A Look At California Unity '97

by Richelle G., Editor of the Born Free newsletter

The turn-out for Cal Unity '97 was a big success. Attendees came from all over the state as well as the country. Those who attended got to meet and make new friends and acquaintances and put faces with the names of those in the community that they have heard of over the years.

The Queen Mary was a fantastic location for the event. The food was excellent and the ambience was unbeatable. Walking the decks of the ship only made one wonder what it would have been like to sail on her in her hay-day, and to have been one of the well-to-do that sailed aboard in the 1930's.

The workshops were a success with something to please and inform every interest. For the first time at a convention of this sort there was a successful Masculinities track for the Female to Male TS's. Attendance by professionals was notable. The Significant Others program and the Wives and Partners programs organized by Betsi and Kathy, respectively, addressed worthy topics and were well attended. Christina volunteered to operate the sound equipment and Arlene did an excellent job of assembling the Program and Information Guide. Gina and Denise did interesting and well attended workshops on Saturday.

The volunteers from the local groups, who did all of the "grunt" work, helped make this event the success it was. Quite frankly if it hadn't been for their efforts the event would have gone down in community history as a big flop.

I was deeply involved in the planning and coordination for this event. This involvement allows me to share with you my impressions and opinions. Those of you who know me know me to be reasonable and rational although sometimes harsh in drawing attention to an important or wrong situation.

Throughout my experience, in no case, did l.F.G.E. volunteers hold to their commitments. In all cases local people had to fill the voids created by their lack of commitment. Not only did the l.F.G.E. Ieadership not recognize the efforts of the local volunteers, neither did their Board members. ln fact their Board members never made their presence known. They never circulated, never made themselves noticed, and never recognized there was a local contingent participating. Apparently manners and graciousness are not this group's long suit.

The Thursday night "Gala" can best be described as a farce. Most people showed up expecting some kind of food or snacks to be served, whether or not there was an additional charge. There were two things billed for the fee that was paid to attend. A fashion show and entertainment from the Queen Mary Lounge in Studio City. The fashion show turned out to be a promotion by Jim Bridges for his new line of clothes designed exclusively for the CD. First, it boggles my mind to see how I.F.G.E. deemed it appropriate to charge those in attendance (a captive audience) to view a commercial promotion by Mr. Bridges. Secondly, the "Drag Queen" entertainment from the Queen Mary Lounge was interesting and enjoyable to most, I am sure, but I question the wisdom at a time when SOs were in attendance and could consider it objectionable, and at a time that the community is trying to distance itself from the "drag queen" image. This all occurred with Newsweek in attendance. I can only reason that I.F.G.E. has some obligation to Mr. Bridges that it was pandering to, and the entertainment was arranged by l.F.G.E.'s Southern California board member who must be totally insensitive and out of touch with the community as a whole.

Saturday night was the ultimate in incest; after dinner l.F.G.E. spent the evening presenting awards to itself. The exodus at the start of these presentations was more than just obvious, it had to be an embarrassment, but they [I.F.G.E. board members] are so into themselves they probably didn't even notice. My opinion at this time is that l.F.G.E. and its leadership is obnoxious, arrogant, and nothing but a "good old girls club," from that other nation called the East Coast. It appears at this time that I.F.G.E. will never be anything more than a bookstore,a marginal magazine publisher, and something a bunch of childish adults play at.

My recommendation to I.F.G.E. is that it reinvent itself by first further reducing the idiotic number of board members, fire existing board members and replace them with dedicated proven professionals (50% from west of the Mississippi), stop operating like an exclusive club and start behaving like the dedicated and responsible public service organization it claims to be, and somehow acquire grace and humility. Until this happens Alison Laing won't have a chance of succeeding in her leadership, for the faster she goes the behinder she will get.

My recommendation to the transgender community is to think twice before becoming a member of l.F.G.E. or subscribing to Transgender Tapestry. There are other TG organizations providing the same or similar information, with better newsletters, and also with a national focus. Ask others or seek them out yourself; they exist. I feel sorry for the girls in Toronto next year, when the girls from Waltham parade in modeling their hobnail boots.

This editorial appeared in the May issue of the Born Free newsletter. The author was involved with California Unity '97 as a Programs Director for six months. This editorial was based on her experience at the Cal Unity '97 convention.


Back to Transgender Forum's home page