Neutral Corner and the Transgender American Veteran’s Association (TAVA) staffed a booth together at this year’s“Pride by the Beach” event in Oceanside. The event gave Neutral Corner yet another opportunity to tell members of the general public about our work in charity and education on transgender issues. The people we meet often pass this information on to family, friends, neighbors and co-workers…and may ultimately reach a transperson in need of support.
Neutral Corner also had on display our new 2017 Annual Report on this past year’s accomplishments, as well as business cards and other information about our organization. During the event, both Neutral Corner’s President Veronica Zerrer and TAVA board director Zander Kieg were invited to speak onstage about their respective organizations.
At the same time, our organization was itself educated on current LGBT community issues. An exciting development for trans-youth is the growth of GSA groups in universities, high schools, and even middle schools. These “Gender and Sexuality Alliances” provide a safe place for students to discuss their issues, address bullying, hold social events, and bring their presence to school activities. In addition, new forms of gender expression among youth include genderfluid, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming. These oblige us to recognize there’s more than just cisgender or transgender. In addition to “gender identity”, there’s now another world of “gender expression”.
North county is a large area, covering Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Fallbrook and more. To many in the San Diego area, it may seem like a world away. But thanks to the work of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center and its director Max Disposti, that area’s trans-community along with its LGB community is becoming increasingly visible.