[personal] Meeting local transgender group today

[Asche]

[I'm trying to post a little more often about personal things, to counteract my usual "why would anyone want to know about me?" attitude.]

With some help from my therapist, I got in touch with the local LGBTQetc. center, and will be meeting up with their transgender support group.  Some complications, though:

• They meet two Saturday nights per month; one is for support and one is for socializing.  The support meeting conflicts (every month) with one of the Contra Dance nights I go to.  Tough choice, because the contra dance community is where I got my start with non-cis presentation and where I feel most accepted.
  
  
• Today's meeting is for socializing.  The guy at the LGBetc. center said it would be okay for me to just show up.  I'm approaching this as a chance to get an idea of what kind of people they are before going to a session where I might be expected to bare my soul (image of my soul "streaking" )
  
  
• Today's meeting is a barbecue.  Outside, I assume.  But it's been raining the past few days.  My anxiety tells me I'll get there and not find anyone and only later find out it was cancelled (or moved) because of the rain.
  

I'll see how it goes.  IMHO, being anxious about something is no reason not to go ahead with it.

[Pica Pica]

Streaky soul is particularly nice on the barbecue.

[Asche]

I went, but they didn't barbecue, due to it raining on and off all day.  Instead, some of the regulars brought prepared food.

It was an interesting group.  Smaller than I'd imagined it: maybe 10 people.  A fair number of F2Ms, not all of which I identified as such before being told.  One of the people (a lawyer) I just assumed was a gay man until he gave out a business card with "Caroline" on it.  (He says it takes an act of Ghod to get the bar association to recognize a gender change.)

Anyway, I plan to go again, schedule permitting.

[JulieBlair]

I'm glad you went, and glad you're going to go again.  I think that whatever we do to stretch our wings and seek to discover our authentic selves is what we need to do.  I have been lucky.  I know trans women and trans men from all over.  From trans conferences and gatherings, and from teachers I have found here on Susan's.

I am on a quest to find myself.  That voyage of discovery is held in many venues, and on multiple levels.  This weekend I'm going to spend time with a man that I think I may be falling in love with.  Time will tell.  In two weeks I'll be camping out with some trans friends and celebrating a T-girl's graduation from college.  All of us have our journey, all of us have our teachers.

I think that if we open our eyes and open our minds, the teachers will appear.  For me spending time with other gender nonconforming people has brought me into contact with marvelous people who get me, and who have something to say.  I hope you find that in your group, and that you continue to seek out where your bliss may be hiding.

Hugs,
Julie