Well, you never know what you'll get in support groups, it all depends on the individuals. I think a mixed group would be more receptive - but the trans women's group down here happens to be a very closed-minded collection of people generally, so I felt very marginalised and dismissed, like they just assumed I wasn't seriously transitioning because I didn't want to be a femme woman. There's so much peer pressure to be femme and übergirly. I explained who I was and just got blank looks. That's okay, I don't expect to always meet empathy and understanding, I know I'm a bit out there.
It was the recent experience of meeting several young trans folk here and in Dublin that made me realise what I was missing in terms of getting to commune with other non-binary people, though. And then attending a trans workshop at Exeter Pride last month that was so horribly heteronormative and gender-stereotyping and binarycentric it made my ears bleed is what finally pushed me over the edge into starting this group - that, and the fact that they just weren't listening to the very young trans woman who was there, and were too busy saying "Of course you'll want to do everything exactly like I did." There are currently 6 of us in NBSW, and that's before actually advertising our presence to the community at large. I'm really curious to see who we get, I'm hoping for massive diversity!
Anyway, you'd be very welcome, as and when.
