Transgender

Stonewall Alliance Center’s (SAC) transgender support group is an inclusive peer-support, discussion, and social group for those who were assigned male or female genders at birth and who now identify otherwise, including: trans, MTO, FTO, genderfluid, MTM, FTF, transman, transwoman, genderqueer, affirmed male, affirmed female, FTM, MTF, two-spirit, 3rd gender, androgynous, intersex, questioning and/or, etc. The meetings are open and welcoming to anyone who identifies within the Trans spectrum, regardless of where people are in the transition process, or if they choose to transition.

The group is facilitated by Aydin Kennedy while maintaining the goal of participants developing a sense of group ownership. Participants are encouraged to give input, lead discussions, and provide discussion topics. The hope is that participants will feel that it is their group, so they can make it what they want.

Some ideas for meeting topics include:

• Body image
• Transition/post-transition
• Living outside of the gender binary
• Relationships and sexuality
• Medical and emotional health
• Gender presentation/”passing”
• Coming out

What is Transgender?

Transgender: an umbrella term that can be used to describe people whose gender expression varies nonconforming and/or whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex at birth. This term can include transsexuals, genderqueers, cross-dressers, and others whose gender expression varies from traditional norms.

Transsexual: a term for someone who transitions from one physical sex to another in order to bring his or her body more in line with his or her innate sense of gender identity. it includes those who were born male but whose gender identity is female, and those who were born female but whose gender identity is male, as well as people who may not clearly identify as either female or male. Transsexual people have the same range of gender identities and gender expression and non-transsexual people. Many transsexual people refer to themselves as transgender.

Genderqueer: a term of self-identification for people who do not identify with the restrictive and binary terms that have traditionally described gender identity (for instance, male or female only).

Transition: the time period when a transgender person starts living as the gender he or she identifies as. Often includes a change in style of dress, selection of a new name, a request that people use the correct pronoun, and possibly hormone therapy and/or surgery.

These definitions are from the National Recommended Best Practices for Serving LGBT Homeless Youth

Support

Our group is open to anyone who identifies on the transgender spectrum. Meetings are open to friends, family members, partners, and allies. We meet at 6:00PM on the second Thursday of each month at Stonewall Alliance Center. Contact Aydin Kennedy at aydinkennedy@gmail.com for more information about this vibrant group.

Watch our calendar and Facebook page for information and event dates.