Presentation Rooms: Očeti Šakowin Ballroom A, Hidatsa, Sahnish

7:30 - Registration

8:00 - Opening, Welcome, Land Acknowledgement

9:00 am - Gender Justice - More information to come

10:00 am - Break

10:15 am 
Interactive panel on housing discrimination with Michelle Rydz - Executive DIrector at High Plains Fair Housing and Chandler Esslinger - Executive Director of the FM Coalition to End Homelessness
Stable housing is foundational to health, economic security, and community belonging. Yet LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face unique barriers in housing, including discrimination, harassment, homelessness, and unequal access to safe and affordable homes.
This interactive panel will explore the current landscape of housing discrimination affecting LGBTQ+ communities, the protections available under fair housing laws, and the challenges that remain.
Beyond understanding the problem, participants will examine how communities can effectively advocate for more tenant-friendly housing policies. The discussion will explore a range of advocacy approaches, from traditional lobbying and coalition-building to grassroots organizing, public education campaigns, storytelling, and community engagement. Panelists will discuss the strengths and limitations of different strategies and how advocates can balance direct action with long-term policy change efforts.

Esty and Testy with Hannalee Shaw - Planned Parenthood
A Queer Friendly Puberty Lesson- Remember when you were taught about puberty? Were you split into gendered rooms? Was it taught by your gym teacher whose face turned red every time they said "penis"? Did you leave with more questions than answers?  Planned Parenthood presents a puberty lesson that provides its participants with factual, inclusive, and fun information about bodies and puberty. 

11:15 am - Break

11:30 am 
Interactive panel on housing discrimination with Michelle Rydz - Executive DIrector at High Plains Fair Housing and Chandler Esslinger - Executive Director of the FM Coalition to End Homelessness continues

Co-transitioning with Sara Simenson - Sanford Health
The term “co-transition” refers to the adaptation process a partner undergoes alongside their transitioning partner. In this session, we will explore the co-transitioning process, and how counselors can assist the partners of transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Many of these techniques can also be used to assist family members and other loved-ones in navigating this process.
This presentation will cover effective interventions for practitioners, as well as helpful tools that partners and loved ones can use to navigate the co-transition process. Key topics include therapeutic interventions, affirming for both cisgender and transgender partners, intersectionality, grief, and specific client and counselor issues that may arise during co-transition.

12:30 pm - Break/Lunch

1:15 pm 
Understanding Unique Challenges for LGBTQ+ Survivors with Andria Pinkerton, CVIC & Jess Roscoe, LSND Domestic Violence Supervising Attorney
This session explores the unique barriers LGBTQ+ survivors face in domestic violence situations, presented from a legal framework by attorneys with experience in family law and victim advocacy. Topics include fear of being outed, lack of recognition due to misconceptions about abuse in same-sex relationships, isolation from family and limited affirming resources, financial or housing insecurity, navigating name changes, securing protection orders, and addressing stalking issues. Drawing on legal practice and advocacy experience, presenters offer practical guidance for identifying these barriers and connecting survivors with informed, affirming support.

DREAMM Framework with Megan Jenson, Creative Consulting

This session introduces Creating Community Consulting's DREAMM Framework, a practical, equity-centered approach to strategic planning built for real communities. Designed as a follow-up to last year's Community Engagement and Mapping session, DREAMM takes what you learned about your community and turns it into action: defining results grounded in data, identifying root causes, brainstorming solutions, prioritizing strategies, and building plans that actually get implemented and monitored over time.

Safety Cues with Adelyn Emter - Ph.D. student in Experimental Psychology at the University of North DakotaIn a social and political climate where LGBTQIA2S+ identities have become controversial, we can incorporate Identity Safety Cues (ISC) to communicate that LGBTQIA2S+ community members are valued and the threat of identity-based discrimination is limited. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use Identity Safety Cues to foster safe, inclusive, and accessible environments for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals. Using a foundation of established empirical research collected on both a local and national level, attendees will leave with the knowledge and skills necessary to create safe, inclusive, and accessible environments within their communities and organizations.
 

2:15 pm - Break

2:30 pm 
Actionable Allyship with Phii Regis - Trevor Project
School is the second-most-affirming space identified by LGBTQ+ young people (57%), according to the Trevor Project 2025 Youth Mental Health Survey. LGBTQ+ students who reported having access to LGBTQ+-supportive spaces at school had lower rates of suicide attempts (8%) compared to those without that support (13%). Please join The Trevor Project for "Actionable Allyship for LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools", to explore actions educators and school staff can take to better support LGBTQ+ youth. The workshop is designed to create dialogue around being an adult ally for LGBTQ+ young people by informing participants about the “coming out” process, and challenges at home, in school, and the community. 

Cultural Competency for Serving Low-Income LGBTQ+ Clients with Ming Wong - NCLR, Devon Donley - Staff Attorney Legal Services of North Dakota (LSND), Katie Love - Legal Intern at LSND
This session will provide information on best practices for providing culturally competent legal services to LGBTQ+ clients. The session will cover key terms and concepts related to LGBTQ+ clients, important considerations for intake and case handling, how to create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ clients, considerations for outreach and partnerships, and other steps attorneys can take to build capacity to provide culturally competent legal services to LGBTQ+ clients.

3:30 pm
Leadership game with Jakay Matheny - J L Matheny Solutions LLC
The Leadership Game Experience is an interactive session designed to strengthen communication, build trust, and enhance team connection through guided, discussion-based activities. Participants will engage in meaningful conversations that promote self-awareness, encourage diverse perspectives, and develop practical leadership skills. This experience creates a supportive environment where individuals can reflect, share, and grow while learning strategies to improve collaboration and engagement within their organizations and communities. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to foster stronger relationships, communicate more effectively, and lead with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose in both professional and community settings.

5:00 pm - Closing and Adjourn