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2026 SPEAKERS & SEMINARS
Dr. Michelle Dietert
Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M University
Dr. Michelle Dietert is a Professor of Sociology and LGBTQ+ scholar in the Department of Social Sciences at Texas A&M University-Central Texas, who specializes in qualitative research methods, sociological theory, sexuality, and gender. Dr. Dietert’s research focuses on the many experiences of transgender and non-binary individuals, including the institutional discrimination that they face on a daily basis.
“Fighting for Their Right to Serve: Transgender Service Member’s Experiences Under the Trump Military Ban.”
This seminar will include discussion on transgender service member’s experiences under the Trump administration’s transgender ban. The policy timeline and inadequate justifications of the DoD policies for the inequitable firing of service members will be considered, as well as the impact on their careers, healthcare, families, futures, and much more. This discussion will further highlight their bravery, dedication and the emotional toll of fighting for their right to serve.
Erika Driscoll
Erika is a business owner, PMP-certified management professional, and leadership practitioner with experience across military, volunteer, and enterprise settings. Her background includes leadership in the elite U.S. Navy Presidential Ceremonial Guard, squadron command in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol, senior project and program management, and senior proposal leadership. After years of not fully understanding her gender identity, and later recognizing and publicly embracing her transgender, non-binary identity, she now applies those business and leadership lessons through her firm, Idoben, LLC, and in service to her community. Erika’s goal is to help transgender people recognize their own voice, energy, and power.
"Grow Your Garden: A Primer to Transgender Business Ownership"
Grow Your Garden is a practical and empowering session that makes the case for why every attendee should consider building a business, even while working a traditional job. For many transgender people, employment can feel unstable, limiting, or deeply exhausting. This presentation is designed to help attendees see business ownership not as a distant dream, but as a realistic path toward greater independence, resilience, and self-determination. The session encourages participants to begin cultivating something of their own—something that can grow over time into greater financial stability, personal freedom, and direction. By reframing entrepreneurship as both practical and empowering, this presentation aims to help attendees move from feeling worn down by the demands of employment to taking meaningful steps toward building a future they more fully control.
Transgender Leadership: Your Voice, Energy, and Power is designed to inspire emerging trans leaders and advocates while helping awaken leadership potential that may have gone quiet under the strain of today’s political climate. At a time when many in our community feel exhausted, discouraged, or pushed to the margins, this session offers encouragement, empowerment, and renewed purpose. Its goal is to help attendees understand that leadership is not a single rigid model but a range of authentic styles shaped by personality, values, and lived experience. Participants will be encouraged to identify the kind of leadership that fits them best and to see their own voice, energy, and power as valid tools for change. Many people have been disillusioned by harmful examples of leadership and, as a result, turn away from leadership entirely. This presentation reframes leadership as something diverse, grounded, deeply human, and urgently needed within the transgender community today.
"Transgender Leadership: Your Voice, Energy, and Power"
Kristin Edwards
U.S. Marshal (Ret.)
Kristin is passionate about the safety and security of the LGBTQIA+ community. She uses her 30+ experience as a federal law enforcement officer and Army veteran to help her achieve those goals.
She served over 20 years with U.S. Marshals rising to be a Chief Inspector. She was an expert in behavioral and protective investigations. As an Army officer she was both in the infantry and civil affairs. Kristin fought in both Operation Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. She worked as the Director of Training for a small defense contractor. She has trained major government law enforcement agencies, entertainment venues, and professional sports arenas to improve their security skill sets. She now works as a security trainer and consultant for Safe Conduct, LLC.
Lotharios, Cads, and Scallywags
The internet can be an amazing place to meet new and interesting people. It’s also a treacherous place of trolls, catfish, extortionists, sometime just rude people. It can also be a place for anti-transgender activists to identify members of our community. Come learn how to protect yourself from getting hurt or scammed. We will discuss how to identify and protect your critical personal information. Learn how to safely meet someone from the internet. If you decided to meet in real life, we will discuss tactics on how to meet safely, securely, and protect your identifying information.
Avoiding Anti Trans Violence
Violence against the transgender community is at an all-time high and continues to grow. In 2025 there were 281 murders of trans persons worldwide and 27 in the United States. In 2025, There were more than 1018 new anti LGBTQ bills filed across the United States with at least 124 of those being passed. Hate and the associated violence against us continues to grow unabated. To avoid the rise in anti-trans violence, it is important to be able to identify attackers before they are close enough to hurt us. Behavioral detection allows us to identify potentially violent people and scenarios far enough in advance to avoid them. Behavioral detection can be used to identify both interpersonal violence and attacks on the locations that gather. This presentation will cover typical behavioral cues, pre-attack indicators, and evaluating behavior. We will discuss how to develop plans to escape and evade once you have identified a potentially violent individual.
Questions About Firearms And the Second Amendment: A Introduction for the Transgender Community
A discussion on the legal issues regarding firearms and the transgender community. This will include issues about purchasing firearms when your preferred name and pronouns may not align with your identification. In addition to discussions about common issues regarding firearms and our community, there will be be a question and answer session with both presenters who have extensive experience with firearms.
Dianna (Dee) Haggerty, MD, PhD
Family Physician, Transgender Health Advocate
A St. Louis native, Dr. Haggerty has lived, taught medicine, and practiced in 7 cities each with over a million population. She now practices as a full time family physician in rural Alabama. As a chronically over-educated academician (BS chemistry, MSc biochemistry (Univ. of Missouri), PhD physical biochemistry (Case Western Reserve University), MD and MPH in chronic disease epidemiology (Emory University)), she was an early entrant into the academic world treating gender-related health care issues. Professionally, she has been providing hormone therapy to both transmasculine and transfeminine patients for 38+ years in both the University and private practice worlds.
Dr. Haggerty is currently in MTF transition, having been on hormone therapy for the past 3 years and undergoing gender affirming surgery (as a senior adult). "Working" professionally in the trenches for three decades has provided a solid long-term perspective on where we have been, where we are now, and where we might be going with regards to gender care in the future. "Living" in those same trenches, as a transitioning physician, has presented an interesting and unique set of experiences, insights and personal-professional dilemmas.
Tales from the Trenches - Working Both Sides of the Fence
HOW and WHERE do we obtain essential medical care as transgender patients? The University and private practice worlds: Oh!... those ARE ever so different worlds, on vastly differing ends of the medical universe! We will discuss the essential benefits and disadvantages of each system of care. Treatment and gender transitioning are far more than hormone prescriptions and laboratory tests. How do we provide healthcare across the gender-aging spectrum, and what constitutes best medical practices? We will discuss best practices across the long-term healthcare spectrum for the new hormone recipient, the transitioning, and the gender transitioned/”living the life” individual.
Pills, Patches and Shots.... OH MY!
Hormonal therapy is hailed by most as a cornerstone of gender affirming medical care. Practiced wisely and under supervision, hormonal therapy is generally safe and effective, and helps to take you where you want to go! We will review the various established medical regimens used in both transmasculine and transfeminine care. That involves the HOW and the WHY we do what we do. We will then discuss how we effectively monitor your therapy, and then how do we manage the developmental expectations you have for doing all this (the WHAT)! Every medical therapy comes with both benefits and inherent risks. Yes, there are
downsides of hormonal therapy, and indeed some complications happen quite frequently. The good news is- you can determine the difference between maximizing the benefits and minimizing the complications! Make no mistake, hormonal therapy used for gender affirming care is widely practiced and has been a lifeline for so many of us as we struggle with gender related medical and psychological issues. As the old expression goes: know before you go!
Savannah Hauk
As dual gender individual, I’ve experienced a lot in my life in terms of shame, hiding my identity, the pursuit of self-actualization in the face of ignorant indoctrination against the LGBTQ community, and fighting for normalcy for myself and within my personal relationships. In an effort to bring the concept of crossdressing as a way to express our gender diversity into the normal social fabric, I have created a social media presence, led two TEDx Talks on demystifying feminine crossdressing and gender diversity, started and co-host a podcast, and written two award-winning books on the topic.
"Living with Crossdressing: Defining a New Normal"
Somewhere amid the misconceptions, stereotypes, and ignorance is the truth about non-transitioning crossdressing men. But more than that is the strength and care of the women who continue to love and support them. How can they work through the initial shock, fear and stress of knowing this new side of him? What does he need to understand about and assist In the discovery process so that his crossdressing can become a positive part of their ongoing relationship? Join us as we tackle what happens after a crossdressing man reveals himself to or is discovered by his significant other and learn about the changed dynamic between a woman and her crossdressing man.
Marg Produe
Marg Produe lives with intersex traits. Marg’s a 1970 Army volunteer, retired Scientist, Inventor and Video Producer working and teaching extensively. Marg holds degrees in General Science, Biology, IT and Technical Prosthetics. Marg’s been married for 44 years and works summers as a lumberjack at the family farm and winters as a woman’s costumer. Marg is a member of interACT, InterConnect, Egale, Madison Area Transgender Association, Lake Country PFLAG, River City Gems, Transgender Heaven and Crossdresser Heaven. Marg also volunteers for Pride and PrideFest and has attended and participated in Be-All, Wildside, Atlanta Comfort Conference, Diva Las Vegas and Keystone,
"Real Intersex People And Their Life Before Exe. Order 14187"
Intersex people have historically been represented as the "I" in LGBTIQ+ nomenclature. About 2% of the world population is intersex, yet many intersex individuals go through life never knowing that they carry intersex characteristics. The presenter at this workshop is a person living full time with intersex traits who will discuss aspects of thriving and working in the world community. You'll get real life personal stories and histories of key issues, learn important ways you can show up for intersex community members, and hear a personal narrative of intersex experiences.
Becca Reynolds, RN
Registered Nurse, Healthcare Educator, Support Group Leader
Becca is a Registered Nurse from Springfield, MO. Before nursing, Becca was a paramedic and an EMS educator--and has been working in healthcare since the age of 19. Becca is a transgender woman and has been in transition since 2005. Becca has presented at conferences for many years and is one of the founders of her local support group.
"The Making of a Support Group"
This seminar will outline the steps, large and small, for creating a successful support group. We will details the decision and planning processes that need to be made before that first meeting. I am a RN and one of the founders of a 10 year old support group in Springfield, MO. With a long history of presenting seminars and facilitating group discussions, Becca will be sure you take away a solid foundation for the makings of your own, unique support group!
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Renelyn Thomas
Renelyn Thomas is an award winning makeup artist and educator with over 19 years of experience. She empowers individuals to embrace their beauty through expert makeup application and personalized beauty strategies. Renelyn's seminars focus on enhancing features, creating confidence, and fostering self-expression. Passionate about inclusivity in beauty, she is dedicated to helping attendees discover their unique style and celebrate their femininity. As a sought-after speaker at conferences, Renelyn inspires others to harness the transformative power of makeup while cultivating a supportive community.
Feminization Makeup Techniques
Join Renelyn Thomas for her second year at the Atlanta Comfort Conference for an empowering seminar on feminization makeup techniques! With over 19 years of experience in the beauty industry, Renelyn specializes in helping individuals enhance their features and embrace their femininity through makeup. In this seminar, she will share essential skills and expert tips, including proper skincare application, complexion enhancement, highlight, contour and eye makeup techniques designed to create a radiant, feminine look. You'll be able to watch a live makeup demo and ask questions and dialogue about your makeup experiences. Renelyn believes in the transformative power of makeup as a form of self-expression and empowerment. Whether you're a makeup novice or a seasoned artist, this seminar is perfect for anyone looking to refine their skills and discover new techniques. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leading expert and gain the confidence to shine in your authenticity!