Anyway, I went to the transgender center today. It is a drop-in center. I donated a binder, since I did not want to return it to Loveboat. Anyway I talked to one of the guys. It was all pretty nice.I am not sure the guy I talked to was very convinced that I am androgyne and not really ftm. Ok, I guess it *is* confusing as I have many ftm traits, let's just say.

It wasn't super serious discussion for the most part, but it was nice to talk to someone in the flesh.

--Jay Jay

Quote from: DrillQuip on June 08, 2012, 01:49:17 PM
Im worried about going at all because I feel like such a moderately transgendered person like myself would not be accepted at that place.

I've gone a couple times to a support group in my area. I'm the only androgyne there in a roomful of transitioning MtF's. They've made it a point to tell me repeatedly that everyone is welcome, and they won't turn anyone away. They've been very accepting and welcoming and are not concerned at all that I'm the only one in the room presenting male. I'm definitely going back.

Good luck, Drill. Let us know what you decide and how it turns out.

I didn't go to a group. I am guessing though that the amt of gender expression is going to vary pretty widely. It was funny but I answer the phone with my first name. I came in the center, the guy kind of looked at me up and down (and I present very androgynously right now) and he says "You don't want to be known as *that* do you?" He got that part right.

I had just the opposite experience of, well he told me a lot about T. He kept going back and saying, well everyone doesn't take T, this is just my experience. I feel that it was a bit of a stretch to him this non-binary thing but that he was working on it.

I am still not sure I would go to a group, but I enjoyed the real life element to this. I definitely feel at home with trans* people. I did not feel that they didn't think I was trans* enough (though there is this meme going about).

--Jay Jay

Enjoy, and good luck.

We don't have a trans* center just yet....(I'm working on it!! We will have one! I insist!) but we do have an LGBT center and we have support/social meetings every other week. I was so worried I'd be the only non-binary...and at first I was. But THEN...I was voted in charge! So everyone in our group loves androgyns and non-binaries. We've got two two-spirit persons, one bigender person and myself. So be brave and maybe you won't be the only one!

Quote from: DrillQuip on June 08, 2012, 11:44:31 PM
Just got back from the meeting. It was fantastic! Save a couple of awkward silent moments, it was awesome. It was a small group of 8 people, only 3 of us weren't mtf's. A genderqueer person, a ftm, and myself an androgynous person. They were all very welcoming and supportive though. No one ever made me feel that I wasn't a part of the group and they made plenty of efforts to have me join in and talk with all of them.

First we had a meeting where we simply talked about trans issues in the state, definitions and experiences (mostly political stuff). But then we went out after the meeting and everyone loosened up and started talking about their experiences. They were very open to share this information and never judged anything I said about myself. The only person who gave me weird looks was the bartender, because I never go to bars and had no idea what I'm doing there lol! ["Straight up? What?"]

Will try to make it every month from now on

Fantastic  Its nice to meet others that share a similar life experience.

I recently attended a couple of meetings of a new gender queer group that started at the local pride office and enjoyed it, but just as i began to plug into the local LGBT community and had made some friends there I lost my job and now am faced with having to move to a new location that is NOT trans friendly at all.

*sigh*

Quote from: DrillQuip on June 08, 2012, 11:44:31 PM

First we had a meeting where we simply talked about trans issues in the state, definitions and experiences (mostly political stuff). But then we went out after the meeting and everyone loosened up and started talking about their experiences. They were very open to share this information and never judged anything I said about myself. The only person who gave me weird looks was the bartender, because I never go to bars and had no idea what I'm doing there lol! ["Straight up? What?"]

Will try to make it every month from now on

What do you mean *STRAIGHT* up? LOL!  
Glad you had a good time and felt welcome!

BTW, I feel pretty astonished that this little city has a transgender center. Funny thing, they gave me a little tour of the building. And there was a closet for clothing for people who want it. (If I had some girly girl clothes I donate.) Anyway I walked into the closet and said, "I'm coming out of the closet." We both had a good laugh about it.

I don't do great in groups, but I'll ask re: the "Rainbow group". It's a group for gender variant, SOs, etc. Sort of a mixed thing. I wonder more about age than anything.


--Jay Jay