JoAnn Ro be r ts M 1991 Box 1 263 King of Pr u ssia PA 19406 GP RD SJ ~naissance ~ws Volume 5, No. 2 Vision - Integrity - Quality February 1991 Two tales of coming out Here are two true stories about transsexuals coming out at work. Identities have been changed, but the facts are true. Perhaps there is a lesson here. Perhaps it is that when we demand sensitivity from others, we should be sensitive ourselves. "I almost fell over, I was stupefied." "Effective 14 December, I am switching to life as a That was Stan's reaction when Bob, a transsexual female." co-worker, recently appeared without warning in the That was how a transsexual on the faculty of a office of a Philadelphia firm wearing a dress, high West Coast university began a memo addressed to heels and makeup. "I was hurt that he didn't say "colleagues, staff, and other friends" telling them anything before," Stan said, discussing the incident what they could expect in the coming weeks. that Stan now believes cost him and the transsexual In the memo, a copy of which has been obtained by their jobs. the Renaissance News, the transsexual said "I have Before Bob made the immediate, surprise transfor­ always felt female, and have always felt more at home mation at work "I was one of his closest friends in the with female culture than with male culture." She office," Stan remembers. ''We used to talk a lot about described her "some 30 years ofrecurrent depression, football - the Detroit Lions were his favorite team." gloom, and pain ... because of the incongruity between The two had worked together for three years, the last my psychological gender and my physical sex." See­ year they had shared the same office. ing a therapist and attending support group meetings Evidently working that close together didn't mean for more than a year, she wrote, "I have gone for 12 that Bob - now called Lisa - felt obliged to warn months with no such depression." Stan or even explain what was going on that first day. She outlined current medical and scientific think­ "All he said was 'Are you shocked?' Then went about ing regarding transsexualism. "Studies have found his business," Stan said. It wasn't until the second that attempts to 'rectify' it in ways other than gender day that "he started explaining different things," change tend to be dead-end, condemning the trans­ Stan said. ·"He said he had ideas in his head since he sexual to feelings of deep frustration and to ongoing was a little child and had to come out in the open. He periods of depression," she wrote. seemed much more relaxed than he had been in many To help the people around her better understand months." the phenomenon, the transsexual welcomed ques­ (Continued on page 4) (Continued on page 4) Transsexualfound murdered in Center City Three days before Christmas, the no motive for the brutal murder nor a pre-operative transsexual. Why body of a 26-year old male-to-fe­ no suspects. was she murdered? I am sure it was male transsexual was discovered in According to her friend Joanna a crime of hate because of her true Center City Philadelphia. She had Sylvester, Francisco worked in the gender." been stabbed several times in the home health care field and was A $1,500 reward has been offered chest and stomach. studying to become a nurse. She for information leading to the ar­ A security guard working for had planned to undergo sex reas­ rest and conviction of those respon­ Thomas Jefferson University Hos­ signment surgery within six months, sible for Francisco's murder. Any­ pital discovered the body of Anna Sylvester said. She lived with her one with information should con­ Francisco on the morning of Dec. 22 family in the Feltonville section of tact the Philadelphia Mayor's on a hospital construction site near Philadelphia. Commission for Sexual Minorities, 11th and Walnut streets. She was a sweetheart-gentle," 686-1545. All callers are assured Police say that Francisco was Sylvester said. "She never hurt anonymity. killed at or near the site. They had anyone. Her only mistake was being ~naissance 'l\&ws 'l/o{ 5, 9{p. 2 CHAPTER INFORMATION New Jersey 1\g,naissance 9\(g,ws South Jersey: Kelly Harris, •••••••••••••••••••• © 1990 Renaissance Education chapter leader. Write Renaissance • * * *IMPORTANT * * * • Association, Inc., P. 0. Box 552, SJ, c/oP. 0. Box189,MaysLanding, • Until Further Notice • King of Prussia, PA 19406 NJ 08330. Meets on the first : The Reading Chapter : NewsQueen,National Gender News & Survival are trademarks of Saturday of the month at the • Has Suspended Operations • Renaissance. No reproduction of Atlantic Mental Health Center, Inc. • • ••••••••••••••••••••• original articles without the 2002 Black Horse Pike, McKee, N.J. written permission of the editor. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Call (609) $2/copy, $12 per year, 12 issues. 641-3782. Senior Editors: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pamela A. Westin Greater Philadelphia area: Lower Susquehanna Valley: Paula Jordan Sinclair Angela Gardner, chapter leader. Brenda Davidson, chapter Contributing Editors: Write Renaissance PHL, Box AD, leader Write LSV-Renaissance, JoAnn Roberts Bensalem, PA 19020. Meets third Box 2122, Harrisburg, PA 17105. JoAnn Altman Stringer Saturday of the month in King of Meets the first Saturday of the Administrative Assistants: Beth & Rachel M. Prussia, Pa. Winter hours: starts at month in Camp Hill, Pa at 8:00 p.m. Design 8:00 p.m. Call (215) 946-8887. Call (717) 780-1578. Creative Design Services For current information call (215) NATIONAL INFORMATION 630-1437 24 hrs. a day. v Renaissance has a new mail­ stitution in their home state (except Renaissance is a 50l(c)(3) non­ ing address, please correct your Pa.) before asking for chapter status. profit organization providing records: P. 0. Box 552, King of - Any group that wishes to be­ education and support to the Prussia, Pa., 19406. come a Renaissance affiliate will gender community at large. v Renaissance has a new phone pay a small annual fee for services 1--------------- number as well. Call (215) 630-1437 normally afforded to chapters for Calendar of Events 24 hours a day for current informa­ free. Affiliates have no legal connec­ Febuary tion about events and activities. tion to Renaissance and remain au­ 2nd Ren. So. Jersey Chapter; V The board of directors has tonomous. Services include unlim­ J.M. Kauffman, M.D., to approved a new policy for the devel­ ited access to reference publications speak on endocrinology opment of chapters and affiliates. and newsletter copy. and metabolism. - Any group that wishes to be­ Write for details to Alison Laing, come a Renaissance chapter must Co-director of Outreach, P. 0. Box 2nd Ren. LSV Chapter be incorporated as a non-profit in- 552, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406. , 16th Ren. Gr. Phila. Chapter AND, DON T FORGET ABOUT••• 22-24 Texas 'T' Party B&P, San Antonio, Tex. • Background Papers are avail­ • The Pen Pal Project. Ifyou are able for $1 each plus $.25 postage willing to write letters to pen pals, March for each pair ordered. Eight papers please inform Maryann Kirkland or 2nd Ren. So. Jersey Chapter are available: 1-Myths & Miscon­ write to the office, c/o Dept. PP. ceptions About Crossdressing, 2- • A few copies of the Deluxe 2nd Ren. LSV Chapter Re ason s for Male to Female Edition ofDr. Benjamin's The Trans­ Crossdressing, 3-PARTNERS: sexual Phenomenon are still avail­ 16th Ren. Gr. Phila. Chapter Spouses & Significant Others, 4- able at$39.95 postpaid. Make checks The Matter of Children, 5-An Anno­ payable to Renaissance. April tated Bibliography, 6-Telling the • Call the new Transsexual Hot­ 6th Ren. So. Jersey Chapter Children: A Transsexual's Point of line if you need need someone to View, 7-What Is Renaissance?, and talk with. Call (609) 641-3782 be­ 6th Ren. LSV Chapter 8-AIDS & HIV Safety and Ethics. tween 7 a.m. to lOp.m. EST, or FAX • 3R addiction recovery support 20th Ren. Gr. Phila. Chapter group meets at King of Prussia on (609) 561-5799. This service is pro­ third Sat. of the month. vided by the South Jersey Chapter. 2 ~naissance 'J{f.ws o/o{ 5 9{JJ. 2 Little do we think of it, but per­ they live will pretty much be the ceptions rule the personality of Perceiving the world same. today's world. They make us think, Secondly, how do you perceive believe and do things differently. the world around you? Just how do Others perceive you Should someone become a hermit, you perceive life as it whizzes past The third and final consideration living a lonely, solitary life up in the you every day? Do you notice the is your perception of how the world Alaskan tundra, their personality difference in attitudes between the perceives you. We all act, to some and goals will be diametrically dif­ sexes? Do you believe you are giv­ degree, based on how we perceive ferent that the urbanite living in ing something to society or taking the world wants us to act. Do you Los Angeles. And all because of from it? Do you think your work is believe the world perceives you as perceptions. beneficial or superficial? just another woman (or man), or do In the closeted world of the gen­ How you perceive yourself will people perceive you as transsexual der conflicted, perceptions pose make an impact on how you see the (or weird)? Do you believe other three distinct alternatives to how world. If you view yourself as a people question what sex you are? we act.