Reading, Singing, Speaking, Fighting for Equality

Transgender Voices was a fun event and Alternatives/1 VCC saw a good crowd that day! The raffle raised $100 towards This is How. Thank you to James and all the fabulous people at Alternatives for such fun raffle prizes!

There was sharing heard from a woman who has been helped by This is How during a very difficult time in her life. There are more fundraisers to help that worthy cause coming up, so stay tuned and of course you can always check out their website at http://www.thisishowhome.org/

After Lori Girshick (http://www.loribgirshick.com/) read her book Transgender Voices and lead an interesting discussion, we were blessed by the dulcet tones of miss Namoli Brennet. If you haven't heard her, check out her website at www.namolibrennet.com or go check her out in person at one of her upcoming performances, that girl gets around!

At the Transgender Voices event Lori Girshick read stories from her book and discussed gender policing and how protection policies for Gender Identity and Expression can help keep students safe at our local schools which really ties in to where I was last night. A few of my friends who are college students in the Maricopa Community College District went and spoke up at the board meeting to explain why such protections are needed.

Kudos to their board for taking on such an important issue when many of them didn't even realize gender varient students and employees were encountering obstacles at their schools. Last night they heard brief 3 minute presentations from each of 8 people for the protections, and 1 against. If memory serves there were 6 students, (5 trans identified and 1 intersexed) and a local doctor we call Dr Becky. All in all, an inspiring evening. It was encouraging to see so many community members there. Not only students but professors, counselors, spouses and friends. I am told they will hold a special meeting on October 13th to consider this issue, so of course it's on my calendar.