The Power of Language to Honor Identities
Learning Objectives:
1. Gain a basic understanding of what “Inclusive Language” means
2. Be able to offer examples of inclusive language use from the LGBTQI, mental health, and housing spheres.
3. Gain an understanding of how language intrinsically relates to identity and respect
4. Be able to incorporate best practices into their interactions with clients, counsel, jurors, and any number of people they will encounter in the legal system.
For the comfort of our guests, a limited number of in-person seats are available. If you wish to attend in-person, we suggest notifying our office at your earliest convenience to reserve your seat. Walk-ins will be admitted as space allows. In-person registrations expire at the start of the presentation. We do ask that you arrive promptly; otherwise your reserved seat may be given to a walk-in attendee. In-person reservations are non-refundable unless cancelled prior to 3 pm one business day prior to the presentation. All registrations are assumed to be remote unless otherwise stated. To reserve your seat for the in-person option, please contact Ann Horn at Ann@SonomaCountyBar.org or (707) 542-1190 ext. 100 to transfer your remote registration to in-person.
Speakers
Dennis Agnos (he/his/him)
Chief Development Officer
SAY
Dennis Agnos is a nonprofit professional with more than 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and executing on fund development strategies for local, regional and notational organizations. As Chief Development Officer for SAY, he leads a seven-member team responsible for garnering the agency’s annual revenue. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing & Communications, and has been with SAY since 2019.
Kinna Crocker (she/her/hers)
Attorney
Crocker Law
Kinna Crocker is the owner of Crocker Law, a law firm providing full service legal representation in all matters relating to family formation through adoption and surrogacy, dissolution of marriage and domestic partnerships, and disputes involving unmarried/unregistered couples. Kinna is the founder and current chair of the LGBTQI Law Section of the Sonoma County Bar Association (SCBA) and is the current Vice President of the SCBA. She is a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Section of the SCBA, the National LGBT Bar Association’s Family Law Institute, and Sonoma County Women in Law. Kinna was a founding member of the Sonoma County LGBTQI Giving Circle and current advisory board member for Positive Images and Lifeworks of Sonoma County. She previously served on the State Bar of California Council on Access and Fairness Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination, the Mental Health Liaison Committee of the SCBA and former chair of the Family Law Steering Committee of the SCBA. Kinna was also recognized by the National LGBT Bar Association as one of the Best LGBTQI Lawyers in 2013.
Chelsea Kurnick (she/her/hers)
Chair
Positive Images LGBTQIA+ Center
Chelsea Kurnick (she/her) is the chair of Positive Images LGBTQIA+ Center where she co-founded a weekly peer support group for queer and trans adults in 2018. Chelsea is a freelance journalist reporting on queer and trans community and mental health.
She also dedicates her time to creating accessible arts and culture events. Chelsea co-produces Santa Rosa Zine Fest, a free weeklong celebration in collaboration with the Sonoma County Library. In 2020-2022, she programmed LGBTQIA+ films for Sonoma County’s AVfest.
She completed a 60-hour training in crisis intervention and emotional support at Seattle’s Crisis Connections where she spent two years as a volunteer for their 24-hour crisis hotline. She is endorsed as a sex educator through San Francisco Sex Information and has provided sex education to teens and adults. Chelsea received a BA in Linguistics from UC Riverside in 2010.
Kris Spangler, MFT (they/them)
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
private psychotherapy practice in Sebastopol
Kris Spangler (they/them) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private psychotherapy practice in Sebastopol, working with adult individuals of all gender identities, sexual orientations and sexual proclivities. After working as an activist in non-profits in young adulthood, they obtained an MA from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in 1999, blending eastern and western psychologies.
Kris is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Kris offers training and consultation on gender non-conformity and other LGBTQI concerns for counselors and others. Kris has been active in their local chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family therapists, including serving as a board member from 2014-2016 and President in 2015.
Kris is a founding member of the Translife Conference Committee, acting as an organizer, presenter and mental health support coordinator at Translife’s annual conference for members of the transgender community, at their professional conferences and other events. They are also the founding member of a Santa Rosa area consultation group for psychotherapists who work with gender non-conforming/trans people. As a service to the community, Kris maintains a public list of transgender-affirming therapists in the Santa Rosa area (at www.KrisSpanglerMFT.com).
