The Bay Agenda: Envisioning Trans Futures

Date and Time

• Tuesday, Feb 25, 2025  6pm - 8pm

Location

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Details

San Francisco has a reputation for being one of the best places to be queer. It is home to the first Transgender District in the world and, last year, California was the first state to recognize August as Trans History Month. Despite that, the new administration’s day one anti-trans policies have already started impacting trans Californians. Join us to share your thoughts in an open discussion followed by a panel conversation with Julia Serano (“Whipping Girl”), Henry Carnell (Mother Jones), and Dr. JL Odom (Bay Area Reporter) to talk about this moment in trans history and look towards how organizations and individuals are responding to government hostility.

We will be encouraging and providing masks for all attendees of this event. We are inviting members of the community who are immunocompromised and at high risk for COVID, flu, and other respiratory illnesses. We appreciate your consideration and support to create a safe and inclusive space for all of our community members.

Panelists Include:

Julia Serano is a true Renaissance woman: a writer, performer, activist, musician, and biologist. She is best known for her book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity (Seal Press, 2007, 2016, third edition in 2024), a collection of personal essays that debunk many of the myths and misconceptions that people have about trans women, femininity, and the subjects of gender and sexism more generally.

Julia is also an accomplished spoken word artist and musician. In addition to all this, Julia has a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from Columbia University, and spent 17 years as a researcher at UC Berkeley in the fields of genetics, evolution and developmental biology. Her understanding of biology, along with her life experiences as a trans woman, give her a unique perspective on gender and sexism that challenges many commonly held beliefs.

Henry Carnell is a reporter and producer working on science, technology, climate, and gender. Currently, He is a digital fellow with Mother Jones/Center for Investigative Reporting and a digital equity fellow with the Washington Blade. Previously, Carnell was a Mother Jones Ben Bagdikian 2023-2024 Editorial Fellow. His reporting has also appeared in Them, 5280, the LA Blade, LGBTQ Nation, and Quanta. He also wrote about science for his local Extension office. Baltimore-raised, he now lives in Oregon. You can follow Henry on Bluesky @hencarnell.bsky.social.

JL Trey Odom, Ph.D., is a San Francisco-based journalist whose stories have been published by the Bay Area Reporter, Bay City News, SFGATE, News Is Out, and other media outlets. They routinely report on LGBTQ+ issues, initiatives, organizations, events, and changemakers.

Dr. Odom is the nonbinary division winner of the 2022 California International Marathon and the 2023 and 2024 San Francisco Marathon. They’re one of the 69 nonbinary athletes who qualified for the 2025 Boston Marathon, happening in April.

For their stories on the transgender community, go to https://www.drjlodom.com/publishedwork/trans

Moderated by Hanisha Harjani, the Community Journalism Director at KALW. They have worked as a print and audio reporter, producing stories for outlets like NPR, The Guardian, and SF Chronicle. In the past, they’ve helped tell stories about misleading histories, environmental justice, queer identity, and the way technology influences reality.

There is a $10 - $20 sliding scale suggested donation for this event. Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds. We're hosting this gathering to help inform the electorate.

Please become a KALW member today and receive your first drink on us at all 220 Montgomery events.

📍 220 Montgomery St., San Francisco, 2 blocks from BART/MUNI
🚪 Doors open at 5:00
🗣️ Program begins at 6:00
🍕 Free snacks
🍷 Refreshments for donation (and KALW members get their first one on the house)
🆓 The event is free with an RSVP — and you are welcome to donate what you want

Please note:

• The event space is just to the left of the main entrance to the Mills Building at 220 Montgomery Street
• We recommend taking BART/MUNI, exiting at Montgomery, and walking two blocks north
• Ride-shares can drop off and pick up directly in front of the venue
• If you drive, there are several garages within two blocks of the event location