Social & Support Report

by Nicole Moore

(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.)

The Hair Removal Workshop held in early March was a huge success, I'm sure those who attended have learned a lot about the different methods and options available for facial and body hair removal. Thank you to Grant (Shaver Laser), Jessica and Kim (Advanced Electrolysis) and Amanda (Home Electrolysis Machines) for donating their time to give talks and demonstrations.

The Men's Group is back, and the next two meetings have been arranged with talks and more. On Sunday April 14th, the talks are about strapping, prosthesis, underwear, clothes and shaving, and as this seems a lot for one day, we've extended the group by an hour. The day will now begin at noon and conclude at 4:00pm. The group meets again on Saturday May 4th, and a shopping trip has been arranged to some factory outlets. The idea of this outing is not necessarily to buy clothes, but to know what is available, what different clothes cost and gain experience trying clothes on.

A Creative Writing Workshop has been organised for Saturday May 11th, with follow up meetings on the 20th, 27th May and 3rd June. If you're interested in learning to write creatively, or just need to hone your skills, this workshop is for you. We'll also discuss poetry, script and lyric writing. Seats are limited for this event so please book a place early.

I'm still very keen to set up two discussion groups for different sectors within our community. I'm working to organise regular support groups for young transsexuals (under 25), and another support group for post-operative transsexuals who would like to discuss the emotional aspects of their lives now, or anything which may be preventing them from successfully blending back into society.

A reminder also that the Parents, Partners, Family and Friends days are continuing, the next few dates are Sunday May 19th and Sunday July 7th. The Winter Solstice Barbecue and Community Consultation will be on Saturday June 22nd, and a barbecue will also be held on Thursday May 9th in conjunction with a TAFE discussion at the centre.

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