Presenter: Tammy Cravit, Author of “Trans/formation: A life on both sides of the gender divide” and “Abuse of Discretion: A Tessa Riley Mystery”

A presentation In celebration of International Women’s Day!

Figuring out who we are – the struggle to define ourselves is one of the most fundamental of our lives. But what happens when we know who we are, and it isn’t who people think we should be? What happens when the world tells us we’re wrong? Harder still, what happens when our own brains make us doubt the things we know about ourselves?

For transgender and gender non-conforming young people, this struggle can be dreadfully hard. And for young people who struggle with both gender nonconformity and neurodivergence, navigating – and communicating – that struggle present epic challenges. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that 30-50% of transgender youth will attempt suicide at least once before age 21.

In “Trans/Formation: A Life on Both Ends of the Spectrum” , Tammy Cravit will share her story of growing up transgender and autistic, the journey she took to understand and fully manifest her true self, and how the mental health clinicians she worked with over the course of her journey supported (or in some cases impeded) her self-discovery and well-being.

1. Develop an understanding of gender non-conforming identities and the struggle for self-identification faced by gender non-conforming youth.
2. Understand how co-morbid gender non-conformity and neurodivergence interact with one another.
3. Understand strategies for building a safe and supportive environment for gender non-conforming and neurodivergent youth to explore their identities.

About the Presenter:
Born and raised in Toronto during a time when knowledge of gender non-conformity and neurodivergence were nearly nonexistent, and resources were few, Tammy Cravit faced a daunting challenge in figuring out who she was and how to live fully and authentically.

As her own understanding of who she was developed, she faced the headwinds of a society determined to judge and condemn her and the choices she made. With the help of several supportive clinicians, a little bit of luck, and a lot of self-determination, she was able to find the path to becoming her truest self.

A computer professional, author, speaker, and musician, Tammy’s journey has taken her to the midwestern United States, to California’s Silicon Valley, and beyond. She currently makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona.