May 10, 2008

Lots going on these last couple weeks. Elke Kennedy, mother of Sean Kennedy spoke at CGA last weekend. Rather than for me to inadequately try and find words, you can visit their website, Sean's Last Wish There are certain people with whom I am honored to be in the same room. Elke is one of those people. There will be a candlelight vigil May 16 in Greenville, SC to honor Sean's life. I plan to be there.

The first time I heard Elke speak was the day of the HRC dinner in Charlotte this past February. We had a session with the Campus Pride men and women. That evening, she was presented with the Human Rights Campaign Equality Award.

This is one of those cases when from the most horrific tragedy imaginable, can come an outreach that lasts beyond a lifetime. The rate of violence against the LGBT community has been escalating in recent months. That cycle of ignorance breeding hatred can only be stopped by us.

The week prior was the NC/SC PFLAG conference in Salisbury, NC. It was a long day, but I learned a lot and met some good people. One of the presentations on chapter building showed me some things we can apply to CGA.

It's time to start planning ahead for Pride Charlotte July 26. CGA will have a table. I'm hoping we can be close to the rear entrance of Starbucks that was such a lifesaver in August last year. I am invited to be one of the speakers. The event last year was a time of meeting acquaintances I hadn't seen in ages. It was like a day long hugfest. I expect this year to be the same. We have a number of CGA folks who will be there.

This is the way we put a face on the transgender community. As I've said, most of the gay community doesn't really get us. Certainly mainstream society doesn't understand us. That's not to say things have not gotten better with the movies and talk shows. The way to gain acceptance is to meet people and let them hear our stories. This is what we are doing, not only at Pride, but other venues.

I talked with my son last week for the first time in almost two years. He's getting married this coming Tuesday. It will be a small ceremony, but I'm hoping guests will be invited, and I will be one of them. There is still a mountain to climb there, but at least I found the mountain.

The National Day of Silence

Tomorrow is the official observance of The National Day of Silence.

Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC held their observance yesterday. I was invited to speak during the ceremonies at 8PM. I always enjoy speaking at events. Each is special in it's own way, as was this one.

This photograph is going to be one of my favorites, not because I am in it, but because of who is in it with me. You can click to enlarge the photo. These are the leaders of Campus Pride at Winthrop University. They invited me to their off campus home for dinner at 5:30 PM. I had met a few of these young people during the HRC gala in February, but these couple hours gave me time to become better acquainted.

I write a lot on this blog about courage and the quest for human dignity. These young men and women have a courage and maturity that many of us older folks would do well to develop.

As much as I enjoyed speaking at the event, spending time with them on a more personal level overshadowed anything else. I have thought all day about the courage it takes to come out in view of the horrific amount of hate crime violence we have seen these last few months.

We talk about being true to yourself and reaching out. These men and women have already learned the lesson. I thought to myself today, they already get it when many of us are still trying to figure it out. I hope my words reflect my admiration for them. I also hope I have an opportunity to see them again. They definitely charged my batteries last night, although some friends think I'm a little too over charged already. I don't think that's a bad thing.

Something else happened last night. There was another speaker who had to cancel at the very last minute. My friend, Stephanie Marie stepped up and got there in plenty of time for the ceremonies. She did an amazing job of impromptu speaking. She was actually quite amazing.

The Campus Pride leaders will probably read this. Thanks to you all for the lessons you teach us old timers.

I don't think I will need physical therapy for my neck after the accident at work. The concussion was apparantly mild because I'm mostly conscious again of what I'm doing, although a couple friends disagree on that. The neck pain is getting better gradually.

Charlotte Gender Alliance is growing faster than I woud have imagined. Our meeting in April was perhaps our best yet. I have reason to believe the May 3rd meeting will be equally powerful.

As I have said, our situation in Charlotte is somewhat unique in that we have two transgender support groups which are mutually supportive of each other. I am a member of Kappa Beta as are many of the folks in Charlotte Gender Alliance. It is often asked if there will ever be real TG Unity, specifically NC TG Unity. I honestly believe we have it in Charlotte. It's pretty awesome.

April 10, 2008

I saw my personal physician this week for a second opinion on the injury I wrote about earlier. As I knew, there is no permanent damage to my noggin, but it's still nice to hear another doctor say it.

I will begin physical therapy for the sprained neck and shoulder. I'm still not where I need to be, but as I told a friend, I've never been where I need to be. It's all relative.

I went to new The Charlotte Gay and Lesbian Community Center open house this evening. Charlotte Gender Alliance has an opportunity for this to be our permanent meeting site. I think it will be perfect, but a group of us will look at it before making a decision.

We are growing to the point our current space, cozy though it is, is getting a little cramped. Not a problem there, we planned to grow and plan to continue.

One of the cool things about these events, you always meet people you have met at other functions. Our guest last week from HRC was also there. It was good seeing her again.

April 6, 2008

Our Charlotte Gender Alliance meeting last night was perhaps our most important ever. We had a larger turnout, which is fine, but the energy in the room was amazing.

We invited two local members of HRC. The dialogue we had showed me again we all want the same thing, the right to be who we are. Their participation was more valuable than they may realize. I hope they come back soon.

For anyone who has read previous posts on this and especially other blogs, the ENDA situation is clear. Everyone who knows me, also knows how I feel about unity. It is sitting down with each other over dinner that will enable us to, as the saying goes, 'Be The Change'. I feel stronger about that than ever.

It was not lost on me that along with the two HRC members, we also had two members of the Kappa Beta board of directors present.

We are not perfect and will make mistakes along the way. The unity we had last night sort of got to me. I mean, two support groups in the same city, no competition or dissention, only support......two HRC members being as supportive of us as we were them. I have to admit it was pretty darned cool.

What was not cool was an event at work last Thursday. The bottom section of a roll up door broke off and hit me in the head. I went to the E.R. where they did a CAT scan. The results showed no permanent damange. The E.R. doctor says I have a neck sprain and possible mild concussion.

I'm still having headaches and neck pain. I guess that's no surprise since it's only been four days. I will call my personal physician tomorrow and see how it goes day by day.

April 1, 2008

This past Saturday, a number of transgender people were invited to Greensboro, NC to meet the board members of Equality North Carolina for dialogue. They were very nice people and I really enjoyed meeting them.

I might add I also met some transgender leaders in NC for the first time. This in itself was a good thing. We also began dialogue with each other.

The discussion was pointed at times, but always respectful. Feelings continue to run deep over what took place with HRC, ENDA and a host of other issues.

It would be difficult to reach a concensus on anything in three hours. The one thing in agreement is the need for education, getting to know each other and focusing on our commonalities rather than our differences.

One course we all agreed on would be for board members to visit support groups around NC as they are able. This would put a face on the community and let them hear our stories. The fact is, this is good for any well meaning people and is something we are going to focus on in Charlotte Gender Alliance. Our potential for outreach is unlimited.

I spoke at PFLAG Salisbury last month. I'm going back to join this month, with a few friends coming along with me. This will give them an opportunity to meet two other ENC board members. I think we're off to a pretty good start.

As I said, feelings run very deep over ENDA and HRC. It's no secret to anyone, including the HRC people at the local level. I recently met one of local HRC members, a very nice lady. We have invited her to our meeting this coming Saturday evening.

The bottom line to all this, we speak of embracing diversity. We talk about inclusion and not exclusion. We hand out reams of paper during Pride week about accepting each other. I personally preach being happy with who you are, no matter who you are. Some people are probably tired of hearing it.

I think we're at the point where the rubber meets the road. Either what we preach is true, or it's not. If we are truly open, we will meet with our LGB friends, and also our so called 'straight' allies at every opportunity. They will learn about us and vice versa.

We aren't going to change the world, but we can begin by changing our own outlook. You also meet some pretty cool people doing this.

Speaking of cool people, if the two ladies I dialogued with during Pride and met at the HRC debate happen to read this, I would love to hear from you. You have no idea how much I respect you.

March 25, 2008

A gay person was assaulted with a knife late last week in reasonably close proximity to the venue in which one of our support groups meets. I hear people say any crime is a hate crime.

However, when a hate crime is thus categorized, the opportunity exists to break the cycle of ignorance breeding fear, which breeds hatred, which breeds violence.

This was a gay person. He was still a person. It could as easily have been a trans person.....or any person. We've talked in our group this week about watching out for each other. There already are enough people to be honored on the days set aside.

I'm invited to the board meeting this Saturday of Equality, North Carolina. As I told the people I have spoken with, I'm more a survivor than a leader. In any case, hopefully we can each contribute something to the cause of this organization. Their work is valuable beyond anything we can now realize.

I was talking with friends the other day about possible alternate career paths. One thought is to work with a non profit organization in which diversity is honored. I am also considering laser technician training and training to sit for licensing as a certified nail technician. All these ideas have merit.

Good Friday

I often wonder how many people actually read this blog. In any case, I've spoken a few times recently concerning the ever widening chasm between the LGBT community and what is perceived as 'the church'.

So many people are cut off from the very resources that should be there to help them. Fortunately, an increasing number of churches have made the decision to become all inclusive.

As I read posts on many online groups, the chasm seems to be widening. My friend, Roberta and I have considered an online group for transgender Christians. We realized to be only trans inclusive would be to ostracize the rest of our community.

To that end, we have created Carolina TLGB Christians. The only requirement for joining is to be respectful and have a genuine desire to either listen to the dialogue, or share your own stories and concerns as you feel led. We used 'Carolina', but the inclusivity extends beyond our own borders.

Last Sunday was our church's week to participate in Room In The Inn. This is a time when eight neighbors are invited from the Charlotte Urban Ministry. Each city has such an outreach. There is no greater cause. Wherever you are, your center is deserving of support.

Being who you are

I've talked a lot recently about addressing the perceived rift between the transgender community and the LGB segment. I've talked a lot about addressing the very real rift between the LGBT community and the church.

As the murders continue and bullying is a fact of life for so many in our world, we must realize we have more commonalities than we do disparity. So many wake up each morning wondering if this is the day they will be judged as unacceptable. The murder of Lawrence King in California last month was one more name added to an evergrowing list of people for us to honor.

Let's be honest; transgender people do have commonalities with the LGB community. The fundamental issue is survival. Ellen addressed the Lawrence King murder on a recent program. Please view this segment here.

What she says is very important. Essentially, it is okay to be who you are, no matter who you are. Why that salient fact is not understood, I will never know. Until it is understood, those of us who are able are charged with continuing the education which a number of people in high places think is still necessary.

Ellen DeGeneres response to Sally Kern

Several days ago, Okahoma State Representative Sally Kern expressed her views regarding the so called 'gay agenda'.

I, and others have written reams about the fact gay people in the LGBT community generally do not 'get' transgender people. Barney Frank says 'people of transgender' need to do more education. Thousands of people I honor are doing exactly that.

I believe our pressing need is to address the chasm that exists not only between the Transgender community and the rest of the world (including the church - another issue I will begin addressing soon), but within the LGBT community.

Most of my friends, the finest people I have known in a lifetime, are gay. Ms. Kern is telling us my friends are more dangerous than terrorists

Ellen DeGeneres responded yesterday. Listen to her segment here.

Does anyone think it was easy for Ellen DeGeneres to come out? This woman risked everything to be able to look at herself in the mirror each morning.

One of my closest friends on earth has done more outreach to the elderly and homeless than one could imagine. For her to be addressed as more dangerous than a terrorists brings a simultaneous anger and sadness I cannot even put into words.

Nope, as I said last night, compromise must be forever and absolutely unacceptable.

Charlotte - Mecklenburg School System

This past Tuesday, the Charlotte - Mecklenburg Co. Board of Education approved anti bullying legislation. Read the new policy here.

Do you see anything in this so called new rule about special rights for LGBT students? I see inclusivity. I see it expressed that people have the right to be who they are, no matter who they are. How can they not understand it is about simply being included?

It is incredible some of the speakers that evening equate human dignity with indoctrination. It is sad when a special meeting must be held to provide that which is a fundamental human right.......the right to BE.

We have grown accustomed to hatred and prejudice being a continued reality as we move forward into the 21st century. The lessons of history continue to be abundantly clear. People fear that which they do not understand. People also fear that which they fear becoming.

You may read The Charlotte Observer article here.

Ignorance breeds fear........ which breeds hatred. This is the sole purpose behind every Educational Initiative and any other form of outreach. The cycle of hatred must be broken and that can only begin with each of us.

There have been too many funerals recently for people murdered for simply 'being'. The National Day of Silence next month and The Transgender Day of Remembrance in November should not be necessary.

As long as these days are necessary, compromise is unacceptable.

March 11, 2008

There's not a lot left to say about the HRC/ENDA controversy. The HRC dinner was held in Charlotte Feb. 16. My activist friends Angela Brightfeather and Monica Helms held an Educational Initiative the day of the dinner. We spoke to Campus Pride Saturday morning. After the dinner, we handed out leafelets to the guests as they left. I hear it was a lovely event. This photo was made after we spoke to the Campus Pride group.

This weekend I will attend a laser workshop sponsored by Candela Corporation. I attended a similar event last year and earned a certificate of completion. I am looking at this as one possible answer to the career change I am seeking.

This past Saturday, I was invited to speak to the PFLAG Salisbury/Rowan Co, NC chapter. The good people were nice enough to listen to me for an hour without falling asleep. You can visit their website here. I was very taken with their devotion to the cause of human dignity. I plan to join and become a regular attendee.

Next Sunday our church participates in Room In The Inn. This is an outreach sponsored by Urban Ministry of Charlotte. Eight neighbors are invited to the church for an evening. Melanie and I will prepare an entree and help serve Sunday evening. There is no place I would rather be.

HRC debate Feb. 14, 2008

There was a debate in Charlotte Thursday evening, Feb 14, 2008:

"MEDIA ADVISORY:
Human Rights Campaign to Participate in GLBT Faith Debate
HRC Religion and Faith Director to speak on equality and acceptance
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, will participate in a dialogue on the Bible, faith and the experience of GLBT Christians and their families. The debate, “A Christian Response to Homosexuality," will include Harry Knox, director of HRC’s Religion and Faith Program, and Dr. Michael Brown, director of the Coalition of Conscience. Knox will bring a message of hope to people of faith and their families by speaking about God's love for all of us in a setting traditionally hostile to GLBT people."


My friend, Roberta and I attended the debate. Actually, it was more a dialogue which was respectfully done and well organized.

The transgender community was not heavily discussed. When it was, it was mostly by Dr. Michael Brown of The Coalition for Conscience. He referred to Gender Identity Disorder, which was of no surprise. If the opportunity had arisen, I would have pointed out that many of us do not consider ourselves trapped, or suffering from a disorder. People have to admit to 'gender identity disorder' to meet the WPATH Standards of Care in order to qualify for hormone therapy and surgery. But I digress. You will note they do not directly allude to the transgender community in their media advisory.

Harry Knox, the HRC representative apologized at the end for not discussing his transgender brothers and sisters more than he did. I don't think they were expecting transgender people to even be there. I'm sure no minds were changed, but a round of applause was offered at the end to the fact these issues were discussed peacefully and respectfully.

Something did happen that took me by surprise. When I worked the NCTGUNITY booth at Pride Charlotte last August, I had the opportunity to dialogue with two ladies of differing opinions than most people there. I won't refer to them as protestors because they were too nice. That has a negative connotation which does not apply to them. The really cool thing, they were at the debate that evening and recognized me. They made their way over to say hi. We had a nice chat and hugged before they left. I gave them my card with the hope we can keep in touch. If they read this post, they know how much I respect them, and that respect is sincere.

I've often thought of the following points; education can take many forms. Most times, it's simply living our lives and being proud of ourselves. We can also make more headway by treating others like we wish to be treated. It's merely a case of keeping human dignity first and foremost in our minds.

Additionally, during Pride Day, most of the people inside the venue also did not fully understand transgender issues. The fact that even our own community doesn't quite get us is at the core of the ENDA controversy. More on that later.

Sometimes I think there are people traveling life's journey parallel to ours. We occasionally come into each others' lives for a reason. In the case of my meeting these two ladies, perhaps it was to show each of us that we have more commonalities than we do differences. We were all there for one reason, we are Christians.

One last observation, walking back to our car, I remarked to Roberta that when I was a kid, I picked up the newspaper one morning and read about a gender variant person who was arrested for wearing clothing of the opposite sex in public...... ..on the very spot we were standing. I understand we have a long ways to go, but we absolutely.. .... positively come a long way since those days. Some of us remember it very personally.


It's happened again. A transgender youth was killed for no other reason than who she is. Read about it here She is one more person to honor next November 20th on The Transgender Day of Remembrance. She is one more person who will be added to Gwen Smith's Remembering Our Dead.

So the madness continues. This story has gotten very little press compared to other crimes in recent days. The divisiveness within the community and personal agendas must take a back seat to the fact that another life will not reach it's full potential.

January 1, 2008

This article in The Wall Street Journal by Naomi Schaefer Riley has generated a lot of conversation in our Charlotte Gender Alliance group. This was one of the usual slanted pieces full of misinformation regarding what it means to be transgender. At least it has people thinking and talking.

Ms. Riley generated discussion not only in the United States, but obviously around the world. I found a particularly interesting response in a blog entry by Zoe Brain in Canberra, Australia.

She links to a 70's song by Melanie (the singer, not my friend) that moved me, Lay down, lay down or Candles in the Rain
I remember the song, but never thought of it in the context of support groups.

"So raise the candles high'
Cause if you don't we could stay black against the night
Oh raise them higher again
And if you do we could stay dry against the rain."

"We were so close,
there was no room.
We bled inside,
each other's wounds"

Lyrics (c) Copyright 1970 by Kama Rippa Music, Inc. and Melanie Music, Inc.1650 Broadway, New York, New York 10019.

The last line got to me. We talk so much about the lack of TG Unity, not only in NC, but everywhere. If we felt that close to our brothers and sisters......... imagine all we could accomplish.

December 30th, 2007

As I look upon the last year, it's been full of surprises. I never thought I would have surgery twice in one year, once for a torn tendon in my arm, then facial surgery. The latter was optional, of course. I'm still marinating on when I will have the second procedure. I am thinking of sooner, rather than later.

Charlotte Gender Alliance has proved to be all we hoped. At this moment, we have 57 members on our Yahoo Group. Not that many will be able to attend a meeting, but if we provide the support and education only one person needs, it will have been worth the effort.

I had cordial contact with my ex wife for the first time in years. I sent her a Christmas Card with a small gift. She called to thank me and wished me well. It is impossible to spend years with a person and not have a concern for their welfare. I wish her the best and I think she knows that.

I have to admit a relationship is a missing piece of life's puzzle. I have some awesome friends and a good life. I also need someone special in my life. If it happens, that will be wonderful. If not, the journey will continue anyway.

I had no contact with my children again this year. I don't know if I have grown numb to that fact, or have learned to let go. Perhaps it's a combination of the two.

I mentioned an important outreach effort at the corporate level. That took place December 20th and went very well. In several online groups, the topic of education is a priority. The fact Barney Frank said more education is needed on behalf of the transgender community is a statement not lost on many of us.

However we may disagree with his actions regarding a non TG inclusive ENDA, the misconceptions of what it means to be transgender remain prevalent. I believe there will be some exciting outreach events taking place in 2008. I hope to be a part of a few of those. Let's get on with it.

Peace On Earth

I've been learning a bit of german recently. I found a german version of my favorite Christmas Carol: Stille Nacht It is very simple, but is a beautiful rendition.


There is a piece I posted on my website one year ago today. This was written long before Charlotte Gender Alliance came into being. In view of our world as it remains, I believe it is still appropriate:

12/23/06

The day before Christmas Eve is one of my favorites. The following two days are always busy. This day seems like a quieter time to enjoy the season, the music and the message.

I saw the bumper sticker today, "Let Peace Begin With Me". I began thinking of the Christmas songs we hear each year. We sing, "next year, all our troubles will be miles away". But we sang the same song last year and the years before that. Yet, our troubles remain as close as the next moment.

We sing of "Peace on Earth", but we know lasting peace will remain elusive until the final day of judgment.

Where then do we find the peace of which we sing, or the freedom from trouble which we desire?

As with all things in life that truly count, a peaceful heart will come from within.

Peace will come when we accept ourselves as unique individuals, each with our unique blessing.

Peace will come when we accept others without prejudice of any kind, not merely a tacit acceptance to which we pay lip service, but acceptance without reservation or condition.

Peace from within will often require making a stand for what we know to be right, knowing it may not be popular with coworkers or friends.

Peace may entail becoming an advocate for those unable to speak for themselves. The needs are many.

Peace will not come by self promotion, or allowing our deeds to give us an inflated sense of importance.

Ultimately, peace will come when we accept the true message of Christmas, "For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ The Lord".

Once we accept the real meaning of Christmas, our view of our world, and ourselves is forever changed. A changed heart will be the source of our peace. As the bumper sticker said, "Let peace begin with me".

December 17, 2007

I was thinking today how enjoyable this holiday season has been. Christmas is my favorite time of year, with all the little gatherings and the music in church.

Two weekends ago was a holiday social at Lisa's home. She's a very TG knowledgeable therapist I met several years ago. It was good meeting her clients and getting to know everyone.

Church is always nice during Christmas. Melanie and I lit the Advent Candles Sunday before last, which is something rather emotional.

This past Saturday night was the Kappa Beta Christmas party. I said last night I was happy I had the facial surgery. It's good I was able to time it when I did, especially with the chin implant which took more time to heal. The purpose was to make my face rounder and less angular. The recovery time let me be back to normal in time for the holidays. I did a few songs from ABBA Saturday evening, which let me show once again how little talent I have. It's all meant to be fun anyway, which it sure was.

Thanks also to my friend Swooz for the new hairstyle. This girl is beyond awesome. She came to the party and did a little number herself.

This coming Thursday, I have a major outreach opportunity with a large NC based corporation. Our dialogue has been going on almost a year and I'm very excited about how this has progressed. My hope is we can put a positive face on what it means to be transgender. I may share more about this in the weeks to come.

December 15, 2007

Now and then, I see someone I know on the talkshows. Last week, Kassandra was on Maury. We've met a couple times. I thought it was awesome that she had the courage to appear on a talk show and share her story.

I'm almost completely healed from my facial surgery. If you had asked me about a week post op, I would have said I wish I hadn't done it. Now that it's over, I'm glad I did this. It has made life so much easier. There is one minor surgery I may have early next year. I will decide within the next couple months. I thought for a fleeting moment about posting photos after the surgery. It was not a pretty sight.

This year is the 30th anniversary of one and only ABBA tour of Australia. There is a show this evening in Sydney in the theater where the ABBA movie premiered 30 years ago yesterday.

How is this important you ask? I guess it's not really, but I think it's pretty cool. Sometimes I think I'm stuck in the seventies. I'm not sure I even want to leave.

The furor over ENDA has mostly died down. The reality has set in that the TG community was thrown to the curb. What happened to the premise that people have a right to be who they are, no matter who they are? It is the old politics of expediency.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

As I thought today of the lives that ended all too soon, I thought of so many others, some of whom I have known personally, whose lives never reached full potential.

The rate of suicide, depression and suicidal ideation in the transgender community is astronomical. Especially, I think each day of a close friend of mine. She made her first suicide attempt in 1996. There were three subsequent suicide attempts, leaving her confined to a wheelchair to this day. The last time I saw her, she showed me the scars on her wrists.

I have thought a thousand times of how I should have picked up the warning signs; was there something I could have done and did not? Most probably, yes. She was such a brilliant woman, yet she never found the happiness she craved.

When any life is not given a chance to bloom, it is a loss for each of us. As has been said, we light candles this evening for our transgendered brothers and sisters. In reality, the candles are lit for anyone who is persecuted because of who they are.

My candle is also lit for this dear friend. I think of you often, I miss you and wish I had been there for you!

Day of Remembrance

Our Day of Remembrance

Tuesday, November 20 is The Transgender Day Of Remembrance. It is a day set aside to commemorate those transgender men and women who have been victims of the ultimate act of violence.

This event began in 1998 to commemorate the murder of Rita Hester in Boston, MA from multiple stab wounds. Her murder remains unsolved. Unfortunately, she was not the last. It is fitting and proper those of us in the transgender community would pause and remember those among us who's life journey was all too short.

As we pause tomorrow, let us remember that when anyone, anywhere is persecuted because of who they are, it must forever remain unacceptable.

We have had much discussion on ENDA, we engage in outreach at the social level and we speak of pride in ourselves at the personal level. At the core of all forms of outreach is the fundamental issue of human dignity.

May we develop a renewed respect for the dignity of others who are different from ourselves. May we also develop a renewed sense of self respect. In doing so, we are able to offer compassion to those around us who are hurting and in need. It's the very least we can do for our fellow human beings......and ourselves.

This link to a short video by Rev. Erin Swinson sums the day far more eloquently than I could.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzDGzbZICA0

For anyone incined, this link is to Gwen Smith's moving site, "Remembering Our Dead".
http://www.gender.org/remember/index.html#

Halloween and ENDA the month

This blog could have become like a radio station, 'all ENDA, all the time'. For several weeks, our Charlotte Gender Alliance online group was mostly ENDA related. The subject warranted the time spent. As I have seen so often, much of the problem is the fact the gay community does not fully understand the issues faced by Transgender people. Congressman Frank made that clear when he said there still needs to be education on the behalf of the T- community.

The final debate will take place at a later date. I think many were surprised by the outpouring of support from many non TG groups. I also believe time will heal the misunderstanding between HRC and the TG leaders who have worked for inclusivity. Perhaps both sides will have learned from the experience.

I would have been ready for any trick or treaters tonight. I'm home recovering from facial surgery on 10/23. I did not have FFS in the sense it is practiced by Drs. Osterhout and Alter. Essentially I had a face/neck lift. As of this evening, I look like a still shot from Rocky I, but I'm healing. The staples were removed from my head this past Monday. I go back next week for removal of the remaining sutures.

I only told a few close friends what I had done. I have wondered how many people actually read this blog. I suspect not many, but perhaps I will soon find out.