I hope that all of you in the U.S. had a safe and festive Fourth of July holiday.  We enjoyed the day at home with some of our closest friends, squeezing in some quality time before our lives get hectic with events and activities in support my book’s release on September 3.

July 12 through 14, I will be in Berkeley, California, at the 2013 Gender Spectrum Conference, where I will participate on the following panel:

Parent Empowerment Panel: Working with Schools in Service of My Gender Diverse Student

Increasingly, children and teens are attending schools and maintaining their gender independent expression and/or identities. In the process, they are often pushing up against schools and systems not necessarily prepared to support them, requiring caregivers to advocate on their child’s behalf. This panel session will include various individuals who have worked with their schools (often collaboratively but sometimes in the face of strong resistance) to ensure their child’s safety and well-being. As families share their stories, participants will hear various lessons learned and strategies implemented for effectively engaging schools to take the necessary steps to meet the needs of gender diverse students.

The deadline to register for the 2013 Gender Spectrum Conference is July 8.  And, there will be onsite registration at the event.

I will be blogging, Facebooking and tweeting live from the conference.  So if you can’t attend, follow me as I learn and grow.  I’ve never been to the Gender Spectrum Conference but have heard such great things about it.  I can’t wait to dive in and share my experiences with you.

Next up after Gender Spectrum is BlogHer 2013.  This year, the largest conference for women bloggers (men attend to!) will be held July 25 through 27 in Chicago.  I’ll be speaking on the following panel:

Politics & Activism Roundtable: What You Learn When You Speak Out

A series of poignant vignettes from BlogHer community members who have suddenly been thrust into the most unimaginable situations. How they coped, and what they learned about online community and advocacy. Presenters: Adria Richards, C.J.’s Mom, and Mir Kamin

I’m also incredibly honored to be one of BlogHer’s 2013 Voices Of The Year.

Six weeks + 2,600 submissions + 15 committee members = The 2013 BlogHer Voices of the Year! (Affectionately known as #VOTY.)

This year’s VOTY submission process has been a magnificent journey through the hearts and minds of the blogosphere. We are so excited to honor these 100 bloggers — writers, speakers, and artists, who have pushed us to think more, feel more, share more, and do more.

They specifically recognized my “My Son’s Christmas Dress” post from the holiday season.

Because I am a speaker at BlogHer ’13, my family, friends and fans can get 20 percent off of the conference registration fee.  Here’s the registration link and  promo code (BH13SPKR) in case you are interested.

Will I see you in Berkeley or Chicago?