Living Transgender In American Society Today: Taking on New Projects

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Taking on New Projects

Greetings friends and associates,

I am helping, along with Safe Haven Community Christian Church, EQIE’s Transgender Issues Committee, and other nearby transgender and allied community members, to put together a Transgender 101 panel and presentation. Our purpose is to help educate and enlighten those whose jobs or personal ethos calls them to serve society and be in contact with the full diversity of it. We are already in contact with two major Civic entities interested in and seeking out this kind of help so they can better serve the traditionally under-served portions of society. Riverside's Department of Mental Health is one, thanks to Elder Benita Ramsey's and others work on the LGBT Mental Health Task Force, and the other is the LAPD. I expect that there will be many more worthwhile leads to follow very soon. The US Census Bureau as a follow-up to the 2010 Census may be one of these.

I was approached by an Officer in the LAPD Community Relations Office last Sunday at San Gabriel Valley Pride, and she inquired whether I would be willing to be a part of Chief Bratton’s farewell Forum Summit community meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 09 from 6 -8 p.m., at the Police Administrative Building (150 N Los Angeles St, in the Auditorium). We had a lengthy conversation about what they hoped to accomplish and we have agreed to discuss future Transgender (and the LGBT… inclusive) community involvement with them, such as an educational panel presentation like what we are already preparing for Riverside.

So, what I am asking for here is twofold…

First, I am extending the LAPD’s invitation to the Forum on the 29^th to the entire LGBT community and urging as many of you as possible to come out for it. I’ll see you there.

Second, I am seeking transgender individuals that are willing to participate in an ongoing speakers panel – and this includes individuals of all areas of transgender and those in any stage of transition, even those that are sex-workers or other highly at risk members of our community. We hope to be very inclusive and very open in this project to tough questions posed by the professionals - social service workers, medical and mental health providers, safety and law enforcement personnel and etc. So you would need to be serious about helping and willing to commit to being open and honest about the needs and feelings of the area of the community you represent as well as with your personal experiences.

For me, going back down to Parker Center in LA will be a bit of a traumatic challenge, because the last time I was there I was incarcerated and I must again face painful ghosts of my sordid past. But I believe both the Forum and our future presentations will very well be worth the effort. Please search your hearts and see if there is room for you to take on another important commitment too.

Please contact myself (evagenevieve@yahoo.com) or Rev. Renee Painter (RevRJPainter@aol.com) if you are interested in helping us with the TG 101 Project.

(We will also be needing some moderate financial support to see this project become a reality – Safe Haven Community Christian Church is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) institution – contact Rev. Painter for more info).

Thanks and Warm Regards,
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough

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Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body…

…was the theme at this years National Gathering of the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns this year in San Diego (July 14 –17). There were about 125 attendees from all across the US and we even had folks from other countries. Several topics were discussed including ways to make Church accessible to all – many physical and mental challenges were included in this discussion as well as LGBT concerns, Mentoring Queer youth – the emphasis being the need for all of us to be mentors as we are able and that we all have something to teach others, Advocacy & Empowerment, OnA Next Steps: Telling Our Stories, and also a panel discussion on including “transgender” and gender expression more specifically in OnA statements, and immigration issues too – far more issues and information than one person could take in or even list here.

Starting Wednesday afternoon we jumped right in with a very lively worship service with wonderful music and through the course of the gathering we heard many inspiring speakers and participated in several “breakout” workshop sessions. We broke into small discussion groups daily, heard many points of view on important topics, and made many friends in the process. On our last evening the General Minister and President of the UCC, the Revered Geoffrey Black was the keynote speaker at the banquet. My favorite speaker at the conference was Felix Carrion who often contributes to the UCC’s “Stillspeaking” on-line daily Devotional. We ended the conference Saturday morning with another lively worship service and dismissed just in time for several of us to rush over and march in San Diego’s Pride parade with the Mission Hills UCC Church and Bloom in the Desert Ministries (also UCC affiliated). I brought back lots of things to discuss in upcoming Mission Board meetings, but more than anything else it is the personal connections that made the conference very worthwhile. I feel a part of something much larger now – there was so much positive, hopeful energy shared there. I felt so very warmly welcomed by everyone and I believe that my input there was greatly valued as well. And, of course, I made an impression with my array of colorful dresses and hats too! (Would you expect anything less)? I was so blessed for being allowed to represent First Congregational Church in Riverside at this Gathering.

Follow this link to pictures from the event -the photos are in no particular order and a few shots of the fire that broke out behind the motel where I was staying.

Hugs and Blessings,

Eva-Genevieve!