A Suggestion for WPATH
Source: Dallas Denny. (2011, 1 November). A suggestion for WPATH. Chrysalis Quarterly, 3(1).
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Panelists included Outgoing WPATH President Walter Bockting, incoming President Lin Fraser, incoming President-Elect Jamison Green, GLMA President Becky Allison, and community activists B.T. of Transforming FTM, Jamie Roberts of Atlanta Gender Explorations (a group I started 21 years ago!), and Tracee McDaniel of Juxtaposed Center for Transformation. The conference was moderated by Faughn Adams of EmoryUniversity and Anneliese Singh of Georgia Safe Schools Coalition.
A Suggestion for WPATH
The opening plenary at the 1997 WPATH symposium in Vancouver was interrupted by local transgender and transsexual protestors who cited high conference cost as a barrier to their attendance and requested access to the conference.
This understandably caused consternation, but WPATH wisely (in my opinion) allowed the protesters to attend the sessions.
Fourteen years later the issue of access for local transgender and transsexual activists once again raised its head as members of the audience at the joint WPATH/JLMA/Southern Comfort town hall meeting cited the high cost of the conference as an impediment to community participation.
WPATH President Walter Bockting pointed out that a number of sessions had been arranged for locals, including a special plenary session on transgendered people in sports and the Olympics, a welcoming reception, and film festival events, and were free of charge, and there was a special price for Sunday registration. HBIGDA had, he said, made a decision to use its limited scholarship monies for people outside the U.S.
After the conference local activists– including the transgendered panelists—urged the WPATH panelists to allow a couple of local community leaders to attend so they could share what they learned with the local community. WPATH leaders agreed to two free passes.
This resonated especially with me because I was unexpectedly short of funds and lacked the $285 necessary to register for the day on which I was scheduled to co-present a paper with Jamison Green. I spoke up in reaction, and immediately wished I hadn’t. I was flattered when Faughn later asked me if I would like one of the slots, but said I would prefer it go to someone who had never been to a WPATH symposium.
I’m happy to say I was allowed to attend long enough to co-present my paper with Jamison. For that I’m grateful, and because of that I’ll be making a donation to WPATH.
I can’t begin to say how embarrassing it was to ask for the favor of being allowed to give my own paper.
I absolutely understand why WPATH can’t open its symposia to anyone and everyone, but I don’t see this issue of local access will go away.
I have a suggestion for WPATH. I’m making it here, and will be making it as a member after the first of the year, when I will rejoin (I stopped renewing my membership when Version 5 of the Standards was released. I should have rejoined when Version 6 came out, but somehow never did).
The Suggestion
There used to be a historical festival in my old home town in Vermont where people are poor by design, and the town would issue a resident card for people who had an address on their driver’s license indicating that they lived there, and they were allowed to be admitted to the ‘heritage festival’ at a substantially reduced rate… perhaps this would work in WPATH situations.
What an excellent idea, Dallas. I am glad you will be rejoining WPATH!
Many thanks,
Lin