Index, Overview, Member Info, Cross Dressing in St.Louis, Gazette Newsletter Archive

Member Information

by

Erika Cantrell

We're delighted you have decided to more information about us! Since you're using a computer and have access to the Internet or subscribe to America OnLine you can reach us by internet e-mail at StLGF@aol.com

This document is designed to help familiarize you with our organization and gender resources in the community, and to provide some introductory information that is particularly appropriate for crossdressers who may have had limited access to information. Given the diversity of our members we have made no attempt to be comprehensive. More specific recommendations about places you can crossdress in public, CD-friendly clubs and businesses, and caring medical and legal professionals will come through your interactions with other StLGF members.

Statement of Purpose

Bill Gender of Rights

StLGF rules and Policies

Administrative Structure of StLGF

Organizational Affiliations

Community Outreach and Service Activities

Hostess System

StLGF Voice Mail System

Other Sources of Information

Membership Application

Statement of Purpose

The St Louis Gender Foundation is a nonprofit and non-sexual social/support and educational resource for transgendered adults including crossdressers, transvestites, transgenderists, transsexuals, and androgynous individuals. We also welcome significant others, caring professionals, and all who support freedom of gender expression. The StLGF is proud of its long tradition as an open organization that does not discriminate on the basis of biologic sex, sexual orientation, race, or marital status. The major goal is to provide a nurturing environment conducive to individual growth and development and for networking with similar individual, supportive health-care and legal professionals, and businesses in the St. Louis area. There is no dresscode.

Bill of Gender Rights

The StLGF officially endorses the "Bill of Gender Rights," by JoAnn Roberts Ph.D., December, 1990

StLGF Rules and Policies

Membership. Your $25.00 annual membership fee in StLGF entitles you to 6 newsletters, access to library materials, the right to vote and run for office, and the right to attend StLGF functions including monthly meetings with refreshments and access to changing facilities. The dues are used for day to day operating expenses - including all mailings, printing of the newsletter and bulletins, and advertising. Members are charged $15.00 for admission to each meeting (September - June) to cover costs for room charges, refreshments, and special activities. A somewhat higher fee may be charged for the annual Awards Banquet. All memberships are renewed on January 1 and prorated as needed for year 2. Dues can only be increased with the approval of the general membership.Membership Application Form

Rules. All information about the organization, it's members, and events shall remain strictly confidential for the protection of all. There shall be no excessive use of alcohol or use of illegal drugs. Photos and publications shared with members shall not be of an explicit or pornographic nature. No one under 21 years of age may attend the meetings. Failure to comply with these rules will result in suspension of membership according to the procedures enumerated in the bylaws.

Members are also asked to avoid incidents that might lead to embarrassment or inadvertent "outing" of other members. For example, it is inappropriate to address another member in public by their club name when others are in the vicinity. It is also inappropriate for a crossdressed member to greet or approach a noncrossdressed member in public without fast being acknowledged or invited.

Etiquette. Members are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and thoughtful manner, respecting the privacy and concerns of others. This is especially important when encountering members of the staff or other patrons at the meeting establishment. Discretion is also expected in the presence of a member's spouse or significant other. At meetings you will be expected to use the designated restroom or, if unavailable, a restroom appropriate for your gender presentation. Smoking is not prohibited but smokers are encouraged to be considerate of the health concerns of non.smoking members. Although there is no dress code, members are encouraged to dress approriately for the scheduled activities or event.

Photo Policy. At meetings and events photographs or videos may be taken for club use. If you don't wish to be photographed or have your picture used in the Gazette please let us know. Anything that you send to be printed in the Gazette becomes the property of StLGF. You must inform the editor that you wish pictures returned in advance. Members are expected to destroy photos and old copies of the Gazette prior to disposal.

Organization of the StLGF

The St. Louis Gender Foundation was originally rounded as a social club for crossdressers, named the "St. Louis Gateway Femmes". It was subsequently renamed the St. Louis Gender Foundation (StLGF) in part to reflect the increasing diversity of our membership and to acknowledge the broadening of our educational and community outreach activities. The official logo of the StLGF is the St. Louis arch spanning a rose.

The StLGF is administered by a Board of Directors which is elected at the June meeting. The board consists of five members: the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer/controller, and the Newsletter Editor. The Librarian is appointed by the President with the approval of the Board. The President is responsible for day-to-day administration of the organization and for community outreach activities, while the Vice President assumes primary responsibility for coordinating club social and educational activities. The board operates with the directional guidance of the Advisory Council which includes the President, all active past presidents, and one or more elected members so as to always maintain and uneven number of voting members. Board meetings are held once a month while the advisory council meets at least twice per year. The StLGF and the activities of the board are governed by written bylaws accepted by a vote of majority of the general membership. A listing of current board and council members is given in each issue of the Gazette. Copies of the bylaws are available on request.

Scheduling of Business Meetings

We are trying to minimize business-related activities at our monthly meetings - which are primarily opportunities for socializing, learning, and having fun. Only three official business meetings can normally be scheduled during the year - at the April, June, and September meetings. Ten members and at least one officer are required to hold a business meeting. Although administrative, community outreach, and inter-organizational activities are solely the responsibility of the elected officers, member participation in these activities is welcome and encouraged. Copies of the agendas and minutes of all Board and Advisory Council meetings are provided to any member on request, and major policy decisions are announced in the StLGF Gazette.

Affiliations

The StLGF is a member of MAGGIE the MidAmerica Gender Groups' Information Exchange. MAGGIE's purpose is to support and coordinate the activities of all Midwestern gender support groups and organizations and to provide a united educational and informational liaison for our community. MAGGIE presently includes two representatives from each of six gender organizations:

The annual Fall Harvest Celebration sponsored by MAGGIE is now a major regional and national event drawing attendees from many organizations throughout the United States. All members are strongly encouraged to participate in the Fall Harvest educational program and social activities.

The StLGF is also represented in PRIDE St. Louis and The Center which serve the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. Although the majority of our members and crossdressers in general are not gay, this is an important political affiliation that has helped give the transgendered people in our community a unique voice and platform for community outreach. Nationally, such affiliations are the exception rather than the rule. The President or other individuals appointed by the Advisory Council serve as representatives to these organizations.

Community Education & Service

It is not feasible for most of our members to openly participate in community outreach and public gender education activities. Fortunately, some members of our organization are sufficiently "out" to allow them to represent our organization through interviews for newspaper articles or radio or television broadcasts, presentations to civic groups, or lectures in college classrooms. We also support the activities of organization's such as PRIDE St. Louis that are more visible in the community. In addition, our organization is proud of having a long tradition of joining other community organizations in securing donations for Doorways, an interfaith AIDS residence program, through bingo games and other club activities. Finally, during our annual Awards Banquet selected professionals and businesses are recognized for their service to the local transgender community.

Hostesses and the Greeting Table

Each meeting has a volunteer hostess - often a member of the Board, who greets arriving members and guests, arranges for any food or beverages that need to be provided, and takes responsibility for after meeting clean-up. In addition, the hostess may assist the Treasurer in documenting attendance for the meeting and in collecting the $10.00 meeting fee. The hostess is also responsible for making sure that the greeting table has nametags, informational brochures/membership applications, and several new member packets.

Voice Mail System

The StLGF maintains a dedicated voice mail system at 314/367-4128. Members have a secirity code to enter, which provides the latest information on StLGFactivities. To leave a message for and StLGF officer or the librarian select mailbox 1 and leave less than a 1 minute message after the tone. With this system you may enter the desired mailbox number at any time using or have the option of pressing "0" to return to the main menu. Rotary phone users are able to leave a brief message after the completion of the recording.

Sources of Information

Additional educational materials are available in the StLGF library, through transgender resources such as Renaissance and the International Foundation of Gender Education (see below), transgender businesses such as Creative Design Services, at large local bookstores, such as Library Ltd, and at gay owned and operated bookstores such as Left Bank Books and Our World Too.

For more information about materials in the StLGF library contact the librarian at our meeting or through our voice mail system. Selections will be brought to the next scheduled meeting and can be checked out for one month or until the following meeting. A copy of the catalog and a list of recommended readings are available on request. If you are interested in transgender fiction or personsals, most of the national publications identify established periodicals or reliable vendors that can be relied upon to maintain your confidentiality.

More online listings of Transgender Information can be found at CDC Resource Center and Renaissance.

HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER?

You can apply for membership simply by completing an application form. You can request a form by contacting our voice mail (314/367-4128, Box 2), by mailing a letter to StLGF, P.O. Box 9433, St. Louis, MO, 63117, by e-mail, or by printing this page and filling in the attached form. If you leave a message on our voice mail be sure and speak clearly and keep the background noise as low as possible. If you would like to talk with an StLGF representative you can leave a phone number together with any instructions you may have regarding who to ask for, time of day etc. All information is held in the strictest confidence. The application and $25.00 annual membership fee should be mailed to the address given on the application.

After receiving your application we will contact you by telephone to arrange for a personal interview. Discretion is assured in all phone contacts and mailings. The interview helps us to assure the privacy of our members, and must be completed before we will disclose our meeting location or allow the use of materials from our library. All members must be at least 21 years of age and agree to abide by the rules given on the application. Excessive use of alcohol, the use of illegal drugs, and the distribution of pornographic or sexually explicit materials are prohibited.

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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Please print and mail,

Referred by:_______________________________

Preferred Name:____________________________

Mailing Name:______________________________

Mailing Address:____________________________

Telephone Number: ( ) ____________________

Spouse/Partner Name (optional):________________

(circle one)

What other transgender organizations do you belong to?:

Special skills / hobbies:

Comments/Concerns:

Membership: The $25.00 annual membership fee in StLGF entitles you to 6 newsletters, access to library materials, the right to vote and run for office, and the right to attend StLGF functions at the price of $15.00 per meeting. Members can also use the designated changing facilities.

Rules: Members are expected to conduct themselves in a thoughtful and courteous manner at all times. There shall be no excessive use of alcohol, no use of illegal drugs, and no sharing or distribution of sexually explicit materials. All information about the organization's members and the location of its events shall remain a secret for the protection of all. Failure to comply with any of these rules will result in suspension of membership.

I certify that I have read, understood, and agree to abide by the rules given above, and that I am at least 21 years of age. I have enclosed $25.00. I also agree to hold StLGF and its members harmless for any accidental harm that may come to me as a member of StLGF.

Signature:

Date:

Mail application and check/MO to:

StLGF

P.O. Box 9433

St. Louis, MO 63117

314/367-4128


Index, Overview, Member Info, Cross Dressing in St.Louis, Gazette Newsletter Archive