www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com • Pride Guide 2008

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE B-7

TransFamily has grown into a strong organization

by Jacob Nash

Cleveland-Thirteen years ago in a home in Lyndhurst, Ohio, was the first-ever TransFamily meeting. Gathered in the home of Karen and Bob Gross were but a handful of people who needed support because they either identified as transgender or loved someone who was.

Karen and Bob's goal was to create an environment in which transgender individuals as well as their friends, families, and other allies could both feel safe and gain access to resources that would help them transition or support others in transition. They held a monthly support group meeting in their living room every month, without fail, between May 1995 and April 2007, when meetings were moved to the LGBT Center in Cleveland.

Who knew that thirteen years later it would grow into an organization that touches people's lives all over the world?

Monthly attendance ranges from 30 to 70 individuals, primarily trans individuals, but also allies, friends, spouses, parents and others. Jake Nash, a long-time advocate for transgender issues, served as board president until March 2007, when he was appointed as executive director by the standing board.

Former board vice president Trevor Scheetz took over the role of interim board president and Nash continues to serve as executive director-as a full-time volunteer-while he and the board seek out philanthropic dollars as well as community dollars to support TransFamily.

The executive director is responsible for daily TransFamily decisions, including media relations, grant-seeking, and community presentations and trainings.

Along with Scheetz, serving on the board are vice president Madison Poole, treasurer Damien Montassi, secretary Rachel Roberts, Lindsay Herman-Marcus and Deb Smith. Karen and Bob Gross along with Randi Barnabee are board members emeritus.

Children of LGBT parents have a place to connect

by Jaime Bishop

Cleveland-It is estimated that more than 10 million children in the United States are being raised by parents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

These children, though, may not be aware that they are far from alone.

The Cleveland LGBT Center offers a social support group for children of LGBT parents. Children of Gays and Lesbians Everywhere is a national, well-respected youth-driven program. The mission of COLAGE is to "engage, connect and empower" children of LGBT parents.

COLAGE chapters offer local and regional support providing education, peer support, youth empowerment, and friendship. Each chapter is independently facilitated and operated.

COLAGE Cleveland is the first chapter in the area and the only known one in Ohio. The program is offered to children ages 8-16 years. Meetings are bimonthly. For more information on the national COLAGE program contact www.colage.org. For more information on COLAGE Cleveland, contact Jaime Bishop, youth support coordinator at 216-651-5428, ext.

jbishop@lgbtcleveland.org.

Jaime Bishop is the youth support coordinator for the Cleveland LGBT Center.

The board is soon to grow larger as new members are elected. The goal is to become more diverse as the organization serves the whole trans and gender variant community. If the trans community is a microcosm of society as a whole, then TransFamily needs to have a diverse cross section of society to serve on the board of directors.

Meanwhile, TransFamily has been operating online support group lists since 1999. At present, there are eight online lists with over 2,300 subscribers from 15 countries, including General List, Parents, Kids, Teens, Couples, Spouses and two News lists.

As TransFamily grows and develops into a stronger organization, the board looks forward to partnering with other organizations to come along side and help.

The support of other organizations, LGBT and straight alike, has been wel-

comed for the Transgender Day of Remembrance in November. Backing the event were the Cleveland LGBT Center, People of All Colors Together, P-FLAG Cleveland, the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, Equality Ohio, the ACLU of Ohio, the AIDS Taskforce, Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio, the Alpha Omega Society, HRC Cleveland Steering Committee, the Cleveland Community Relations Board and the Ohio chapter of FTM International.

TransFamily looks forward to your help once again as planning starts for this year's Day of Remembrance, to be held on November 23.

Another event to anticipate is TransFamily's first ever Halloween party on Friday, October 31. It is often said that the only time transgender individuals feel safe is on Halloween. Trans people are able to

and

Imagine EXPLore

2008 Summer Reading Game

You can win out-of-this-world prizes when you play Cuyahoga County Public Library's Summer Reading Game "Imagine and Explore."

Between June 7 and August 9 every time you read a book you have an opportunity to win a prize Including our Grand Prize! Stop by your local branch or visit cuyahogalibrary.org for further details.

come out as themselves and no one ever questions them on Halloween! Please join the organization for the fun, festive event and "Come Out" to support TransFamily.

In the meantime visit TransFamily on the web at www.transfamily.org or come to one of their meetings if you are interested in learning more about the group.

TransFamily's mission is to provide support, education, advocacy, and outreach for the transgender community, families, friends, partners, and allies of all ages, through meetings, presentations, seminars, media outreach, and an emergency resource hotline. To contact TransFamily, call Jake Nash at 330-240-1600 or e-mail transactivist@sbcglobal.net.

Jacob Nash is the executive director of TransFamily.

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