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Critical Conversations: Protecting Trans Lives
April 17, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT
Join us for a critical conversation about protecting trans lives with guests from Cafe Euphoria, a transgender and gender non-conforming worker-owned and operated cafe, restaurant, and community space.
Critical Conversations is a series of discussions hosted by The Sanctuary for Independent Media where guest facilitators lead an intimate discussion on a critical issue of the moment. Critical Conversations take place every Thursday in April, from 7-8:30pm, focusing on the issues of journalism and democracy, environmental justice, protecting trans lives, and immigrant justice. Attendees are welcomed to join the conversation in a constructive setting for the exchange of ideas.
Pre-registration is required for these events with limited admission for an intimate and constructive space for the exchange of ideas.
Atsushi Akera is General Manager and co-founder of Cafe Euphoria, a transgender/gender non-conforming worker owned cooperative and restaurant located here in downtown Troy. She was formerly a faculty member in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She also serves as the Vice President of the Pride Center of the Capital Region’s Board of Directors.
Meagon Nolasco (they/them) is the founder and board chair of Collar City Pride, which provides services and community building to LGBTQIA+ folks in Rensselaer County. Their day job sees them working in Constituent Services and LGBTQIA+ policy at the NYS Senate.
Cafe Euphoria is a community space, and a trans visibility project, and worker owned cooperative.
We’re designed to be a safe haven and radical workplace. The progressive national magazine, Yes! Magazine, ran a feature about us entitled, “The Cafe That’s Upending Capitalism.” While this is pure hyperbole — no single cafe is going to overturn our society’s dominant institution — our mission and values define us as a different sort of business.
April 2025 Critical Conversations:
April 3: Democracy & Journalism, with guest Rosemary Armao and host Raneem Afifi
April 10: Environmental Justice, with guest Aaron Mair and host Eleanor Stein
April 17: Protecting Trans Lives, with guests Cafe Euphoria
April 24: Immigrant Justice, with guests Columbia County Sanctuary Movement
We are committed to lowering the barriers to access for events at The Sanctuary for Independent Media. For people who are hard of hearing or deaf, blind or low-vision, or whose physical limitations can interfere with a satisfying experience, let us know two weeks in advance so we can make appropriate arrangements.
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