"We have nothing to go on"[WORDY!!]

[Rogina B]

Wherever my boat projects take me[New England] or Florida,I try to take Sat evenings and Sundays off so that Rogina gets a 36hr block of out and about time every week. Food shopping,boy laundry[should just burn em] ,shopping,clubbing,etc..I attend a UU[unitarian universalist...the all's welcome church] wherever I am[Portland Me,Boston,my hometown near Boston,Jacksonville,Ft Lauderdale,etc]. So,I learned that the UU church[Buckman Bridge,Jax] was "reaching out" to the LBGT community to gain members from there. ,I figured that I would certainly meet some new TG friends if I went there instead of the UU church closer to me. I have now been 4 Sundays[have a real nametag,lol] AND there are no other TGs..The L and G is represented,I am sure the B is,but I am the only T..lol Everyone is friendly and asking the usual "new person" questions and introductions.. THEN,two Sundays ago,the LBTG welcoming commitee surround me and asks if I would come to their meeting on Thursday pm to talk about the upcoming Pride events in Jax[walking with the church group,info table,etc. So that meeting went well and I offered to help out. So,now more than a few people are starting to warm to Rogina..This past Sunday 3 women came up individually and said" some of us were talking about how nice you always look" and then the usual clothing discussion follows. However,and to the point of the posting.Another friendly face comes up smiling and says"Some of us were talking and although we have been a welcoming congragation for two years now,you are the first T girl that has ever attended here.Many of us are really interested in you as we have nothing to go on..There are plenty of books on the gay world,but nothing on the TG world..some of us have searched and we really can't come up with much. Please bear with us as we need to learn from you". Then,another woman came up and invited me out to lunch at Outback with a group.. Anyway,it is all good! However,I had to tell them that many T minded people hide from the world in their closet or home or mind,etc.Counting on them for atendence is a "fools mission",as they are afraid to be themselves around others,especially in the conservative, thumping South. I wish other T minded people would get out of their shells and realize that most people are accepting,once they realize you aren't "strange",only "different". Normal is a setting on a washing machine only,and I attend a church that supports that.Consider it if you have the yearning to be yourself once a week.

[Roberta Marie]

Rogina,

It's great that you've found a church home where you are welcome.

Most of the world only knows me as Rob, a small number know me as Bobbi. But there are a very few people that know me as both, and most of those people are at a UCC congregation in Akron, OH, First Grace. I only get to attend there once a month or so, sometimes not even that often. But I'm always welcomed there with open arms.

There is another transwoman that regularly attends there that is much more involved in the life of the congregation than I am able to be. But, Christmas before last I was able to help prepare and serve Christmas dinner for the homeless in the area at the church. First Grace is a very mission oriented church with many programs to serve the community around them. I'm hoping that one day, when my work schedule is less demanding, I will be able to get more involved there.

While there is still a lot of ignorance in the world concerning the transgender community, there are a lot of people that are willing to listen and learn about us, and accept us. But, they are not going to come to us and ask us to educate them if they can't find us. We need to seek them out and start the conversation. Sometimes all that takes is showing up where they are, and let the rest happen on it's own.

[Beverley Sims]

That is a nice intro and acceptance from the church.
Curiosity does get the better of most people and if you can stimulate curiosity and keep the result interesting, more power to you.
I hope you have a successful relationship with the church and it should inspire and help your confidence in what looks like a new step in life for you.
I suspect most of the fears have gone out the door now with 36 hr stints at being a woman.
I know after a few outings similar to you I just made the change so easy.

[STACY B]

You never know about people ? This whole education movement is helping alot ,,,Keep it up we can win this thing one person at a time !!

[Tina B.]

I was surprised when I went to my first local gay pride parade here in town, we had more Trans people than gays, and it seemed like most of the towns churches where there inviting all out there to come join them at there churches. As one sign read, "Christ didn't discriminate, and neither do we". It's the first time I had seen so many churches so welcoming.
Tina B.

[NicoleScott]

"We have nothing to go on"

The title caught my attention, because that's what the police spokesman said after a burglar stole all the toilets from the police station.
But I was wrong.

[bridget thronton]

It sounds like you have found a community of support - that is wonderful

[Rogina B]

Some of what I wrote isn't new to me...I have been out and about everywhere for years.I grew up a Unitarian,though I rarely went,my accepting[of my dressing curiosity]mother was very active in our small town Mass UU church. I have only begun to go again because I have made time for it as I enjoy the discussions there[sermons] mostly on life's issues. I only wrote the post to tell others of the possible acceptance out there from a group of open minded thinkers..In many moths of attending this past year in the Boston area,I only met one other TG [ Mto F ] there.So,in conclusion I suspect that very few of our community is taking advantage of a liberal open minded group of potential friends. That is a shame. And as Stacy and others have said,we can all change their views of us,one person at a time...