Transgender Young Adults. And Parents.

Spread the word:

Tony Ferraiolo is co-Founder of the Jim Collins Foundation. 
He is the subject of thee film A Self-Made Man.
He is included in the New Yorker magazine profile About A Boy.

Greatness walks among us.

Thank you Legislators!

Substitute House Bill No. 5593
Public Act No. 14-234

Sec. 11. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) Any person who maliciously publishes, disseminates or otherwise discloses the confidential location of an emergency shelter operated by a domestic violence agency, as defined in section 52-146k of the general statutes, without written authorization from the domestic violence agency that operates such emergency shelter to publish, disseminate or otherwise disclose the location of such emergency shelter shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

Signed into law today. Special thanks to Representatives Mae Flexer, Matt Lesser, Matt Ritter, and others for championing this matter.

Mr. May

Holly Woodlawn.
Inspiration to a generation.

I have been saving this since it was printed in the National Lampoon magazine as part of the 1971 calendar pinup project.

Not exactly  "Venus in Furs", but a kittenish version in fun fur.

Coming Event: Love on Sunday

Come to the Milford Arts Center when M&M Productions present
A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters"
Sunday, April 28th at 2pm
Have you ever known someone who touched every part of your life?
Have you loved someone across time and distance?
Share in the story of Melissa and Andrew as they grow together through the power of the pen!

The Milford Arts Center is great! It occupies what was once a train station (the other side of the tracks still has a waiting room area). The Milford Arts Council arranges for all sorts of musical events, photography and painting shows, plays, and more. Location (you kind of guessed it): 40 Railroad Ave. Milford CT 06460
Easy access by train! Or bus... or car... or bike...

Tickets $15, Members $10
Call 203-878-6647 to reserve your seat for this fantastic show.

Beyond Pancakes

Coolness!
Registration is now open for the 2013 Transgender Lives Conference to be held on April 27th, 2013 at the UConn Health Center, Farmington Connecticut.

Learn more every day -- become a smarter and better person.

When Saturday April 27, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EDT Add to Calendar   Where Academic Building of the UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Avenue Academic Building Farmington, CT 06030 Driving Directions

CHES nd NASW credits are available for the 2013 Transgender Lives Conference [click here for workshops]. Don't miss our keynote speaker Mara Keisling, the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Mara Keisling is the founding Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Mara is a transgender-identified woman and a parent. As one of the nation's leading voices for transgender equality, Mara has appeared on news outlets such as CNN and CSPAN, and is regularly quoted in the New York Times, the Washington Post and hundreds of other national and local print and electronic media.     AND this year we are offering CEU accreditation's from NASW/CT and CHES! However, to take advantage of this unique and wonderful opportunity to listen to Mara Keisling, as well as attend the many exciting and challenging workshops you must be registered for the conference. If you have not done so yet, you do need to register ~ so don't delay and do it today!! Get more information Register Now!   Sincerely,    Transgender Lives Organizing Committee Ct TransAdvocacy Coalition conference2013@transadvocacy.org 860 255 8812

World AIDS Day

Get tested. Then Get Help.

"GIT YOUR PINK ON" DAY

The Get In Touch Foundation is a global breast “health” organization developed specifically for girls in grades 5-12 to emphasize the importance of educating them on breast self examination. The program teaches girls to “get in touch” with their bodies and has been developed by Get In Touch board members and members of the medical community, as well as focus-groups of girls ages 8-18.


Mary Ann Wasil Nilan is the founder and inspirational leader of The Get In Touch Foundation, which helps young girls learn that self-exams are easy, not embarrassing, lifesaving, and necessary. 

Though the work is year-round, one day each year is National “GIT Your Pink On!” Day. This year we celebrate/ruminate/and educate the community on Friday October 21st. Governor Dannel P. Malloy has honored G.I.T. with an Official Proclamation and this week many companies, large and small, are collecting dollars to provide free Daisy Wheels for girls. The Original Daisy Wheel is a plastic disk, used to teach the following 8 Tips - and for modern type people there is now a Daisy Wheel Application on the iTunes Store that has been downloaded over 1,000 times, in 26 countries, since its launch this summer.

1. BSE Breast Self Exam - Think of your breast as a daisy.
2. Look at your breasts in the mirror – hands on hips – tighten your chest. Anything weird? Discharge, puckering, dimpling?
3. Lying down, firmly press 3 fingers on your breast in a circular motion. Examine each "petal."
4. Apply 3 different levels of pressure – light, medium, firm – with your finger pads to check your breast tissue.
5. Use pressure level (L, M, F) on each "petal" before moving to the next.
6. Start by your armpit and move down to just below your breast, using the same circular motion in an up and down pattern, covering your whole breast. Repeat on other breast.
7. Sitting or standing, raise your arm slightly and use the same circular motions with your finger pads to examine your underarm. (Standing in the shower is a great place to do this!)
8. Did you see or feel something that worries you? Don't be embarrassed – tell your mother, father, sister, grandmother, school nurse, teacher, your BFF! Talk about it – GET IN TOUCH! 

Hope lives!  And so does Mary Ann

 _______________________________________________________

Further PS from facebook - an event on Saturday for Get In Touch Foundation.

"GIT Your Rock On" Rock Painting Contest

Time	Saturday, October 22 · 11:00am - 2:00pm
Location	Gulf Beach Patio
Created By	Joe Meade
More Info	Rock On is sponsoring a rock painting contest to benefit the Get In Touch Foundation. The contest is open to boys and girls age 7-12, bur we encourage people of all ages to participate. The participants will be supplied with paint and brushes to create their art on any rock that they can find on the beach. The suggested donation is $5 per entry. A limit of 2 entries per person. Three prizes for the top winners will be awarded by a panel of judges. Registration begins at 11 am and the contest will run from 11:30 am -1:00 pm. All proceeds will be donated to the Get In Touch Foundation. Rain date is Sunday 10/23.

Love Note from a Friend

Cure for Hot is Be C00L

From the Postcard Collection

Still Hot. Not as hot as yesterday, but still Hot.

From the Postcard Collection.

Want to be Cool? Go visit someone in the Hospital.

ICYMI: "8 Things You Shouldn't Say to Someone with Breast Cancer"

Courtesy of Mary Ann Wasil Nilan and the July 2011 Get In Touch Foundation Newsletter

The perfect time to revisit...8 things you should NOT say to someone with breast cancer    

1.  How bad is it?  WHY?  Um...well, for obvious reasons. 

2.  Never leave an e-mail, voice message or text asking questions....ANY questions.  WHY?  Because...yours is probably not the only one that day, and it is just too exhausting (emotionally and physically) to answer everyone - no matter how much we would like to, and no matter how much we appreciate your concern.

3.  Never tell them what YOU want to do to help them.  WHY?  Trust me, what YOU need to do to feel better is probably not what your friend needs to feel better.

4.  What's your prognosis?  WHY?  Sheesh.  Let's try this instead..."what's your protocol?"  Much easier to answer, especially if your friend is too unsure, frightened, unprepared (or all of the above) to discuss what the possible outcome of her cancer might be.

5.  At least you caught it early.  WHY?  Because your idea of early might not be her oncologist's idea of early.

6.  At least it's only breast cancer - it could be worse.  WHY?  Okay, really...do I need to explain this one?

7.  PLEASE don't ever tell us about someone you know who died from breast cancer.  WHY?  Again, for obvious reasons...but, really...it only scares us more than you could ever know - and we know that's not what you want to do.

8.  This too shall pass...there's life after breast cancer.  WHY?  Well, for one, there's life right in the middle of breast cancer; and it just may not pass for anyone dealing with a late-stage-diagnosis. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is...words matter...please choose yours carefully.

“ICYMI Thursday” - Freedom to Marry in New York State - Phone Legislators Now

Marriage bill introduced in the New York Senate  --  Cameron Tolle Jun 14, 2011 

Following announcements that 4 state Senators who previously voted against the marriage bill in 2009 will now support the freedom to marry this year, Governor Andrew Cuomo has introduced a marriage bill in the New York Senate. A bill has already been introduced in the State Assembly, which has previously passed marriage bills in three separate legislative sessions. Upon introducing the bill, Governor Cuomo remarked (via the New York Daily News):

"For too long, same-sex couples have been denied the freedom to marry, as well as hundreds of rights that other New Yorkers take for granted," Cuomo said. "Marriage equality is a matter of fairness and legal security for thousands of families in this state – not of religion or culture."

With the end of the legislative session drawing near, swift action on the marriage bill is expected in both chambers. New Yorkers should contact their legislators now to urge support by clicking here.

Of course, this is the group Anne Stanback chairs
....Oops...
Did I forget to say “The Great Anne Stanback”?

Contact all your friends in New York State so that they tell their Legislators to pass the Freedom to Marry bill.

Here is what I was told in an email I received last week (edited by moi):

Will you take a moment to write to your legislators? You could be the voice that helps Freedom to Marry and our coalition partners win marriage in New York [...]

By contacting your legislators in support of marriage, you will be taking one of the most effective actions possible to win marriage. And, with such a short time before the legislative session ends, we don't have a moment to waste. [...]

Even if you know your legislators are supportive, please contact them anyway. We want to inundate Albany with constituent contacts [...] so that Albany gets the job done once and for all.

Contact your legislators today and help Freedom to Marry win marriage in New York this month:http://freedomtomarry.org/NY-Speakout

What the heck...Let's create a block of safe states where all people have equal rights!