Remembering JoAnn (With Digression)
©2013 by Dallas Denny
I wrote this upon learning of the death of JoAnn Roberts on 7 June, 2013.
Remembering JoAnn Roberts
(With Digression)
I’ve admired JoAnn Roberts since 1990, when she wrote the Gender Bill of Rights. It was a remarkable declaration of our wholeness and worthiness at a time when many of us were mired in shame. I published it in the second issue of my journal Chrysalis Quarterly on crinkly brown paper that mimicked an aged document, as if it were the U.S. Bill of Rights.
At that time I was just launching the nonprofit American Educational Gender Information Service. I was astonished and gratified when Jo sent a check to cover an outside back-page ad for her business Creative Design Services for four issues of AEGIS’ journal, Chrysalis. As I signed the check for deposit I realized I was committed to actually going through with my plans. It felt good when, a year-and-a-half and four issues later, she sent a second check, this time for renewal of the ad.
JoAnn identified as a crossdresser and was happy to be one. I’ve no doubt she would have transitioned if that had been her inclination, but it wasn’t. As a guy she was a short, bald Italian from Philly who drove Corvettes and collected model trains; as JoAnn, she was a glamorous citizen of the world. Thanks to her knowledge of cosmetics and experience performing in drag shows, she was skilled at her feminine presentation. She was fierce! When she talked, though, you knew it was Joe. Jo made no attempt to disguise her voice—although she did publish Alison Laing’s book on feminine voice for those who wished to change theirs.
What I most admired about Jo was her willingness to beard the lion in its den. She did this not with the sword, but with her pen, most often in the form of an editorial in one or another of her publications. Her most frequent target was the nonprofit International Foundation for Gender Education (She once famously titled one of her pieces “International Foundation for Gender Education: None of the Above”). Her criticism was always deserved. Jo was entirely supportive of ethical people and activities, but she didn’t take kindly to ineptitude, secrecy, and financial shenanigans.
Jo did more than write, however. When appropriate, she took direct action. As members of IFGE’s board, for instance, she and Laura Skaer brought a motion forward to have the organization’s finances audited. The reasons were several—to keep the IRS happy, to protect board members from liability, and to ensure the community its money was well spent. Jo and Laura were immediately attacked by other board members who wished to cover up for the ineptitude of staff who I will not name here. This led, somehow, to my involvement in the controversy.
[Begin Digression] One board member assembled a dossier of supposedly damning facts, which she mailed to other IFGE principals. I learned about this one board member sent me a packet through the mail with photocopies inside.
To my surprise, included in the pages was a fax sent to me by Laura Skaer, accepting my invitation to join the board of directors of AEGIS.
When I learned of Jo and Laura’s proposal for an audit of IFGE, and in particular when I learned of the hostile reaction to that proposal, I invited both to serve on AEGIS’ board, for I was board-building and wanted members who would do the right thing and not work to cover my ass. Both accepted; Jo, in fact, became board chair and served wonderfully for four years.
When I didn’t immediately hear from Laura, I figured she wasn’t interested—but in the packet I discovered a one-page fax sent to me by Laura, accepting my offer. For some reason she had sent it to the Holiday Inn where the second (or perhaps third) Southern Comfort conference was being held. I never got it because an IFGE board member (I won’t mention her name) confiscated it and added it to her dossier on Laura.
Needless to say, I was astonished to discover Laura’s fax to me in the photocopied packet of IFGE board materials. I had, after all, never seen it. I immediately phoned Executive Director Merissa Sherrill Lynn, who promptly told me what IFGE did with my mail was none of my business. Thereupon, I land-mailed a copy to every IFGE board member, with an attached letter on AEGIS letterhead saying essentially shame on you. I never received an apology. No doubt most board members, like Merissa, thought I had no business objecting to IFGE’s interception of material sent to me.
Later, in 1998, Jo objected in print to IFGE’s looting—excuse me, did I say looting? I meant to say borrowing—of monies from the never-to-be-touched Winslow Street Fund. I and others also protested; see here for my coverage in AEGIS Online News.
IFGE paid the money back—that time. Read here in Transgender Forum or here on my website for my article about the final sacking of the WSF. [End Digression]
Jo was a community builder. She tied the community together with her writing, her magazines Ladylike and International TransScript, and her publishing company, which sold self-help books and videos. Her Paradise in the Poconos retreats for crossdressers gently helped many in their initial foray into the community.
Jo was a principle in most of the national transgender organizations and co-founder of quite a few. She, along with Angela Gardner, Alison Laing, Trudy Henry, and Melanie Bryant, started the Renaissance Education Association, a community of support groups that is still in existence. She was a founder of the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, the Congress of Transgender Organizations, the Transgender Alliance for Community, and the ill-rated GenderPac, and served an important role in the second International Congress on Crossdressing, Sex, and Gender.
More than a decade ago Jo took a step back from her work on behalf of the transgender community, but her work endures. This remembrance, for instance, is also published on TG Forum, a platform she and Angela Gardner started.
I not only admired Joann Roberts. I respected her. I’ve missed her for this past decade or so—and now I’ll miss her forever.
i like this article
Today 9/13/2014 I just learned of JoAnn’s passing. I am saddened to being ill. I know some of you who posted earlier.
I met JoAnn in 1987 at the Renaissance Start-up. Jo was glad to play ‘Big Sister” to me taking me from the closet to IFGE
conventions( 10); and to the Halls of Congress in 1995 during Lobby Days. In the Halls, we passed a Ladies LOunge and together relieved ourself. We ate in the Senate Cafeteria; then walked the halls together, talking to congressmen. We were both university trained Chemists and computer enthusiasts; lastly we gleefully said “recovering Catholics”. I last saw JoAnn in 2003/2004 IFGE in Philly. I soon started TS transitioning full time at Rutgers in 2004; and had the surgery in 2009. Yes, tonight I miss my “Big Sister”; hope she approves of me.
JoAnn did a lot for me through her publications when I was still not able to walk out of the house, and later when I met her. I had worked in broadcasting and interviewed some famous people, but I was never so impressed as when I actually met the fantastic JoAnn Roberts. She was one of a kind.
I am very sorry to learn about the passing of Joann Roberts. She certainly was a tireless worker in the cause of gender nonconformity. One of the movers and shakers that were so needed in the early days of trying to get the public to understand the gender word.
I first met her when she and Betty and Alison & Dottie Lang came to a Tri-Ess meeting I was running in northern NJ. They wanted to see about starting a group in the Philly area. I think it was sometime in the early 80’s. We had a very large group then and was instrumental in getting groups up and running in Conn., South Jersey, and working with Joann and Alison to set something up in the Philly. Area.
She was a great Lady and we were fond of each other, even having lost touch with her over the years there was a great mutual respect for each other.
Lynda.Frank
Lynda, Possibly you dont remember me. I met Joann at one of the earliest Joyce Dewhurst Pocono weekends. We were good friends for many years and she helped me organize that Connecticut TV group, ‘thecTView’. I just found out about jo’s passing…a year and a half too late. I considered her my “sister”. Yes, we (the TV community) will miss her. God Bless jo.
I’m sorry that I had not known of this passing on. I had worked with JoAnn only three or four years ago in putting a history together in a presentation I was doing at both the BeAll in Chicago and Southern Comfort in Atlanta, Living In Character that describes with me 80 years of cross dressing to my living post op. I remember her well knowing her both as Joe and Jo. I wrote for her as well as the Trans Gender Forum over the years. I will miss her very much and have a great admiration for all that she did over the years for so many of us. Sorry I can’t include my photo here — in a way of passing on all my feelings to so many of my friends over the years and extend memories of JoAnn. Love, Bobbi
Joann will always be remembered.She was a leader
in the TG community.I was crushed to hear of her
passing.
I am sorry to learn of the death of someone so important to educating the public and creating a transgender community that is safe for us all. She will be sorely missed.
Jo Ann was a Goddess whose generous bounty touched many lives indeed.
Thank you, Dallas Denny for sharing this wonderful article. Jo Ann has gone home but her love, her life, her works shall remain to inspire posterity because Tgirls are gifts from Mother Nature.
i met joann before the internet, back on the jersey shore bbs, we arranged to meet in philly it was the first time i ever met another crossdresser i was so scared, we became friendly and i started doing printing for her i printed the rennisance news, ladylike, her srt and illusion and more. Joann and her formeer wife betty met for dinner a few times, truely an awesome person. She will be truely missed but never forgotten
JoAnne fought many battles for the community and I truly thank her for her caring and strength in these battles. Sadly, she was unable to battle the forces that took her life. All of us should remember her work and follow in those footsteps to to make right and to always ask pointed questions; if they screem ask some more.
Thanks JoAnne wor you work for and with the community.
Kerri
I met JoAnn Years ago at Laptop Lounge , As I was building my Yahoo support for Philly Girls (Sandy Martin Philly Tgirls). I Know I was making wave in a area new to me . But I was running into a lot girls coming out with no safe places to go. To met her in person and see how friendly she was. Was High light in this Life
One thing I always notice she never stay long at Laptop. I know alot of my friends chatted with her over the years.
It Sad is see her passing , but she well never be forgotten. Live on JoAnn and thank you. Sandy Martin (just a Philly Girl)
I am so very sorry to hear this news. JoAnn should be listed among so many others as pioneers who forged their way ahead of us. We all owe JoAnn so much.
All blessings to her and her family.
LW