Hello Dearest Members of the LGBTQIA+ Community,
We at The Transgender Institute® wish to express our belief that all are included in our family. We have been pondering the dilemma we find ourselves in as a result of the horrific, political scapegoating being visited upon us, for no reason other than we wish to live as we feel, indeed, as we are.
Never, in our service of more than 25 years, have we experienced such hatred toward our community. Many of you know individuals who are fleeing to other states and countries for safety and the opportunity to live freely and pursue medical treatment which will, as they experience it, make them whole.
Perhaps you and others in your various social groups feel this same sense of horror on behalf of your brothers and sisters. Gay and lesbian people are, of course, now being relegated to an earlier, and less free status. Non-binary people experience a sense of being outcasts. They rarely feel recognized as carrying the pain they in fact do as the result of non-acceptance.
Perhaps more importantly are the feelings of rage and fear that all the LGBTQIA+ community has been forced into feeling once again.
What shall we do to protect and help ourselves and each other feel safe and cared for? Do we feel that is a laudable goal? Shall we do our best to understand and support those who are in groups unlike ours? If you are a transsexual man or woman, do you try your best to understand a non-binary person’s particular situation and dilemma? In the same way, do you, as a non-binary person, seek to honor a trans person’s need to change their bodies to match their identities? After all, is it not uncommon for some non-binary individuals to choose top surgery and/or testosterone treatment? Groups that are not often acknowledged as part of the family are crossdressers, drag queens and kings, transmasculine and transfeminine people, and others, all valuable members of the community. Drag Queens, at this moment, much like at Stonewall, we are facing down our political enemies. Join them if that sort of activism is a possibility for you. They are heroines as before. Admire them and speak about them, as they deserve, while they are on the front lines.
In our splendid and varied expressions, (even those allies among us), and at this dangerous time, let’s put our criticisms and judgements away, and focus on each other’s gifts and differences. In honor of this attitude of acceptance and caring, The Transgender Institute invites everyone to take part in a community meeting on August 1st at TTI.
It will be a time to learn about others’ experiences and to explain yours to a respectful and accepting audience, and a chance to share your fears and rage toward our common enemies and gain comfort from each other. We will be focusing on sharing thoughts and helpful suggestions and answering each other’s questions. Refreshments will be served and free parking is available in the lot just east of the building. Attendance is free of charge, and refreshments will be served. Kindly RSVP 816-305-0943 as soon as possible!
420 West 48th St., Kansas City, MO 64111
We look forward to seeing you!
Caroline Gibbs, LPC, LCPC, NCC, Founder and Director
The Transgender Institute®
transgender…the last frontier of social justice
