Words from the Founder/CEO of Trans Pride & May Is:

Because of us, We Are ONE!

Last year I stepped out on faith and took a chance on the second part of my vision from Capital Trans Pride in 2007 to May Is: “All About Trans” in 2018.  Being a visionary was like a dream come true!  We had 16 outstanding events in the community. Community members showed up with enthusiasm. From workshops to panel discussions to town halls, we expressed our true feelings with tears, joy, and excitement coupled with silence and somber moments. We shared stories about our journeys which served as educational opportunities for many. We facilitated various workshops and conversations of truths, including issue of social justice issues that continue to impact the transgender community. All of this excitement coupled with a great location, tasty foods, and gathering of new friends was an experience which will last a lifetime.  The best part of the experience was how we lived and shared our truths from our hearts!  We seemed to clearly understand each other and learn from each other.  

This year, May Is: had more time to clearly assess the gaps in our programming from previous years. May Is: is created specifically for the transgender community to educate and empower others through conversation (accompanied with food, of course). Our committed team believes that with proper planning, we can address all major and/or pertinent community issues during our month long program of events. Our goal is to offer programming and workshops throughout the month of May which provide our audience with 2-3 hours of informative discussion, focused solely on the everyday lives of trans people.  Since we are all unique human beings with stories of survival, sharing our stories is key to understanding our everyday life. 

There's a saying that goes "Before you start to judge me, step into my shoes and walk the life that I am living and if you get as far as I am just maybe you will see how strong that I really am..." I challenge each of you to take a few hours to learn our hardships and struggles and truly walk in our paths. I guarantee that you will develop a deeper understanding of the lives of people who are often treated less than human, i.e., rejection from our families, discrimination from housing, employment, and medical providers. We often cannot access proper mental health services, which often exacerbates our disparities. Walk in our shoes and you will understand the fear we experience everyday of our lives and the reason it is truly a blessing to make it back to Point A. 

Thank you for your time and supporting the Transgender Community.

With your devoted help, we can stand PROUDLY. 

We Are The People Now and Forever.

 

SaVanna KB Wanzer