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.)

I've been the Social & Support Worker for over a year now, and I can't remember an issue of Polare printed without the Parents, Partners, Family and Friends Support Group being mentioned. These events have been advertised within the Centre, through our Counsellor, and in Polare, often over-publicised, yet I understand these efforts don't reach all of the people who require this Support Group. I am at a loss to understand how this event can be made more visible. I've devoted an enormous amount of time to finding resources for friends and family of transsexual people, written by their peers, in their words, and I've found a lot of useful information and articles for people who find themselves living with, or in a relationship with, a transsexual person.

This Support Group has been cancelled more times than it's been held, because fewer than two people have bothered to book a place. Our Counsellor (when possible) and I have made ourselves available to attend these Groups on weekends about every two months, our Counsellor is also willing to see friends and family members individually or with the transsexual person present, yet we're criticised for not providing support for these people? We're criticised for canceling events with fewer than two interested participants, and we're criticised for not opening the Centre on weekends to cater for those who didn't respond.

While I acknowledge the difficulties family and friends find themselves in when a loved one discloses his or her transsexualism, I do become disillusioned reading recent articles in Polare from family and friends claiming there is no support or resources for them. I have no problem at all providing this information for people who require it, Please phone, write or email me, or book a place for the next Parents, Partners, Family and Friends Afternoon on Sunday, 3 November 2002.

By the time this edition of Polare hits the stands, we will probably have been on the harbour cruise organized for 11 October. This event was organised along with the Horse Riding Day in July with South Sydney Council's help, and targets residents in Gender Centre housing and those who attend the Centre regularly for drop-ins, counseling and other workshops/events. These events are organized with the aim at reducing isolation and encouraging motivation and self-esteem within our clients. More events are planned, including a canoeing day with a picnic in the Royal National Park on Friday, 8 November, and a Beach Day and Barbecue including a walk from Coogee to Bronte on Friday, 6 December. If you have any other ideas for activities, please let us know. Anyone interested should attend drop-ins or call in to the centre to see "What's On".

The Men's Group have had some very successful and well attended events recently. The Hormone and Sexual Health Workshop with Leo Turner and Jay Ramanathan (C.S.A.H.S.), and the Lower Surgery talk were both highly successfully. I'm hoping the "Top Surgery" Workshop will be as successful. This event will be held on Saturday, 7 December from noon – 4pm, and will feature a talk from Dr. Megan Hassell. Please contact me for this event if you'd like to attend.

The Gender Centre Ball will be held at the Taxi Club on Thursday, 24 October from 9:00pm. Tickets are selling fast, and at only $15 a head represent great value. Tickets will also be available at the door. The Taxi Club is located at 40 Flinders Street Darlinghurst.

The Christmas Barbecue will be held on Sunday, 15 December from 12 noon, and efforts are underway to hold a Skin Care workshop some time in November. Please keep your eyes out for details of this event, or give me a call.

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.