This event takes place in person at Charis and on Crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual. attendance. Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event.

Charis welcomes Jake Barker for Sign of Change: Bridging LGBTQ+ and Deaf Community, a workshop in celebration of Deaf Awareness Month.

Deaf and LGBTQ+ communities share a history of resilience, advocacy, and the fight for visibility. This workshop is designed for hearing individuals who want to learn how to create more inclusive spaces for Deaf LGBTQ+ individuals.

The intersection of Deaf & LGBTQ+ experiences

ASL basics & effective communication strategies

Jake Barker is a profoundly Deaf educator, advocate, and founder of Sign of Change, where they teach ASL and promote inclusive communication. With a passion for accessibility and social justice, Jake leads workshops on LGBTQ+ identity, allyship, and the importance of qualified interpreters in community spaces. Their work bridges gaps, fosters understanding, and empowers individuals to create more inclusive environments.

The event is free and open to all people, especially to those who have no income or low income, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. Donate on Crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate.

All attendees must wear a face mask during the event.

We will begin seating people at 7:00PM EST.

This event will be live-streamed via Crowdcast. 

As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

Nat Skinner & Nikki Jackson will be providing ASL interpretation at this event. If you would like to watch the event with live AI captions, you may do so by watching it in Google Chrome and enabling captions: Instructions here. Please contact us at info@chariscircle.org or 404-524-0304 if you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible.

By attending our event, whether in person or virtually, you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to Charis staff immediately or email info@chariscircle.org.

Sign of Change: Bridging LGBTQ+ and Deaf Community with Jake Barker