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A short history of TgR
TgR has its origins back in the mid 1990s when the Internet was very different than today.
Web sites were the domain of large commercial companies and people were still experimenting trying to find out exactly what the World-Wide Web could be used for. The only way open to the transgender community to communicate on-line and share information was through dial-up bulletin boards – no Facebook, no Wikipedia and no Google!Then in 1995 everything changed as Geocities opened up free web hosting for everyone. Amanda, a crossdresser in Sydney, grabbed an address www .geocities.com/WestHollywood/7788 and created a website. Although it started out as just a personal space, the website soon started collecting useful resources for other crossdressers in Australia. The demand to put transgender Australia on the Internet fueled a rapid growth in the site and in July 1997 it started hosting a directory of contact details for other crossdressers.
The traffic that was generated, though low by contemporary standards, was an issue with the free hosting service. Resources had to be moved off to an eGroup discussion board. However, in a couple of years even this diversification failed, when eGroups was swallowed up by Yahoo (as Yahoo Groups) as was Geocities. So, in 2001, the website had to start paying Yahoo for its hosting; but, in a new development for the time, the package included a domain name. The name http://www.trannyradio.com was chosen as a play on the old transistor radios in the 60’s – which did rather date most of the members at that time!
TrannyRadio was one of many transgender web sites launched in the 1990s. What distinguished it from many others, then as now, was the focus on quality of membership not quantity. Whilst others raced to collect as many members as they could and drive web traffic to commercial sponsors, TrannyRadio purged its inactive members regularly and refused to take any advertising.
Of course, with no advertising there was no income to pay the hosting provider. So in 2002 TrannyRadio, or TR as it was affectionately known, started charging a small once-only joining donation of $5.Another distinguishing feature of the web site is the level of moderation in its forums. Insisting on, and enforcing, reasonable standards of behaviour online, has resulted in open communication and robust discussion in the forums. The byproduct of this is an accumulated wealth of information and resources. It also resulted in a a warm, open, and supportive environment for people to explore their gender diversity.
There have been other significant changes over the years as the web site continues to grow and evolve. The focus has gradually broadened over time, moving from origins in crosdressing to embrace the entire gender diverse community; the domain name TrannyRadio was recently dropped in favour of Transgender Radio (tgr.net.au). But the most significant change has been the shift in the community from being on-line and hidden to being in the public view. Transgender Radio has taken a major role in both providing social opportunities for the gender diverse community and also advertising events organised by others.
Whilst other internet groups strive for membership numbers and commercial return, TgR has remained focused on providing information and advice without commercial bias, communication without discrimination, and membership only for those who are demonstrably gender diverse. The group has grown to have 700 active members and is still totally funded donations.
Our aim is to foster greater understanding, awareness and friendship within the gender diverse community.
In particular we encourage membership from crossdressers, transexuals, intersex, gender queers, or any other flavour of gender diversity.Online, TgR has resources on every aspect of transgender life ‘down-under’, an active chat room, and we host individual photo albums and blogs for our members. Offline, we organise or promote events for the gender diverse community throughout Australia.
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