Working with transgender clients can raise fundamental questions of policy. A trans client’s presence can challenge long held assumptions and belief systems about the very nature of gender. Not only can these issues become challenging for the staff and management, a transgender person’s presence can present issues that may challenge the gender stereotypes held by other clients as well. A fundamental decision many facilities are faced with today is whether the client’s right to services is worth the possible challenges a transgender client’s presence may inspire. This resource presents information to assist providers in improving substance abuse treatment for trans clients by raising awareness about the issues unique to these clients. It is hoped that sensitizing providers to these unique issues will result in more effective treatment and improved treatment outcomes for transgender persons within the drug court setting.

$500 Grand Prize awarded at the Finale Show

An event to benefit The Transgender Center! All tips go to the Transgender Center!

Only the top 2 “tip earners” move on to the finals!

Come out and tip me to the finale!

Wed 10/24/12 10p @ Guava Lamp (570 Waugh Drive). $500 Grand Prize awarded @ The Finale Show: Thurs, Oct 25th, 9p @ JR’s.

Click to download a copy of the SOC v 7

Issues that will be addressed:

Criteria for hormone therapy, Outline for letter for hormones, Is the psychotherapist responsible for reviewing the risks of hormones?, When is psychotherapy necessary? Goals for psychotherapy, Understanding minority stress, Ethical guidelines, Reproductive issues for those who want to have children, The relationship between the mental health professional and other health professionals such as the endocrinologist or the surgeon, Ethical issues regarding sex reassignment surgery, Criteria for breast/chest surgery, and Criteria for genital surgery.

WHEN: February 18, 2012, 10 am to 12:15

WHERE: The Transgender Center, 604 Pacific, Houston, TX 77006

COST: Professionals $35* Students $20 (*includes CEUs for LPCs or LCSW)

RSVP requested: ftmresearch@gmail.com

Presenter Biographies:

Denise O’Doherty

Denise O’Doherty, a native New Yorker, is a psychotherapist who has had a private practice in Houston for 28 years. In addition to being a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she is also a Registered Nurse and has a Masters Degree in Psychiatric Nursing. As an advocate for gender education, she has presented at the Texas Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Conference, S.P.I.C.E., Soutern Comfort, IFGE, Texas Lesbian Conference and throughout Houston locally. She is an active member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health  (WPATH). You can find out more about her practice at  www.RelationshipTherapistRN.com

Stacey “Colt” Meier

Stacey “Colt” Meier is a doctoral candidate and teaching fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston. Colt’s area of research revolves around the femaleto-male transsexual (FTM) community including psychological health, sexual orientation, and the psychological effects of testosterone. Colt obtained a bachelor’s degree conferred Summa Cum Laude in psychology at Rice University as well as a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston. Currently, Colt has multiple peer reviewed published articles, a book chapter, and more than a thirty professional presentations on transgender issues. Colt serves as the graduate student representative for the Texas Psychological Association (TPA) LGBT SIG. He also serves as student representative of Division 44, the Society for the Study of LGBT Issues, of the American Psychological Association (APA). Colt is a graduate student affiliate of WPATH, APA, and TPA. He serves as an educational and research consultant for the Transgender Foundation of America.

The Transgender Education Network of Texas is an organization dedicated to furthering the education of gender diversity in the State of Texas. We work to accomplish this through education and networking in both public and private forums. Through our efforts we strive to halt discrimination through social, legal, legislative and corporate education.

The Board of Directors of Transgender Education Network of Texas would like to invite you to a Meet & Greet, the evening of January 28th from 6 till 8pm. Wine and Cheese will be provided as well as a short presentation about TENT, who we are, and what our vision is for Texas. All are welcome, gender diverse persons are specifically encouraged to attend. Come as you are and let us start a discussion of what you would like to see changed in the state.

WHAT:  TENT Meet & Greet

WHEN:  Saturday, January  28th, 2012

WHERE:  TG Center, 604 Pacific, Houston, Tx, 77027

There’s no cost to attend.

RSVP on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/events/180401818713260/

WHAT:   Annual HTGA Thanksgiving Potluck

WHERE: Transgender Center, 604 Pacific, Hou, TX 77006

WHEN:  Monday, November 21, 2011 from 7 – 10 PM

What: Standards of Care 7 and how they effect you

When: Oct 22nd from 11-2

Where: TG Center, 604 Pacific, Houston, TX 77006

Donation Based; donations accepted, not required

The TG Center  will also be hosting an event to discuss “What Kids Can Do” on Saturday, November 12 from 1  to 3 pm.

Please come celebrate the release of  Queer Youth Advice for Educators: How to Respect and Protect Your Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students by Abe Louise Young, just released from Next Generation Press!

Last fall, in response to the epidemic of LGBT youth suicides, I was commissioned by the amazing nonprofit What Kids Can Do, Inc. to interview youth around the country about their school experiences, and their visions of concrete ways that schools can change in order to protect them. The resulting guide presents the voices of 30 LGBT youth, and their ideas.
If you can’t attend the reading, consider picking up a copy of the book (or a free PDF!) here: www.nextgenerationpress.org

This guide tells their poignant stories of discrimination, AND highlights solutions to the bullying crisis that the youth themselves envision.

There will be snacks, reading, and inspiring tips on how to change the world for the better in YOUR very own neighborhood.

About the Author:
Abe Louise Young is a writer and teacher who engages youth in social change movements through the written word. Her work includes *Hip Deep: Opinion, Essays, and Vision from American Teenagers,* a chapbook of poetry, *Ammonite,* and essays and poems published in The Nation, New Letters, the Texas Observer, and other magazines. She teaches writing workshops in Austin and across the country.

RSVP on FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164858510267936

The victim, Jack Mustachia (sitting), just after the attack in which he sustained injuries to his feet, knees, hands and back.

Houston – On Monday, September 14, 2011 two Transgender Center volunteers came to the aid of an elder member of the Montrose community who was being attacked by a younger man. The incident occurred on the corner of Pacific and Hopkins, just across the street from Club Blur, the location where Aaron Scheerhoorn was brutally murdered in front of a crowd of people who did nothing to stop the attack.

The 93 year old victim, Jack Mustachia, was attacked when he offered to help what appeared to be a homeless man by offering him some food. “I just asked him, ‘Are you hungry? I’ll try to find you something to eat.’ I brought him something to eat but he threw it dawn and jumped on me. He threw me to the ground and jumped on me. ” Mustachia said that the reason he tried to help the apparent homeless man was that he was just trying to be a good neighbor. “You just help people; that’s they way I grew up.”

Transgender (TG) Center volunteers Margaret Gibson and Carla Mancias were standing in front of the TG Center when they saw the attack already in progress. “There were people just standing around watching this man get attacked. I pulled the older gentleman away from the guy attacking him.” said Gibson.

Cristan Williams, TFA Director said, “After everything happened, Margaret came back inside the Center and told me that the police had arrested the man who attacked one of our elder community members.  After what happened to Aaron Sheerhoorn, I am very proud of both Margaret and Carla for being there. Both of these folks are heroes and serve as fine examples of engaged citizens.”

After learning that a community patrol group effort organized by the Aaron Scheerhoorn Foundation would soon be patrolling the streets of the Montrose area, Mustachia said, “I think that would be good. This used to be a very nice neighborhood. I lived here for a long time and I liked it around here; everybody was nice. You could walk up to people and just talk. I would ride my bike around and feel safe. It was a nice community.”

While Mustachia feels differently about the neighborhood, he refuses to allow his attacker to steal away the simple pleasures of life. Mustachia continues to pass his time doing crossword puzzles and people watching from the wooden bench in front of his son’s town home. “Now I don’t feel safe, but I can’t keep locked up in the house. I like to sit out; I enjoy it. My son doesn’t want me to sit out here, but what can I do? I’m old, but I can’t be in the house all day sitting on the couch.” When asked if his attitude towards others had changed after the attack, he said, “I don’t know.” After a pause, he added, “I… I think I’ll keep wanting to help people. My parents always helped people in need. It’s how I was raised. My mother would give the homeless bread if that’s all she had to give and I still fill that way.”

###

Transgender Foundation of America (TFA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for transgender people.

Workshop Description:  You are invited to an informal voice workshop where you can practice and get feedback on your voice. The workshop is run by Dr. Vica Papp, who in the past 3 years has been documenting gender variant voices in the Houston community. The workshop will include:

• Q&A: you can ask all your questions, raise all your concerns about your (or someone else’s) voice
• Mythbusting: where Vica will try and shed light on what kind of realistic and linguistically meaningful changes you should aim for
• Practice: you are given mini tasks tailored to your skills and goals and you practice them as Vica goes around and spot-checks your progress
• Lots of laughter: the workshop is a no-stress, safe and happily noisy environment to play with your voice.

Free Workshop!

The TG Center was able to schedule some time with a leading researcher in the field of transgender voice patterns. If you are struggling with your voice, this is a great opportunity to get some professional assistance! We were able to do this last year and everyone thought that the workshop was amazing. One attendee said that she usually paid several 100 for this type of professional assistance. Workshops like this don’t happen often; if you want to work on your voice, this is your opportunity.

WHEN: Saturday, September 17

WHERE: TG Center, 604 Pacific, Hou, TX 77006

Schedule:

MTF Workshop: 10AM – Noon

FTM/MTF Potluck Lunch: Noon – 1:30

FTM Workshop: 1:30 – 3:30

TG Town Hall Meeting

THIS Saturday,

October 9 · 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Transgender Center

604 Pacific

Houston, TX 77006

(Map)

RSVP here on FaceBook

This town hall meeting will focus on the impact the Heather Delgado v. Nikki Araguz case will have on the overall GLBT community within Texas and beyond.

A loss can mean that the State of Texas will no longer recognize the transitioned status of transgender people. This will have a huge impact on transgender employment issues, bathroom issues, issues of policy and issues of law.

A win will ensure that the State of Texas will officially recognize the transitioned status of transgender people. This will also have a huge impact on transgender employment issues, bathroom issues, issues of policy and issues of law.

Additionally, a win will put Texas in the exact same place California was post-Prop 8. A win will mean that we will have a law banning same sex marriage while at the same time having many officially State-sanctioned valid same sex marriages that came about due to the 1999 Littleton vs Prange ruling.

We will discuss strategy and what you can do. This will be your opportunity to become fully informed and have all your questions and concerns addressed about this case.

On hand will be:

• Darrell Steidley & Phyllis Frye (1st, 2nd chair in the Delgado v. Araguz case) as well as the entire Frye &Associates law firm
• Nikki Araguz
• TFA Executive Director and Board of Directors
• Vanity, Diamond Girls
• Jenifer Rene Pool, Host of Queer Voices and City Council candidate
• Kris Banks, President of the GLBT Political Caucus
• HRC National Representatives

Space is limited, please RSVP!

We’ve noticed that when 15 people RSVP, 70 show up. Please RSVP if you’ll be there so we will know how to accommodate everyone:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150462008324761