Lectures, workshops, trainings and consulting
Hi, I'm Zuri. I talk about neurodiversity, about queer and trans* lives, and about otherkin and therianthropy, in a way that makes sense in everyday life: at school, at work, in your club or association. Grounded in research, with plenty of room for your questions.
Questions and answers
In my workshops, you can ask anything. Here are a few questions, just as people ask them, with my short answer. The long version comes in the workshop.
Isn't the whole trans thing just a trend right now?
Short answer: no. Trans* people have existed across many cultures and eras.
More people talk about it openly today mainly because it has become safer to do so. More visibility doesn't mean there are suddenly more trans* people.
Isn't autism an illness?
Not in the way people often mean it. Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference. Medicine records it as a diagnosis, but many autistic people see it as part of how they perceive the world.
Neurodiversity means: brains work differently, and that is not a fault in itself. Many people still need support, especially where their surroundings don't fit.
Can you really identify as an animal?
Yes, and there is research on it. Therians identify wholly or partly as a non-human animal: not physically, but in their identity and experience. They know perfectly well that they have a human body (Grivell et al., 2014).
I write more about it (in German) on therian.blog.
Is it okay to say something wrong in your workshop?
Absolutely. I'd rather answer an awkward question than leave room for speculation and prejudice.
I make sure nobody in the room feels put on the spot: neither the person asking nor the people we're talking about.
How do you even know you are trans?
There is no test, and there doesn't need to be. Many people notice early that the gender they were assigned at birth does not fit, others only later. The World Health Organization also no longer lists being trans* as a mental disorder (WHO, 2022).
What matters is a person's own experience. Usually it is a longer journey, not a sudden idea.
Isn't ADHD just an excuse?
No. ADHD is a well-researched neurodevelopmental difference. It often shows less in fidgeting than in difficulties with attention, planning and self-regulation (Faraone et al., 2021).
For the people affected, that is exhausting, not convenient. With the right support and understanding around them, a lot gets easier.
What does non-binary actually mean?
Not just man or woman. Non-binary people do not see themselves as a man or a woman, or not only. Some feel somewhere in between, some outside of it, and for some it changes.
The easiest thing is to ask people how they want to be addressed, and then do it.
Aren't therians just furries?
No, those are two different things. Furries share an enthusiasm for anthropomorphic animal characters, as a hobby or fandom. Therians themselves identify wholly or partly as a non-human animal.
Some are both, many are only one of them.
More on this (in German) on therian.blog.
Isn't it just a phase?
Maybe. But what do you gain by insisting on it? Treatment such as hormone therapy often takes years to even begin. If it were just a phase, that would show in that time. And the vast majority of children still see themselves as trans* or non-binary five years after their social transition (Olson et al., 2022).
If it isn't a phase, you have mostly shown someone who trusts you that you don't take them seriously.
(2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, 789–818.
Offers
I tailor every offer to your group. You tell me where you're at, and I bring the knowledge and the patience for every question.
A well-founded introduction to a topic such as trans* identities, queer lives, or otherkin and therianthropy. With time for questions at the end.
We work through your questions together: what does this mean for our team, our classroom, our club?
For everyone who educates others: solid knowledge of the less familiar LGBTQIA* topics and of otherkin and therianthropy, so you can answer confidently in your own workshops.
For organisations that want to include diverse people better: from language to accessible events.
For parents, siblings and friends who want to understand and support someone after they come out. You can ask anything, including what you wouldn't dare ask elsewhere. (Footnote: I have no psychotherapeutic or similar qualification. I help from my own experience, as someone who lives as a therian and a trans* person.)
Workshops for school students? Those happen at the DéjàWü Queerworkshop, which I'm part of (website in German).
About me
My knowledge comes from research, and I take part in the scholarly discussion myself: with studies, for example on media attention to therianthropy, with academic talks and with articles on therian.blog. But my workshops aren't about theory. They're about understanding the people you meet a little better.
I meet you where you are. Nobody needs to know the right terms beforehand. I explain new words, and if something is still unclear: just ask.
I don't know many of these topics from research alone: I live as a trans* person and as a therian myself.
Better to answer a disrespectful question than to leave room for prejudice.
Practical details
For schools and teachers, teams at companies and institutions, clubs and associations, universities, and everyone who does education work themselves. And for families and friends after someone comes out. No prior knowledge needed.
So far, I've given talks or workshops for groups such as:
Workshops take place on site; talks can also be online. I live in Würzburg and also travel further, for example to Göppingen or Freiburg.
That depends on what I do and for whom:
For anything else, I'm happy to send you a quote.
For commercial providers, my prices are net prices plus taxes. For private individuals and non-profits, they are final prices with VAT already included.
Yes. Tell me what matters to you, and we'll put it together.
I always assume someone is. I make sure nobody ends up in the spotlight against their will, and I announce sensitive content beforehand.
German or English.
Contact
Got an idea or a question, or not sure yet what you need? That's completely fine. A few lines are enough, and I'll get back to you within a week.
This helps me reply:
Prefer email? vielfalt@zuriklaschka.de
Thank you, your message is on its way.
I'll get back to you within a week.