WHSSC – Meeting Agenda – 30th November 2010

Posted on | November 25, 2010 | No Comments

Please let us know what you think by contributing to the discussion on our forums. You can find them here: http://www.tform.co.uk/forum

Original Link (.pdf): http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/Documents/898/Agenda%20Item%2014.pdf

One Month On …

Posted on | October 27, 2010 | No Comments

It’s been a month (just over), since our forums were opened and we had our first registered users using TForm. A lot of you will know that we had a community previously and may have noticed that this has been removed and replaced with the system we have now.

Below we explain why and will give you some insight into what TForm is all about and why we’re working very hard behind the scenes to give support to trans individuals while doing our little bit to combat hate crime and inequality. Of course the title here is a little misleading as we’ve been alive for about 4 months now, but the new forums were a month old as of Saturday the 25th of October 2010 at 9:25pm.

So Far:

TForm was an idea which formed between two people as a way of providing a service for what we saw as a gap in local support groups. We’re not an organisation looking to take over others’ work, but to fit in and work along side other groups as they continue to do the valuable work they do.

We’re based in North Wales and a lot of our members are initially from here, but we are a nationwide organisation. Although we’re still very small, our plans are very big and we’re working on implementing those, even now.

Our aims are to not only provide the same old forums and websites full of the wrong sort of people chasing fetishes, or trouble makers, but people who either need support or who are willing to give support based on their own experiences, both without being judgemental of those who may not be as far along the road as they are, while being realistic and letting people know about the real dangers and worries many, if not all transgender people face.

We’re not a group restricted to just transsexuals going through transition, or a group which focusses on the art of passing. We’re a group aiming to provide help and advice to anyone who wants it, including friends, families and allies of TG folk. We like to think of this as a ‘big sister’ attitude to supporting each other. Of course, you don’t need to be big, and we’re not gender specific … ie: big brother support is just as valuable!

So, our old system which a good number of people registered on, was deleted. This was because, although it was very clean cut and pretty, it was rather hollow. Sure it had all the bells and whistles, but there was no
real substance to it, no real structure to allow people to settle in and feel relaxed enough to post and ask for support.

We realised this after using it for a while (as is only possible) and made the choice to relinquish the bling for a good solid community forum. All registered members and some posts were transferred over and we have been working hard since then to grow the boards and to make it usable, which now it is.

If you registered previously and now cannot access the TForm forums, this is because all passwords were reset. Please contact us for your new password here: http://www.tform.co.uk/contact.html , or click to reset your own password.
The Future:

So what are we aiming for? Well aside from the support, we will be standing up for trans rights across the board. Assisting the local health boards where needed on trans issues and further pushing, or joining in with the push for equality. We will be attending local events as an organisation and generally furthering the trans agenda as far as being living breathing, equal human beings.

First though we must grow our network and community. TForm have a lot of potential reach and impact and we need to make sure that our infrastructure is sound before we push this. We have a blog, a wiki, a main website, facebook, twitter, youtube and of course our community forums. All of these are under development constantly, but we need members and word of mouth to make this work.

How can you help?

Please tell your friends
We need members to join and post on a regular basis in order to maintain an active and healthy community. Please do tell anyone with an interest about us and if possible encourage them to come and join our website.

Do you have passion for writing?
We have a blog (this one)  which we use to highlight important stories or issues, to get our point of view across or to just have a good moan. We would be happy to receive stories from anyone who wishes to write them and you can be listed as a guest writer for TForm, or you can have the story published by us anonymously.. either way is completely fine.

Do you like organising things?
TForm at the moment do not have a regular meeting session and we don’t plan to fill that void any time soon as there are other places who do this very well (and we’re happy to plug those). We are open to the odd event being organised for members to participate in. This could be a meal, or a show, a picnic or anything else you can think of.

Youtube?
We have a youtube channel and we have a video project which is under way, but that we haven’t had the time to be able to make any real progress on yet. Have you made any videos we could use? Do you fancy making some for us? Please do let us know if you are able to help here.

Email?
Do you have an email address which isn’t particularly memorable or personal? Please consider using one of our free ones. They are full pop3 send and receive email addresses and we are giving them away. Just let us
know on our forums and we’ll get it set up for you. These can be used on your computer through the likes of Outlook, Outlook express, thunderbird, incredimail etc. They will also help to advertise our website.

Donations?
Oh right, yeah here we go…….. Well no in fact, we’re not asking for any and we don’t intend to. We will be providing this on the website in case anyone wishes to help out in this way, but it’s not essential. Any services TForm provide online are free and will remain free. We’re not looking to make a profit at all and any donations or fundraising received will be used to help further our cause.

You can find us here: www.tform.co.uk/forum

Thanks,
All the TForm Support Team.

Dealing with Transphobic Bullying?

Posted on | August 9, 2010 | No Comments

Bullying is never a nice thing to have to deal with and even in it’s many forms, bullying usually has the same results. Results which end up where the target of the bullying can experience many negative emotions and feelings of desperation.

Victims can become withdrawn from their friends and family, possibly even society, they can feel stressed, depressed, worthless, anxious, have low self esteem and a feeling of hopelessness and isolation.

Bullying happens in many social situations and locations, such as junior school, college, university and then in our workplace and possibly even at home. Even someone who is usually confident and sure of themselves can be brought down by a persistent bully, so what then of the individuals around us who are already vulnerable and cautious of people and their surroundings? How does bullying affect members of the transgender community?

Transphobic bullying can be a devastating experience and can come from many different sources. Transgender individuals may fall victim to bullies who are members of their own family, members of their community, work colleagues, school colleagues or just wider society in general. It can stem from sexism because the victim doesn’t conform to dominant gender roles, general arrogance, hatred through some form of mass organised religion or, and more commonly through pure ignorance of the victims feelings and reasons for behaving how they do.

As we have already said, bullying in any form is a terrible thing, but when it’s aimed at individuals who are already unsure of themselves, it can be catastrophic and certainly does not help the already unfairly high suicide rates of trans people. In addition to this and largely due to the ignorance or hatred of things one does not understand, bullies can often turn to violence which does and has lead to more and more hate related trans deaths.

So how should we react as trans individuals to a bully? It’s often already a huge task when starting transition to even step outside for fear of not passing and then persecution when we’re ‘read’, but once we do, it can be fraught with danger. Even passing does not offer us the ability to just get on with our daily lives without the fear of being targeted, because there is always the chance of being outed by the press or friends and family.

We have tried to compile some common sense ways of dealing with bullies which may help in situations where you are vulnerable. The biggest point to make though, is use your common sense. Unless the place you’re being bullied is your workplace or your home, firstly try to not get into a situation where you can be targetted.

For the sake of clarity, this article does consider abuse in the street from strangers as bullying. It may be classified as hate crime by law, but for here we can classify them as one and the same. So…

1. It’s not your fault: Firstly you need to understand that the bullying you’re experiencing is not your fault. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you must have done something to deserve the abuse you’re receiving and it’s made no easier by the press who will insinuate that a trans person encourages abuse and hate by being who they are. This is NOT the case, you’re a human being and you have a right to live how you feel you need to.
2. Project Confidence: Bullies will usually pick on someone who seems week in comparison to everyone around them. Although there is no need to overdo it and act out of character, being confident in yourself as the person you are will deter all but the most adamant bullies.
3. Be polite, but firm: If a member of your family or a work colleague is making references to your old life, or is using the wrong pronouns on purpose when relating to you, please do correct them. Again, done in a polite manner while asserting that they are making an obvious mistake, especially in front of the same people they are likely to have targeted you in front of, is likely to make them stop.
4. Report it: Whether you are in the street and being yelled at by a passer by as they scrape their knuckles along the floor, or you’re at work, please do make sure you report it to the relevant authorities. Your work should have a suitable way of reporting grievances and although their procedures may not yet cover trans issues, there will be no better way to get the ball rolling. The police are an obvious choice when reporting bullying / hate crimes in public, but surprisingly a lot goes unreported. Please please, do report any incident in which you feel targeted because of your gender identity, as accurate statistics will then help to show the police which areas they need to concentrate on. You can report incidents directly to your local force, or through http://www.tcrime.net anonymously.
5. Where to go: Just as with any person and possibly more so women, please be safe when out in public. Stay away from unlit areas and places where there is an absence of anyone to help you raise the alarm should something happen. Stay in public places, but avoid obvious large groups of people who may be acting rowdy or who seem drunk. There are many places which are safe and it’s wise to stick to these if you can. Trans or gay safe pubs and clubs, cafe’s and bars, public parks and anywhere out in the broad daylight with people about is a wise choice.
6. Stay Safe: Again, this is more of a common sense issue, but always travel with a friend if you don’t feel sure of yourself. There are also many ways of letting people know you are in trouble, so it would be wise to carry at least one of these on you. Personal alarms, whistles, stun devices and pepper spray are all wise choices. Self defence classes are a good idea as well as being a great source of fitness.

Although I don’t think anyone reading this article with interest would, it’s worth mentioning that you should never carry a knife if you’re intending to use it for protection. Firstly it’s against the law, but perhaps more importantly is that your ‘protection’ can very quickly become the item you’re attacked with.

Until society understands that being part of the transgender community is something quite normal and that it doesn’t threaten anyone, transphobic bullying and hate based crime is likely to continue. I know a lot of police forces take this issues very seriously, but they can’t do their job unless you report an incident first. In my experience, reporting bullying and harassment to the police has been a very easy process and the police force in question were very helpful, courteous and respectful of my gender identity.

Be Safe

Emma @ TForm

Penny-InnerBeauty

Posted on | August 7, 2010 | No Comments

Penny Brace is the creator of Penny-InnerBeauty, a fabulous, safe and discreet makeover service being provided within North Wales and Chester for the transgender community. Her services are open to the full T spectrum which includes, TG, TS, TV and CD individuals as well as their friends and family.

I first met Penny when I nervously attended a social evening in the Royal Hotel In Llandudno, which was organised by the group, Unique TG. Penny was instantly friendly, approachable and full of life. She is also a committee member of the group.

Penny has many regular clients who return time after time for makeovers and her quality work can be demonstrated by the wealth of testimonials she has on her website as well as many pictures of clients which speak for themselves.

Penny provides many services for many occasions, so whether you need a quick cut and blow dry, your hair re-styling, help with make-up, deportment, a manicure or pedicure, eye lashes, wigs or even just someone to accompany you shopping, Penny is able to do it.

Penny also offers not just her services, but lessons on how to do what she does, for yourself. This can be a great help to trans women who may not be used to picking clothes to fit their figure, or not aware of the different ways to apply make-up for different face shapes, but it also helps with a persons confidence which is invaluable.

Penny has over 25 years experience in the beauty industry having trained professionally in beauty, make-up, hairdressing, wigs, modelling, deportment, style and colour co-ordination, dance and burlesque. She is happy to work on a one to one basis, as part of a class or as part of a group to help bring out your own feminine side.

Penny’s website contains a whole host of information and services including an online shop, gallery and a newsletter for hints and tips and you can register as a member.

TForm would like to thank Penny, just as all the trans girls who meet her do, for her services and dedication to our community. She is a valuable ally and we love her to bits.

You can contact Penny at: http://www.penny-innerbeauty.co.uk

Emma @ TForm

Givenchy adverts, use trans models

Posted on | July 29, 2010 | 1 Comment

Lea T,  who was previously the assistant of Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci is now starring in the company’s advertising.

Lea, 28, is a trans woman and is just one of a few models in an advert for the designer label Givenchy and can be seen in an Autumn/Winter 2010 group image for the brand, with her arm draped seductively around a male model.

She has become a fixture in the fashion world and has been featured in a number of fashion magazines, including an upcoming article in Vogue which will show her half naked and covering her genitals with her hand. Lea has also been featured in the Italian Vanity fair where she discussed her experiences as a trans woman and in particular the prejudice she has faced.

Tisci said of his new model “she is very feminine: superfragile, very aristocratic. She’s part of the family”

Tform are obviously thrilled that such a prominent fashion label are using trans models and are being open about it. We wish Lea every success in her modelling and her future career as a Veterinary Surgeon

Emma@ TForm

‘Trans’, Get out of Jail free card?

Posted on | July 18, 2010 | No Comments

This post might be a little controversial, but after a few days thinking about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that it needs to be posted so that I may try and at least represent the Trans community in the right light, rather than the tainted view the Media would happily inflict upon us on a daily basis.

If you have any opinions on this story, please do either reply here, email us, use our contact form or facebook to reply. We would be very interested to hear what either trans or non-trans individuals thought about this situation?

A few days ago, a story which was reported in the pink press (and most likely other media too), filtered through to me which left me with absolute disbelief. The title of the article, “Trans Woman Spared Prison over Child Abuse Images‘  leaves little to the imagination, but upon reading it I started to think about equality in a different light.

The case as reported, was of a  trans woman named Laura Voyce, 20 of Kirkby, Merseyside, who had been convicted of 14 counts of downloading indecent images of children. Some of the images were so severe, they were classified as a level 4, which is the second most serious level.

Although Miss Voyce who is due to be married, pleaded not guilty to the offence and stated she had only downloaded the images to help her come to terms with her troubled childhood and gender issues, Judge Lesley Newton said she was satisfied that the images had been downloaded for perverted sexual gratification.

With this however, and although such an offence usually carries a jail term, Miss Voyce was spared prison because of her trans status it seems. She faced nine months prison but Judge Lesley Newton said she could not be kept safe and instead imposed a nine-month jail term, suspended for a year, and 100 hours of unpaid community work.

Judge Lesley Newton stated that, ”Frankly, you deserve to go to prison, but I can’t bring myself to send you to prison, entirely because I think prison would be an appalling experience for you. I do not see how you could be kept safe in a prison environment with the best will in the world on the part of those who run such establishments.”

Now, I am not a judge and I’m quite sure the intricacies of the case will not have been fully reported, but essentially if what we have been told is true, then Laura Voyce escaped prison, purely because she was a MtF (Male to Female), transsexual.

The reason I am writing this is because as I see it, transsexual individuals (of which I am one), campaign endlessly for equality and although Laura Voyce has still been punished, I can’t help but think that this will reflect badly on our community, especially among those who would seek any excuse to try and refuse our rights.

What I’m trying to say is that, when we say equality, we mean equality, not special treatment! Anyone convicted of a crime where a prison sentence is appropriate, should be sent to  prison and this should have applied to Laura Voyce. She should of course have been sent to a woman’s prison as the woman she is, being transsexual is no crime, but downloading child porn, or indecent images most certainly is.

Incidents like this only help to make our case for equality worse as we can then be perceived to have ‘special rules’, or that we can simply get away with something as the current prison situation just ‘doesn’t fit’…. or even worse, the law doesn’t apply to us!

We campaign to be able to be ourselves within society and to be respected, to be able to use the correct gender specific toilet facilities, for employment and family rights and everything else you can think of which includes our basic rights, but with rights comes responsibility and our nation’s laws are built on this fundamental principle.

Laura Voyce should have been treated like any other women convicted of the same offence!

Emma @ TForm

IN THE NEWS: Mardi Gras at Mona, an event for everyone.

Posted on | July 14, 2010 | No Comments

This is a copy of a report today in the Holyhead and Anglesey Mail on page 9 (14th July 2010), about the Mardi Gras to be held in the month of April 2011. I was contacted by the reporter, Rhodri Barker and asked for my opinions on the event, which I gave.

I’m blogging it here as it doesn’t seem to be on their website and I would like to help promote this event to the best of my ability.

“This event is for everyone to enjoy”

NORTH Wales’ first Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Mardi Gras will be held on Anglesey next year. The two day event is planned to take place in April at the Mona showground, and will feature music, arts and crafts, street performers and various stalls.

Organiser Keith Parry, of Mesmac North Wales, said Anglesey was “the perfect place” to hold the event. “This is an event that the North Wales gay community has been waiting for,” he said. ” We at Mesmac decided after 13 years of working in North Wales that this was the right time to have it here, and Anglesey is the perfect place to hold it.”

“This event will show lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people that they are not alone, as there are thousands of us living in North Wales. We thought the event had to be planned like in Cardiff, where gay and straight people could mix together and have fun, and in that way it would help in the fight against homophobia.”

Mr Parry said he hopes the North Wales Mardi Gras will become an annual event, of the kind held in Cardiff for the past ten years. “The area is crying out for an event like this and already we’ve had a very positive response,” he said.

Emma Chantelle Bailey, who lives near the showground and runs TForm, a website for transgender people said she was “very excited” that the event was coming to the island: “I feel very excited that North Wales will finally get its own LGBT event, and even more excited that it will be held in such a prominent venue as the Mona showground.

“Apart from a few great places like the Three Crowns in Bangor; there isn’t much else for the LGBT community in North Wales. I know of many members of the LGBT community in North Wales who will look forward to being able to celebrate who they are, while at the same time showing people that they are here and they are deserving of the same rights as everyone else within society.

“Even in this day and age, and especially in rural communities, LGBT issues can be very misunderstood. The event will obviously not just be for LGBT individuals, it’s for everyone to enjoy, but an event such as this is a fabulous way of opening people’s eyes and breaking down social barriers.”

For more information, visit: www.mesmac.com

With thanks to Rhodri Barker @ www.theonlinemail.co.uk

EDIT: I found the story, here

Emma @ TForm

Unique TG Meet – 15th July

Posted on | July 13, 2010 | No Comments

Just a quick reminder for everyone about this months Unique TG meet.

The meet is to be held on the 15th of this month at the usual venue in Llandudno, which is of course The Royal Hotel. The atmosphere is friendly and inclusive.  Bar prices are reasonable, and tea and coffee can also be ordered. A room for changing is available at a small charge.

Although primarily social evenings, they sometimes have guest speakers on various subjects of interest to trans people.  Also on offer are occasional workshops on more practical matters such as make-up, deportment, voice training and self-defence.

We (Tform) recommend attending as it’s a fun night out with some really lovely people.

Directions are:

Leave the A55 at Junction 19 and follow the A470 to Llandudno. At the town centre, turn up Mostyn Street and follow this to the top of the town. Turn left at the top of Mostyn Street into Church Walks (one way) and The Royal Hotel is on the left almost opposite the tram station.

Unique mention that if you are using a Sat Nav system, it will more than likely bring you to the rear of the hotel, where there is parking and you can enter the venue. If however you would like to arrive at the front, which has a level entrance and a foyer, please use the following postcode: LL30 2HL

The next dates after this are Thursday the 19th August and Thursday the 16th September. The August meet will be held alternatively in Rhyl and so we’ll endeavour to have the directions posted here in time.

See you there….
Emma @ TForm

North Wales Mardi Gras – April 2011

Posted on | July 7, 2010 | 1 Comment

At last, North Wales is to get it’s own LGBT event!

For many years Cardiff has held an annual Mardi Gras, which has left North Wales feeling slightly left out. Thankfully though, in April 2011 at Mona Showground will be the first North Wales Mardi Gras. The two day event is being put on by the charity Mesmac who have been talking to the BBC about their plans.

Keith Parry from Mesmac told the BBC, “ there is a need for a gay event in north Wales..  When the Three Crowns in Bangor became a gay pub seven years ago people said it would never last, but it’s still going strong.

With the Mardi Gras we aren’t quite sure how many people will come along, but we expect it will be around 1,000.”

The event will take place from midday on Friday the 15th April, right through to 3am on the morning of Sunday the 17th. Two areas of the showground will be used for continuous music with one being for 20th century music and the other 21st century music. Other entertainment will be in the form of stalls, a funfair stilt walkers and jugglers. Beer and food will be available at a capped price of £3.00

Parking and camping for the weekend will be free with special areas designated for the aged and disabled attendees, with suitable toilet facilities on hand.

Tickets are £35 for the weekend, but there is an early bird ticket price of £20. We will have more details soon, as TForm after recently speaking with Keith, may decide to have a stand at the event.

Emma @ TForm

References:

The Mesmac Website

The Three Crowns Website

North Wales Police show respect

Posted on | June 27, 2010 | No Comments

As anyone going through transition will tell you, there are lots of things to consider and certainly lots of things to worry about as you jump through the multiple hoops placed in your way on the route to being happy with your physical appearance and aligning it to your gender identity. One of the major worries, are the attitudes and reactions of people towards you when they find out about you or about what you’re going through.

This worry can be in the form of harassment from family members, eviction from homes, verbal attacks, physical attacks including beatings and rape and of course fatal hate crimes, but it can also be from the very services we rely on to perhaps report on or help us during or after these incidents.

This past year I have had to have a lot of interaction with the local North Wales Police as I received a constant barrage of harassment and torment from family members because I wasn’t conforming to their ideals. Calling the police was a big worry for me, especially as I was only at the beginning of my transition when I first had to make a report and deal with them directly.

What a relief then to find a force who not only took their job very seriously without trying to fob me off, but were very respectful in the mean time. I have had many officers out to our home and spoken to many more on the phone, including the North Wales Police switchboard and they have all been very respectful and gentle with regard my gender identity, even if things like my voice were not always conforming to gender stereotypes.

The questions they asked were appropriate and they were very helpful. It was such a relief that my worries about needing help from the police were unfounded and they didn’t discriminate at all. Many more police forces across the country could do with following these same standards.

I will be writing to the police force with respect to their handling of my problems and expressing my thanks to them for being so professional and obviously to let them know any training they have had towards this, is definitely working!

Have you had dealings with a UK Police force which was helpful and put you at ease, or has the opposite happened and you have felt discriminated against and that your aggressors were not properly dealt with?

Email us at info@tform.co.uk with your views.

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TForm Posts

• WHSSC – Meeting Agenda – 30th November 2010
• One Month On …
• Dealing with Transphobic Bullying?
• Penny-InnerBeauty
• Givenchy adverts, use trans models
• ‘Trans’, Get out of Jail free card?
• IN THE NEWS: Mardi Gras at Mona, an event for everyone.
• Unique TG Meet – 15th July
• North Wales Mardi Gras – April 2011
• North Wales Police show respect
• Tears, Tiaras and Transsexuals, A different View!
• Significant Genetic link to Gender Identity Found
• New Policy Announced on Gender Change and American Passports
• Eden Lane Competes To Appear On The Oprah Winfrey Show
• President Obama Proclaims June 2010 as LGBT Pride Month

TForm Blog Archives

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