From: an4199@anon.penet.fi (Gwen Scott)
Subject: Organizations and such
Organization: Anonymous contact service
X-Anonymously-To: alt.transgendered
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 04:59:38 GMT



Hi, all!
This is my first message to alt.transgendered, and I'm really
glad to see it here.  I'm not a newbie to this sort of thing at
all -- I used to run a private BBS devoted to gender issues 
for about a year and a half.  We had a private Fidonet-based
net of about 60 or so boards across the US and even in England.
The main node is at Feminet, located in California.  
If you leave me a PRIVATE message, I'll send the phone to you
in Email (the system has a front-end that is NOT gender-based,
and since this is an open Usenet newsgroup, I don't think
they'd like getting a bunch of calls from non-tg people looking
for freaks to point at).  My board went down about a year ago 
because I had lost my job and couldn't afford it anymore -- I
haven't been on any of those boards since.

I don't have the list of national TV/TS organizations on  disk
right at my fingertips (lost the files when the hard drive
crashed), but I have my trusty copy of TV/TS Tapestry, one of
the best TG magazines around, handy, and I'll be glad to tell
anyone where the nearest organization to their home is.  Just
let me know what state and city (or country -- there are some
overseas listings here, too.), and I'll let you know where
the group is.

If you would like to get a copy of Tapestry, which contains the
entire list each issue (and the list of BBS systems, as well),
their address is:
TV/TS Tapestry Journal
International Foundation for Gender Education
P.O. Box 367
Wayland, MA 01778
(617) 899-2212
The US price for a subscription is $40.00 ($55.00 for 1st class
postage) and includes a membership in the IFGE and a personal 
listing in Tapestry's Personals section for the duration of your
subscription (4 issues per year).

I've been CD'ing for about 22 years now, and I've been 
out of the wardrobe for about 3 years.  I have a wonderfully
supportive wife who helps me in every way.  I am always here
for any transgendered person who might need me -- once
I get to know you, I'll probably give you my non-anonymous
address so you can send me Email direct.  I am familiar
with the problems of both TVs and TSs (One of my closest
friends is a young TS.  Her family has all but disowned her
for going full-time.  She had no place for Christmas, so my
wife and I invited her to spend it with us.  Then MY parents,
who know about my proclivities and are fully supportive,
invited her over with us for Christmas dinner.  They even
scrounged up some last-minute gifts for her!  It was the
best Christmas she's had since she went full-time.), and
can help in many ways.  The best thing we can do for one 
another is BE THERE!  

Too often, we tend to shut the rest of the TG community out,
the TVs out of fear, the TSs out of either a feeling of
elitism or the desire to "wipe out" their past -- including
any friends they've made while in transiton.  Both are sad
states.  I've met dozens of TVs, and at least 20 TS's, and
most of them are still afraid to tell anyone their names.  
We can't be afraid of each other!  LikeRamirez said to
MacLeod:  "We're the SAME, MacLeod...we're BROTHERS"!  Hell,
WE'RE SISTERS!  I'll make a deal with you...I'll be there
for you...if YOU'LL be there for someone else!

Maybe, if we all pull together, we might get the same kind
of solidarity the Gay community has.  We might even change
the way the world treats us.  But it's NOT going to change if
we let our own sisters ROT in the darkness!

This board is a start.  But this same start has been made 
a hundred times over the past five years, and nothing still
comes of it.  We HAVE to come together, for our own sanities,
for our own safeties, for our own sakes.  We have to knuckle
down and FORCE schools to have materials on hand to give the 
TRUTH about transgendered conditions, so teenaged TVs and TSs 
won't feel like unique freaks!  We have to FIGHT for the right
to wear what we want, whenever we want, for whatever reason!
We have to fight for the right to BE WHO WE ARE!  We supposedly
have this right -- in America, at least, all citizens are 
supposed to be protected EQUALLY under the law -- but if we don't
TAKE those rights, the close-minds will just pave them over
and we'll be trapped inside our closets...forever.

Talking about heels and dresses is fun.  Even exciting.  I will
do my DAMNDEST to help ANY SISTER out there who needs me.  I
have a special blouse with sponge shoulder-pads just right
to cry on!  If I can help you find something, I will.  I'll
help chase away that "black dog" of depression that hits us all
at one time or another.  I've been there.  I've fought the darkness.
I won.  You can win, too.

I love you all.  Keep on fighting...you're not alone!
XXXOOO
    Gwen
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Newsgroups: alt.transgendered