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Gender Identity Project Newsletter November 16, 2006
Dear Reader: please forward and share the following listings of trans-related groups, events, trainings, community resources and employment and internship opportunities offered by the Gender Identity Project (GIP) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (the Center). This email also includes listings of resources offered on and offsite by other trans and allied organizations and individuals. You can reference the details below for more information, times and locations, thank you.
Transgender
Day of Remembrance In NY at the Rainbow Heights
Club In NJ through Hudson Pride
Connections: Fall 2006 Peer and Professional facilitated Groups The Lesbian, Gay, Trans-Partners/Trans-Amorous Drop-in Wednesdays, continuing until
December 11, 7:30 - 9pm Trans-Partners/Trans-Amorous Drop-in is a group for people of all genders to discuss and explore their attraction to and relationships with trans-identified or gender non-conforming individuals. This group is open to people currently in partnerships with trans-people, people formerly in partnerships with trans-people and people who are exploring their attraction to trans-people. Trans-Partners/Trans-Amorous Drop-in is a drop-in group and will run for 10-weeks. No intake is required. There is a $5 suggested donation but no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Gender Drop-in: Masculine Spectrum Wednesdays, continuing until
December 11, 7:30 - 9pm The Gender Drop-in: Masculine Spectrum group will have an agenda, but additional topics and guidelines will be determined by the group during the course of the meetings. Previous topics have included: body image, transition, coping with society, relationships and sexuality, medical and emotional health, fear and shame, hormones, and so forth. Gender Drop-in: Masculine Spectrum is a drop-in group and will run for 10-weeks. No intake is required. There is a $5 suggested donation but no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Gender Drop-in: Feminine Spectrum Wednesdays, continuing until
December 11, 7:30 - 9pm The Gender Drop-in: Feminine Spectrum group will have an agenda, but additional topics and guidelines will be determined by the group during the course of the meetings. Previous topics have included: body image, transition, coping with society, relationships and sexuality, medical and emotional health, fear and shame, hormones, and so forth. Gender Drop-in: Feminine Spectrum is a drop-in group and will run for 10-weeks. No intake is required. There is a $5 suggested donation but no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Wednesdays, continuing until
December 11, 7:30 - 9pm Trans-Family Drop-in is a drop-in group and will run for 10-weeks. No intake is required. There is a $5 suggested donation but no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Yoga by and for the Trans Community Tuesdays, continuing until
December 10, 7:30 - 9pm Call Ray at (212) 620-7310, ext. 254 or email ray@gaycenter.org to register or to get more information. Wednesdays meetings in September, 9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 1:30pm Come meet other trans-people
at All Workshops begins at 1.30pm every Wednesday at The Bronx Center. Please be aware that we are here Monday through Friday and you are free to contact us at your own convenience. Special acknowledgements to Gender Identity Project @LGBT Community Center; BLGHRC; CitiWide Harm Reduction; Casa Promesa, BAS For more information, contact Kim Watson, Case Finder, at 718-991-9250 or via email at kwatson@chnnyc.org. GMHC’s Trans Focus Group (this is not a GIP or Center listing) Tuesday, November 28, 7 – 9pm $20 incentives - Are you a young (29 and under) Transgender Female (MTF) of color? Are you interested in helping develop a communication campaign for your community? Your opinions will shape the campaign message and design. We will hold [a second] focus group on: Tuesday, November 28th, 2006, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm **Space is Limited** Call Lyndel at 212-367-1377 for more information From an email by GMHC’s Norman Candelario: Please help us recruit Young (29 and under) Transgender Females (MTF) of Color to participate in two separate focus groups held at GMHC. These groups are part of a formative research effort to ensure that the social campaign materials resonate and represent the needs of the target population. Last year we did the same formative research effort and developed a wonderful social marketing campaign that includes palm cards, posters and a resource booklet. The tagline of the campaign reads “I see who I am. I like what I see”…”End Trans-phobia”. The campaign’s purpose is to address self esteem, trans-phobia and provide a resource guide for Young Transgender Females of Color who might feel oppressed. If you are interested in getting the campaign materials please feel free to contact Giovanni Koll at giovannik@gmhc.org. Thanks for your support, Norman Candelario, Coordinator of Community Based Research at GMHC’s Institute for Gay Men’s Health, 212 367-1387 Monday, December 4 (first
Monday of each month -- closed Monday, 7/3 and 9/4) - clinic sign-in is
from 6:00 to 6:30 pm and all participants must sign-in during this period
to access the clinic The October 4, 6 –
7:30pm. Meets 1st Wednesday of each month: October 4, November 1, December
6 Recognizing the emerging needs
and presence of transgender, gender-different and gender questioning
people at the Lesbian, Gay, We are currently searching for committed volunteers, representing the vast diversity of the trans-communities, to organize, plan and produce events of relevance to the our communities. This ongoing, Trans-Events Committee, takes a central role in the event planning process and works directly with the GIP, outside organizations and other Center programs. A selection of events, both
recent and upcoming includes: For further information about the TEC, contact Dan Whitman, Volunteer Manager, at 212.620.7310, x 274 or by e-mail at dwhitman@gaycenter.org Transgender Health Initiative
of Meets 2nd Tuesday
of each Month beginning Tuesday, December 5, 6 – 7:30pm Join the
Transgender Health Initiative of New York and help ensure that transgender
and gender non-conforming people can access health care safely and
respectfully. The Transgender Health Initiative of New York is a community-based group whose goal is to ensure that all transgender and gender non-conforming people can access health care, including insurance coverage, in a safe, respectful and non-discriminatory manner. What does
The Transgender Health Initiative of New York do? The more
input we have and the more diverse our group becomes, the more we can
accomplish! Come to our monthly meetings to find out how you can help end
transphobia in the health care system. Hosted by the Transgender
Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc., the GIP, and the No advance registration. Free. Trans-Care: Medical is an overview of transgender-specific gender-confirming interventions for transgender and gender non-conforming people Monday, December 11, 10am – 1pm Trans-Care: Medical is an overview of transgender-specific gender-confirming interventions for transgender and gender non-conforming people. This workshop will cover the reduction of barriers, the establishment of sufficient and freely accessed services, the range of gender-confirming hormonal and surgical interventions, and HIV and AIDS specific concerns. Prerequisite: Trans-Care: Basics or similar transgender cultural competency training. This is an elective Trans-Care Certificate of Achievement module. Carrie Davis, MSW and Ray Carannante, LMSW Trans-Care is presented by the Center
Training Institute. 2nd Trans People of Color Job and Education Fair Initiated by TransJustice, a project of The Audre Lorde Project (this is not a GIP or Center listing) Saturday, January
20, 10am – 6pm On December 3, 2005 the 1st
New York City Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Job and
Education Fair was held at the Penn Hotel in This event is open to ALL people of color who self-identify as trans, butch lesbians, drag queens, bi-gendered, two-spirited, drag kings, femme queens, A.G.s, genderqueer, non-gendered, andro, crossdressers, gender-benders, as well as other identities of people who face gender oppression because of their non-conventional gender expression. TransJustice is a working group of the Audre Lorde Project (www.alp.org), a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit & Trans People of Color Community Organizing Center For more information on how to register, contact the Audre Lorde Project, 85 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217-1607, Tel: 718-596-0342 ext 18, Fax: 718-596-1328, Email: ikhenry@alp.org 3rd National
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Health
Summit:Beyond Boundaries: A Blueprint
for LGBTI Healthcare Equality (this is not a GIP or Center
listing) The 3rd National Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Health Summit will convene in
This year’s theme, Beyond
Boundaries: A Blueprint for LGBTI Healthcare Equality, is a call to
all LGBTI communities across the country to come together to develop a
long-term strategic plan for LGBTI health and wellness. The summit’s
leadership team includes key figures from national LGBTI advocacy groups;
local LGBTI health centers such as summit host Download the “Call to the
Sixth Annual Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference: Educate, Empower, Embrace (this is not a GIP or Center listing) Thursday, April 5 through
Saturday, April 7, 2007, all day Mazzoni Centers 6th Annual Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference: Educate, Empower, Embrace, is scheduled to take place April 5 - 7, 2007. The event will be held at Philadephia's Convention Center. April 5 is Providers Day; April 6 - 7 are Community Days. Please check the THC website at www.trans-health.org for conference highlights, call for workshop deadlines, and much, much more. THC organizers hope to see all of you at this wonderful event next year! TransJustice has
movedto a
new meeting location (this
is not a GIP or Center listing) Help plan for the 2nd Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color Job and Education Fair – Jan 20th 2007 Who are these meetings for: * TransJustice meetings and events are open to ALL People of color who self-identified as trans, butch lesbians, drag queens, bi-gendered, two-spirited, drag kings, femme queens, A.G.s, genderqueer, non-gendered, andro, crossdressers, gender-benders as well as other identities of peoples who face gender oppression because of their non-conventional gender expression. TransJustice is a political group created by and for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people of color. We work to mobilize our communities and allies to action on the pressing political issues we face. These issues include gaining access to jobs, housing, and education; the need for Trans-sensitive healthcare, HIV-related services, and job-training programs; resisting police, government and anti-immigrant violence. TransJustice is a project of The Audre Lorde Project, a LGBTST People of Color community-organizing center. To rsvp or for more info contact: Imani Henry, 718 596-0342 ext 18 or email ikhenry@alp.org Register your business or
school for 2nd Annual NYC Trans POC Job and Education
Fair (this is not a GIP or Center
listing) Say “I Pledge to be a Trans-friendly Business or School” Become a Participating Business or School at 2nd annual New York City Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Job and Education Fair Saturday, January 20, 2007 10am- 6pm at the Pennsylvania Hotel We invite our allies within employment and educational institutions, as well as GED and job readiness programs to participate with us in this historic event, The 2nd Annual New York City Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Job and Education Fair is on Saturday, January 20th, 2007, from 10am-6pm at the Pennsylvania Hotel. In December 2004, the New York City Commission on Human Rights (CHR) added new anti-discrimination guidelines to the Human Rights Law that prohibits discrimination of Trans and Gender Non–Conforming people on the basis of gender identity or expression in regards to employment, housing and public accommodations, including city agencies. Nationally, over 236 employers, including 53 Fortune 500 and 104 Private Sector Companies, have adopted gender identity guidelines within their hiring policies. However, enforcement of the two-gender system discriminates against Trans and Gender Non-Conforming communities everywhere in society: from health care, immigration, bathrooms, clothing, shelters, prisons, schools, government forms, to job applications and identity documents. Although Trans and Gender Non-Conforming peoples, especially of color, comprise a diverse skill-based population, our talents are often under-utilized because of societal stigma and discrimination within employment and educational institutions. We call upon our allies in corporate and private-sector businesses, non-profit agencies, higher education and the trade union movement to pledge their support for The 2nd New York City Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Job and Education Fair. We ask for our allies to demonstrate your commitment to diverse inclusion and equal opportunity employment by: - Participating on January 20th
2007, by purchasing a booth to take applications and/or interview
prospective Trans and Gender Non-Conforming applicants for employment or
admissions into your institution or agency. The 2nd New York City Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Job and Education Fair initiated by TransJustice, a project of The Audre Lorde Project, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, and Trans People of Color Center for Community Organizing, focusing on the NYC area. TransJustice is a political group created by and for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people of color. We work to mobilize our communities and allies to action on the pressing political issues we face. These issues include gaining access to jobs, housing, and education; the need for Trans-sensitive healthcare, HIV-related services, and job-training programs; resisting police, government and anti-immigrant violence. We look forward to your participation and solidarity in The 2nd Annual New York City Trans and Gender Non- Conforming People of Color Job and Education Fair on Saturday, January 20th 2007, at the Pennsylvania Hotel. To register your Business or School: email ikhenry@alp.org or call 718 596-0342 ext 18. Providers working with
transgender and gender non-conforming people often lack engagement and
intervention skills, and outreach materials. Despite this,
transgender-identified people have a demonstrated and urgent need for
culturally competent services. The Gender Identity Project and the Center Training Institute have worked together to
create Trans-Care, a modular and customizable curriculum offered both
onsite and offsite to service providers seeking to develop and improve
their skills in working with and serving trans and gender non-conforming
people. Current Trans-Care modules include: - Trans-Care: Research, A review
of ethical research practices with the trans-communities More information about
Trans-Care can be found online at the GIP website at www.gaycenter.org/program_folders/gip/gip-training.
Trans-Care Training Certificate Participants who attend and
complete both core modules and one elective from the Trans-Care training
curriculum are eligible to receive a Trans-Care Certificate of
Achievement. Participants who have attended earlier GIP Trans-Care
trainings are also eligible for a Certificate of Achievement and should
contact Center CARE to ensure proper credit is applied. GenderTech: An Invitation to Participate The Lesbian, Gay, Your
organization, agency or service is cordially invited to attend GenderTech,
a new networking workshops series offered by the Gender Identity Project
that seeks to highlight clinical issues of relevance to the
trans-communities and those offering services to them. GenderTech
workshops: Previous GenderTech workshops
have included: - Conflicts and
Self-Determination - Transgender Issues and the Therapeutic
Relationship Please bring your friends and colleagues, and join us at our next GenderTech event, a community-based partnership. Light refreshments will be offered. Gender Action Coalition: Ending Discrimination at HRA Survey If you have been harassed or discriminated against at the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), the Gender Action Coalition: Ending Discrimination at HRA would like you to fill out the following survey. -- Stop Transphobia at the Human Resources Administration A coalition of trans and gender non-conforming community members and allied organizations are collecting statements from trans and gender non-conforming folks who have been discriminated against that reflects their experiences with the Human Resources Administration. If you have been have been discriminated against, harassed or made feel unsafe accessing the Human Resources Administration agencies please state below what your experience has been like. Please remember to indicate the date of the incident. If you need more space or want to include multiple incidents please feel free to use the backside of this form. (The answers to these
questions are optional but it would be helpful to have as much information
as possible) Fax completed forms and additional pages to the Audre Lorde Project at: 718-596-1328. The Sylvia Rivera Law Project’s (SRLP) Trans Resource and Referral Guide (this is not a GIP or Center listing) The Trans Resource and Referral Guide originated from a coalition of trans-identified activists and providers who met in 2003 and 2004 and identified a need for an ongoing, frequently updated list of referrals for transgender people in need of services. The organizations listed in this guide have been included because SRLP believes they can be useful to transgender people, however the presence of an organization in this guide does not guarantee that it is a safe referral for transgender people. Where possible, SRLP has indicated whether there are trans staff at a given organization or whether the organization has undergone transgender sensitivity training of some kind. Neither of these criteria can be used to determine whether a trans person will be treated with respect when reaching out to these organizations for help, and SRLP encourages allies and providers to call ahead or accompany trans clients to ensure a supportive experience. The SRLP Trans Resource and Referral Guide is available online at www.srlp.org/documents/trg_final.pdf or at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project at www.srlp.org/index.php?sec=08&page=resourceguide. Guidelines Regarding Gender Identity Discrimination (this is not a GIP or Center listing) In late December 2004, the New York City Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR) issued its Guidelines Regarding Gender Identity Discrimination. These guidelines the product of nearly two years of work and are designed to educate the public about the prohibition on gender identity discrimination that became part of the City Human Rights Law in 2002. The NYCCHR Guidelines are available online at http://www.transgenderlaw.org/ndlaws/nyccompliance.pdf or at the New York City Commission on Human Rights at www.nyc.gov/html/cchr/html/trans_guide.html GIP Policy/Organizing Internship - Are you a trans-ally,
or someone looking for a peer–oriented position? If so, consider applying for the GIP Policy/Organizing Internship! The Gender Identity Project (GIP) is currently accepting applications for an uncompensated, part-time Policy/Organizing Intern beginning in the fall of 2006 and continuing through the spring of 2007. The GIP Peer Educator Internship seeks to facilitate the growth and expertise of peer-identified and allied individuals working with community concerns relevant to transgender and gender non-conforming communities. Depending upon abilities and experience, the intern will work in various capacities on events and projects that impact transgender policy at city, state and federal levels. The intern will work and collaborate with the GIP Coordinator, the GIP Workgroup and other Center staff. School credit: If appropriate, the GIP will work with the intern’s training facility, school, college or university to assure class credit is received for the GIP Policy/Organizing Internship. The status of any particular internship as credit or non-credit will be determined before an internship is offered. The GIP Policy/Organizing Intern will primarily, though not exclusively, work at the GIP offices and must be based in the New York City-metro area. Interns are responsible for their own housing, living expenses, and any other costs. Application: Applications are available at
Center CARE at the Lesbian, Gay, Eligibility: The GIP Policy/Organizing internship is open to individuals 18 or older as of their internship start date. For More Information: Please go to www.gaycenter.org/program_folders/gip/policy_intern Questions: Please contact the GIP
Coordinator, Carrie Davis, at 212.620.7310 x273, email: Speaking Truth About Trans
Relationships I was astonished to read Gay City News' recent brief titled, "Gay Soldier's Murder Accomplice Out," detailing the release of Justin Fisher, an accomplice in the murder of Private First Class Barry Winchell in 1999. The curt reminder of this terrible crime further perpetuated the long refuted myth that Winchell was murdered for being a "gay man," grimly maintaining the illusion that the partners of trans-people are somehow inauthentic and are actually closeted gay people. I remember feeling uneasy and
skeptical when I read the early news reports and Service Members Legal
Defense Network press releases in July of 1999 reporting Barry Winchell’s
murder and, eventually, the gay male performer he was dating. A friend who
lives in Conversations with Calpurnia were soon shared through trans-driven press services. Slowly the truth was made known: Barry Winchell was not murdered because he was a gay man, he was instead murdered because he was in a relationship with a trans-woman. Opposite gender attraction is rarely identified as “gay” in our culture and it is known both Barry and Calpurnia considered their relationship heterosexual. It also became clear the media had misrepresented Barry’s relationship and murder nationally as a “gay hate crime” in order to simplify things. The Nashville Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice’s Rhonda White, as quoted in David France’s New York Times Magazine article "An Inconvenient Woman,” described the dilemma, “How can you say he was gay-bashed if he was dating a woman, you know?” Later accounts, such as
This is not a “name game” or academic exercise. Erasing the complexity of Barry Winchell’s life and death perpetuates an oppression maintained by a culture steeped in gendered oppression and violence. In this process, the identities of transgender and gender non-conforming people are redefined as mentally ill, delusional, illegitimate and illegal; regulated as freaks and pornographic objects of sexuality and desire; and reconstructed as She-Males, He/Shes, Chicks-with-Dicks, FTMs, MTFs, Pre-Ops, Post-Ops, Transsexuals and Transvestites. This course of subjugation is central to a process that authorizes powerful acts of violence toward the trans-communities, our partners and our families. Statistics indicate two to three trans-people have been killed each month since 2000 and advocates such as the Sylvia Rivera Law Project’s Dean Spade and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s Marcus Arana estimate trans-people are 7 to 16 times more likely to be murdered than the average, non-trans person in this country. Most of these victims are quickly forgotten as the media unrelentingly reconfigure our names and identities to suit their purposes. Similarly, just as it was expedient to portray Barry and Calpurnia as “gay men,” it is also convenient to portray Justin Fisher as criminally deviant, as a “basher” or “mad dog,” which enables a culture of innocence where those who perpetrate physical violence against trans-people do so without understanding the source of their anger or their place in a systemic subjugation. In this manner, the people who murdered Barry Winchell are acting as unknowing proxies and scapegoats in the interest of those with more power and privilege, those that stand to gain the most from gender-based oppression. The lesbian and gay communities are not immune to this influence. Trans-inclusion is commonly debated as if trans-people were invisible or incapable of speaking. This disconnection is embodied in trans-exclusive civil rights legislation like SONDA and ENDA, and community spaces, such as the Michigan Women’s Music Festival’s “womyn-born-womyn” policy or the “born male” policies that have recently appeared in Leather Community events. It is often ultimately concluded trans-people’s connections to other men and women should be restricted and that we must be segregated as we seek services, shelter, recovery, community and legislative agency. With this last point in mind, I wonder whose interests we serve as we replicate layers of gender-based oppression and erase the identities of trans-people and their partners? Whose agendas are we aligned with when we deny the reality of trans-bodies, trans-identities and trans-families? The continuing
misrepresentation of Barry Winchell’s identity and death comes as the
trans-communities prepare to memorialize their dead as part of the 8th
annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20. The Day of
Remembrance was inspired by the death of Rita Hester, an out trans-woman
from the Barry Winchell’s death was mislabeled a “Gay Hate Crime” in 1999 but we do not have to replicate earlier errors. If we are to intervene in this violent process of disconnection, we need to make lasting space for trans-partners and trans-amorous people within our communities. We need to fashion strategies to help build healthy relationships and tackle the risk and trauma created by transphobia and gender-bias in the culture rather than further isolating transgender and gender non-conforming people. To address trans-people in connection with their families and help normalize the trans-self concept, the Gender Identity Project and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Community Center offer counseling, groups and community events for trans-partners, trans-amorous people and trans-families. When seen as normative, the adaptive strengths trans-people accumulate, the families and communities we create, and our different sense of fit become valued components in a cohesive sense of identity. Our culture rarely distinguishes between anti-gay or anti-trans animus. Trans-people are continually referred to as “faggot” and “freak,” especially when assaulted. Continuing to define attacks against trans-people and their partners as “gay hate crimes” erases the complexity of these situations. It is incumbent upon the LGBT communities to disentangle rather than blur these issues so we can more effectively understand and respond to these crimes, those hurt by them and memorialize the victims. Speaking the truth by naming these relationships is essential to healing. By focusing our energy on those who are scapegoated by our culture as aggressors, such as Justin Fisher and those like him, we are simply colluding with the dominant forces that generate gender-based violence and oppression. In contrast, strength and health lay in growth, in seeking life in our relationships within each other and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Carrie Davis,
MSW Other (non-GIP)
Trans-Community and Allied Announcements: The GIP’s newsletter
includes many trans-related groups, events, trainings and announcements
other than those offered by the Gender Identity Project (GIP) and the
Lesbian, Gay, To list your trans-related announcement here or to make corrections, please send an email Carrie Davis at carrie@gaycenter.org. Include the text, “Coming Up at the GIP” in the subject line, thank you. Please note: The Gender Identity Project is not responsible for the accuracy of material submitted for listing and on linked websites, and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. We cannot guarantee that links to external websites will work all of the time.
The Gender Identity Project (GIP) works to foster the healthy development of transgender and gender non-conforming people, partners, family and community. Through the delivery of a range of transgender-driven supportive services, advocacy, outreach, education and capacity-building, the GIP creates a safe and productive atmosphere for community-building, wellness and self-care, and leadership development. Find out if the GIP is right
for you… Counseling: Many of our counselors are trans-identified peers and peer-professionals, and all of our counselors are sensitive and savvy to trans issues. Call us if you're feeling depressed or stressed, and need to talk about gender identity, transition, relationships, or other pressing life issues. Support groups: Our trans support groups cover a wide range of topics important to trans people, from early transition to post-transition, trans-couples to genderqueer identities and just about everything in between. Trans-partners: We offer groups, events and counseling for partners of trans and gender different people. We recognize that partners of, and those that seek to partner with, trans-people are often overlooked and ignored. Referrals: We offer trans-sensitive and savvy counseling and can also refer you to doctors, social service providers, and other professionals who have experience working with trans people and who will be sensitive to your needs. The GIP is part of the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual & Transgender Community Center and is located
in the heart of On the On the For more information, call the Center at 212.620.7310 and ask to speak with a Center CARE counselor. You can also reach us via e-mail at gip@gaycenter.org | ||||||||
