An executive with a national health care firm whose personal journey includes gender reassignment will deliver the keynote address at MTSU’s 2016 LGBT+ College Conference, which is set April 7-9.

Click on this graphic to learn more about the 2016 LGBT+ College Conference, which is set April 7-9.

Dr. Renee McLaughlin of Chattanooga will speak on the conference theme of “All Identities” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.

McLaughlin replaces originally scheduled keynote speaker, Martin Luther King III, who is unable to attend.

Tickets are $50 each or $500 for a reserved table and may be purchased here.

A printable campus parking map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.

McLaughlin, a senior medical director with CIGNA, is responsible for developing and implementing the clinical integration model for the company’s delivery system alliance initiatives. She previously served as market medical executive for CIGNA’s Midsouth market.

Before joining CIGNA, McLaughlin was a general and vascular surgeon in a single-specialty practice and served as a major in the U.S. Army during the first Gulf War.

In 2013, McLaughlin, who was born male and named Robert, underwent facial feminization surgery and breast augmentation procedures. According to a July 2015 BBC story, the transition prompted high-level discussions at CIGNA about the company’s nondiscrimination policies.

Dr. William Langston

Dr. Renee McLaughlin

The MTSU-hosted conference is a combination of research presentations, strategy sessions and lectures with topics pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their allies.

Topics include breaking down barriers among identity groups, stemming the tide of LGBT+ youth homelessness and creating a culture of respect in the workplace.

“A corporate culture that embraces gender equality policies and procedures is critical to attract and retain talented individuals,” said conference advisory board co-chair Greg Cason, who’s a senior buyer for Nissan North America, a corporate sponsor of the conference.

Conference advisory board co-chair Ron Snitker of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP will deliver the opening address at 9 a.m. Friday, April 8, in the Student Union.

“Historically, laws have helped move along workplace norms that may be embedded in our American business culture,” said Snitker. “We are already seeing laws popping up in various states to help close the gender equity gap.”

Other highlights include:

• a film festival featuring short films submitted by attendees and community members, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in the Keathley University Center Theater.

• director Yoruba Richen’s presentation of her film “The New Black,” a documentary about African-American churches’ perspectives on same-sex marriage, followed by a moderated discussion beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, April 8, in the Student Union.

• an evening with singer-songwriter and LGBT+ activist Ryan Cassata, set for 6 p.m. April 8 in the KUC Theater.

Since its inception in 2014, the conference has attracted students, faculty and staff from colleges and universities from across Tennessee who want to improve campus climates for the LGBT+ community.

“Our goal is to get all the schools together and share tips and tricks to make their campuses more welcoming places,” said Dr. William Langston, an MTSU professor of psychology and faculty adviser to the university’s student LGBT+ organization, Lambda.

In addition to Nissan North America and Waller Lansden, conference support comes from student activity fees and the MTSU College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Deloitte, Cracker Barrel, the MTSU Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, Dell, the U.S. Secret Service; the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Fund, MTSU’s National Women’s History Month Committee, the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students, the MTSU Department of Psychology and MTSU’s Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs.

Conference registration and check-in will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 7, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Participants can register here.

All conference events except the awards dinner are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Langston at 615-898-5489 or william.langston@mtsu.edu, or visit http://mtsu.edu/mtlambda/LGBT_College_Conference.php.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)