Monday Update

This past Monday (4/13) we had a meeting of folks interested the development of a transgender program.  We had 5 participants (the 6^th was out sick) and discussed a number of things. 

·         We are putting together a calendar of events and investigating having a social activity outside VCRA once a month.  On 4/6 twelve members of the Monday night group met at IHOP in Ventura on Victoria.  It went well and several members are looking into other activities that the group can participate in. 

·         In addition to social events the calendar will be used to disseminate other types of information as well.  For example next week we will have a guest speaker.  Various workshops have been suggested in recent months and we can now schedule them ahead of time so folks can make sure to attend those that are important to their specific situation.

·         The next logical step is the distribution of information.  One member suggested developing a web site where we can post our calendar of events as well as other tools.  She also volunteered to develop the web page and keep it updated.  We will need to investigate this further but it was well received by all participants.  

The next meeting is 4/27 at 8pm at VCRA.

At the meeting last night (5/25) we covered a number of issues:

·         We need to select a name for the web site.  One suggestion was Transgender Ventura County but this was rejected for not being colorful enough.  We are still in need of a name and suggestions would be appreciated.  The person that submits the name that is ultimately adopted by the committee will receive a $10 Starbucks gift cart (committee members are ineligible).  The cutoff date is 6/8.

·         I suggested putting together a steering committee consisting of VCRA leadership, transgender adults and others to guide where the Transgender Program is going.  I am seeking out volunteers to provide guidance.  We would meet every 2-3 months to develop the vision of what the program should become them make adjustments as necessary.  If interested, please contact me at chris@lgbtventura.org.

·         We discussed the meeting location and time in an effort to ensure it works for those attending the meetings (several members are from the east county).  At the moment there is no need to change either so we will continue on as scheduled.

·         Our two main efforts at the moment are the development of the website and calendar.

·         Katie has a draft of the web site developed and we are on schedule to have it up and running on 8 June.  She is using pre-existing tools/technology so she can rapidly develop the various sections of the site.  One of our goals is to develop the site so that the burden of updating the site does not fall on solely on Katie’s shoulders.  The various sections of the web site (calendar, news panels, chat, references, etc…) will be updated by the individual appointed to manage them.

·         Christina is leading the second effort – getting our calendar of events up and running. At the moment all too much is done word of mouth.  It is our goal that everyone will know what is happening at the Monday night meetings.  You will know when the center is closed due to holiday, or major events are happening like tonight’s rally, also special guests, workshops, and most importantly individual milestones (for those that want them posted we can list your major transition events to share with the group).  Finally it will serve as a social calendar where outings will be posed and all can participate.  By getting out into the community and becoming a presence we will bring about positive change!   

Our next meeting is 6/8 at 8pm.  We hope to see you there!

Thanks,

Chris

First, a couple of weeks back we selected our name and the gift card to Starbucks went to the winner.  We voted on TransFriendly Ventura, the new site is http://www.TransFriendlyVentura.org.  

At the Monday night trans-group meeting on 6/29 we talked some more about the web page and we discussed ideas to make it more functional.  One of the ideas that came up was to have a mobile version of it so that it can be accessed from a mobile phone.  We also discussed adding a splash page. 

At the meeting on 7/6 Katie unveiled the new page and it is SHARP!  It is not active yet but it will be soon.  Also, the team is working on a mission statement to help guide us through the development of the program.  While this is going on I will start compiling an outline of the overall transgender program so we can get it posted on the site and start building onto it. 

Finally, I am working on securing a guest speaker to address the group.  She is a Doctor of Psychology and works specifically with youth (including trans-youth).  One the specifics are worked out, I  will post them on the calendar.

Thanks,
Chris

The guest speaker on 20 July went well with our biggest turnout yet.  Dr Januszewski facilitated a two way discussion about transgender issues and stayed to participate in the check in.  We also had two new families participate with one family that included 3 generations of participation.    

This past Monday (7/27) we had a regular meeting followed by a discussion about the future of TransFriendly Ventura Project.  We brainstormed topics or clinics that will be presented to the group, examples including:

·         Security – in all its forms (physical, identity, cyber, etc…), one of the members is going to get a local law enforcement officer to participate.  We need to get someone that is well versed in cyber security and can lead a discussion about the measures transgender men and women (as well as parents of trans-youth) can take to protect their private information.

·         Masculinity Training / Sports 101 – for those boys & men that were reared learning feminine traits and characteristics, this training will focus on providing trans-guys with skills often associated with men.  Examples include sports trivia, tool identification and function, basic car repair, gym usage, restroom usage.  

·         Femininity Training – same as above except this training will be geared towards MTFs. 

·         Spirituality and Transgenderism – investigate how Transgenderism is affected by and affects spirituality within a person. 

Discussions within the group are most often free flowing ideas and thoughts based on input from the individuals.  There was a recommendation to have facilitated discussions on various topics on a regular basis (say once every couple of weeks).  Instead of doing the regular check in, a facilitated discussion based on a topic will be presented and discussed between the group.  Topics that were suggested include:

·         Dating

·         Coming out to friends and family

·         Rejection & resilience

·         Cost for surgeries

Finally there was a suggestion about setting up a class (or classes) to discuss transition planning.  These sessions will be geared towards preparing individuals and helping them set up their own transition strategies and plans including navigating the myriad of issues that confront an individual that is attempting to change their gender legally.  Good Stuff!!

I spoke with Katie and we are going to work on getting a Blog set up so that folks can make further suggestions at the website (http://www.transfriendlyventura.org ).