Minutes for MTN Meeting on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008

www.mainetransnet.org

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1.       Introductions (10 present)

2.       About MaineTransNet

3.       Purpose of the meeting: to discuss needs within the Trans community and ideas for events and projects to address those needs.

4.       Needs

            a.       Medical

                    i.      Willingness of doctors to be public about being trans-friendly

                    ii.      Insurance issues

                    iii.      Doctors being willing to learn about trans patients’ needs

                    iv.      Educating trans people (and all people) how to advocate for themselves with providers, how to sever bonds with    

                       bad providers, how to find good providers

 

    Idea: Piggyback on conferences already happening (for example, Child and Family Services conference), give a trans-   

    related workshop there.

 

    Steps include submitting a proposal, creating educational curriculum.

 

    Good b/c they pay you, and easier to get people to attend.

 

    Possible Conferences: Maine Counselor Association, Social Workers Association, workshops for Medical Staff, etc. (is   

    there a Maine Teachers’ Association?)

 

    Model: TransHealth Conference in Philly had a provider’s day, where the funding came from, followed by a day for the

    public that was free and offered services like free testing, etc. to draw people.

 

b.      Education

        i.      Just really tough being a gender variant student.

        ii.      Can we piggyback on teacher trainings? Collaborate with Maine Speakout Project? Important not to “reinvent

          the wheel,” also looks better to funders when we collaborate.

 

            c.       Support

                    i.       How do you keep a group going? One observation was that it seems like tranwomen’s groups seem to last longer

                          than transmen’s.

 

                          Idea: Keep website current: Current Events, Updates, How was meeting turnout (“are other people going?”),    

                          Show minutes of meetings (especially when “substantive issues” are discussed, Action Plans made.

 

                        Alex is looking for space to have a support-type-group in the Brunswick area.  (update: I have a meeting scheduled

                        for Thursday to talk about why it would be great for Bowdoin’s Queer-Trans Resource Center to let us use space!)

                        (Seems like mostly “newly transitioning” FTMs are interested so far.)

 

                   ii.  [Not discussed at the meeting:  A website plan: If you do a search for Maine and transgender, it’s easy to find lists

                        on various websites of groups or organizations—some of which don’t seem to exist—but not very much explanation

                        about what the groups does, or if the contact info is current, etc. Soooo, my project of the week is to look into a

                        bunch of these groups/organizations, make sure they’re still around, and give them a little publicity on the

                        MaineTransNet website (if they want it), or at least accurate contact information that’s been checked recently and a

                        blurb about what the group does.]

 

            d.      Homelessness

                    i.      “Incident” at Brunswick Shelter, in Portland Shelter recently

                    ii.      What is the law regarding housing trans people (i.e. can a transwoman be forced to stay in a men-only shelter?) –

                          how does this relate to nondiscrimination laws in housing? Ask EqualityMaine, HRC.

 

                    Aside: Good opportunity to teach self-advocacy. How do we get people to go to a self-advocacy workshop?

 

            e.      Scholarship

                    i.      For a high school student (trans or not) who has challenged gender stereotypes in their school, community. Needed: 

                        Fundraising, Selection Committee

                    ii.      Fundraising: If not 501(c)(3) (and we aren’t technically, yet), best to get an organization to sponsor us who is

                         501(c)(3).

 

            f.     Social Opportunities

                    i.      Superbowl Events

                    ii.      Potlucks

                    iii.      “Rainbow rollerskating”

                    iv.      movie night

                    v.      Newsletter for LGBT events “Family Affairs Newsletter”

                    vi.      MaineTransNet Yahoo group! Click on the button on the MaineTransNet Homepage to join. Ya-hoo!

 

            g.       SOFFA issues (significant others, family, friends, and allies, I think)

                    i.    Lack of local supports, some online [What can we do about this lack of

resources?]

            h.      Meetings

                    i.    Issues of Safety and Security at meetings and events

                    ii.   Partner with other groups and organizations, like Outright, PRYSM, Maine Speakout Project, PFLAG, etc.

                    iii.   Partner with supportive, affirming churches

 

5.       Action Steps/Homework

      a.      What conferences are being planned, at which we could do a workshop?

      b.     Let’s have a newsletter! (And do something great to write about in a newsletter!)

      c.      Homeless Shelter research

      d.     Social Event! (Dinner and a movie?)

 

6.       Announcements

      a.   Professor at USM is doing a study, collecting oral histories for trans people ages 18-25 called “Transformative Youth”.

          Email t_boi_blue@yahoo.com for more info.

      b.  We have a yahoo group! Join!! Click the button on the MaineTransNet Homepage to join.

 

Next Meeting! Sunday, March 30th time and location TBA.