Keynotes
Interested in hosting our Director, Sydney as a guest speaker? Sydney provides a series of keynote presentations that are available for classes, organizations, conferences, events, and more. All of Sydney’s keynote presentations are based on nir lived experience as a queer, transgender, nonbinary, asexual person. These are excellent for people who want to have a better understanding of some of the challenges and joys that queer and trans folks experience.
These keynotes are not gender/sexuality 101 workshops — if you are interested in that type of training, you are invited to check out the Allyship Training programs.
Keynote Topics
Below is a list of some of the different keynote presentations that Sydney offers. The presentations are also customizable (including in length of time) based on your particular interests. All keynotes include a Q&A period.
Claiming Queer Joy and Resisting Violence
Each queer person goes through their own journey of self-discovery. In this keynote, Sydney will share some of nir journey of coming out, finding terminology that resonated with nem, and some of the challenges ney have faced as a queer individual. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of the importance of representation and building community spaces as a way to foster queer joy.
Political Advocacy, Representation, and Voting
As someone who ran for City Council in Windsor during the 2022 municipal election, Sydney is no stranger to politics. In this keynote, Sydney will share some of nir experience as an openly queer candidate who ran for election, and will discuss the importance of having queer representation within politics. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of how to become more active political advocates, some of the current political issues that queer and trans folks are facing, and how to effectively engage in political systems such as voting.
Pronouns, Inclusive Language, and Building Safer Spaces
As a nonbinary person who uses ney/nem pronouns, Sydney knows firsthand the importance of using inclusive language and respecting people’s pronouns – and how vital this is to building safer spaces for trans folks. In this keynote, Sydney will share some of the inspiration behind nir recent book, A Pocket Guide to Pronouns, including excerpts from each of the chapters that discuss topics such as different types of pronouns, misgendering, and resources for further learning. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the importance of pronouns and inclusive language in fostering safer spaces.
Queering Social Justice in the Past, Present, and Future
As a long-time activist, Sydney has first-hand experience of engaging in queer social justice work. In this keynote, Sydney will share some key moments from queer history in relation to some of the challenges for queer social justice in the present, while discussing how we can create a more sustainable and just future. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of the different ways to engage in queer social justice work, and the importance of drawing strength from community and queer ancestors to facilitate change.
Song, Protest, Music, and Social Change
As someone who has been a musician for nearly all of nir life, Sydney has been able to see the importance of music in facilitating social change. In this keynote, Sydney will share an in-depth analysis of “queer anthems”, including their relationship to society, the inspiration behind the song, and how the song contributed to queer liberation movements. Participants will leave with a stronger sense of the importance of music and arts in facilitating social change – and some new queer music for their playlists!