Charis welcomes Morna Gerrard and AC Panella for a conversation about The Georgia Trans Oral History Project.

The Georgia Trans Oral History Project (GTOHP) is dedicated to collecting the stories, memories, and histories of trans, gender non-conforming people, and allies who have participated in trans activism in Georgia. The goal of this project is to root trans people’s experiences in our greater history.  This is an ongoing project that will start in late Spring of 2021 in collaboration with trans communities and Georgia State University. For the near future, interviews will be conducted remotely through Zoom, and they will become part of the Gender and Sexuality Collections in GSU’s Special Collections and Archives. Great care will be taken to ensure that participants’ stories and identities will be protected, and resources are offered for those who may not have access to the technology to participate.

The Georgia Trans Oral History Project wants to preserve your story! To participate go to: https://forms.gle/xpzqashAWG7WABXe7

Morna Gerrard is the Women’s / Gender & Sexuality Collections Archivist in Special Collections and Archives at the Georgia State University Library. She serves on the National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ LGBTQ Institute Advisory Board, and from 2011-2018, was the vice president of the Georgia LGBTQ Archives Project. She has published a number of articles and chapters, including, “No Fame Required: Collaboration, Community, and the LGBTQ Archives Project,” in Appraisal and Acquisition: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections, and “Exploring Gender Roles in Society, Literature, and Film,” in Gender Studies in the Library: Case Studies, Programming, Outreach. She is the proud mother of two cats - Millie and Oscar. 

AC Panella is a doctoral candidate at Union Institute and University. He is in the humanities concentration and is getting certificates in museum studies and educational leadership. As a trans activist and teacher, he has worked on a variety of projects including the Trans Leadership Academy, The LA Trans Health Coalition, and has been an advisor to queer student organizations for 15 years. His research is focused on trans collective memory and history as it’s represented in visual and material culture. When he isn’t nose deep in research, he is a full-time teacher, pet parent, and truncle (Trans-Uncle) to a super adorable three-year-old. This year, he will defend his dissertation on the role San Francisco’s Compton Cafeteria Uprising has on trans memory.

This event is free and open to all people, especially to those who have no income or low income right now, but we encourage and appreciate a solidarity donation 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. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/CharisCircle?code=chariscirclepage

We will be archiving this event and adding closed captioning as soon as possible after airing so that it will be accessible to deaf and HOH people. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we begin this new way of connecting across distances.

By attending our virtual event 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. 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 info@chariscircle.org immediately.

The Georgia Trans Oral History Project: Morna Gerrard and AC Panella in conversation