Australian Transgender Support Association

by Gina Mather

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

A.T.S.A.Q. Inc. was originally formed in 1988 on the Sunshine Coast under the name of Q CATS.

The objectives of A.T.S.A.Q. are as follows:

• To provide moral and social support for transgenderists, either pre or post operative and their family and friends;
• to support, where possible, in finding accommodation with other transgenderists and friends;
• establishing a cottage type industry to provide jobs and retraining;
• to provide assistance in the location of appropriate proven medical services;
• to provide credible spokes people to advocate for transgenderists legal rights and lobby for funding;
• liaising with outreach services to transgenderist sex workers to provide support and advocacy; and
• networking via newsletters.

We provide a 24 hour help line to support and assist any one with transgender issues. All of our telephone operators are fully qualified counsellors and we are only able to continue this essential service due to the efforts of our volunteer telephone counsellors and generous support of our members.

Our newsletter is produced monthly and is sent to various other services, social groups, medical professionals and members. We rely on our membership for all of the written contributions, printing and mailing.

One of our main aims and objectives is to establish a gender reassignment centre and halfway house in Queensland. At present the great majority of our members, although having met the required criteria for reassignment do not have the finance or support needed for the costly travel and post operative convalescence.

A.T.S.A.Q. does not receive any government funding although we have submitted many different proposals to numerous government funding bodies.

A.T.S.A.Q. will, however, persevere and hopefully there must be some light at the end of the tunnel.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.