Our Mission:
Inspire.
We educate and inspire others to make our diverse world a more welcoming place.
What We Do
Having an understanding of gender diverse individuals can help you to better serve customers, create a more inclusive work environment, and avoid distractions. Our trainings are informative, easy to understand, and simple to implement.
Who We Are
We are a team of two, a couple who has known each other 45 years. We work in our community to help others gain an understanding of gender diversity and advocate for all to be accepted and included. Stephanie is an educator of 30 years. Lori is a therapist who specializes in working with LGBTQ clients.
Stephanie Byers
Stephanie Byers is the recipient of the GLSEN-Kansas state Educator of the Year and the GLSEN National Educator of the Year, and recently retired after 29 years of teaching for Wichita Public Schools. For 28 years, she was the award-winning director of Bands and Orchestras and Fine Arts Department Chair at Wichita North High School. Stephanie is an Oklahoman by birth, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, and has called Wichita home for the last three decades. She and her wife, Lori, own and operate a company that assists corporations, community groups and schools with understanding of working with diverse communities.
Since coming out publicly as a transgender woman, she has advocated about issues impacting the LGBTQ community. She has spoken at rallies on the steps of the Kansas State Capitol and given presentations to several local community organizations, as well as public school faculties and student bodies. Stephanie served as the Communications Director for Wichita Pride, the local organization that hosts Wichita’s local LGBTQ pride events, and has volunteered for a number of other local Wichita non-profits.
In 2020 Stephanie became “Representative Stephanie Byers, Kansas House of Representatives”. She represents Kansas House District 86, an urban district located in Wichita, Kansas and was sworn into office on January 11, 2021. Her election made history as not only is she the first openly transgender person to serve in the Kansas Legislature, she is also the first Native American trans person elected to any state legislature in the United States. Her campaign and subsequent election to office were considered so significantly historic that her website from the campaign has been archived by the United States Library of Congress. Representative Byers serves on the Kansas House’ Water Committee, Education Committee, and K-12 Education Budget Committee.
Stephanie has a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma Christian University (1986), and a Master of Music from Kansas State University (2015).
Lori Haas
Lori is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in working with LGBTQ clients. Lori earned a Masters of Family Therapy degree, from Friends University, and a post-graduate Certificate of LGBTQ Affirmative Care from Southern Methodist University. Lori is passionate about helping transgender clients know themselves better and live authentic lives.
Our Programs
We offer programs for companies, nonprofit organizations, and schools. These programs can tailored to focus on customers, employees, students ,or organizational structure. The aim of these programs is to provide information, teach skills, and heighten awareness of gender diversity.
basic gender diversity training
This training includes current terminology and information about gender diversity. This includes discussions of gender minority stress, microaggressions, and unconscious bias. We will explore the difference between impact and intention and its effect on interactions. Participants will gain skills in interacting positively with gender diverse individuals, including the use of pronouns and names. Organizational strategies such as creating an affirming environment can be addressed. Questions will be welcomed and answered as time permits. When you choose this training we will, at no additional cost to you, provide a training for a school and notify them of your sponsorship
customized consultations
We can provide a customized plan for your organization to move towards being affirmative with customers, employees, students, colleagues, and other organizations.
