Finding Connections

I started attending meetings of the local PFLAG group a few months ago.  The couple who facilitate this group (D & A) are very nice people with a gay son, who are strong advocates for the local LGBT community.  About four months ago this PFLAG group came up with the idea of starting a spin-off group for transgender individuals.  A guest speaker at the first meeting was from a Des Moines transgender support group.  She spoke at length regarding what their group is all about, when it meets, etc, and had many great ideas. 

At the beginning I told D & A that I would like to contribute support for the LGBT community (especially transgender) and that when possible I intended to attend every meeting.  From that, they talked me into taking the position of facilitator of our transgender support group.  The idea of doing so both excites & frightens me.  I am very much looking forward to contributing in any way I can to provide support for any transgender individuals, however I am a passive & shy person who is terrified of speaking in front of a group of people.  Taking on this role will be something of a challenge for me (due to my fear) but I consider it a good way find ways to deal with it.  And having a passion for this type of support is a huge help.  Our group has had transgender individuals attending as well as family members and friends/advocates. 

We are meeting the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of every month from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, with the PFLAG group meeting in the same room from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM on the 2nd Thursdays of every month.  I had no idea how many transgender people might live in this area and would like to attend this type of support group.  From a relatively small beginning our transgender support group has been gaining strength.  More transgender people than I expected, young & old, have shown up.  And a few parents have attended our transgender support group, looking for answers and help with a transgender child, many of them newly aware of the child's preferred gender identity.

This summer I attended a picnic held by the local Pride group who are trying to grow their own numbers from the LGBT community.  I met some great people at this event and plan to start attending their monthly meetings, which are held the 3rd Tuesday of every month.  Last week I attended a summit held by the local Civil Rights Commission, the main topic being equal rights for housing for the LGBT community.  Many from the local Pride and PFLAG groups attended, as did a few others from the LGBT community.  I again met some great people.

What I have found is that I really look forward to meeting with these people.  They thoroughly know & understand who I am and are fully accepting of me as a transgender woman.  When you get right down to it, I am feeling very much connected to the people I have encountered within the local LGBT community.  It is somewhat similar to a feeling of family.  In many ways I am feeling a better connection with some of these people than I have with my own family (I best leave any discussion regarding relationships with my biological family for another post). 

The main thing is, I have a strong sense of belonging to the local LGBT community and I would truly like to find more ways to advocate for better equality in our area and help provide better support for LGBT's, especially transgender people.