Thanks so much to all our participants, presenters, vendors, sponsors and volunteers for making First Event 2019 a huge success! We experienced record breaking attendance with just over 1,000 total participants and we’ve received lots of positive and helpful feedback. Each of you made it possible for us to help others, build community and support each other!
Dr. Mark Zukowski Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel . Melissa Johnson
Dr. Sherman Leis
Sponsoring First Event Conference gives incredible direct reach into the transgender community, with extensive opportunities for promotion throughout the 5-day conference. First Event Conference is presented by Trans Club of New England (TCNE), a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please email us at info@firstevent.org.
Be The Change, See The Change: A Guide to Operating in Solidarity
CeCe McDonald, Transgender prison-reform activist First Event 2019 Keynote Speaker
CeCe is a transgender activist and revered icon
of the LGBTQ community. She captured international recognition in 2011 after
surviving a white supremacist and transphobic attack, later receiving a
second-degree manslaughter conviction and serving 19 months in prison simply
for defending herself.
She has been profiled in Mother Jones, Ebony.com, and Rolling
Stone, the latter praising her as “an LGBT folk hero for her story of
survival – and for the price she paid for fighting back.” In 2014, The Advocate included her among its
annual “40 Under 40” list. That same year, she received the Bayard Rustin
Civil Rights Award by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club. She is the subject
of the acclaimed documentary, “FREE CeCe,” produced by transgender actress
Laverne Cox. Since her release, she has graced stages across the country where
she uses storytelling to articulate the personal and political implications of
being both black and trans.
As one of the founders of the Black Excellence
Collective and Black Excellence Tour, created with best friend Joshua Allen,
she fosters important conversations around mass incarceration, sexuality, and
violence. With energy and conviction, she highlights the hope she now fights
for – that all LGBTQ people can live their lives free of hate and prejudice and
confidently pursue their dreams without fear.
CeCe McDonald will be delivering the First Event conference keynote during the Frances J. Cardullo Banquet on the evening of February 2, 2019. Her talk is titled Be The Change, See The Change: A Guide to Operating in Solidarity.
Trans Club of New England’s First Event, being held January 30th to February 3rd, 2019 is an excellent transgender conference geared to every point in your journey. This year we will hold the conference at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough MA.
This Tuesday, January 29th is the last day to reserve your spot at First Event before prices increase 25%.
This year’s program has been revamped and updated:
Transgender Job Fair at TCNE! Bring your resume or contact information! These companies are committed to building a diverse workforce and are actively recruiting for a wide range of professional positions
New programming by and for transgender people of color.
The Frances J. Cardullo Banquet featuring our key note speaker, CeCe McDonald. with her talk BeThe Change, See The Change: A Guide to Operating in Solidarity
Enhanced transmasculineprogramming.
The First Event Ball, presented by New England Mother Legendary Athena West, 11pm-2am Saturday night. This is NOT to be missed. Want to know what to expect? Check out Athena’s World Aids Ball or watch the new FX show Pose.
A transgender wellness track on Saturday, with free HIV/HCV/STI testing to anyone who would like to participate and a full day of workshops dedicated to our physical, emotional, and mental health.
The Closet is a First Event exclusive popup thrift boutique.
Sundayworkshops and vendors. Our conference is just getting too big to wrap up Sunday morning, so we have extended more programming into Sunday.
We are always tweaking existing programming to better serve you and to make room for all of the great new stuff. Some key changes this year:
Youth and family track is moved to Sunday (see all that is happening here). In addition to the dedicated day on Sunday, youth and families are encouraged to attend workshops and events throughout the conference.
More mingling at the John Warrener Memorial Fashion Show. The fashion show isn’t just about our models – it’s a chance for all of us to see and be seen. We’ve switched to a social dinner reception format to allow us to eat and mingle together.
You can only save 25% IF you register by Tuesday! Need to stretch your budget? We try our best to accommodate all who wish to attend First Event regardless of ability to pay click to the Ken Garber Memorial Scholarship program.
The following leading Massachusetts employers are confirmed for the first First Event Job Fair, presented in partnership with the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce. These companies are committed to building a diverse workforce and are actively recruiting for a wide range of professional positions:
First Event is excited to welcome back to our event Karen Marks, CiCi Eberle and the First Event Jazz Cafe and Open Mic! After singer/songwriters Linda Marks and Cici Eberle do an opening set, the mic will be open to musicians from the First Event community! One vocal mic will be available, as well as Linda’s stage piano or an amp to plug in your guitar (please bring your own DI cord). Please sign up in advance, so we know who will be playing! To sign up before the conference, drop a note to lsmheart@aol.com, and let us know what you will be doing (singing? instrument?). We look forward to seeing and hearing you!
First Event is delighted to have with us two very talented musicians, Ro Colegrove and Kerr Griffin. They will be playing in the First Event Atrium on Saturday, February 2, 12PM to 1PM
Ro Colegrove “The Likes of James”
Kerrr Grffiffin “Rust and Bone”
Ro has performed at the legendary Club Passim (Cambridge, MA), Tupelo Music Hall (Londonderry, NH), and The Vanilla Bean (Pomfret, CT). He has opened for many accomplished acts including Meg Hutchinson, Vance Gilbert, Edie Carey, and Anne Heaton. He has also shared the stage with folks like Rose Polenzani, Nicole Reynolds, Melissa Ferrick, and Lucy Wainright Roche. He was the recipient of an Iguana Grant from Club Passim in 2008, a grant that awards approximately $45,000 in grants to independent musicians across New England every year. He was a 2016 Kerrville New Folk Finalist.
Kerr Griffin is an Americana crooner, DIY musician, transgender man and veteran of the Boston area cover band scene. After developing a chronic allergy to sequins and “Superfreak”, he decided to strike out on his own writing and performing the lyrically-driven acoustic music he’d always loved. Since then he’s been cultivating his own unique brand of acoustic rock that feels new but with roots that are comfortingly familiar.
All of us at First Event want to send a big FIRST EVENT THANK YOU to the following organizations for mentioning First Event to their members! We invite everyone to check them out! Many thanks to….
Just a quick correction to postcards TCNE/First Event handed out at the Transgender Day of Remembrance in Boston. On the cards we want to update the following:
FE19 Postcard
Free AIDs Testing: We had stated we are offering free AIDs testing to anyone who would like to participate. The postcards should have read, “We are offering free HIV/HCV/STI testing to anyone who would like to participate”
Our apologies if this caused any confusion. If you have questions about these changes, or any questions at all, please email us info@firstevent.org or FB message us on our Facebook Page.
