April 2016 News, events and support opportunities for transgender people across Scotland. There is something special about the emergence of spring, the sense of newness and budding colour can help to keep us looking forward. A warm welcome from us all at T Monthly HQ. Katrina and the Glasgow T time team bring you a fantastic trans-led singing workshop this month, whilst over in T time Edinburgh we have a discussion for trans and non-binary people and their partners. First though, we’re gearing up for another community-focused NHS Lothian Gender Information Session on Wednesday 13th April. We’ve been working with staff from the Lothian Gender Clinic at Chalmers to organise another supportive information event that will put the focus on the questions that patients and potential patients want to ask. There’s no pressure to ask questions yourself, however via the booking link you have the opportunity to let us know what you’d most like the answers to, from the people who are delivering the services. For the full list of clinic staff who will be present at the event, visit this link. I received a lovely email this week that I have permission to share, which captures the impact of the LGBT Swimming sessions really nicely. I’m grateful for the feedback and really happy to hear the sessions are providing such an important space for trans and nonbinary people. Follow the link above to sign yourself up for the remaining 4 sessions! “I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the last session and how important it was for me personally. It was the first time since early childhood that I was able to take my shirt off in public and it left me feeling very empowered. Had it not been for the accepting atmosphere at Warrender it could have taken me months to get to this stage and yet there I was, just 5 weeks after my surgery, showering topless among cis men.”
Also this month we bring you the summary report for our recent Fife LGBT Community Needs Assessment, carried out by LGBT Health between October 2014 and September 2015. The report reveals some significant findings in regards to the needs of transgender people living in Fife, including the majority expressing a need for more information in regards to gender reassignment services. Access the full report via - http://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/online-resources/ I’m off to frolic in a “host of golden daffodils”, so until next month, take care! +
Jules If you’d like to promote your own activities, group or events for trans people through T Monthly, you can contact me via jules@lgbthealth.org.uk or by calling 0131 523 1104, I’ll be happy to help.