Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary 2026 Conference
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, NH
58 Lowell Street, Nashua, NH 03064
A place to find community with transgender, nonbinary folx, their families, and our allies.
A conference for us to gather, learn, and grow.
Pre-registration deadline has passed. Same-day registration is available – you are still welcome to join us!
Schedule
8:30-9:00 Registration & Breakfast
9:00-10:00 Workshops #1
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-11:15 Workshops #2
11:15-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:15 Keynote Speaker: Logan Grendel
1:15-1:30 Break
1:30-2:30 Workshops #3
2:30-2:45 Break
2:45-3:45 Closing Panel: Being Trans/Non-Binary in New Hampshire
Keynote Speaker: Logan Grendel
Multi-Hyphenate Artist, Urban Gardener, Small Business Owner, Revolutionary Organizer, and Black, Nonbinary Witch Logan Grendel believes magick is praxis and vice versa. An NYC lifer, they have lived many lives from freelance photographer to dog care professional to event producer to content creator, approaching all things from a standpoint of creating our own worlds and never accepting what has been placed in front of us as the only option. Follow Logan on instagram @focusedoninfinity
Keynote address will be streamed from the main BBCBB location.
Workshops
Workshops # 1
Streamed – Origin of (Queer) Love: Exploring Your Story Thru Creative Writing: Led by queer singer-songwriters, this creative writing workshop will help you explore authentic sensory and poetic storytelling. Participants will respond to writing prompts centered on exploring our queer origins in a celebratory and cathartic way. You may end up writing a poem, a story, or lyrics for a song. Bring a journal or laptop.
Streamed – Trans History: Trans Trailblazers from Christine Jorgensen to Lavern Cox: This presentation will be about transgender history through the lens of transgender trailblazers, some more widely known than others. We will trace our trans history through the lens of the people who have created it from more known trailblazers like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera through lesser known trailblazers like Christine Jorgensen, Charley Parkhurst, and Dora Richter.
In-person – What is Intersex, Led by Pasha Roberts: This session will introduce the elusive I in LGBTQIA+. Intersex people have been historically and medically erased, yet have become an essential part of modern discussions of sex and gender. We will review many of the wondrous ways that the human body expresses its biology. From Sumeria, to Hermaphroditus, to freak shows, to John Money and beyond, we will look at culture’s response to our bodies. Is sex, as well as gender, a social construct?
Workshops #2
Streamed – Nature is Non-Binary (and queer): This workshop will provide an introduction to some of the diversity of gender and sexuality within the animal and plant kingdoms, including dimorphism in birds and butterflies, sex-changing fish, intersex snails, and gay sheep. This workshop asks workshop attendees to consider new ways of connecting with and understanding human diversity alongside Nature.
Streamed – Trans Elders: A Panel: A panel of 3-5 elders will answer questions about life, transitioning, and share about their experience aging as a trans/non-binary person.
In-person – Intersection of Story & Advocacy in the Queer Community, Led by Aimee Terravechia: Storytelling is a powerful tool within the world of advocacy. Stories can humanize complex issues and reveal the connective fiber of policy, advocacy, and real-world impact. By translating our beliefs and our lived experiences into story, we can inspire actionable change in our government and our communities. Learn how storytelling can be an empowering and informative tool in the world of advocacy.
Workshops #3
Streamed – Being Out as Trans*, Then and Now: This workshop is a 30 year retrospective of what it’s been like being out as transgender / non-binary, comparing what it was like in the mid 1990s through the decades to modern day. Reflecting on what has helped individual and community survival and thriving, this workshop will leave room for Q&A.
Streamed – Deeper Keynote with Logan Grendel: We are living in a world with a lot of stress and trauma for all of us. Trans people, BIPoC people, immigrants, people with disabilities are being targeted now in many ways. Some people are going to love what Logan offers and want more. Want more going deeper into being real about what is facing us and what it means to create our own worlds in a time like this.
In-person – Creating Trans & Queer Joy: Come make art representing your own trans and/or queer joy
In-person – Conversation for those with Trans/Non-binary Family Members: A facilitated space for people with Trans/Non-binary family members to connect and share.
Closing Panel
We will close our day with an in-person panel of Trans and Non-binary folks from New Hampshire, reflecting on their experience of being Trans/Non-binary in our state.
Beyond the Binary Kids Camp
We will offer a joyful day of activities featuring inclusive games, stories, art, music, and play for children aged 2 to 12 during the conference. Led by UU Nashua staff and volunteers! If an adult is coming to the conference, there is no charge for children to attend.
Registration Fees
Partner Organizations
We are so grateful to be hosting this conference in collaboration with many partners!
