Hello again TG Veterans.
As promised, this is the third update of what is happening about the March to the Wall.
This will be the last update and the next time we will be talking, it will be in person and I am looking forward to meeting all of you.
THE FINAL SCHEDULE HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE WEBSITE
Outside of a few mix ups and brain fades about a.m. and p.m., the schedule is pretty well set. Please consult on the schedule on the March website, for your weekend itinerary. There are free times in the evenings for clubbing or going out.
At this time we have 40 TG Vets and SO’s on the bus. We can take 47 at best. Any overflows will have to have their own transportation and follow the bus if they wish.
Thanks to Mara Keisling and the NCTE (National Center for Transgender Equality) who has most generously offered to host this reception for the TG Veterans, the evening should be crowded and exciting. We hope to have some people there from AVER also and some NTAC people may come over join us as well. It is wonderful of Mara and NCTE to help in this way and I truly believe that all the GLBT groups who have written to us with letters of support and best wishes are looking forward to honoring the TG Veteran’s that are in DC for the March to the Wall. The feelings from everyone have been unanimously heartwarming and many of the GLBT people hearing about this March are genuinely touched and moved about what we are doing and how we are doing it. I believe that the reception on Friday night will prove that and get us of to a fine start.
At present, with 40 seats of the 47 on the bus being taken up already and with a few others being saved for others like Marriette Pathy Allen, our official photographer for the March, anyone who has not sent in an application, will not be able to ride on the bus. Please make sure that if you know anyone who is coming and has not sent in an application as yet, inform them that they have to do it right away, or they will not have a seat on the bus. As it is, by the time that we are there, I will have to have informed some that there will be no room left. If that occurs, we may opt to go to a larger bus, but that also costs more money and allows for only ten more seats. Also, that would mean having to notify our bus company well ahead of time.
As announced previously, dinner will cost $31.00 at the door. Please try to have exact change if possible so as not to slow up the line at the door. We appreciate your help on this.
Although there is nothing official on the schedule, there is a very nice bar on the first floor of our hotel where we are having our dinner. We are planning to start dinner at 7:00 p.m., but for those who wish, an informal pre-dinner group will probably be at the cocktail bar.
We will not be serving drinks inside of the dinner and we especially note that anyone who might appear to be intoxicated during this event, will promptly and politely be asked to eat in a neighboring restaurant. I note that this applies for the entire weekend and we apologize if this is not an inconvenience to anyone.
FILMING FOR HISTORY
We have been asked by a documentary person who will be in DC to film the NTAC Lobbying Days and the GPAC Gender Conference being held on the fore and aft of our event, if he can also film some of our event, other than at the Wall. While we have few concerns about this, we also understand and respect the rights of all in attendance also and we will have arm bands for people to wear who do not want to be in any filming. Wearing them will alert the producer to respect your wishes concerning this and this will control the situation to everyone’s satisfaction. We have given this some thought and decided that we do want this to be a matter of recorded history and not go the same way as Stonewall has, being misreported as something that TG people had nothing to do with.
Ahh, Spring in DC….can mean some cool and wet weather. So please remember to bring along your poncho’s (which of course can double as a pup tent, or as ground cover) and a civilian issued umbrella, just in case. If the weather is wonderful, then you can leave them in the bus.
We are not expecting any problems at all. The TAVA Committee does have a security team with us throughout the weekend, which is led by Tina Rice and Ethan St. James. We thank them for handling this important job and keeping a watchful and caring eye on us. It is especially important to note that while watching our security on the flanks, they will also be monitoring internally for any problems. We note that this March if for TG Veterans and that means that we all respect each other and how we identify as TG people. Negative rhetoric regarding the gender expression of any veteran or guest present by any other veteran, guest or person, will not be tolerated by the committee or TAVA and they will be asked to leave immediately, or they will be removed by our security team. While we respect everyone’s point of view, the March to the Wall is a safe space for all Transgender people and there is about as much room for “elitism or rank” from any source, as there is in a one man foxhole. Please keep this in mind.
This is a
wonderful update, However, I'll make just a couple corrections. The person
doing the filming is "she" and she has another person there to assist. And, the
trans-man on the Security Team is Ethan St. Pierre. Thank you, Angela for all
your hard work.