him) & Tammy Lanaghan (she her) RRRS Oral History Project

Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains

The Red River Rainbow Seniors Oral History Project team is interested in developing a Transgender/Nonbinary Oral History Project.  We recognize that we are in a "pioneer" age for the Transgender/Nonbinary community and that it would be worth documenting the experiences of people as they navigate this era.  This listening session will be an opportunity for those interested to share ideas what an oral history project might look like:  1) What would you like people within the community know about your experiences; what would you want other members of the LGBTQIA+ community (and potentially the public) to know?  2) What topics do you think would be vitally important to address? 3) Are there people who would be willing to become project leaders or interviewers? 4) Who do you think we should consider interviewing?

 

Noon – Lunch & Networking – Očeti Šakowin Ballroom

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1:00pm PRESENTATIONS

 

Research and Data as Resistance - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom (CE)

Cody Ingle (he/him) - Inclusive Care Collaborative

2SLGBTQIA+ lives are erased by policy and bad data in South Dakota, and the Inclusive Care Collaborative (ICC) is fighting back. With growing attacks on gender-affirming care - fueled by pseudoscience and bad data - the ICC is building the first 2SLGBTQIA data source in the state, led by queer researchers. We are developing curricula to teach affirming care and creating an affirming provider network. This session will explore how research becomes resistance, how data can be ethically collected, and why showing up in hostile spaces matters. In North and South Dakota, being visible is radical - and we're turning the visibility into change.

 

How to Run for Office – Hidatsa Room

Whitney Oxendal (she/her), Kylie Overson (she/her) - League of Women Voters of North Dakota

Are you interested in serving your community through elected leadership? This session will empower you with the information you need to start your run for elected office in North Dakota, from nonpartisan local offices up to the state legislature. You will learn the nuts and bolts of how to run, such as what to do before running for office, forms to submit, important dates and deadlines, the signature-gathering process, campaign dos and don’ts, and about VOTE411.org, the League of Women Voters’ nonpartisan election information website.

 

Generations Panel – Sahnish Room (CE)

Facilitator: Karee Amiot

Join four generations as they gather to talk about the Queer experience and what we can learn from each other. Panel members include representatives from Red River Rainbow Seniors, Fargo-Moorhead Gay Men’s Chorus, Evolve, and a local GSA.

 

Get (your stuff) Out of the Closet – Nueta Room

Deb Mathern, AARP Speakers Bureau

Most of us find it rewarding to tidy up. It can feel liberating and even energizing to see organized shelves, clutter-free closets and clean countertops. As time goes by, those spaces often get cluttered again - despite our best efforts. This constant tug-of-war between accumulating and purging can feel exhausting and overwhelming, but there is a way to break the cycle. Making your decluttering stick once and for all requires reframing how you approach the task. This presentation offers practical tips for paring down the clutter in your life, along with ways to reframe your thinking about the stuff you've collected through the years.

 

SASS – Prairie Room

Sydney Stock (she/her), Dani Lahn (she/her) - Prairie Action ND Institute

SASS (Self-Managed Abortion; Safe and Supported) Info Shares to help people understand and safely support self-managed abortion (SMA). How it works: Learn how to use abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) safely and effectively - following guidelines from the World Health Organization. Know Your Rights: Get an overview of legal risks and steps to protect yourself. Find Supports: Connect with trusted resources like the Repro Legal Helpline, Women Help Women, You Always Have Options, and more. Spread the Word: Learn how to be a better digital advocate with North Dakota Megaphone and share accurate info to build community knowledge—especially where access is limited.

 

Breaking Barriers, Oral History Recording Session – Rose Room

Larry Peterson (he/him), Tammy Lanaghan (she/her) - RRRS Oral History Project

Interviewers from the Red River Rainbow Seniors oral history project, Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains will be on hand to conduct in-person interviews.

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2:15pm Fargo Moorhead LGBTQ Film Festival 

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Cured - Anishinaabe Theatre, (Run time: 81 minutes/1:21 plus 30 minute panel with Patrick Sammon, Emmy nominated co-director of the documentary)

Five years in the making, CURED illuminates a pivotal yet largely unknown chapter in the struggle for LGBTQ equality: the campaign that led the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to remove the diagnosis of homosexuality from its manual of mental illnesses. Before this momentous 1973 decision, the medical establishment viewed every gay and lesbian person as diseased and in need of a cure. Business and government used the mental-illness classification to justify discrimination and bigotry. As long as lesbians and gay men were “sick,” progress toward equality was nearly impossible.

 

2:30pm PRESENTATIONS​

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LGBTQ+ Civil Rights: National and North Dakota Update - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom

Cody Schuler, ACLU ND
Recent legislation, litigation, and legal perspectives affecting LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit individuals. Review of anti-discrimination laws, Title IX, court decisions, and legislation affecting LGBTQ+ communities. Examination of the impact of SCOTUS rulings, religious exemptions, and emerging civil liberties challenges.

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​We the (Queer) People – Hidatsa Room (CE)

North Dakota & Minnesota Elected Leaders Panel: Josh Boschee (he/him), Ryan Braunberger (he/him), Austin Foss (he/him)

As a republic democracy, we the people govern by elected representatives. For the LGBTQIA2S+ community, that concept of representation is more important now than ever before. This session will host a panel of queer elected officials (TBA) who will discuss how they represent not just the queer community, but all their constituents as public servants.

 

Community Mapping: Effective Community Engagement – Sahnish Room (CE)

Megan Jenson (she/her), Karen Pfizer (she/her) - Creating Community Consulting 

Interactive session on how to facilitate the Community Mapping Activity and how to plan Effective Community Engagement to move from conversation to action with those most impacted centered in the solution building. This session includes highly effective set of tools and models that helps anyone feel more confident in planning and facilitating community engagement than moving solution in a meaningful way. 

 

Fostering & Practicing Peace: Community Care as Resistance – Nueta Room (CE)

Erin Power (she/her),  Linda Hamann (she/her), Michelle Walka  

In the midst of all the harmful policies, practices, and rhetoric, how might we create space for collective care, community, and healing as an act of resistance?  The hope for this gathering is to be a supportive space for LGBTQIA2S+ +allies, holding space and care through art, creative writing, conversation, and contemplative practices. Is it possible to add one more sentence to our workshop description? Linda and Erin are members of St. Mark's and St. John Lutheran in Fargo, open and affirming congregations in the ELCA. 

 

Alternative LGBTQ+ Spaces: An Intro to Speedrunning – Prairie Room (Y)

Faye Seilder (she/her)

This presentation talks about video game speedrunning and the communities that form around the shared interest of beating games quickly. While the focus is on video game communities, it also explores how LGBTQ+ folks can now find community in all sorts of places or work to create their own. Not everyone is able to access things like LGBTQ+ youth support groups, but these alternative LGBTQ+ spaces can provide friendship and community around shared interests. 

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Breaking Barriers, Oral History Recording Session – Rose Room

Larry Peterson (he/him), Tammy Lanaghan (she/her) - RRRS Oral History Project

Interviewers from the Red River Rainbow Seniors oral history project, Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains will be on hand to conduct in-person interviews.

 

4:00pm PRSENTATIONS

 

Moving 701 Forward – Očeti Šakowin Ballroom 

Cody Schuler (he/him) ACLU ND, Erin Pringle (she/her) ND Q+ Summit,

Dalton Erickson (he/they) NDHRC

701 Forward, a network created by and for LGBTQ+ North Dakota, will discuss communication, connection, and community across the 701 (our area code). How do we communicate locally? How do we connect across the miles? How can we be a community of progress in a time that feels so regressive in the state and region we call home? There is a clear need to keep the networking going beyond events and gatherings such as the annual summit. Out of this our network was born. How to connect and build this NEWTORK: people and groups connecting, communicating, advocating.

 

Queering Citizenship – Hidatsa Room (CE)

Dominic Meyers (any/all) - Concordia College

Queer Theory is an academic and advocacy area that aims to understand how humans go against normative sexual and gender arrangements. Drawing upon work from Judith Butler, Michel Foucault, Eve Sedgwick, and others, the field draws upon many areas of study and lived experiences. This panel will be conducted by Concordia College’s Queering Citizenship course, a first-year introductory class. Students will conduct two mini-panels in which Queer Theory is explained and applied to a variety of situations that queer people across North Dakota face. The panels will discuss in what ways academic study of sexual and gender arrangements provides a guide for how we can resist, exist, and, most importantly, feel joy.

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Healing from Religious Trauma – Sahnish Room (CE)

Mike Ozaki & Chris Green

Exploring the intersections of religious trauma and queer theology, examining how LGBTQ+ individuals navigate, survive, and reclaim faith traditions that have historically marginalized them. Panelists will discuss the emotional, spiritual, and communal impact of religious trauma, as well as how queer theology offers transformative possibilities for healing and liberation. Grounded in the belief that mere existence can be an act of resistance, this conversation centers lived experiences and spiritual resilience as sites of sacred defiance and hope.

 

You Should Start a Queer Youth Group – Nueta (Y)

Facilitator: Matthew Benson-Tuff - Youthworks

Members of Q-Space & Evolve talk about their experiences in starting and maintaining successful groups for Queer youth. Evolve is a Queer youth group for young adults, 18 to 24, run by Youthworks in Fargo, ND. It focuses on having a safe space for queer youth to be themselves. Q-Space is a support group for Queer youth attending middle and high school in Bismarck, ND. This group was created with intentions to provide these vulnerable youth a safe space to meet after school hours and to introduce them to other safe spaces in the community.

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Breaking Barriers, Oral History Recording Session – Rose Room

Larry Peterson (he/him), Tammy Lanaghan (she/her) - RRRS Oral History Project

Interviewers from the Red River Rainbow Seniors oral history project, Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains will be on hand to conduct in-person interviews.

 

5:00pm – Announcements - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom

 

Fargo Moorhead LGBTQ Film Festival​ - Anishinaabe Theatre

Click the link above for film info!!

Films after Summit hours require $10 admission fee/sdreening

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5:15pm - Wicked Queer Film Shorts (Run time: 106 minutes/1:45)

8:00pm - Lesbian Space Princess  (Run time: 106 minutes/1:45)

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Sunday, 10/5/25

 

8:00am – Registration – 2nd Floor Ballroom Lobby

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8:30am PRESENTATIONS

 

Queer Youth Medical Panel – Očeti Šakowin Ballroom (CE)

Moderator: Tobi Ochocki

Panelists: Dr. Amanda Dahl, Dr. Baer Kerrington, Dr. Danial Sturgill

Being a Queer young person, a hospital or clinic can be scary. What is allowed, what is best practice, and who can you talk to? Join this medical panel to take some of the mystery out of what can feel like an overwhelming process. 

 

Book Banning – Hidatsa Room (CE)

Mariah Ralston (she/her), and Megan Lass (she/her) - ND Library Association

We all heard A LOT about book banning during the 2025 Legislative session! This training is designed to assist non-library professionals in navigating the hot-topic issue of book challenges in libraries, a brief history of censorship/obscenity law, and a crash course in first amendment rights in the US.

 

Do Ask, Do Tell – Sahnish Room

Bradley Aune (she/her)/Military Panel

LGBTQIA2S+ people have served in the military as long as there has been a military. However, it was not until the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies that queer open service was recognized. Less than 15 years later, trans military service and veteran benefits are in limbo. This session will host a panel of queer veterans (TBA) to talk about their own experiences as well as issues from current headlines.

 

Got Sex Ed? Understanding Policy, Research, and Funding – Nueta Room (CE)

Katie Christensen Mineer (she/her) – Planned Parenthood 

This session is for parents, caring adults, educators, and youth-serving professionals who want to better understand how sex education is shaped by policy, research, and funding. We’ll examine how recent actions by the current administration and shifts in federal funding threaten access to inclusive, evidence-based sex ed—especially for marginalized youth. Join us for a timely conversation grounded in facts, equity, and the importance of informed advocacy.

 

Gendered Existence Enhances Resistance – Prairie Room (CE)

Dominic Meyers (he/him) - Concordia

Queer Theory is an academic and advocacy area that aims to understand how humans go against normative sexual and gender arrangements. Drawing upon work from Judith Butler, Michel Foucault, Eve Sedgwick, and others, the field draws upon many areas of study and lived experiences. This panel will be conducted by Concordia College’s Queering Citizenship course, a first-year introductory class. Students will conduct two mini-panels in which Queer Theory is explained and applied to a variety of situations that queer people across North Dakota face. The panels will discuss in what ways academic study of sexual and gender arrangements provides a guide for how we can resist, exist, and, most importantly, feel joy.

 

Oral History Interviewer Training – Rose Room (CE)

Larry Peterson & Tammy Lanaghan – Breaking Barriers: Oral History project

Are you interested in interviewing others in our LGBTQIA2S+ communities? Or becoming an interviewer with the Breaking Barriers oral history project? Or in starting your own community-based oral history project? If so, please join trained interviewers from Breaking Barriers for a hands-on workshop/introduction to this exciting and engaging activity. 

 

Let’s Go Birding Together – Anishinaabe Theatre

Amanda Booher - Audubon Great Plains

The Audubon Queer Birding Project, primarily known as "Let's Go Birding Together!", is an initiative by the National Audubon Society and its local chapters to create inclusive and welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies to connect with nature and birdwatching. This project aims to foster a sense of belonging and safety for queer individuals in outdoor environments where they might otherwise feel unwelcome or threatened.

 

10:00am PRESENTATIONS

 

Building Trans Equity: Tools for Talking and Taking Action - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom (CE)

Monica Meyer (she/they), Gender Justice & Shaydora (Shay) Todd (she/her), NDHRC

In partnership with Gender Justice and the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, this interactive training equips allies with the tools, stories, and strategies needed to build understanding and support for transgender equity. Together, we’ll explore how to talk about trans rights in ways that foster empathy, push back against misinformation, and inspire meaningful action. Through guided practice, breakout sessions, and real-world examples, participants will gain confidence in navigating challenging conversations, learn about the current political landscape in North Dakota and beyond, and leave with concrete skills to advocate for inclusive policies and create schools, workplaces, and communities where all people can thrive.

 

The Struggles and Triumphs of the Prairie Lesbian/Gay Community and Our Current Challenges – Hidatsa Room (CE)

Larry Peterson (he/him) – Red River Rainbow Seniors - Hidatsa

From 1978 to about 1996, Dignity/Lutherans Concerned, later renamed the Prairie Lesbian/Gay Community, functioned as the home and the public voice for LGBTQ communities in Fargo-Moorhead. What can we learn from their struggles and triumphs to help us face our current challenges?

 

Housing, Belonging, and the Future of North Dakota Communities – Sahnish Room

Moderator: Bri Hall (she/her) – High Plains Fair Housing (CE)

Panelists: Chandler Esslinger, Faye Seidler, Michelle Rydz, and Devon Dolney
Housing is about more than just four walls—it’s about dignity, safety, and connection. Join a panel of community leaders, advocates, and professionals as they explore the challenges, opportunities, and possibilities shaping housing in North Dakota today. Together, we’ll unpack what housing means for our collective future and consider what it will take to create thriving, inclusive communities where everyone belongs.

 

Play Ball: Bringing Stonewall Sports to Your Community – Nueta Room

Fargo Stonewall Sports

Stonewall Sports is a community-based, nonprofit sports organization for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies. They provide nonprofit, inclusive, low-cost, fun local sports leagues that are rooted in philanthropy and that give back to their communities and value each player for who they are and what they bring to the community. Founded in 2010 with Stonewall Kickball, D.C. chapters have sprung up all over the country and boasts an annual national tournament with around 3,000 participants. In 2022, Fargo joined Stonewall as the 23rd chapter city. Nationally Stonewall has around 40,000 players, 27 chapters and offered 13 sports or activities including dodgeball and pickleball. Want to know more Stonewall Sports? Hear about starting a chapter in your area.

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Youth Panel – Prairie Room (CE)

Coordinated by Matthew Benson-Tuff, Youthworks

Interactive session with Summit youth and young adults from their perspective.

 

Trans Panel – Rose Room (CE)

Interactive panel on topics relevant to cultural, local, and world view. 

 

11:30am PRESENTATIONS

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Looking Forward – Final Presentation - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom (CE)

Summit Planning Team members

As a wrap up to the 2025 Summit we’ll take the opportunity to sum up and share what has been learned and solidify connections with individuals, groups, and organizations from across the state and nation. This will be time for sharing ideas, upcoming events, collaborating on what needs to happen over the next year, and make plans for the 2026 Summit.

 

1:00pm - Announcements/Summit Closing Remarks - Očeti Šakowin Ballroom

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Fargo Moorhead LGBTQ Film Festival​ - Anishinaabe Theatre

Click the link above for film info!!

Films after Summit hours require $10 admission fee/sdreening

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2:00pm - Doc Shorts (Run time: 75 minutes/1:15)

8:00pm - Big Eden  (Run time: 118 minutes/1:48)