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National trans* & gender diverse working group
As anyone who has previously read my posts would know I often advocate for unity in our community and for a transgender voice. Recently I was involved in the anzpath conference committee and we had a session on the last day to discuss the matter.
The result of that was a volunteer stewardship group to consult and engage the community to create the basis for a national organisation. As is often the case there was some early disruption by a specific members who wanted control some of the volunteers left for personal reasons some because of the disruption.Eventually the disruption resigned after causing maximum damage. That ex member is now claiming the credibility of the original group to start her personal national group obviously with people she chooses. Anyway that history has not stopped the stewardship project and we (I am one of the group).we are now re building before the upcoming public consulting process. .
This is a link for those who may be interested. .
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21 Replies
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Kristyana wrote:Eventually the disruption resigned after causing maximum damage.Kristyana,
A sad outcome but not an entirely unexpected one.
The history of attempts to unify the community and represent transgender issues is littered with personality fireworks like the one that has clearly derailed the ANZPATH initiative. The length to which people have discussed topics such as “are we a community?” and “have we a voice?” in these forums demonstrates the challenges to achieving consensus.
Maybe I’m being over-generous, but I sense that the intentions of those involved in transgender advocacy are honorable and they do want to contribute to the common good. But often their ideas of the common good are narrow and based on their individual experiences and gender expression.
Over the years I have got fed up of being attacked by “gender warriors” for disagreeing with their restricted (e.g. transexual, health, marriage… ) focus. So I steer clear of any political activism now.
But I do detect a trend where those who preach from a narrow platform are becoming more aware their views are incomplete and discriminatory. In this context maybe the time is favourable for an all-embracing initiative like the one I understand was proposed at ANZPATH.
So hang in there Kristyana! Listen to the issues we all have, build a broad platform, and there is some hope going forward!
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Yes i think i am already aware of the situation and have been advised by members of our community not to include certain individuals in the inner circle .I believe u have ever body’s intrest’s at hart in this.And wish u the very best.And i and a few others over here in the west will back u 100% with what a national group mean’s to us all.
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Just launched the new web site on Facebook kristyana .feel free to use it to promote this very important initiative out of the ANZPATH conference
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The steward group is going on with the mandated action that was agree by all but one from the one voice session at the ANZPATH conference..
We did have a lot of well meaning spirits in the group and one who had another agenda these people for various reasons withdrew and for the process to succeed it was always going to have to find a broader base than the conference group. Inevitably that twenty different people with different experience levels in community activity and quite a few with no idea was always going to lead to a case of indigestion.
Optimal group size for team structure is as I understand from papers I have read is generally accepted to be 10 to16 so we were with the lack of experience in a difficult place. It would have been a good idea to have entered the original one voice session with a clear plan we could have probably have saved this birthing process.There is no less commitment today I believe than there was at the conception of the stewards group, less in number but greater in focus , we are now able to bring in a broader representation of the Australian trans and gender diverse community.
I remember posing the question here to which Adriana referred, have. we a political voice.? It was the start of something in my mind.
The vigorous conversation that followed is something I hope the broader diverse community will engaged in when we commence the community consultation.We still have the opportunity to create a powerful and coherent political voice that could put our needs to the front of the social and political agenda. When we can do that there will be greater opportunity for people to simply have a full and meaningful life free from persecution or discrimination. We could be accepted rather than tolerated. We could reduce the mental anguish so many endure.
That day is not far away if we want to make it happen. I believe that the majority do want it , there are only some who fail to appreciate the benefits to all because they need to be important or nothing is.If you think you can add to the stewards group follow the link I put it in the original post or email me .
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Is there a place where I can follow the progress of this group? As much as I’d love to join in the good work that this will accomplish I am not connected enough to this community nor do I have the time to invest in such an endeavour.
I can only wish you the very best for the future. -
I’ve just been pointed to http://www.tranz4mations.net.au . Is this your site Nicola or is it different to tranz4mations.com.au ? If I’m about to blunder into WA gender politics I’d like to do it with my eyes open.
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Recently I set up a Facebook page and found there was a diverse attitude and often a lack of sympathy between what would be designated as pre-op genderchange girls to those of the cross dressing community.
When I challenged their attitude by pointing out it wasn’t as black and white as they were suggesting I was flamed and had it pointed out that transgender people were more likely to commit suicide than ‘cross dressing weekend warriors’ and were in need of more help. I agreed there were more but it didn’t mean that cross dressers should be thought of as less than at risk.
I believe, and this has been supported by various opinions, that those of the gender diverse community are in the same social situation the gay community was
in the 50’s and 60’s. On the verge of a break through as far as community awareness and maybe understanding could be. But the biggest hurdle, in my opinion is how society manages to ‘see us’. literally. Those of the gay community aren’t necessarily as obvious as we can be to the general eye. A gay man or woman mixing in the community doesn’t necessarily ‘stick-out’ as much as a transgender woman often is. We are usually more obvious and often confronting to the community at large. So I believe we have a bigger hill to climb.
But if we can’t work together, unite, as the gay community have managed to do, if we fight among ourselves how can we present with a positive image? -
Unfortunately there will always be a divergence of opinions and some of those opinions will be stridently divisive that is the nature of people. That said there is reason to be optimistic the voices of division are generally rather lonely and I have found that their argument usually fails to appreciate the reality that is the individual journey.
We can’t ignore each other and for the most part we can correct the internal ignorance that still exists within our community..I’m sure this will be abundantly clear when we enter the national consultation process. -
ClaireStafford wrote:When I challenged their attitude by pointing out it wasn’t as black and white as they were suggesting I was flamed and had it pointed out that transgender people were more likely to commit suicide than ‘cross dressing weekend warriors’ and were in need of more help.
Claire,
Your experience is not uncommon, and the encounter you describe gives two pointers to the challenges that lie ahead if we are to have a united voice.The first is the black and white, crossdresser or transexual divide. Like a religious war this schism has been dividing and creating animosity for as long as I can remember. A question like “is that for real girls or just crosdressers?” appears regularly in these forums, asked by those who don’t share Kristyana’s wider view of a community. The question is based on a firmly held belief that being a crossdresser or transexual is both exclusive, and together are inclusive of all the gender diverse spectrum. The obvious fact that this premise is wrong doesn’t stop the question being asked and raising the hackles of many.
The second pointer to the challenges ahead is that the frequent assumption that main issue we should be worried about is health. (Note that even the current initiative came out of a medical conference). This leads to the vast majority of transgender advocates having a transexual background and pushing a single barrow. Health is important but many of the issues that lead to suicide are not to do with treatment, they are to do with the understanding and acceptance in society at large. Only when we move away from advocating on a platform of transexual health and rights, and focus on a broader platform of understanding and acceptance of gender diversity will we be working for the community as a whole.
Your experience on Facebook just re-enforces how carefully any initiative must proceed, through a minefield we seem to have made for ourselves.
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Hi Adriana, thanks for your reply.
I try to be optimistic about the entire subject. I hope that one day there will be a true trans/genderdiverse/ fluid sisterhood, and we can simply ‘be’ as we want to without worrying about what people might think or say cos they won’t be thinking anything about us at all. Apart from, ‘What a lovely old lady in that wheelchair!’The pessimist in me suspects it’s going to be a very long time. One pointer of concord might be finally having one name to encompass us all. Instead of every diversion coming up with their own designation, use one short snappy word. Like the homosexual community all use ‘Gay’.
Once upon a time it used to be simple, you were a transvestite or a transsexual. But now! There are many and varied titles, also many and varied resentments to some titles and designations. ‘Tranny’ which was once considered an inclusive term is now considered offensive.
I thought I went off on a tangent for a minute, but now i think about it, maybe not. We need to show unity, not divisiveness. One banner could help. -
We are the ones to demonstrate community spirt to all with acceptance of the diversity that exists in our community. People are always going to need to identify as a group or with someone else for the most part it is our social nature. That will always lead to a certain level of difficulty but nothing that can’t be overcome.
There will likely never be an all encompassing term acceptable to everyone but I believe that in spite of this unity in diversity is really going to happen. I am one who agrees that there shouldn’t be a narrow veiw of what is to be achieved. Health and well being are important but they are much better addressed and easier to achieve with the support of the broader community. The support will come as a wider demographic comes to understand the reality of gender diversity and how it impacts on those who experience gender issues.
I believe that education of the Australian community is well underway and a national voice will focus the narrative ensuring our leaders understand and support our needs. As much as we need unity to support each other, our unity will make it easier for the broader community to support us.
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I can agree 100% with everything you say Kristyana. I have some problems understanding which of the current initiatives here and elsewhere are fully on message with you though.
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I have to agree with most of the sentiments expressed thus far. United we stand; divided we fall. Sadly, judging by the anecdotes expressed in the discussion, unity is still some distance away.
At the previous Transformal event, there was a workshop where a panel of experts answered questions about transgender-related topics. I posed a question about what defines transgenderism and perhaps how they would define the term “transgender” themselves. I found the answers incredibly disappointing as they seemed to be avoiding the question altogether, mumbling that they didn’t like “labels” or “umbrella terms” and giving no clear guidance at all.
The term “gay” is easily understood by the community at large, possibly because one’s sexuality is either one or the other (or both in some cases), not to mention that there is plenty of mature discussion about gay issues. It seems to be a badge of honour these days to come out and declare yourself as being “gay”. The transgender movement is a long way from reaching a similar point.
I would contend that we do need an umbrella term, namely, TRANSGENDER, to define ourselves under which all the other terms reside: crossdresser, transvestite, transsexual, bigender, gender queer, drag queen, two-spirit, androgyne et al. On that note, I think the definitions in Wikipedia are fairly close to the mark and a good starting point for discussion.
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Martina wrote:I would contend that we do need an umbrella term, namely, TRANSGENDER, to define ourselves under which all the other terms reside: crossdresser, transvestite, transsexual, bigender, gender queer, drag queen, two-spirit, androgyne et al. On that note, I think the definitions in Wikipedia are fairly close to the mark and a good starting point for discussion.
Can we please continue any discussion about labels to the forum “Labels & Groups”.
http://forum.tgr.net.au/cms/forum/F319Discussions about labels have been active for a long time…some of the topics there have had a very large number of contributions from members.
I would ask that this thread on National trans* & gender diverse working group stays on that specific subject and not stray into a discussion about labels.
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This is the site that is conected with the original agreement to come out of the ANZPATH conference in October 2014.No Transgender politics here on our site just a voice for our gender diverse community to talk about things that concern them and to get correct and up to date information and contact’s. And everyone is encouraged to participate. As our Facebook manager.is the official photographer/editor of the WA Pridefest lgbitq pridefest parade held in perth in November this year.nicola admin Tranz4mations.net.au
