Pride Charlotte

Saturday was a wonderful day. We had plenty of volunteers for our Charlotte Gender Alliance booth. I uploaded some photos in my webshots albumn. You can see them here. I have to admit it really got to me when I saw our newer people handing out flyers and engaging in outreach themselves. They were looking people in the eye and telling them you are welcome to meet with us no matter who you are. Pretty awesome!

I spoke around 12:30. I always spend a few minutes alone to collect my thoughts before I speak. A friend who is virtually a professional photographer took the above photo with a telephoto lens. I think I like this photo because it shows me actually thinking for a change. You can click on it to enlarge.

My dear friend, Elke Kennedy spoke at 1PM. As usual, it was an honor to be in the same venue with her. You have seen me write of her often. She is the founder of Sean's Last Wish. If anyone charges my batteries, Elke definitely does.

I've changed my normal protocol and decided to post the text of my remarks from Saturday. Each word was carefully chosen, including my reference to self promotion at the expense of others. You can read the text here.

July 24, 2008

A transwoman is filing suit after being terminated from her job with the Georgia General Assembly. Read about it here. She has about as much chance winning that suit as the Panthers do the Super Bowl this year.

This is the reality in our world and is why a trans inclusive ENDA is so important. Many have, and continue to fight long and hard. It is not lost on many of us that Barney Frank said last fall that more education is needed. So far, we mostly have a lot of sniping back and forth within the transgender community about who was, or was not at fault.

The immediate task is to let society see TG people are just like anyone else who wants no more than to be who they are. Events like Pride Saturday give us a chance to educate our own 'community'. How ironic in many ways.

July 22, 2008

Tomorrow evening is the transgender event for Pride Charlotte Week. There is a showing of the motion picture, Southern Comfort . This is a documentary which chronicles the last days of Robert Eades, a transman living in Georgia. His goal was to live long enough to speak at the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta. He achieved his goal.

Dinner is being served, followed by a group discussion. We already have nine members of Charlotte Gender Alliance attending this showing.

July 20, 2008

Next weekend is Pride Charlotte. Charlotte Gender Alliance is in the process of lining up volunteers to work the booth in two hour shifts. Considering the heat, even two hours may be a stretch. One of our members created a 6' long, 2' high banner. I was moved to tears when I saw this, as it incuded our diversity statement which captures the essence of who we are as an organization, and hopefully of my life as an individual. If you click on the photo above, it will enlarge. I thought it was totally awesome.

This years' theme is 'Live, Love, Be', my three favorite subjects. I have written about the rate of hate crime violence many times. The rate of depression, suicidal ideation and even suicide itself is astronomical in the transgender community. It does not have to be. My message will be very simplistic, it's okay to be who you are, no matter who you are. The thing about love, you first must love yourself as you were created in order to share it with others.

As always, our task is that of education, both the gays inside the venue and the protestors outside. If the two ladies I met last year happen to read this, please do stop by and see us. My respect for you is greater than I can convey. I'm sure you already know that.

I'm scheduled to speak at 12:20. Elke Kennedy is speaking at 1PM, followed by my a civil war costume presentation by my friend, Stephanie Marie.

Today was a puppet show for the children at church. It was a lot of fun doing this. The topic of our presentation was 'courage', which is one of my overriding issues these days.

After service, we had a ground breaking ceremony for the new building addition, followed by a pot luck lunch. It was a wonderful day.

Yesterday was the Kappa Beta support group meeting in Charlotte. I was torn between going to this meeting and driving to Asheville for an event there. I am honored to have a friend in Elke Kennedy, Sean Kennedy's mother. She was attending, along with my friends from PFLAG Salisbury.

I mostly needed some extra sleep yesterday morning, so I stayed in Charlotte for the meeting. I will see them at Pride next Saturday. I plan to work both the Charlotte Gender Alliance and PFLAG booth at various times Saturday.

I wrote some time ago about an outreach effort to a large NC based corporation. Last month, they wrote non harrassment based upon gender identity into their EEO statement. I have now learned they are within two weeks of adding gender identity into their EEO statement. This is major! The importance could not be overstated! It will impact many areas of the southeast and will literally be life changing to both the employees and the communities they serve. They will be driven to the top echelon of the HRC Employer Index.

I told them I woud not make the announcement until all the vice presidents have signed off, but the commitments are in place. This outreach began in February 2007 and has been ongoing. The good thing about outreach, you not only accomplish important goals, you make some real friends. If my friends happen to read this, you know how proud I am of you. I will see you at your Pride booth next Saturday as well.

I have mentioned Elke Kennedy a number of times. There was a memorial service in Greenville, SC for her son on May 16, the first anniversary of his murder. Anniversary is such a poor choice of words.

After Elke's remarks at a park in downtown Greenville, we walked across a foot bridge and tossed daisys in the river below as a memorial to Sean. During he ceremony, Elke saw a white dove fly by, which seems quite significant.

After the event, I lingered on the bridge watching the sunset. I saw the picnickers below and wondered if they realized a woman was up here who had lost her son only because of who he was. I looked at the wide chasm between the two sides of the river. It made me think again of the chasm that exists between the LGBT community and the church. So many people are ostracized from the very institutions which should be most supportive. To that end, we have created an online group called TLGB Christians. We had considered being transgender inclusive only, but then we would doing the very thing against which we preach, leaving others out. Thus, everyone is welcome. This may be the most important group of all. A secular support group can change people during this life. Accepting our Savior will save us for eternity.

I mention this because I was asked this morning if I would take the position of Open and Affirming Coordinator within our church. Of course I will, but the depth of the need is so great, I'm not sure any of us is fully aware.

Lots going on this last month. I still wonder if anyone actually reads this blog, but I do need to make regular updates. I keep saying that, but living a life takes so much time.