Project: Transitions Unveiled

author : Nicole Lamb topic : transgender

by Nicole Lamb

Project:Transitions is a newly forming group in the Olympia area that aims to raise funds for transgender people's transitional costs. People often decide to transition genders because their body can be in direct conflict with their identity. Over the past few years through education and advocacy, the pain transgender people experience because of this, and the strength they have to confront it, support for transgender people has steadily built. With this support there have been steady improvements for transgender people, including Washington state’s inclusion in 2006 of gender identity and expression to state discrimination law. Still, transgender people and allies continue to fight transphobia and work towards equality.

A major concern for transgender people is health care and access to it. For those that want hormones and surgery to make their body more in line with their identity, the high costs of health care, often with little to no insurance coverage and access difficulties, can be a major obstacle. Other costs such as an entirely new wardrobe and filing legal paperwork adds to expenses for a group that often faces employment discrimination. To meet these costs, there is a history in the transgender community of people holding fundraisers to cover their individual surgeries and costs.

Our founders are comprised of Evergreen students and alumni with experience as advocates and leaders within the queer community. Three of the founders are transgender, both male-to-female and female-to male, who are in the process of transitioning. Our fourth founder is a long-standing ally of the transgender community and significant other.

To raise funds we will hold parties and events that will be open to all ages, so that not only will we raise funds but provide a regular event for the community as an alternative to the bars. Another of our goals is to provide a database of trans-friendly providers (doctors, therapists, lawyers, etc.) for the community. We have begun to interview providers, asking questions relevant to the transgender community to enable a person to choose who will best meet their needs, as well as host a place for people to leave comments about their experience with the provider. Another important value for us is collaboration between groups and it is something that we have been working towards with groups such as the Provider Project, Gender Alliance of South Sound, and a fiscal sponsorship with Stonewall Youth.

As a new group we are still developing the guiding rules and policies of the organization. Currently we are recruiting board members to help lead the organization, with a focus on making the board diverse to reflect the community it will serve.

On June 14th Project: Transitions will be holding its Kick-Off event from 8 to midnight. The event will have music provided by DJ Alex Awesome as well as karaoke. The event will be at 4417 NW Fire Willow LN on the Westside of Olympia. Cover will be $5 dollars and all proceeds from the event will be put towards start up and organizational costs. The event will be the first of many and will be an opportunity to learn about and get involved with the organization.

For more information contact project.transitions@yahoo.com or go to http://www.projecttransitionswa.com/

Author's Bio:

Nicole Lamb is a pre-law student at the Evergreen State College.