Monthly Milwaukee Meeting: Trans Pride

Pride season is just around the corner.   Join others in the community on Saturday, May 28, 2016 to discuss what Pride means to you.  For some people in the trans, non-binary, and loved ones community(ies), we gladly join with our LGBQ siblings in celebrating.  For others, Pride doesn’t feel relevant or necessary to our identities and experiences.
This meeting will have 2 distinct parts:

• A 60 minute of discussion about Pride
• A 30 minute of mini “orientation” about FORGE’s PrideFest booth and how you can be involved

The past many months have been very difficult for many in the trans community.  Many of us feel weary and tired of what feels like an uphill battle.  It may be hard to feel good about ourselves and our community when, for example, 11 states are suing the Obama administration over his reminder to states about existing federal laws (Title IX, Title VII, VAWA, EEOC, HUD, +). [Wisconsin is one of those states.] We may feel dissonance from within our LGBTQ community (or even within our own smaller trans community).
On the other hand, many of us may be extremely proud of the fact that PrideFest has continued to take more and more steps towards creating an environment that is fully accessible and respectful to the T in LGBT.  The Pride Parade (a separate entity) has taken action to remove their initially appointed grand marshal due to her anti-transgender publicly stated beliefs.  Multiple organizations support their action.   Hundreds of students, parents, teachers, allies, friends, and adult trans people came together to oppose Wisconsin’s Assembly Bill 469.
Federally, in this year alone, there have been 48 federal “wins” directly related to transgender rights.    We have heard not only the word “transgender” from top officials, but have also seen their action.
Just a few weeks ago, Attorney General Loretta Lynch directly addressed transgender people in her briefing about the Justice Department’s action against North Carolina.
She said:
“We see you. We stand with you, and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward.”
That’s a lot to be proud of!
 
 

What’s the purpose of FORGE’s Milwaukee Monthly Meetings?

1. Share information on pre-selected subjects.
   [Ideas for discussions, speakers, books, films, and panels are initiated by group recommendations and facilitator suggestions. With only 12 monthly meetings per year, these topics only touch a small number of areas with plenty of room for post-meeting discussion and other groups to take on other topics.]
2. Provide support for people who attend.
   [All people who are interested in trans and gender non-binary issues are welcome.
   We encourage people to participate at their level of comfort.
3. [Note: Milwaukee Monthly Meetings are not political action or social justice-focused events. Our purpose is support and information-sharing. There is ample community space for political organizing, confronting injustice, and creating action agendas.
   FORGE monthly meetings are not that space.]

WORKING AGREEMENTS
Creating a space where people can feel free to participate is important. These are some working agreements and principles that FORGE meetings operate under. We will review and add to this list at tonight’s meeting.

1. Confidentiality / Privacy
2. Use “I” statements
3. One person / one mic
4. Move up / move back
5. Oops and ouch (and snap)
6. People can choose to be quiet / Participation is voluntary
7. We are more than our gender (or any one identity/component)
8. Speak about own experiences – please do not talk about others not in the room
9. Criticism-free zone – no hurtful or negative comments about individuals or agencies
10. In this support-centered space, everyone has an equal voice
11. Respect different backgrounds, experiences, and identities
12. Remember we all have trauma