Working for basic rights for transgender and transsexual people to be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community.
SAGA is a program of Wingspan, Southern Arizona's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center
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Select a news topic from the list below, then select a news article to read.
TG Group at Veterans Administration
The VA is interested in starting a support group for TG veterans at SAVAHCS, with SAGA as a co-sponsor. They would like to know what kind of interest there is in such a group.
This is a tremendous opening, both for trans veterans who are publicly out as well as for those who have not yet come out and may need the support in the future. Phoenix has a group that seems to be helping a number of TG Vets.
There are no guidelines set yet, so we could get the opportunity to determine the groups focus and impact.
This is an opportunity that may not come around again if we do not seize it this time.
All TG vets are urged to help taking part in getting this group off the ground, and expanding the resources available at the VA. This is our opportunity to get our foot in the door and to work towards more services. But if we do not show interest in this offering, it is likely the VA will conclude that there is not really a need in Tucson.
So, please, PLEASE give this strong consideration and let
or
know you are interested, at least in getting something started.
If we do not take advantage of this opportunity, we can no longer complain if we are not taken seriously.
Dezert Partnerz Meets 3rd Thursdays
One person's transition is a transition for everyone. As the partner, spouse, parent, ally or close friend of a transgender or transsexual person, you may feel betrayed, angry, confused -or delighted - by the all consuming nature of transition and the complexities of life, love and intimacy that accompany the journey. Desert Partnerz was formed to help gain a better understanding of the ways gender diversity can impact relationships. Share your feelings, concerns, and experiences.
Meetings of Dezert Partnerz will take place on the third Thursday of each month from, 6:00 - 8:00pm at Wingspan/Eon. All are welcome. For more information, click here...
New Interactive Map of Driver's License Policies
The National Center for Transgender Equality has recently developed an interactive map, showing the policies for gender change on Drivers' Licenses in the various 50 states.
According to this map, in Arizona "A customer must request that the gender noted on the record be changed. To accomplish this change, the customer must apply for a new license (duplicate). It is not necessary for the customer to have completed the surgical gender-change procedure. A signed statement from a licensed physician is required. The signed statement must: include a statement to the effect that the customer is irrevocably committed to the gender-change process; include the physician's license number; and, be presented within three months from the date the statement was signed by the physician.
Survey Finds Discrimination by the Military and Veterans Administration
The Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara has released the findings of a survey, conducted by Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA), that shows that transgender veterans are being turned away and being mistreated in high numbers by Veterans Administration medical facilities. The survey of 827 U.S. military veterans and active-duty personnel mark the first major empirical findings on transgender people in the military. This represents a strong sampling from what is estimated to be approximately 300,000 veterans in the US who identify as being transgender.
Access Tucson recently produced a television program, "Political Perspectives: Transgender Realities," featuring an interview with SAGA's Michael Woodward and Amanda Simpson. For downloading ease, the full 1/2 hour program has been divided into three parts.
The entire program will be cablecast via Access Tucson throughout the rest of the month of May:
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