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October 8 • 2015 17 continued on page 18 Offering Support Transgender workshop brings info and connection to families, kids on their journey. T ransgender teens and young adults will have the opportunity to learn life- enhancing skills, explore creative outlets and connect with others who share similar issues at a Transgender Youth Empowerment Workshop on Sunday, Oct. 18. The free event at Affirmations in Ferndale is hosted by Stand with Trans, a newly formed non- profit organization dedicated to providing support to transgender youth and their families. The workshop was organized by Roz Keith, local advocate and founder of Stand with Trans and Ally Moms, an international sup- port network of mothers (soon to include fathers) of transgender youth. Hunter, the 16-year-old transgender son of Keith and her husband, Richard, provided input about what topics and types of workshops would be most helpful to the participants. "We created this day so trans- gender youth could connect with others traveling along a similar path," Keith said. "They need to know they are not alone. Helping [trans] kids to feel more confident and proud of who they are will, in the long run, strengthen families and contribute to improved emo- tional well-being of the transgen- der youth community." The daylong workshop, geared toward ages 12-23, includes eight adult-led sessions run by various advocates and experts in their fields, many of whom are trans- gender. Some of the topics include self-defense and body work, self- reflection through fine art collage, vocal techniques for masculiniza- tion and feminization, spoken word poetry, musical play lists to enhance the transgender journey, a video workshop on creating your own virtual reality, and fash- ion, style and gender expression. Parents can attend the last two sessions at 3 p.m., where a repre- sentative from the U.S. Attorney's office will discuss the legal rights of students who are bullied; and Pamela Alexander, program direc- tor of the Ruth Ellis Center, a Attend a FREE HAP Medicare Workshop. HAP has provided Medicare plans to the people of Michigan for more than 25 years. Now you can talk one-on-one with our Medicare experts to learn about the different options available to you. HAP Senior Plus (hmo), HAP Senior Plus (hmo-pos) and Alliance Medicare PPO are plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment in the plans depends on contract renewals. Alliance Medicare PPO is a product of Alliance Health and Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of HAP. A licensed HAP Medicare sales person will be present with information and applications. For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings call (888) 832-2138 (TTY: 711). Workshops discuss plans for Medicare-eligible individuals who purchase their own health care coverage. Y0076_ALL 201593 AEP WRKSHP AD CMS Accepted 8/24/2015 10/14 | Southfield Southfield Civic Center 10/15 | Rochester Rochester Community House Reserve your spot today. Call (888) 832-2138 (TTY: 711) | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. To view more locations or attend one of our online workshops, visit hap.org/medicareworkshops. Questions about Medicare? 2037460