Portland Oregon Community Meeting December 2003

Community meetings give NCTE an opportunity to update local organizers on federal transgender issues and to find out from these organizers what is happening in their areas. We also discuss what local trans organizers need from national organizations and how people can get more involved in the trans movement.

While in a city, we also like to take the opportunity to visit support groups, colleges, PFLAG meetings and to go on Congressional visits with constituents. Let us know if you'd like us to come to your town by sending an email to NCTE.

Organize a Community Meeting

Follow these steps to plan a transgender meeting in your community:

Contact NCTE
If you are interested in organizing a meeting with NCTE in your local area, call Chrystopher Soto, Administrative Manager for NCTE, at 202.903.0112. He will take you through the following steps and provide assistance as needed.

Choose a Date and Time
Pick a time that will get you the attendance you desire. If you know that it is difficult for individuals in your community to make weekend meetings, try a week day instead.

Determine a Location
Find a space that is going to fit your targeted number of people. Many places will donate space to events like this, so check around before agreeing to pay for space.

Find Community Sponsors
It is important to get the local community involved in these events. By asking local organizations to sponsor, you can reach a wider range of people who may be interested in transgender rights. It also gives us the opportunity to have greater input from local people who have been organizing on transgender issues in your local area.

Publicize the Meeting
Widely publicize the meeting through email alerts and flyering. Be sure to list all of your sponsors on the announcements and make sure sponsoring organizations send these email alerts to their contact lists. You can also attend local organization meetings to discuss the meeting with their members. Be sure to clear this with organizational leaders beforehand.

Get NCTE Participation
If you would like NCTE to help you identify appropriate and interesting speakers or panelists for your meeting, we'd be happy to help. NCTE Staff and Board of Directors are often available and we have a network of other activists and experts who may be perfect for what you are planning.

Go to Events to see a listing of upcoming meetings.

There are many other ways to participate. Please contact us for ideas!