Transfamily starts today!

Well, I can only be awake at 730 AM on a Saturday for a good reason...and today there is good one for sure!

Today is definitely a Gorilla Monsoon of WWE fame moment - history made in Melbourne. 🙂 25 January 2014 is the first meeting of Transfamily, a group for family (in the broadest sense) of trans* and gender diverse people and supporters in general e.g. friends, work colleagues etc. Excitement and adrenalin build without caffeine...

Things happen when they happen and while this has been floating in my head for nearly ten years, it has happened largely because of Lynette McDonald #adoptedmum and the Opening Doors program http://www.iepcp.org.au/opening-doors. Thanks to Sarah Burton for connecting me to the program, to the awesome Alex Mills (A.M. - altruistic mischief) program co-ordinator and the 2013 Opening Doors crew.

We've gradually built some sense of a foundation for trans people here in climate-diverse Melbourne over the last 10-15 years - acknowledging of course there is still much to be done - but support for those around trans has lagged behind. Today it catches up in a big way. With a Facebook group recently starting for cisgender partners of trans, gaps are being filled - so much exciting stuff!

I'm going to dedicate today equally in two parts. The first is to Nanette Rae McGregor.
Nan did so much with P-FLAG in the 1990's and whether you know it or not Nan, you helped light a flame inside me re this need. I still have an email exchange with you from 2005 about such a group (that's accounting training, always back everything up) about having a box of tissues on hand - I'm now making the mental note to stop at the supermarket on the way. There could be happy tears too...

The other dedication is of course is to the families and supporters of trans* and gender diverse people. We, the trans people can't do it alone; no person can do it alone on anything really. To have you with us and strengthen our allies is just enormous.

See ya there people!