Kappa Beta Serving the transgendered community since 1988

One of our members recently wrote, "The vast majority of the members do not really care about such things as Bylaws, ownership of the websites, etc. We just want to come out, enjoy ourselves with our friends and enjoy the support of the group." While such things may not be of concern to the group as a whole, they must be a consideration of the Board.

So what does the Board do (and not do)?

The Board’s jobs are 1) to conduct the business of the group; 2) listen to what the members are saying (or not saying); 3) provide a safe environment to share; and 4) enforce the group’s rules, when necessary.

Who are we? Whether Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, or Transgender, we are all God’s children and loved by the Master. However on this mortal Earth how many of us have been abandoned or condemned by our relations and friends?

What have we done to be ostracized by our loved ones or friends? Every one of us had people that professed to love or care for us when they knew us simply by our given name. Then, in whatever way our innermost desires were exposed to those we know, they learned that we had feelings and desires that did not meet society’s standards.

Ah, the age old question. I thought I would approach this in an organized way rather than just tossing out my own viewpoint on it. This month I’ll focus on Support, and take a look at Social another time. I began with the "Webster’s Online Dictionary," and found several entries for "support." Let’s take a look and see how well each one applies to Kappa Beta!

Monday, November 20 is The Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day set aside to honor those in our community who have been the victim of violence. This day was begun in 1998 to commemorate the unsolved murder of Rita Hester of Boston, MA, who died of multiple stab wounds. There will be ceremonies in various cities around the world. She was not the first, nor will she likely be the last.

Rev. Ted Haggard, pastor of New Life Evangelical Church in Colorado Springs has long crusaded against gay rights. Earlier this month, Rev. Haggard was forced to resign his position after being accused of engaging in the very activity he fought against.

What do these two disparate stories have in common? Upon reflection, I found a number of things.