A May 21, T-SON press release via Phyllis Frye PRFrye@aol.com.

The PFLAG Transgender Special Outreach Network (T-SON) is pleased to report that the PFLAG National Board of Directors has accepted T-SON's request and its own Bylaws Committee's recommendation to add transgendered to PFLAG's mission statement by a unanimous vote. The vote now goes to the membership at the PFLAG Annual Meeting in San Francisco on September 12, 1998.

T-SON was initiated 2 1/2 years ago at the Indianapolis national PFLAG convention with the help of Sharon Stuart and many others and since then has worked steadily for trans inclusion. It created an on-line support service (tgs-pflag) and an organizational communiation link (PFLAG-T-SON) and operates a telephone Help Line. With Jessica Xavier as chief author, it has published a readable, inexpensive and succinct introduction to transgender issues, called "Our Trans Childen". Over 8000 copies have been sold to date. T-SON now has a Core Steering Committee and Regional Transgender Coordinators (Tcords) across the country.

Over 160 PFLAG chapters now have local Tcords seeking to educate their members on trans issues, especially with the help of local trans persons. Many chapters already have transgendered members and some have speakers ready and willing to meet with other groups. T-SON is planning an informal educational gathering in San Francisco September 11-12, in conjunction with the Annual meeting; all PFLAG and members and friends and all members of the transgendered spectrum are cordially invited. T-SON is INclusive and still learning!

While T-SON members are excited about the steady progress towards trans education and inclusion within PFLAG, we wish to be especially respectful of our collegues who are not yet with us on this issue. We look forward to further sharing and dialog with them; we know there is much work yet to be done, internally and in the larger community on behalf of our trans children and friends.
 

For further information please contact T-SON's Co-Chairs, Nancy Sharp at StressGone@aol.com or Mary Boenke, at maryboenke@aol.com. (or 540/890-3957).

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