TRANScend Retreat Returns This October
TRANScend Retreat will celebrate its fifth in-person gathering, after a two-year absence, from October 7-9 at Saratoga Springs Retreat Center in Upper Lake, California. The retreat “aims to promote leadership in transgender and genderqueer communities through community-built events that help participants heal from transphobia with activities that celebrate and affirm their authentic selves”.
Transgender and genderqueer folks designed all aspects of the event. Developing skills in self-organization, creating paths of resilience, redefining resistance, healing, socializing, and further developing social justice initiatives serve the event’s primary goal – to build community.
When asked what could be expected at the retreat organizers said, “Through workshops and rituals we empower each other by centering the needs of our community, which includes, focusing on mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health as pivotal aspects of strong leadership. We know that both self and community care are critical to our wellness; so there will be plenty of time to relax, rejuvenate, laugh and dance under the stars.”
What makes TRANScend unique is that they make their retreat (which is open to up to 150 people) available to any trans or genderqueer person who needs it, regardless of their financial situation. However, they rely on fundraising to pay for the retreat venue, and workshop leaders; and they build the scholarship fund to provide access to the programming for those who need it most.
TRANScend makes sure to prioritize indigenous, Black, and other people of color in their leadership and on their retreat due to the racial and economic disparities that exist within our culture. Due to that fact, 70% of the scholarship fund is earmarked for BIPOC to ensure that each event serves an extremely diverse cross-section of the trans and genderqueer community with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status.
Located on 260 acres, the retreat center itself features three large communal meeting spaces, guest cabins, and camping grounds in Northern California. They also have a hot soaking pool, a large swimming pool, a 19th-century roundhouse mineral pool, a stone labyrinth, hiking trails, fire/ceremonial circles, and large common grounds. All of this creates a perfect environment to disconnect from day-to-day life and focus on community building.
Now, more than ever, trans and genderqueer people need affirming spaces and opportunities to grow and excel. If you or someone you know would benefit from attending the TRANScend Retreat click here for more information.
To donate to the retreat and scholarship fund click HERE.
