Transgender support groups
Whatever your gender, both now and in the future, there are plenty of support groups out there
to help you through the journey. Here are a few of them you might like to contact.
Beaumont Society
The Beaumont Society is a national self-help
body run by and for those who cross-dress or
are transgender. They welcome all transgender
people and their partners, regardless of gender,
sexual orientation, race, creed or colour, and all
varieties from nervous new transgender people
to those who are experienced and confident in
their second gender. Together with their sister
organisations, since 1966, they’ve been at the
forefront of supporting transgendered people,
their partners and families, as well as advising and
training on transgender issues.
The Angels
The UK Angels is an internet-based support
group, aimed at promoting the positive side of
being transgender. They aim to provide a support
network for all TGirls, as well as providing
opportunities to meet up and party! Set up in
1999, there are now over 2500 members on the
mailing list and over 2700 members of the forum.
Mermaids
Mermaids is a support group for gender variant
children and teenagers, and their families. Their
goal is to relieve the mental and emotional
stress of all persons aged 19 years and under who
are in any manner affected by gender identity
issues, and their families and to advance public
education in the same. This is what Mermaids
advocates: Let the child develop as he or she is
naturally meant to, whilst loving and accepting
them for who they are at the present time.
Childhood is precious, and children should be
allowed to enjoy it to the full.
The Clare Project
The Clare Project is a self-supporting group based
in Brighton and Hove open to anyone wishing
to explore issues around gender identity. Their
main activity is a weekly drop-in every Tuesday,
which aims to provide a safe and confidential
place for people to meet with others who share
their life experiences, and find information,
support and companionship. A facilitator
and a psychotherapist are at the drop-in each
Tuesday. Whilst the group is mainly attended by
transgender, transsexual and gender dysphoric
people, the group aims to be all-inclusive and
recognises the complexities surrounding the issue
of gender identity.
Depend
Depend are a voluntary organisation whose aim
is to provide support, advice and information for
anyone who knows, or is related to, a transgender
person in the UK. Depend offers: Information
for visitors who would like to learn more about
being transgender in general and treatment of
the condition, access to free support, in many
forms, for anyone in the UK, who has come to
know a transsexual person as a friend, colleague
or family member. It offers a place where people
in similar situations and circumstances can meet
to exchange experiences and information and an
opportunity for visitors and supporters to help the
organisation develop Depend into an invaluable
network of support and resources for the friends
and family of transsexual people in the UK.
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