The 11th annual edition of the “In My Mind Conference,” which facilitates discussions surrounding mental health and 2SLGBTQIA+/SGL Indigenous, Black and people of color, is slated to take place on Oct. 10 with a focus on the unique experiences of individuals who have served in the military.
Under the theme of “Building Resilience Through Unity: Facing Changing Battlefields Together,” the conference will unite clinicians, academics, policymakers, and the broader community to address serious mental illness, physical and cognitive struggles, and neurodiversity among 2SLGBTQIA+/SGL Indigenous, Black and People of Color, according to conference organizers. This year’s conference will begin at 9 a.m. at the LGBT Community Center.
Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker, a US Army veteran and co-founder of New York Transgender Advocacy Group, will be among the featured speakers this year, and she is expected to advocate for inclusive and affirming health systems while also emphasizing resilience in the face of anti-trans discrimination.
Featured speakers will also include Philip B. Terry-Smith and Justin Terry-Smith, who are clinicians and Air Force veterans who plan to highlight their personal journeys and Black LGBTQ veterans and explore the longstanding resilience of Black communities in the face of slavery, segregation, HIV stigma, and the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era.
Another featured speaker will be Petal Fogenay Foster, who is a Black veteran and LGBTQ leader whose presentation will underscore the importance of restoring well-being within systems that are known to fail marginalized communities.
The inclusive Conference will welcome Two-Spirit veterans from Colorado who will pay tribute to ancestors and lead a flag ceremony at the opening and closing of the event. Two veterans, Landa Lakes and Buffalo Barbie, will present a drag performance, while GOODW.Y.N, also a veteran, will present a spoken word piece, “Reading of Warcrimes.” The program will include concurrent breakout presentations, including one by Dr. Gary Bailey, who has presented at the conference every year since the inaugural one in 2015. For more about the Conference’s program, visit www.inmymindconference.com/
The conference will also feature an online photography exhibition, the “White Shirt Project,” which was created by the late José Ramon Medina and pays tribute to community members with mental health challenges.
Last year’s conference, which took place at The New School in Manhattan, featured a panel discussion about LGBTQ immigrants, with topics ranging from mental health to the process of seeking asylum in the United States.
Individuals seeking to register can click here. Veterans can register for free.
