April 15, 2009

Dear Trans Alliance Society Members and Allies:

Hello! This is Victoria Stuart; I was truly honored to be nominated and very pleased to have been elected the Chair of TAS at our Annual General Meeting on February 28, 2009! I assume this responsibility with humility, always aware of the trust that has been placed in me.

Since it's founding in 1999 TAS has been evolving to meet the current needs of transgender persons in British Columbia. [Please note that TAS applies the term "transgender" in a broadly inclusive way, as indicated on our website.] Initially a clearing house of information and a mechanism to bring people together to work and advocate for the transgendered, TAS incorporated as a Society in 2003 and partnered with our allies to help establish and launch the Transgender Health Program [June 2003] after the closure of the Gender Clinic [2002].In the years following this substantial - and time-consuming effort - TAS assumed a smaller role, nevertheless continuing to serve the needs of transgender persons throughout British Columbia.

By 2006 TAS had reached a state of quiescence, with some TAS Members agreeing to serve as Steering Committee Members simply to ensure the survival of TAS as a viable organization. Since then, TAS has been reinvigorated through the efforts of many individuals. I'm hesitant to list names as I don't want to exclude anyone who has contributed to this effort, but your very significant time and effort, lead by our immediate past-Chair Ms. Raigen D'Angelo, has resulted in TAS being substantially revitalized! Particularly, Raigen organized a drive culminating in a petition with 743 signatures calling for inclusion of gender identity and gender expression protections in the B.C. Human Rights Code, that was introduced into the B.C. Legislature on our behalf by MLA Shane Simpson in February 2009. During her tenure, Raigen also substantially redesigned the TAS website, making it easier for transgender persons and our allies to access information and resources, to contact TAS, and to get involved.

Hence, I assume the leadership of TAS at a time of transition within TAS itself, and the transgender communities around British Columbia. A former resident of Vancouver and Victoria, I began my transition (MTF) in earnest at the beginning of 2007 while my wife Susan (who istremendously supportive of me, and all transpersons) and I were residing in North Carolina, returning to Vancouver in November 2008. Actively involved in the transgender communities in N.C., we returned to Vancouver having already established contact with transgender groups and individuals in B.C. Since then, Susan and I have been actively seeking out and meeting with not only transgender individuals and groups, but also our allies in the broader GLB communities.

Thus, despite a relatively short presence in B.C. as a transperson, I was honored to have been nominated and pleased to have been elected Chair of TAS! In addition to the skills I bring as a life-long academic / research scientist, I honed my leadership and networking skills at various times as a fraternity President, as Councilor / President-Elect / President of a non-profit genetic scientific research society, and lastly the founder of a successful transgender support group (in which I maintain an active role).

Through my personal website, personal outreach, advocacy and posts to various posts and blogs, I hope to educate society while instilling a sense of pride in transgender persons everywhere, whatever their status. I am innately connected with, and protective of transpersons; my mission is to advocate, help, and serve transgendered persons, where-ever they are.

Regarding TAS, I have short and long-term goals, as I have posted on our TAS-News and TAS-Discussion groups. Immediately upon assuming the leadership of TAS, I set out to bring myself up-to-speed regarding our transgender history here in Vancouver, to learn about TAS itself, to contact, meet and/or open discussions with people associated with trans issues (past and present), and to consult with our Members and our community to identify and prioritize the issues and roles that TAS should assume in the months and years to come.

In the short-term I want TAS to continue the work and initiatives spearheaded by our predecessors (past Steering Committee Members and others actively involved with TAS), while continuing to reinvigorate TAS by forging allies, and inspiring and stimulating interest in active participation in TAS, in whatever capacity interests those so involved. In addition to a vast wealth of experience and knowledge embedded within our community, weekly I meet transpersons who are newly transitioning and exploring their gender identity. I consistently counsel these individuals to focus on their transition while educating themselves regarding the issues that all transpersons face; that there is time for them to get actively involved when the time is right, for them. Hence, we have a tremendous resource, upon which to draw, over time.

Despite the advances in society generally, and society's perceptions of transgender issues, much remains to be accomplished. These include, but are not limited to, enshrined legislated gender expression / gender identity protections, improvements to funding and access to resources and services associated with transgender health, advocating for inclusion of gender-related procedures (e.g. hair removal) under the B.C. Medical Services Plan, the ability to change sex / gender markers on identifying documents (birth certificates, etc.), and much more.

The aims, goals and mission statements associated with TAS are enshrined in our Constitution and our website; I broadly summarize these as transgender support, education, outreach and advocacy. In each of these areas, TAS can and should take a leading role, providing the resources and information needed by transpersons, going out and speaking at schools and the workplace, enlisting the support and participation of allied individuals and groups, and pushing for reforms, wherever needed.

As we have seen, individuals can make tremendous contributions. Each of us - whomever we are or our background - has the ability, intellect and capacity to advocate on a personal level. Working collectively, we can substantially magnify and focus these efforts, providing the opportunity to accomplish truly great things! I encourage all of you - regardless of your identity or background - to become active and participate in whatever capacity interests you, regardless of your level of involvement! As we have seen with the de-listing (funding) of gender reassignment surgery in April in Alberta, our good fortunes can turn, overnight - we must remain vigilant and proactive! Gay-bashing, transgender hate crimes, denial of services for HIV+/AIDS patients, exclusion from legislation is an attack on all of us in our extended GLBTTQQIA communities; our opponents and enemies do not differentiate, in this regard.

Sincerely,
Victoria Stuart
Chair, Trans Alliance Society
Vancouver, British Columbia

Trans refers to anyone who has a gender identity; may it be the medical or psychological model, that is different than their birth sex, and/or expresses their gender in ways that contravene societal expectations of the range of possibilities for men and women.

This may include people who self-identify as transgendered, intersex, Two Spirit, crossdressers, transsexuals, bi-gendered, pan-gendered, genderqueer, androgynous, third gender, female and male impersonators, and drag kings/queens, as well as people whose perceived gender or anatomic sex may conflict with their gender expression (such as masculine-appearing women and feminine-appearing men).

For more information on how TAS works, please check out our Constitution & Bylaws.