It’s been 24 hours now since I returned from the 2005 DWU conference, and I’m still riding a tidal wave of estrogen. Deafened estrogen, too. Implanted, aided, stone-deaf, HOH, oral, cueing, signing estrogen.

Ok, so I expected a lot more chanting, a lot more touchy-feeling stuff, plenty of male-bashing, and a lot more feminine mush. Nurturing and enlightening, the DWU experience was. Mushy, it wasn’t. And except for familial updates, we barely talked about the male sex. How refreshing.

Basically, DWU is built around a variety of workshops that you can choose to attend. In between, there’s a heck of a lot of catching up. Walk through the lobby and there’s clumps of women just sitting back and chatting. I saw old teachers, sorority sisters, MARC riders, out-of-state fellow bloggers there. As a DWU virgin and one of only a handful of 20-somethings (why?!?! this is exactly the sort of empowerment and esteem boost that young women need and grow from!) there, I felt very awkward for the first couple of days. But eventually you learn that there are no catfights here (surprise, surprise). And except for a bunch of really rowdy New Yorkers (still rubbing out the ringing in my right ear from all the NY-related hollering), there’s really no exclusions.

DWU is many things. I’d say it’s indescribable. It’s funny, educational, touching, supportive, and entirely empowering. From the workshops, I got a little financial and retirement-planning education. A few business-world stratagems, a mind blown-open by Ayurveda and Energy healing (chakra and auras) seminars and fashion tips.

Book signings made their debut here too. I’m now a proud owner of a signed copy of “Deaf Artists in America” by Deborah Meranski (the book is published under her former last name, Sonnenstrahl, though), and “Step into the Circle: the Heartbeat of American Indian, Alaska Native, and First Nations Deaf Communities,” by Damara Goff Paris and Sharon Kay Wood.

In fact, I was so busy that I didn’t even get a chance to bid on the Silent Auction or really browse through the exhibition hall. Four days is too short. I’m all for making it a two-week event.

Highlights included a keynote address by Tiffany Granfors-Williams. The title, “Knowledge is power: Carry this tool in your handbag and smile” predicted some cheesy stuff. I was very happily surprised and enthralled by her presentation, though. Of course, a woman who up and takes her two daughters to Switzerland for two years so she can become the first and only deaf famale with a master’s in sports administration and technology is bound to be pretty darn interesting.

MJ Bienvenu’s presentation, “-isms,” ended up being a main attraction - she was given her very own time slot when just about everyone wanted to see it. Although a lecture on heterosexism, sexism, racism, and audism is bound to be heavy, MJ made it lighthearted and throughly educational. I ended up seeking her advice about the presentation on Cueing and the Deaf Community that I’m supposed to make at CueCamp tomorrow, since I’m so nervous about presenting ideas that may be controversial to hearing parents who probably want nothing to do with Deaf culture.

Anyway, I can’t say enough positive things about this conference. I left with a headache from all the new stuff in my head and a lot of energy and motivation. The only good thing about the conference being over is I don’t have to hear any more “What, are you gonna come back a lesbian?” jokes from the men who found out beforehand that I was attending.

In any case, I’m already looking in my checkbook to see if I can manage to pay the early-bird deposit for the New Orleans conference in 2007. Deaf women everywhere, see you there…or I’ll hunt you down.