Keystone Conference 2022

[Sally Stone]

Good news on the conference front.  TCPA (Trans Central Pennsylvania) has announced plans for the Keystone Conference in 2022.  The website is up https://www.keystone-conference.org/ and the dates are March 23-27.  

 

It's been too long since the last conference and I miss so many of my friends.  I plan to be there.  Maybe, I'll even be asked to present again this year.  It will be nice to have the conference back.

 

I know I've mentioned this before, that Keystone is a great conference for all, but it is especially great for anyone just coming out.

[Charlize]

Than you for bring this up Sally.  I have never been there but have been interested.  At one point i went by as it was going on.  I  was in the  as i was showing some paintings nearby and saw the streets full of folks who were obviously enjoying themselves as gender diverse people.  Perhaps i may have the chance to be one of those folks.

I got on the mailing list.

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Carolyn Marie]

Thanks for letting us know, Sally.  I hope its a roaring success.

 

Carolyn Marie

[Jackie C.]

You know what? I promised myself that I'd attend the next one and it happens on my freaking Birthday. I'm GOING in 2022. Joined the mailing list. Ready to rock-and-roll.

 

Hugs!

[VickySGV]

I have wanted to go to that one but it is the other side of the country from me.  Maybe by that time I will be able to make that long a trip again.  (I have been to Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale).  I have other friends that have gone to it in the past.

[Charlize]

If you do make it let me know.  I'm about 45 to 50 min. away from Philly with extra bedrooms.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Sally Stone]

We should all stay in touch regarding our plans, because it would so awesome to have a Trans Pulse meet and greet sometime during the conference.  If I do a workshop this year, I'll be sure to let everyone know.  Anyone attending can join me for the workshop. 

 

Now, I'm really excited!

[Jackie C.]

1 hour ago, Sally Stone said:

We should all stay in touch regarding our plans, because it would so awesome to have a Trans Pulse meet and greet sometime during the conference.

 

You're right, it absolutely would. Woot!

 

Hugs!

[Sally Stone]

Just thought I'd let anyone who thinks they might be attending Keystone know that the Sheraton has started taking room reservations for the conference.  Not sure what this year will look like but the rooms sold out really fast in previous years.  If you want to stay at the conference hotel and get the conference rate, you should act fast.

 

You can make a room reservation through the Trans Central website, which is in my post at the top of this thread.

[Jackie C.]

Thanks @Sally Stone! Booked!

 

Hugs!

[Sally Stone]

Great news Jackie!  I'll see you there.

[Sally Stone]

Update:

I'm thinking this year's conference is going to be well attended judging by how quickly the conference hotel sold out.  There are no rooms available at the Sheraton for conference weekend.  However, there are several other hotels nearby, a couple within walking distance.  Every year they do a great conference "overflow" business and in many cases, the room rates are better than those offered by the event hotel.  

 

I'm still waffling about facilitating a workshop this year; fortunately, I don't have to commit until the end of December.  In years past my workshop has been titled: "Making the Most of Part-time Womanhood," but I'm thinking it is time to refresh the workshop so that it is more inclusive.  If I do the workshop this year, I plan to tile it: "Making the Most of Your Gender Expression." Instead of focusing on my experiences as a part-time woman, I think it is important to expand the discussion to all gender self-expression experiences.  So many of the personal experiences I have spoken of in previous workshops are applicable to all genders.  The greatest number of Keystone Conference attendees are still trans women, but each year there is a growing population of attendees whose gender identities span the spectrum.  It only makes sense that my workshop should support them as well.

[Charlize]

A friend is presenting a workshop on wigs and i'm going to be be a model for a video she is doing.  Being a bald trans woman has the occasional advantage.  At this point i can only hope that Covid takes a break or i won't even consider going in person.  With my wife and i to consider i simply can't risk it so being in a video may be my only presence there.😒.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Sally Stone]

Right now the organizers are taking a wait and see approach.  Hopefully, this surge will die down so the event won't have to be cancelled or scaled way back.  The other big conference, First Event, had to scale back, but this is due to the fact the conference is scheduled for January.  

 

Charlize, I'm looking forward to the video, but it would be so much better to meet in person.  I am still planning to go to Keystone in March.  I hope COVID has settled back down before then.

[Sally Stone]

On this past Saturday, Keystone opened registration.  At this point, the conference is a go.  I have been asked to be one of the restaurant hostesses for the Friday night dinners in downtown Harrisburg.  I will be one of the hostesses for "Café Fresco," one of several restaurant choices.  In years past, Friday dinner night has always been extremely well-attended.  

 

Because there is still some uncertainty regarding COVID, refund and cancellation rules have been updated this year.  Hopefully, this latest surge will have run its course by conference time.

[Jackie C.]

I really hope so. I've got my room. I'm registered. I'm going to be so very disappointed if we have to go virtual.

 

Hugs!

[Sally Stone]

As this year's conference grows near, I am excited it is happening.  I think I mentioned this before, but I have been involved in this conference every year since it began, so except for the COVID cancelled years, it is a perfect streak for me.  This year, however, the conference is going to be different for me.  Last year, I lost two dear friends, both of them integral parts of my personal Keystone history.  First, is my best friend Willa, who passed in November.  Years ago, she and I attended a spring formal in Harrisburg, PA together and it was there we met the girls from the TransCentral PA organization.  At that event they told us their spring formal was going to morph into the Keystone Conference, the following year.  

 

One of the TransCentral girls I met that first year was Katie Ward.  She was a TransCentral officer and over the years, she and I became best friends.  She and I spent lots of time together supporting the conference, but we also got together several times a year for girl's weekends.  Katie was an amazing woman, but sadly and suddenly she passed away last year.

 

So, it is with a heavy heart that I attend Keystone 2022, because two of my best girlfriends won't be there.  I'll miss them both, but the upside is that I will get to see a lot of other close friends that I've missed since the COVID plague has kept us all apart.  It won't be quite the same without Willa and Katie, but I plan to celebrate them by remembering the great times we had.  Rest peacefully, ladies.  I love you and I miss you both.❤️

[Sally Stone]

Well, it's been a week since the Keystone Conference concluded, and like so many years past, I'm left with so many fond memories.  I have to say that one of the highlights for me this year was getting to meet our very own Jackie C in person. Jackie, it was a pleasure meeting you and I will cherish the time we spent hanging out together and chatting.  If I'm gushing stop me, but I thought you were absolutely adorable.  

 

Keystone this year, was a bit different in that there were so many first time attendees.  Because of this, I got to meet a whole bunch of new friends.  Friday evening I played hostess for the downtown dinner crawl.  I was supposed to have 20 people in my restaurant group but when we finally sat down to eat at Café Fresco, there were only eight of us.  It turned out to be an intimate group and I think it helped us get to know each other.  It was so much fun herding my "cats" onto the bus, off the bus when we arrived at the restaurant, and then back onto the bus for the trip home later that evening.  I think everyone had lots of fun.

 

On Saturday evening, the conference Gala had us all dressing in our finest evening wear.  The outfits were all spectacular.  I danced and drank too much, but these were things were the result of having so much fun.  

 

If you've never attended a trans conference before, you owe it to yourself to go, and I am certain, anyone attending the Keystone Conference would not be disappointed.