Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Please share some life altering events that occurred from attending a major TG conference.  I will share a few.

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It only seems fitting that I discuss a positive event regarding TG on this forum.  Back on Wednesday September 12th I registered for a conference that lasted until Saturday September 15th that was life changing for me.

I remembered reading about a Southern Comfort conference in my hometown on this site. I very much wanted to attend this meeting but what if someone that knows me sees me at this conference?  The noise in my head was so great that I overcame that fear and walked into the hotel.  My goal was clearly identified and was straightforward.  Can I learn something about being TG and save my marriage of twenty-five years?

..............

I parked my car in the shopping center and walked to the hotel holding a conference for cross-dressers and transsexuals.  I am dressed in Oxford button downs, wool trousers, a blue blazer and black tassel loafers.  I walk up to an area of tables close to the entrance and am facing a number of pretty MTFs.  They say may we help you.  At this point my throat is dry and I have no voice.  They started giggling and sent me to the registration area.

This conference has over 1000 TG people.  By the end of the week I will have listened to and chatted with Dr. Ousterhout, purchased something from Ann Grogan and Rona Choy, listened to Dr. Bowers, been helped by people from Susan's forum (I always wanted to meet someone from this forum.), and chatted with Cross-dressers and Transsexuals.

I was very sad the conference ended on Saturday.  It was a safe haven for me to express myself without being judged as insane.  I have a few stories I will share at a later date.  One final note on this post is that I did not tell my wife that I attended the TG forum. (That is a separate thread.)

Zero......so far. The one's in the U.K like 'Gendys' are awful and more like ->-bleeped-<- conventions...

It's probably much better in the U.S.A.....well it definitely is if you have heavy weight technicians like Ousterhout attending...

Wendy, I marked 6-10 if you mean how many years have you attended.  If you mean how many different conferences, only 1.  LOL  I remember my first Southern Comfort quite well.  I checked into the hotel, went to my room, did my makeup and dressed got everything in my purse ready to go down and register.  And I couldn't open the door!!!!!  I don't mean it was stuck, I mean I could not make myself turn the doorknob.  Finally after about 1.5 hours and umpteen attempts, I finally opened the door and (scared to death) went down and registered.  When I got back to my room I literally broke out with a case of giggles that I could not stop.  That was on Wednesday afternoon.  Thursday night, here I was getting off the bus with a group from the conference and going into the Hard Rock Cafe.  One thing is for sure; growing up in Atlanta, I never thought I would be standing on the sidewalk on Peachtree street wearing a leather skirt and lace blouse but there I was.

That was 1997.  From 1998 through 2003 I created and ran the Big Brother/Sister program so that others wouldn't have that problem of getting out of the room like I had.

By the way, did you meet Vicki Renne?

Beverly

Berliegh, the Southern Conference was amazing.  I attended one seminar presented by Donna Rose (MTF) and she had everyone laughing.  Donna is probably about 6'2" and attractive. (At one time she had been a strong athletic male that was married and had children.)  She said any businessmen staying at the hotel this week never saw so many tall pretty girls!  (Actually she was correct.)  Several hundred of the 1000+ TG attendees were TS.  As you would expect most of the TS's were MTF.  It can be rather expensive to attend the convention and "out-of-towners" would spend many thousands on entertainment, rooms, airfare, and clothes.  The people seemed well educated, articulate, and professional.  The seminars were awesome!  I only had time for 12 90-minute seminars out of about 110 90-minute seminars.
..............................

BeverlyAnn if you attended the same conference for several years then each year counts.  I talked to several CD's.  If Vicki Renne was the short, heavy, energized Everready bunny CD then I met her sereral times.  She was very funny.  I had difficulty remembering names since the CD's gave me both a male and female name.  I met one CD that was very nice to me during the conference and was Bob/Michelle. He works down-town and I could not find him at the end of the conference to thank him.  I am sure you know him.  I spent about 60% of my time talking to TS folks (both genders) and 40% of my time talking to CD's (all male).  (Is there such a thing as a female cross-dresser?)   I learned a lot!

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The seminar presented by Dr. Ousterhout was fascinating.  He showed pictures of unattractive male faces that after FFS looked like reasonably attractive females.  In fact some were quite pretty.  He did mention that in his opinion on voice surgery is that if you take the risk you will be lucky if you have any voice at all after the surgery. (I heard that message from a number of TS folks in person and at this site.)

I wanted to ask him how he altered a long philtrum (skin between bottom of nose to upper lip) but I felt embarassed surrounded by a roomful of pretty ladies.  After his seminar I went into the atrium of the hotel and was watching a rare and sorely needed downpour out the plate glass windows by myself.  Guess who walks up to me and says, "What a wicked thunderstorm!"  I turn around and Dr. O is talking to me.  I noticed he had a long philtrum just like mine (2.0 cm or 3/4 in).  I said, "I really enjoyed your seminar but I have been wondering how you handle a long philtrum?"  He looks me square in the eyes, has a huge grin on his face and says, "That's easy.  You just show a little of the upper teeth.  It would look very attractive."  He smiled and walked away.

I guess he could make me rather passable maybe even somewhat pretty.  Go figure?

I went to the one in Washington, Pacific Northwest. I forgot the name at this moment, will remember later. I went in 2000 and it was really nice, not as big as SCC though. I learned a lot and met some very nice people there. I found it was more for CD's and people just learning about TS. I could be wrong, but that was my take on it.
Sheila

Wendy.....that stuff isn't really my scene and hearing about T's that were once strong athletic males with kids.......i'm not a very 'T' oriented person...

I'd rather be at a rock concert...

Quote from: Wendy on September 30, 2007, 12:57:48 PM
If Vicki Renne was the short, heavy, energized Everready bunny CD then I met her sereral times.  She was very funny. 

ROFL  That sounds like a pretty good description of Vicki.

Quote from: Wendy
(Is there such a thing as a female cross-dresser?)

Yes, as a matter of fact there are.  We used to have a local girl that attended SCC and would present about 50-75% of the time as male.  When she presented as female, she was quite girly, not butch as you might expect.

Beverly 

Hmmmm At one time I would have loved to go to a transgender convention but I never quite made it. I wanted to go at one time but I decided it was time to get off my backside and get out there full time. Then life just got to jolly well busy for me after that and the seminars were way too far out of the away.

Cindy

Quote from: cindybc on October 01, 2007, 03:20:41 AM
Hmmmm At one time I would have loved to go to a transgender convention but I never quite made it. I wanted to go at one time but I decided it was time to get off my backside and get out there full time. Then life just got to jolly well busy for me after that and the seminars were way too far out of the away.

Cindy

The Transgender Conferences in the U.K are awful so I'd probably cause a riot or something......usually they are very insular and I don't have much in common with them or the people who attend them.....

Obviously the American one's are different..

Hi Berliegh 

Sound's like me, I can start a riot just by showing up. Na that's not really true I just don't have much of an affinity for crowds of people, I get kind of skittish. I guess that was the biggest reason that kept me away from the conventions.

Well I might be right about the riots, I'll need to bring my tin umbrella if I should ever go to the UK.

Cindy 

I have not attended any conferences.  I never felt the need to.  I believed that they were designed to reach cross dressers, ->-bleeped-<-s, and lifestylers, not those committed to changing their gender because they were truly transsexual.

I have been to meetings where I was the token transsexual.  I felt extremely uncomfortable in a crowd of CDs so I never returned to any of them.  My identity is not in my clothes, makeup, shoes, or a wig.  It is in my heart and my soul.

Perhaps this is a "wrong-headed" view according to some but it has served me well for the last 10 years.

Wing Walker

Quote from: cindybc on October 01, 2007, 03:46:47 PM
Hi Berliegh 

Sound's like me, I can start a riot just by showing up. Na that's not really true I just don't have much of an affinity for crowds of people, I get kind of skittish. I guess that was the biggest reason that kept me away from the conventions.

Well I might be right about the riots, I'll need to bring my tin umbrella if I should ever go to the UK.

Cindy 

What I meant was I don't agree with a lot of it....I wouldn't really cause a riot.....most if not all of the conventions in the U.K are ->-bleeped-<- style affairs....

I personally prefer non - T events.....

HI Berliegh

I know you didn't really mean you would start a riot, not anymore then I did. I just get very uncomfortable in crowds of people and will avoid them if I can. I would not have any idea who attends them or doesn't.

Now if they were aliens from Betelgeuse!!!! Weeeeeell.

Cindy

Quote from: Wendy on September 30, 2007, 12:57:48 PM
I wanted to ask him how he altered a long philtrum (skin between bottom of nose to upper lip) but I felt embarassed surrounded by a roomful of pretty ladies.  After his seminar I went into the atrium of the hotel and was watching a rare and sorely needed downpour out the plate glass windows by myself.  Guess who walks up to me and says, "What a wicked thunderstorm!"  I turn around and Dr. O is talking to me.  I noticed he had a long philtrum just like mine (2.0 cm or 3/4 in).  I said, "I really enjoyed your seminar but I have been wondering how you handle a long philtrum?"  He looks me square in the eyes, has a huge grin on his face and says, "That's easy.  You just show a little of the upper teeth.  It would look very attractive."  He smiled and walked away.

If there is one thing I took with me from my consult with Dr. Ousterhout is that he is one of the most charming men I have ever met.  Thank you for sharing, I could see him saying that.

Quote from: Berliegh on October 01, 2007, 06:38:52 AM
The Transgender Conferences in the U.K are awful so I'd probably cause a riot or something......usually they are very insular and I don't have much in common with them or the people who attend them.....
Obviously the American one's are different..

Berliegh my experience was one conference (SCC) in which the folks were very professional and the seminars were very informative.  I was more different than most and everyone was nice and treated me with respect.    People know I was nervous and made me feel comfortable.

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Quote from: Wing Walker on October 01, 2007, 04:32:47 PM
I have not attended any conferences.  I never felt the need to.  I believed that they were designed to reach cross dressers, ->-bleeped-<-s, and lifestylers, not those committed to changing their gender because they were truly transsexual.

I have been to meetings where I was the token transsexual.  I felt extremely uncomfortable in a crowd of CDs so I never returned to any of them.  My identity is not in my clothes, makeup, shoes, or a wig.  It is in my heart and my soul.

I was pulled into circles of CD's and introduced to all the people.  I was also pulled into circles of "true" TS's and introduced to all the people.  These groups were all highly educated and professional people.  No one cared that I was different among the different.

I met one young person (30's) that was living as female but could not take hormones and was not healthy enough for surgeries because she had self-medicated and destroyed her liver, kidneys and other internal organs.  I  met one person (65) that had a bad heart and was too ill for surgeries.  I met a number of people (40's-50's) that did not live as females because they would lose their jobs and/or a spouses.  I met one person (50's) that lived as a female, took hormones, had a female name but compromised with the spouse to not have any surgeries.

I sat in a large auditorium in which Dr. Bowers gave a presentation.  Many were very pretty and probably had FFS.  I sat by myself because I did not want to embarrass someone because I look like a male.  There were plenty of open seats but a couple of pretty ladies asked me if they could sit next to me and I smiled and pulled the seat out from under the table for them.  I would guess I was sitting in a room full of true TS people of which I was very different and yet everyone made me feel comfortable.

...............
I do want to share my corset story with you.  The second day I dressed in male shorts and a button down short sleeve shirt.  (I also shaved my legs for the first time in my life. I move at my own pace.)  At the convention were several vendors including Ann Brogan and Rona Choy.  Well folks it is now or never.

I chatted with Rona for a while and then Rona asked Ann if I could be measured.  Ann started measuring my chest and she said what size forms are you wearing.  I said I do not wear forms.  She then reached on my chest and said you have them on.  I said no I do not.  She said you are not a cross-dresser.  Then she said, "What are you?"  I told her and she said she could help.

We tried a number of the corsets and one fit.  I cinched up to 40-32-40.  The conference attendees were using interchangeable pronouns to describe me.  One finally said, "He is androgynous."

I asked Ann if she had something for the boobs.  She said go buy a bra.  I looked at her and she then told me to go to Lane and Byrant and tell the sales lady what you told me. I purchased the corset from Ann and later that night the sales lady at Lane and Byrant helped me select some sports bras. 
..........

Maybe I was lucky that the conference was only a week long.

Quote from: Wendy on September 28, 2007, 01:35:18 PM
Please share some life altering events that occurred from attending a major TG conference.  I will share a few.

When I was first coming to terms with myself, I signed up to attend the Esprit conference.  I had hardly any clothing, no makeup, and (get this) a moustache of about 15 years.  As the date approached, I shaved the 'stache, went to a local T-friendly wig place for some hair, went out to Nordstrom for a makeover (buying only a fraction of the $600 she recommended! :), and roped my spouse into helping acquire some clothes.  Then I packed the car and drove up to Washington.

When I got there, I noticed several stores -- and the hotel -- had huge "Welcome Esprit" banners, as the website had mentioned.  Feeling scared, but good.  Then in the hotel parking lot, I saw a fellow unloading a rack -- yes, an entire RACK -- of clothes from a van...  "OMG what have I gotten myself into?"  Then I saw a few nice looking T-girls and thought "I should drive home now, I'm out of my league!"

I didn't.  I checked in, unpacked what I had, and started trying to do makeup.  My big sister (assigned beforehand, with whom I had spoken in E-mail) called and said "hey - we're going out to dinner, can you meet us in an hour?".

And that, mes amies, was my first time out in public -- anywhere outside my own house -- en femme.

WOW!  There were 6 of us (5 Tgirls of various types, and one GG spouse) at dinner, and they all were really nice people.  Over the next week, I met a huge range of people, all over the T spectrum and all over the place in terms of their own journeys.  The classes were great, I made new friends, had a lot of fun.  I didn't want it to end.

Esprit completely changed my life.  It helped with my self-assurance and self-acceptance; it helped with basic presentation techniques; and -- most importantly -- it helped me decide where I was on the T spectrum and where I was going, after meeting and sharing experiences with CDs, non-op TS folk, post-op TS folk, fetish folk, and everyone else.  I was so intoxicated with the experience that I joined the planning committee through the local T-group and have spent a couple years helping continue the magic that I experienced.

I've heard similar reports from other TG conferences...  Each has its own flavor.  Esprit is known for being good for first-timers (though some people have been attending for all 18 years of it!) and for being good for spouses (there's a whole SO track including stuff for people who are supportive and people who are on the edge of divorce).  It isn't so great for FTM, though that has begun to change. 

So there's my long-winded version of a TG conference and how it changed my life!  I could go on longer, but will stop here unless other people have questions I can answer.

(Esprit's homepage is www.espritconf.com, in case anyone wants to look it up.)

Regards,
Robin


Posted on: October 02, 2007, 14:53:54

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Quote from: Sheila on September 30, 2007, 01:24:44 PM
I went to the one in Washington, Pacific Northwest. I forgot the name at this moment, will remember later. I went in 2000 and it was really nice, not as big as SCC though. I learned a lot and met some very nice people there. I found it was more for CD's and people just learning about TS. I could be wrong, but that was my take on it.
Sheila

This is the conference I just wrote about (Esprit, www.espritconf.com), though I wasn't there as early as you were.

Esprit is a week-long conference with different registration periods.  It tends to be heavy on the newbie/CD stuff for the first couple days, and then more of a mix for the latter part of the week (culminating with the surgeons and like matters on Saturday).  This is partly because of the mix of people -- many come from Seattle and Vancouver just for the weekend.

Regards,
Robin

I've attended the Be-All in Chicago twice during transition.  It was well organized and attended and all the big names were
there: Bowers, Speigel, Zukowski, and Ousterhout, to name a few.  I would recommend this conference to anyone in a transition
as a good place to be dressed, network with others, and for the quality of presentations.

Stormy

I went to some conferences when they had the (I forget what it was called, out-rights?) games/conferences here.  They had a couple of Trans thingies going on where they talked about different issues that affected us in Canada and so on.

It was expensive, so I just snuck in with my other TS friend. My girlfriend also snuck in with me for one of them. There were only a couple of talks, and I didn't have the hundreds of dollars to attend. Other friends of mine got scholarships (they were all taken up in a wink, so I didn't get one) or they were presenting something, or were on the discussion panel... or, like me, they snuck in. Although, I ran into a couple of high-profile people there and they said, "If they give you any problems for not having an ID tag, tell them to talk to me." So, it was no biggie. But it was sure fun to be ninja-like and sneak in. ;)

I don't think that it was "life altering," but it gave me a chance to speak up for trans rights and to listen to several issues and what was the status of them, and how I could help. I had plenty of opportunity to ask questions and be engaged in the trans rights-process.


Posted on: October 03, 2007, 01:21:36 PM

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Although what I went to wasn't specifically trans -- I would like to go to an actual trans one and see what it is like. They don't really have that hear. And the games/conferences just started up, I think next year it will be in Toronto (maybe). But it was nice that it was in Calgary.

But, anyway, reading over what other people went through with the actual trans conferences it sounds pretty cool.

I would rather be at a rock concert. Mais oui.. "I love rock." Being 62 doesn't mean your dead.  Actually I had *Rocking Grannie* as my user name on a couple of children's groups I use to go to.

Cindy   

It's not really a "conference", however I attended Camp Trans outside MWMF in '94. A few years ago I attended First Event in the Boston area for an afternoon. Personally, I enjoyed Camp Trans a lot more ;D

y2g

Quote from: Berliegh on October 01, 2007, 06:38:52 AM
The Transgender Conferences in the U.K are awful so I'd probably cause a riot or something......usually they are very insular and I don't have much in common with them or the people who attend them.....

Obviously the American one's are different..

not all of them. i went to one in a major city on the west coast last summer, and it was pathetic. however, i met a nice trans girl there and we had a lot of fun dancing later that night...   

I don't know if these would be considered life altering but meeting Les Feinberg, Jenny Boylan, Sylvia Guerrero and others.  I once was sitting in a seminar next to a rather elderly TG woman and, being polite, I introduced myself.  Well honey, you could have knocked me over with a pink feather when she introduced herself as Virginia Prince!!  If you don't know who she is, look her up but let me say that she was one of the first to fight against the laws that prohibited crossdressing in public.  That may not seem important to anyone who is TS but consider how difficult RLT would be if you were not allowed to present as female full time.

One definite life altering event from attending SCC though was meeting Erin Swenson.  That led me to visit, in 2000, the church where I am now a member, a serving elder on Session and chair of the Buildings and Grounds committee.

Beverly

Quote from: Sheila on September 30, 2007, 01:24:44 PM
I went to the one in Washington, Pacific Northwest. I forgot the name at this moment, will remember later. I went in 2000 and it was really nice, not as big as SCC though. I learned a lot and met some very nice people there. I found it was more for CD's and people just learning about TS. I could be wrong, but that was my take on it.
Sheila

That was Esprit, Sheila, in Port Angeles, WA.  I remember meeting you there.  I've been to 6 of those and was on the committee for 4 of those years.  I've found the proportions to be about 60% crossdressers, 30- 35% transsexuals and 5 - 10 % wives - oh, and one husband. 

My husband and I went this year after having been out of state the previous 3 years.  I personally found it somewhat strange to be around so many crossdressers for many of whom whom it was a kick to get dressed and go drinking.  For those 3 years, I had only had contact with transsexuals: online, in our home, at local gatherings, or lobbying Congress.  It was a good reminder that we don't all change gender/sex.

Gender Odyssey is an annual FTM conference in Seattle.  I like that because it is more educational, more political, and has a sizeable androgenous component.  That's really my husband's conference, but he always wonders why I know more people there than he does.   I remind him it's because I work as a national level transactivist and bump into these national leaders in other venues.

There have been two Transgender American Veterans Association 'Marches to the Wall' in DC, and I was fortunate enough to be at both.  My husband was there for one.  I was honored to have the opportunity to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns with three other transsexual veterans. 

I've only made one IFGE conference and one NGLTF Creating Change conference so far.  Location and timing and budget don't always align.  In 2004, I joined the NTAC Lobby Day group in DC and walked the halls of Congress.  If you ever do so, wear flats. 

A life changing event?  I came home from my first Esprit in 1998 and went full time.  Two years later, I had SRS.  The events were definitely linked.  After I had SRS, it was time to give back to the community.  That's when I became a ListMom and a transactivist/transadvocate.  I'll never be as eleoquent as Donna Rose and some of our other leaders, but I'll always try to be here for those who have questions or need help.

Robyn

Robyn,
   You are more than eloquent and a very informed person. I did remember the name of the place about two hours later, while on my route.
   I also had a very enlighting time there, as did my wife. She still remembers the both of you. I too, started on hormones when I got back and was maybe 50% living as female from then on and went full time about a year later and had GRS in 04. I thought is was very nice and met a lot of people, who I still run into every once in a while. I would love to get involved more, but Pat says that I'm a woman now and I shouldn't be advertising my TS as much as I all ready do. Compromise is what keeps us going.
   I met a lot of doctors too. They got me going in the right direction and I urge anyone who is just starting out to start there or anyone of the conferences. You will meet a lot of people who do have some answers.
Sheila

Every time I've looked at going to one, I decided it was too expensive for someone who is paying for transition.

Quote from: BeverlyAnn on October 04, 2007, 09:26:10 PM
I once was sitting in a seminar next to a rather elderly TG woman and, being polite, I introduced myself.  Well honey, you could have knocked me over with a pink feather when she introduced herself as Virginia Prince!!  If you don't know who she is, look her up but let me say that she was one of the first to fight against the laws that prohibited crossdressing in public.  That may not seem important to anyone who is TS but consider how difficult RLT would be if you were not allowed to present as female full time.

I've met her too.  It was a rather historic event.  It was the only time she had ever been talked into speaking at a SPICE conference.  The reason it was so historic is that the rules of attending SPICE include no crossdressing, so she attended in "Charles" mode.  The reason I was there was that I tended the hospitality suite all day every day.

Quote from: Lisbeth on October 05, 2007, 07:27:23 PM
Every time I've looked at going to one, I decided it was too expensive for someone who is paying for transition.

That's always a concern, especially if significant travel is involved.  Esprit offers need-based scholarships, and I'm pretty sure Southern Comfort does as well.

Regards,
Robin

Quote from: Lisbeth on October 05, 2007, 07:27:23 PM
Every time I've looked at going to one, I decided it was too expensive for someone who is paying for transition.

That's not a good excuse.  You know I could have gotten you a scholarship when I was on the SCC committee and since, as a staff member, my hotel room was supplied by the conference you could have stayed with me.  All you would have needed to do was get here and I could even have gotten you a buddy pass for that!!!!   :P :P :P :P :P

Beverly

Quote from: BeverlyAnn on October 05, 2007, 08:11:53 PM
That's not a good excuse.  You know I could have gotten you a scholarship when I was on the SCC committee and since, as a staff member, my hotel room was supplied by the conference you could have stayed with me.  All you would have needed to do was get here and I could even have gotten you a buddy pass for that!!!!   :P :P :P :P :P

Beverly

mm hmm. i just entered you on my buddy pass list.

so, how are you my dear? have i mentioned how nice your hair is looking today?

-ell

Zero for me. I'm with those who say they're not into the trans scene per se. From what I've seen, it tends to be dominated by crossdressers. "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" Their concerns are different from mine, that's all.

I'm all about women. The point of me being trans is not to be trans, but to be a woman among women. I have been to one conference of an LGBT social justice organization, which turned out to be a highly significant life-changing event for me, because I participated in a women's circle for the first time. The gathering of trans people in a separate room was much smaller, I looked in and said hi to them and apologized for not joining them... I spent all my time in women-only space, and was very glad I did.

As for information about transition, yes, F2F networking would be an awesome way to gain helpful information, but I think I'm doing well enough with information on the internet and the personal contacts I've already made. Glad to hear you ladies are having such a great time at these dos.

Quote from: Ell on October 05, 2007, 08:47:06 PM
mm hmm. i just entered you on my buddy pass list.

so, how are you my dear? have i mentioned how nice your hair is looking today?

-ell

ROFL

Beverly

Hi Hypatia
I agree with what you have said. I never bothered with the conferences, for one thing they were to far away for me to attend. My real goal back then was, as you so well put it to be F2F. That kept me fairly busy enough and now that I have achieved that goal I spent much time working along side other women as a Social worker. Those were good years with much learning from the prose themselves about freely giving and caring for others in need.

Working at helping those in need was my priority before and after coming out full time, and I was kept busy until I was retired two years ago. I found myself very much restless and lonely being out of circulation. So I got into doing networking with others on the web, Working as women working with women, fellow sisters, giving of themselves unselfishly in caring support for others. Now don't get me wrong, I probably would have loved to go to such events, no mater who attends them, or not, I had never gave it a thought until I came back to this group.

I am very much of a loner and I chose it to be that way, as long as I can still be in a service capacity for others like I have listed above. I have signed up here in Vancouver to do volunteer work at a center for transsexuals. After all these years I had pretty well forgotten about my roots as a transsexual. But if this is one way I can show my appreciation for the trans-folks that have trudged along, fighting and blazing new trails for us to follow, Then I am humbled and respectfully take my hat with the long plume off,  and with hat in hand I bow to them ever so slightly in their honor. Well the volunteer job was simply a spontaneous decision anyway. The opportunity came up and I jumped for it.   
     
Cindy

Attended the 2007 Transgeder Leadership Conference coordinated by the Transgender Law Center at USC in Los Angeles.

I don't know if it was life changing but I walked away very impressed with the diverse range of issues being addressed by trans activist working to improve things for trans people.  I have become more active and have been lobbying for passage of an all inclusive ENDA bill now in Congress.  I don't think I would be doing this if it wasn't for attending this conference.

Maya

Quote from: Hypatia on October 06, 2007, 06:00:34 AM
Zero for me. I'm with those who say they're not into the trans scene per se. From what I've seen, it tends to be dominated by crossdressers. "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" Their concerns are different from mine, that's all.

I'm all about women. The point of me being trans is not to be trans, but to be a woman among women. I have been to one conference of an LGBT social justice organization, which turned out to be a highly significant life-changing event for me, because I participated in a women's circle for the first time. The gathering of trans people in a separate room was much smaller, I looked in and said hi to them and apologized for not joining them... I spent all my time in women-only space, and was very glad I did.

As for information about transition, yes, F2F networking would be an awesome way to gain helpful information, but I think I'm doing well enough with information on the internet and the personal contacts I've already made. Glad to hear you ladies are having such a great time at these dos.

What a brilliant post Hypatia ........I couldn't have put it better myself and I agree with all your comments totally....That is exactely the way I feel about it too...

Interesting posts.  I love opposing viewpoints it makes you think.  Last week my wife handed me the book entitled "Opposing Viewpoints Male/Female Roles" edited by Auriana Ojeda.  Next week I will hand her Renee Richards' latest book "No Way Renee: The Second Half of My Notorious Life".  (My wife loves tennis and is a fan of Renee Richards.)  The conference helped me repair a bridge that I destroyed with my best friend.

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I learned that CD's also have their own spectrum of TG.  The first person I introduced myself to was a 70 year old retired commercial airline pilot.  We had a fascinating conversation in which this person loved dressing in female clothes but was "totally" male in their mind. 

Later I met another CD (early 60's) in which this person shared that they had no plans for any surgeries but they wished they had been a female.

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A CD (mid-50's) even explained to me that child abuse can lead to schoolyard abuse.

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Oh I also learned there seemed to be no bounds on sexuality at the TG conference.  You flirt with whoever you fancy and vice versa.  That was neat.

Zero Transgender conferences.  I have attended many trade conferences both before and after transition.

Now I just don't have the money to go to any conferences.

Sarah L.

Quote from: Wendy on October 11, 2007, 01:59:21 PM
Oh I also learned there seemed to be no bounds on sexuality at the TG conference.  You flirt with whoever you fancy and vice versa.  That was neat.

Wait until you been flirted with by a gay FtM (he prefers men and CDs).  Now if that doesn't confuse a person, I don't know what will.

Beverly

Honey, gay men flirt with me all the time and I love it. I feel safe and comfortable with them because there's no real sexual attraction, just play. Whereas to flirt with a hetero man is running a risk he might come to take it seriously and put the moves on me. I've been groped and chased by hetero men, and I find that treatment demeaning and disrespectful--sometimes even scary. Other times I've been hit on in a nice way, and I sure enjoy the compliments, but I'm still aware there's a risk.

I also flirt with certain special hetero men who I feel are trustworthy, and they give me a sexual frisson that's absent in my friendships with gay men. I feel free to flirt with gay men because there's no danger. Sexuality is thrilling... and it's also risky. Gay men are like my brothers, cuddly and safe.