News briefs

QRC panel explores transgender issues at PSU, in Portland Friday

The Queer Resource Center is holding a question and answer panel Friday, Nov. 16, as a part of Trans Awareness month at Portland State.

Representatives from transgender activist groups from around Portland will be at the panel to present information on what it means to be transgender, supporting transgender students at Portland State and making resources available for transgender people. Personal stories about transition will also be shared.

Panelists will include Zan Gibbs, of The Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center; Portland State student government equal rights advocate Tash Shatz; Marc LeJeune, of Outside In; and Jenn Burleton of TransActive.

The event is part of PSU Trans Awareness month, which will begin on Nov. 20, the National Transgender Day of Remembrance. The panel will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in room 236 of Smith Memorial Student Union.

– Stefanie Fisher

Portland Free School fall gathering to educate community Saturday

Portlanders can learn new skills and possibly share some of their own knowledge with other attendees this weekend at the Portland Free School’s Fall Gathering, an event that aims to educate the community outside of standard school practices.

The event, which will have panels on anything from cycling to board games, will take place in the Multnomah Central Library’s Bank Room. It will run from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 17.

There will be lessons on playing the popular board game “Go,” as well as a series of workshops presented by Portland’s newest nonprofit bike collective, Bike Farm. Most likely, there will be other workshops at the event that have not yet confirmed, said event coordinator Marc de Giere on Thursday.

Portland Free School is a network of volunteer organizers, instructors and facilitators centered around their website portland.freeskool.org. Anyone in the Portland community can post a free workshop, discussion group or lecture series on the Free School calendar. Through these skill-sharing sessions, Free School works to build community and foster more education.

For newcomers, de Giere said, organizers will be on hand at the event to answer any questions and discuss ideas for possible future workshops. Getting involved with Portland’s Free School is easy, de Giere said, who has been with the group since the beginning of 2007.

“I just showed up to a meeting and jumped right in,” he said.

For additional information on Saturday’s Fall Gathering or future Free School events, visit portland.freeskool.org.

–Melinda Freeland