Based on the thread asking what to wear to a TS/TG support meeting, I figured there might be others looking for information on what you might expect.
First, don't expect anything, except to meet other people in your situation. TS/TG issues can be a topic that's openly discussed, but you can find out other things there, too.
I expected I'd have to do the dreaded self-introduction, "Hi, I'm Karen, and I'm a Transsexual." <chorus>"Hi, Karen!" I rehearsed my introduction on the way to the meeting, stopping to pick up something picnic-y for the potluck.
It was held in the Lambda center, an old Victorian building next to the railroad tracks that divides Downtown from Midtown, smack-dab in the middle of Sacramento's GLBT neighborhood, nicknamed "Lavender Hill."
As I'm just starting my transition, I went in boy-mode. I climbed the front porch steps and asked where the Sacramento Gender Association meeting was, and was directed into a long room off the foyer/reception area.
Someone spotted me, and came over with those peel-and-stick name tags that say "Hello" and have a space for the name. "What name would you like?" she asked. "Karen," I said.
The room dynamic settled into people breaking into various groups and conversing. Some where milling from group to group, some were in the kitchen area putting the finishing touches on the potluck supper. The group makeup was FtM's, MtF's and a few gee-I-don't-know's. There was a group of three guys who ended up here by mistake – their meeting was being held upstairs, and they apologised and left.
Dinner was typical potluck style. The association president, Ben Hudson, made a couple of announcements while we were eating. Megan was sitting across from me and asked if I were new. I said yes and apologized for being so silent. "Pardon my choice of words, but I feel a bit like a dog at a carnival – there's a lot going on all around and I don't know where I should look," I said. She laughed and said, "Yeah, poor choice of words! But I understand your point!"
She asked if I was TS, TG or CD (Understandable, as I was in boy-mode and still had stubble as I'd pretty much come from an electro session.) I said I was TS, my therapist felt I was TS, and I'd just started HRT last month. "You're certainly going about this backwards," she said, laughing, "Most of us start by coming here, then moving on to therapy and hormones!"
The featured event of the evening was a presentation by Dr. Francie Milazzo on Transgender Hormones. It was quite interesting, and in 45 minutes I learned a bit more about both MtF and FtM transgender hormone therapy.
The meeting wound down (actually, we were being gently kicked out of the center so they could close and lock the building,) and Megan invited me to follow the group over to the bar across the street, where there was always friendly competition over who would rule the coin-op pool table. The clientele at the establishment definitely covered the GLBT spectrum, with most of the sub-variants thrown in. Megan remarked that the place was like Halloween every weekend night, so it was really a problem to dress up for the real Halloween.
Our conversation (with Danielle drifting in and out depending on if she was up at the pool table,) ranged over many topics – personal interests, work, the sorry state of affairs in the world today, and of course, TS issues.
I stayed much later than I'd planned, but enjoyed the time spent. As time allows, I plan on attending future meetings (of course.)
I did find one thing I expected to find – a group of people I didn't have to hide a part of myself from. This is yet another step in my transition.
Karen
PS, I was envious of the FtM members' ability to pass...
