The Alternative Spirit Conference provides an Interfaith/Interspiritual education, skills development, and discussion forum around topics pertaining to the intersection of spirituality/spiritual practice, faith communities, and Alternative or “Alt” identifying populations. Alternative is a broad term encompassing people in diverse non-mainstream relationships, lifestyles, and family/kinship constellations, and/or whose sex, sexuality, sexual practices, and gender expressions are non stereotypical or non-conforming. Alternative populations include, but are not limited to, Kink, BDSM, Leather, Fetish, Polyamory, Consensual Non Monogamy, Consensual Power Exchange, Chosen Families, Queer, Genderqueer and Nonconforming, LGBTQAI2+, and beyond.
The Alternative Spirit Conference aims to provide information, raise awareness, foster perspective, promote spiritual and faith community affirmation for Alt populations, and invite diverse points of view within an environment of respect, support, validation, and kindness for all participants. The conference organizers, facilitators, and presenters are professionals from diverse disciplines including ministry, psychotherapy, health and wellness, spiritual leadership, sacred intimacy, pastoral counseling, organizational management, academia, research, community organizing, and sexuality education.
Conference attendees include: 1) People from Alt communities and identities; 2) Allies or people who want to become Allies; 3) Clergy, counselors, healers, educators, leadership, administrators, researchers, health and wellness professionals, and students seeking to expand their knowledge base and skills sets;
The theme of the 2020 conference is: Spiritual Practices, Rituals, and Wisdom Paths to Affirm the Alternative Spirit.
Rev. Deb (pronouns she/her/hers) is the Founder and Spiritual Director of PrideMinistry, through which she serves the liturgical, spiritual counseling, ritual, and lifecycle needs of people in Alternative Relationships, Alt Lifestyles, Alt Family Constellations, and diverse sex, sexual practices, sexualities, and gender identities, as well as Allies. She is an ordained Interfaith/Interspiritual minister through the One Spirit Seminary, where she serves as a Clinical Supervisor and Lecturer with institution’s Interspiritual Counseling Program. Rev. Deb holds a Masters degree from the Columbia University School of Social Work and an undergraduate degree in contemporary Jewish Studies. She has a Doctorate in Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion through which she conducted a groundbreaking qualitative phenomenology study on the spiritual and faith community needs of religiously interested Kink, BDSM, and Leatherfolk. Rev. Deb is the Founder, Director, and Senior Clinician of NYC Holistic Psychotherapy, a group practice that provides individual and relationship counseling to clients from a diverse swath of identities, relationships, cultures, ethnicities, families, and gender and sexuality expressions. She previously served as the Chief of Behavioral Health at Interfaith Hospital and was the Clinical Director of Orthodox Union’s Yachad/National Jewish Council for Disabilities. She currently mentors masters and PhD-level theology students, and clinically supervises clergy and spiritual/pastoral counselors, psychotherapists, mental health counselors, and sexuality educators. She serves as a diversity consultant and educator for mainstream houses of worship and seminaries, supporting and partnering with leadership in their efforts to understand, affirm, and meet the faith community needs of Alt spiritual seekers. She also serves as advising chaplain, mental health consultant, and lifecycle officiant to Leather, Kink, and Queer organizations.
Rev. Dr. Deb Berman, DMin, LCSW
Grounding Ritual and Blessings for the Alternative Spirit
Please join us as Rev. Deb opens the conference with blessings, altar-building, and ritual to affirm Kink, Poly, BDSM, Ethically Non Monogamous, Chosen Family, Queer, Genderqueer, Genderfluid, Sex Worker, Non Conforming, LGBTQAI2+ and Ally souls. We will set our collective intentions for this day of learning, mutual support, warmth, affirmation, repose, and reflection.
Rev. Liz Edman
Queer Virtue: A Sacred Calling
A life of faith demands that we enter into liminal — queer — space. We will talk about the light that queerness sheds on Christianity, and why the world needs us to shine this light right now.
Rev. Yolanda
Gender Transcendence
As important as gender identity is to the Queer Community on the physical plane, this presentation makes the leap to thinking of gender identity as a spiritual path.
Pandita Kushmani Pratima S. Doobay
Pandita Doobay
Spirituality. Humanism. Hindu ceremonial ritual – and learning how to harness our energy through meditation (kirtan chanting).
Rev. Dr. Deb Berman, DMin, LCSW
The Spiritual and Faith Community Needs of People in Alternative Relationships
A session for clergy, faith community leadership, and pastoral counselors. Rev. Deb will discuss the problematic “Welcoming” and “Inclusive” approaches to Alt populations within faith communities, and work with participants in developing practical skills to adopt a more contemporary faith-based model of authentic Affirmation. Utilizing the results of her doctoral research study on the intersection of spirituality, community, and Kink/BDSM/Leatherfolk, Rev. Deb will discuss what people in non-mainstream relationships want leadership and counselors to know about how they live, love, experience ministry, and connect to Spirit. These concepts will be discussed within the framework of the Torah, Hafiz, Tibetan Buddhism, Internal Family Systems (IFS) Theory, and Self Psychology.
Andrea Glik, LMSW
BDSM as Somatic & Ritual Healing
BDSM as Somatic & Ritual Healing is a workshop that explores the transformative opportunities of kink and pleasure. This workshop will help attendees understand the impact of traumatic experiences on the body, brain, and nervous system. Together we will explore kink as a way for us to have new experiences inside our bodies, heal past traumas through narrative and physical sensations, and connect with our core selves. Using mindfulness approaches and body based therapy modalities such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy & Somatic Experiencing, attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the body’s ability to be our ever constant tool of healing.
Rev. Kyle Applegate
Spiritual Polyamory
Are there ethics in your Ethical Non-Monogamy? What is Spiritual Polyamory? These words carry a lot of different meanings for each individual as they walk through life and navigate their spirituality or faith tradition, and also try to navigate relationships that fall outside of the stereotypical one partner model. People and partners change over time and our relationship and spiritual needs change as well. We are continually connecting with a variety of people on different levels, which create rich opportunities to grow and to create who and what we want in our relationships. Poly people often face shaming and moral judgements from the non-poly world. How do polyamorous people maintain equilibrium, their self care, and thrive? Are there spiritual practices or rituals you engage in by yourself, and ones that you share (or would like to share) with your significant others? Rev. Kyle will discuss his own spiritual polyamory journey and there will be time for discussion and questions, ending with a meditative practice to affirm the polyamorous experience.
Sir Vice
What BDSM Can Teach Us About Communication and Connection
Within BDSM and alternative lifestyles there are a strong set of core principles and practices regarding communication. This workshop will examine some of these principles, good practices, and the benefits of their techniques. This will help us to develop a better appreciation of other’s perspectives and needs, and deepen the quality of engagement and connection. Key elements will include discussion on active listening, non-violent communication, vulnerability, and how to promote spiritual and interpersonal connection.
Rev. Cathy Bristow
Dialogue into the Discord
“Dialogue into the Discord”, is a Bridge”s conversation model that acknowledges the tensions connected to our human differences, that is diversity, all diversity. This conversation model acknowleges that frequently there is an avoidance when the tensions appear about diversity. That avoidance perpetuates and reinforces fear and prejudices. This workshop/presentation invites participants to interrupt that cycle and Dialogue into the Discord of our diversity tension.
Rev. Deb is the Founder and Spiritual Director of PrideMinistry and the producer of the Alternative Spirit Conference. She is an ordained Interfaith/Interspiritual minister through the One Spirit Seminary, where she serves as a Clinical Supervisor and Lecturer with the institution’s Interspiritual Counseling Program. Rev. Deb holds a Masters degree from the Columbia University School of Social Work and has a Doctorate in Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion through which she conducted a groundbreaking study on the spiritual and faith community needs of Kink, BDSM, and Leatherfolk. Rev. Deb is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in New York City and online. She previously served as the Chief of Behavioral Health at Interfaith Hospital and was the Director of Social Work and Clinical Services at Orthodox Union’s Yachad/National Jewish Council for Disabilities. Rev. Deb currently mentors masters and PhD-level theology students, and clinically supervises clergy and spiritual/pastoral counselors, licensed psychotherapists and mental health counselors, and sexuality educators. She serves as a consultant and educator for faith communities, supporting and partnering with leadership in their efforts to understand, affirm, and meet the spiritual, life cycle, liturgical, and community needs of Alt spiritual seekers.
Liz Edman is an Episcopal priest and political strategist. She is the author of “Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How It Can Revitalize Christianity.”
Rev. Yolanda is a trams femme gender queer singer songwriter and HIV poz interfaith minister whose body of work has been honored by the GLBT Hall of Fame, The Blues Hall of Fame, Fresh Fruit Festival NYC, and with 2 NYC nightlife awards called The MAC Awards. Born and raised in Alabama in the 60s living in NYC since 1984. Rev. Yolanda’s monthly event is called Church With A 2 Drink Minimum. www.Yolanda.net/church
Kushmani Pratima S. Doobay is the resident Priestess for Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, which is an organization that empowers Hindu American communities to live out the values of their faith through service, community transformation, and targeted advocacy work. Being a Priest, and practitioner of Hindu/Sanatan philosophy, she stands by very simplistic core values implemented by Hindu Holy Testaments. Those values are: Ekatva: Inclusion, Unity and a place of Acceptance for all. Seva: service, Charity and to your world. Ahimsa: Peace, and Non-Violence in Thoughts, Words and Deeds. These simplistic ideals stem from the Upanishads and from the term “Vasudevam Kutumbakam” which means the World is One Family. With her platform and role as a Priestess in this world, Kushmani Pratima S. Doobay spreads these values, as we are all Divine Beings that belong in this World, and are all deserving of love, acceptance, help and kindness. Kushmani Pratima S. Doobay is involved with the Caribbean Equality Project (CEP), which is a Queens, New York-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that empowers and strengthens the marginalized voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people of Caribbean origin and descent through advocacy, community organizing, education, cultural, and social programming. She officiates various Hindu rituals and blessing ceremonies ranging from: engagements, weddings, Puja/God invocation for birthdays, and different milestone celebrations. She is also a Trance Meditation instructor through the medium of Storytelling, and Mantra vibrational chanting. She serves as a Spiritual adviser, Motivational speaker and offers peer counseling.
Cathy Bristow is founder/principal of the NYC-based consulting firm, BRIDGES, with expertise in change management and innovative leadership. Her practical experience, coupled with her strong academic background, enables her to offer her clients guidance in expanding their professional development, with emphasis on measurable outcomes
Cathy has worked in managerial and executive capacities in the petrochemical and wine industries, in financial services, and as an adjunct professor in academia. In her role as a negotiator, she facilitated dialogues and ratified contracts that met requirements for both union and management. Her focus on identifying the common ground between opposing parties is key to her success in group learning, conflict resolution, and team building. Her investment in the future of women’s leadership includes experience and involvement in gender and cross-racial issues, backed by her business acumen and experience as a professional in the workplace.
Cathy has directed projects in Japan, in Europe and in the Middle East, as well as in many of the states in this country. What that experience has done is to broaden her view and expand her understanding of leadership, for despite the differences in location and institutional settings, the need for leaders with self-awareness is paramount.
Her academic history includes an MBA and several professional certificates. Her current endeavor is using her model, Dialoguing into the Discord, to facilitate group discussions on race, gender, religion and class. She utilizes discord as a way to spark robust communications between people, further greater transparency in relationships and within teams, and most important, as a process to inspire innovation. Her personal and professional experience has prepared her to take on the role of mentor and coach in the area of individual and career development.
Andrea Glik, LMSW is a psychotherapist, somatic healer, and sex educator. Andrea specializes in treating trauma and PTSD for women, survivors, and queer & trans folks, utilizing body based and feminist therapy practices to help clients come home to themselves. Andrea practices on occupied Lenape territory (colonized as NYC) and can also be found on instagram @somaticwitch.
Rev. Kyle Applegate is a graduate of One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, where he became an Interfaith Minister, a Wedding Officiant and a Spiritual Counselor. He is also a Tantric Healer and a long time Sex Educator specializing in LGBT diversity awareness issues, safer sex practices, and sacred sexuality. Kyle has been polyamorous for 20+ years, and started the group Spiritual Polyamory NYC as well as being a Co-founder of Open Love NYC. Kyle served on the board of Everything Transgender NYC, and on the Transgender Community Advisory Board for Callen Lorde Health Center. He is a long time member of the leather and kink communities, and the Resident Bootblack at the Eagle for over 10 years. When he is not running meetings, he enjoys spending time in nature with his husband in their 200 year old barn upstate by Woodstock, writing Victorian erotica, or sewing.
Sir Vice is an active supporting member of the BDSM community with 15+ years’ experience. He presents at a variety of public speaking forums and events ranging from training classes and trade shows to top executives at Fortune 500 businesses on topics such as Communication, Mindfulness, Relationships, Human Sexuality, and more. His seasoned experience allows him to successfully engage his audience – delivering classes effectively, consistently, with enthusiasm and patience. A strong proponent of responsible and consensual exploration, Sir Vice engages with organizations such as NCSF, TES, MAsT, NELA, and many others to speak on safe lifestyle and relationship topics.
The Conference is now moving online. You can attend from anywhere! Be a distance learner. PrideMinistry uses Zoom video conferencing. You will receive login instructions before the conference. If you have already registered, you will receive an email from us.
PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS
We’ve opened up our scholarship opportunities. A $100 partial scholarships is available for people who absolutely cannot afford the full conference fee. We give priority to low income social justice organizers, grassroots or volunteer leadership, people with disabilities, transgender and genderqueer individuals, sex workers, and seminary students, as well as clergy who subsist on offerings or who have taken a vow of poverty. Please inquire with conference organizers.
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