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Recognitition of Transformal as an Important National Event
The importance of Transformal at Katoomba is not so much a party, or a ball, as an important socialisation, communication and validation medium for the many folk in our community that do not have the opportunity to socialise very often, especially those in regional Australia.
The demonstration of growth over the last 2 years speaks volumes, recognition of the work that Amanda and her small team of helpers have achieved is important, thus I hope that if readers were lucky enough to be part of this event, they will properley thank her.
Further, we, ( both individuals and sister organisations) all need to assist one another whenever possible by coming together around these opportunities to meet, greet, and grow our social networks. -
15 Replies
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If it was not for the Katoomba Transformal I would not have met such a large group of fantastic people. I also would not have been able to give and recieve the amount of support that every one was so generously dishing out. I came away with new found confidence and hope that I gave others the same. I thank you all from the heart for you friendship and support that flowed so freely. Thank you Amanda and every one who helped as you have changed my life in the most positive way.
Big hugs…Karly -
Kathy_1 I love you, I just fell in love with you
Over the last 12 months I have been jumping up and down, left and right, like a crazy woman on hormones preaching the word of TR and Gender Diversity.
TR needs, and more importantly, deserves recognition from the community as a force in gender diversity.
Transformal is an extremely important event in the community and requires recognition, however I can’t do it alone, one voice is something……..more voices are a movement and a community united!What say you TR chicks ??
Hugz
Amy xx -
I thought I should add…. what I mean by community is NOT the transgender community, I’m referring to the whole world…. people you work with, family and friends
Do you have the guts to express yourself honestly to everyone in your life or are you still hiding behind your pride? -
I am not sure of how much more ‘recognition’ an event that was sold out needs actually. I don’t see the need to advertize the event other than really what was done. I feel the event (I am sure I will be corrected if I am mistaken), was primarily targeted at the trans community and of course also non trans people were very welcome to attend.
I think the fact that such an event is actually ‘necessary’ says something about how un accepted trans people are in the community, perhaps. So I am not sure taking a public stand saying “we are holding this event because…” would have much benefit to the wider community or for the trans community.
Would the greater community even care? Do we care, if they care?I feel if members want to hold up a flag and do things in the wider community to assist trans people – they should go for it, but perhaps using Transformal as the flag bearer may not be the the best choice in my opinion.
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Just to clarify……
When I speak about recognition, I’m talking about recognition in the ‘real world’ as a gender diverse entity
I guess I’m getting tired and a little frustrated to continue to read about Seahorse NSW, and its annual ball, in certain mainstream (real world) literature and there’s no reference or recognition for TR and the service it provides for the Gender Diverse community
They make out to read that Seahorse NSW is the only avenue for individuals like us; however as we all know, that’s not true…. What about TR?Sorry, it really gets up my nose!!
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Quote:Just to clarify……
Sorry, it really gets up my nose!!Like Amy I get increasingly frustrated by being ignored.
Ten years ago – I was resigned to TR being labelled as a virtual club for those who ‘weren’t serious’ – well actually what was said by ‘The Establishment” was more offensive than that!But now – yes it does get up my nose too.
In the new age of facebook, email, twitter and smart phones it is no longer acceptable to dismiss in such a way those who network and don’t join the “official groups”.
But still the cold shoulder continues…surely by now “The Establishment” has seen the value in what we do?Surely they can’t have missed TransFormal? The ability of this event for the last two years to help girls on their journey through gender land and build relationships brings tears of happiness to me.
But still… we aren’t incorporated, we don’t have government grants, we aren’t “official” and so we are ignored.
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Hi Amanda
Sometimes I feel like I’m the only member here who deeply cares about the community and what TR represents. As you know, I am very passionate about the community and TR. I have donated a lot of money to TR over the years and I truly care about the journey of girls and The assistance they need…
I sometimes feel that most members feel that TR is a social site where you can go out and cross-dress and experience your fetish. Sorry, I see things deeper than that!
I feel like I am so out of place here and alone that it upsets me. Does any member here share my feelings about recognition and the journey in
gender diversity?Sorry, I need to know…
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Just to add to what will be my final post on TR for ever, an entity that I came out to and discovered myself 3 years ago. I haven’t seen a positive responsive to my post. That says it’s all.
Well I feel it’s time for me to go…..time for me to move on and disappear into the world of “relativity”!!! byeeeees…….. yes, the ‘real’ world….. Good luck everyone and I wish you all the best for the future…….God/Allah/Mother Nature bless you with all my heat. I am going to cancel my membership after this post so don’t even bother responding. I won’t see it!!!
I’m thinking of joining Seahorse NSW, now….. although they have their issues at least I know there are members there who care and want to change and to move forward!!!
That’s what’s important to me…Amy Dayan
29/05/2011 -
Hi Amy and Amanda,
The views expressed are similar to why I have been absent from TR post transition. I have invested my time and energy into a collective called Still Fierce and was a speaker at the recent ISGD Rally in Canberra where 200+ plus people travelled from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane plus those living in Canberra to raise the profile of our demands for for Equal Rights with the Federal Government for all Intersex, Sex and/or Gender Diverse people. (See http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106911902661391)
To be visible in this way is to be open about yourself and herein is the main challenge that most have to confront post transition: Do I disappear into to society and live as the woman (or man) I truly am and hide my past or do I live as I truly am and not frightened about others knowing about my past. I make no value judgement about either, these are personal choices. I have chosen to live in the real world not afraid of being known as a transwoman and one who would like to see the world a better place for those that follow.
Then there is the issue of whether Transsexuals can come together with Intersex, Gender Queer, Cross Dressers etc. More division and lack of common goals.
What is does mean is that there are very few people willing to speak and advocate on behalf of us. It also means that we are not seen as a cohesive group with hundreds of people. In essence we are own worst enemy and change will come very slowly.
I remind myself each day that I must practice non attachment, patience and tolerance as I seek to find happiness.
Huggs
Jade
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I’ve moved this post into the forum where, in the past, there have been discussions about improving the profile of TR – as this post talking about TransFormal I think is in a similar vein. certainly the posts by Amy are an extension of post made in another earlier discussion about TR.
Jade’s comments about the lack of cohesion reflect a real problem we have in presenting gender diversity as a community and not individual sub-groups.
The specific issue about stealth and women has been discussed in some depth in the serious forums. I don’t think it is a relevant issue with achieving greater recognition for TR or TransFormal. After all it is clear that many in this situation would no longer wish to consider themselves gender diverse or value a continuing association with TR.
So let’s try and focus instead on the wider gender diverse community – from those who are in the closet and not wishing to attract any attention, to those who are transgendered and expressing their gender choice full time. It is this group that is currently represented in some way by TR and meetings like TransFormal. To the outsider this group must appear reasonably cohesive, and although it lacks advocates and spokespeople, it should perhaps attract greater recognition.
This I think is the issue that frustrated Amy.
However I don’t think that complaining that the world is unfair in this way gets one anywhere (other than perhaps increasing the frustration).
What is perhaps needed is some concrete strategies to increase the profile of this Gender Diverse group (maybe in only a small way) and volunteers to implement them! -
amanda
incorporaiton is easy.
the main point would be what are the objetcives. are there not too many “representative groups” already? could tr become an active online part of nsw seahorse (note, no national/federal seahorse), or a nsw wales branch of a genda agenda? what exactly do members want? is a broad organisation likely to appeal to everyone? check this out:
http://www.goodtransitionguide.com.au/
two fell swoops, and they have separated intersex and transsexuals straight away. you’ll recall the “dialogue” you had with jennifer green here on tr and on the stg2002 yahoo group.
and check this out:
http://transmeditations.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/are-we-on-the-verge-of-a-transgender-civil-war/
so who are you going to represent and what do you want to do?
and does our community really need another organisation?
check out:
http://www.genderrights.org.au/
http://www.changelingaspects.com/
and the links in
http://www.changelingaspects.com/LinksPages/Support%20Groups.htm
not to mention
http://www.gendercentre.org.au/
so what is it that makes tr any different, apart from organisaiton of transformal and transfusion? sure the social aspect is great, as is the annual (well, twice now) bringing together of the some of the tribes, but i think it’s way short of bringing everyone together or being a celebration of australian gender diversity (wouldn’t that be a party and a half – oh that’s right, we have mardi gras?).
in the meantime, as we all ride around on our high jorses, bickering between ourselves, obsessed with the visions we see in our mirrors, and yet, out there in the “real world” we have people that would get rid of us, let alone deny us rights at the snap of a finger:
http://theantibogan.wordpress.com/
we have got a long way to go. we have got to get much more organised. we are splintered, and dispirited. the lgb pay us lip service or are just as uninformed about our plight as is the majority. have you had a deep and meaningful conversation with a gay or lesbian person about the difference between a transsexual and a transgender person? how much did they really know?
those that want to make a chanege need to get together and forget about subtle differences. those that want to be separatists need to remember their journey and those who have not started yet.
finally, i guess one issue about tr “transforming” into something more organised and political may well be the “tranny” tag that lingers. no matter how you google tr, it will almost always be “tranny radio” that will lead net surfers to the door. i suspect that many may be put off by the word “tranny”, like it or not. i guess that would have to be a change before moving forward. it may well be an inhibitor to any claim that tr is home of the truly gender diverse.
so … tr – a door for beginners (nsw seahorse), a political wing (a gender agenda), a broad government funded support group (gender centre)? or just remain a loose bunch of people connected by the internet who have a party occasionally and leave all that other stuff to the others?
as usual, just some thoughts and observations, and i acknowledge not everyone will have the same pov. please let no one take any of this personally.
love, peace and light
virginia xo -
Quote:i guess one issue about tr “transforming” into something more organised and political may well be
Funnily enough – as someone who avoids these things – I have absolutely no interest in making TR political or even organised (in the sense of formally structured).
So if that is the only way to make others acknowledge your existence…
then perhaps we should just muddle along as we do now – hopefully helping a few people and doing no one any great harm. -
I feel it is important that we understand that Sex and/or Gender Diverse, a term the Australian Human Rights Commission has chosen to use instead of Transgender covers both diversity of biological sex and also Gender Diversity separately or together in any one person. It also reflects a world not based on the sex/gender binary. (See http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/lgbti/lgbticonsult/report/index.htmlfor the HRC report Addressing sexual orientation and sex and/or gender identity discrimination)
For me my transsexualism was about my biological sex being incongruent with my Brain Gender …so I have never considered that my core issue was about my gender even though to proceed through my transition I had to be diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder … a mental illness label which I completely reject as I believe we all should.
I also know that fro my own personal experience that I was very self centred and most of what was important was about ME. I found groups like TR, ATSN FF Support, GRS in Thailand and others to be very helpful in filling the blanks or information needs for me. One of these was a need to associate with others who were on or had been on a similar path. Post transition it is very different and for many we suffer real day to day challenges living. These challenges are rooted in the lack of understanding within the wider community of what it means to be us. We are discriminated by government, employers, our work mates and even our family and friends to some degree. Changing this will only occur by the coming together of very diverse groups around the world and becoming visible as we campaign for our equal human rights. I don’t expect it in my lifetime… and they are still giving the death penalties to gays in some countries … there is along way to go!
Anyway, it more than I intended to say. I wish everyone success in their journeys.
Bye
Jade
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The Transformal 2011 had quite a number of Tgirls who were attending a function for their first time and some who wanted to remain out of the public eye, this was also my first main function although I have attended smaller ones with the Carrousel Club in Adelaide.
To draw political and or mass public attention to this function would I believe deter those who are venturing out for their first time and those who do not want public recognition due to their life style and or commitments. The encouragement, friendship and support that was shared between every one at this event would be contained to those who are “out” and this would prevent a lot of new friends and contacts being made between those who need it the most.
I came away with new confidence in myself and friendships that I hope to continue. I doubt that I would have gone to the event if it was a political statement to the public due to my life commitements at the time of buying a ticket. Now after being to this event I have found the confidence to become more “out” than ever before and with this new confidence I hope to help others find their way too.
Thank you to all those who attended and made me feel welcome and part of a wounderful group, this was an event I will never forget.
Regards Karly -
I think this thread has run its course…with a diversion midstream onto a more general recognition thread.
Karly has correctly drawn it back to the original topic.
As organiser – I don’t wish to see a political or media spotlight thrown on TransFormal.
Karly has voiced the main reason – the support and validation inherent in such an event would be lost if the participants felt they were being observed or were being expected to make a political statement!!
But I have a second reason…far more pragmatic.. I think a lot of the value of TF comes from its scale… not too small as to be ineffective, not to large as to be impersonal.
Without any plans to change venue (which I think is an essential part of the mix) the current reality is that demand will probably exceed supply of tickets…it would be just generating disappointment at this stage to ramp up the demand.I suggest this is where we leave the thread for now?
