Back To the Main SiteVolunteers Training at the AIDS Action Council
A particularly transphobic debate took place on ACTQueer, the local queer email list. In the aftermath of that the AIDS Action Council of Canberra requested that A Gender Agenda and New CTN provide some basic trans101 style training for their volunteer base. We agreed, as a favour to them, and worked hard and pulled together our first basic training program, and presented an hour long workshop to a group of about 15 people.
The evening was excellent practice, and gave us plenty of new ideas on how to improve our training strategies, and ways of explaining things. In particular, it helped build our ongoing relationship with NewCTN. AbbeyJane helped us write the package, and present it, and one of the other CTN Regulars was in the audience and provided us with invaluable feedback at the end of the evening.
We also had the unique and pleasurable experience of being trans people sitting by while a non-trans person goes into bat for our rights. One of our non-trans members spoke eloquently about what being a trans ally meant to her, and where she sees the LGBT Communities shortcomings in being inclusive of transgendered people.
So thankyou to all the attendees of the training session, and Abbey, Peter, and Gab for being excellent presenters!
Equal Love: Marriage Equality National Day of Action
The Australian Government Marries the Christian Right
August 1st is the National Day of Action for Marriage Equality, in place since the Same-Sex Marriage Ban. A bunch of folk from A Gender Agenda were at the protest in Garema place, and some of us even got “Gay Married” on the day. The protest was politically relevent, and a lot of fun. Equal Love came through for the trans population with a trans inclusive banner, and trans inclusive speakers. Gabrielle Hitch, Farida Iqbal and several of the speakers were particularly determined to make sure that the trans perspective on the marriage debate was heard.
I was pleased to be able to wander through the crowd seeing trans men, trans women, drag queens, drage kings, genderqueers, and the partners and children of our fabulously diverse community, all out in support of the event. It was even nicer to know that all those people were hearing themselves being included in one of the most overtly trans inclusive marriage rallies Canberra has ever seen.
So, kudos to Gabrielle Hitch, John Kloppy, Farida Iqbal, and all the other kids from Equal Love who worked so hard to make the protest happen.
Recent Comments