What to Expect
Join us for a vibrant and inclusive Pride event. As we celebrate the beauty of diversity, our focus extends beyond the rainbow colors to shed light on the unique mental health challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. By creating a safe and empowering space, we can promote open dialogue on this often-guarded subject. Embracing our unique identities, fostering unity, and breaking down stigmas allows us to collectively work towards a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone.
Featured Speaker
Sogand Zakerhaghighi
Sogand Zakerhaghighi is an Iranian-Canadian trauma-informed mental-health professional & intersectional influencer. She holds a Masters Degree in Counselling (MC), a BA in Psychology + Sociology and has recently completed a double Religious Doctorate in Pastoral Counselling and Religious Studies whilst frequenting as a Mental-Wellness Columnist for two mainstream Canadian news agencies.
As the founder and director of SZ Wellness INC.©, Sogand uses her professional expertise and extensive academic background to conduct Mental-Health Coaching Sessions and facilitate workshops centred on inclusive growth and collective healing. Further than this, with over a million followers across social media platforms, Sogand provides psycho-social content to local, national and international audiences. She is an LGBTQ+ ally with a dedicated interest in exploring the intersection of culture, faith, and mental health within the LGBTQ+ community.
Panelists
Kali Dlugolenski
Kali Dlugolenski, Medical Writer and ReachOUT (Biogen LGBTQ+ ERG) Leadership Team Member. Kali was harshly criticized for questioning her gender identity at a young age which caused her many years of emotional and mental health struggles. She is here to share how DE&I ERGs, PRIDE events, the LGBTQ+ community, and her gender transition ultimately saved her life.
Giselle Byrd
Giselle Byrd is the new Executive Director of The Theater Offensive, which presents liberating art by, for, and about queer and trans people of color. In this role she passionately continues in amplifying the theater’s mission for uplifting and elevating the work of queer and transgender artists of color and LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies. Byrd is the first Black trans woman to lead a regional theater company in the United States and as such brings immense experience and invaluable insights to the subject matter from an intersectionality perspective.
Gary Conboy
Gary Conboy is a member of Bayer BLEND (a Bayer resource group for LGBTQ+ and Allies), a psychiatric clinician in training for both a Department of Mental Health Crisis Team based in the Emergency Department of the Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA. He served as a mentor for gay youth through an outreach program at the AIDS Action Committee and was one of three founders of the GLBTQ+ ERG at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Gary brings a wealth of insights offering unique perspectives that shed light on issues faced by the LGBTQ community from the lens of a healthcare professional and beyond.
Moderator
David Roumanes
David is the Senior Biosciences Account Manager at Thermofisher Scientific. A Highly-trained immunologist with over 10 years of expertise in industry and academic research. David also brings a wealth of insights offering unique perspectives that shed light on issues faced by the LGBTQ community.
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