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We achieve all this through our: , which are:- To provide a safe, supportive, inclusive and empowering meeting space for all Transgendered people regardless of their gender presentation, to meet in mutual support so as to overcome isolation, express their own personnel gender identity, voice their opinions and concerns and have them heard in a friendly and supportive social space. To provide an inclusive forum for anyone exploring their Gender Identity, this also includes partners, family, supporters, service providers and friends who share this journey with us To offer mutual help and support to those struggling to develop their own gender identity, by providing information, personnel experience and where appropriate mutual support with transitioning. To foster and maximise empowerment, by helping create friendships and shared experiences. This facilitates personal development and life skills through discussion and mutual support. To promote a positive image of all gender variant people both in the LGBT community and throughout wider society, including positive collaboration with the media where this results in factually correct and positive images for our community. This is helpful in promoting greater acceptance and rights for all gender variant people. To Provide a voice for our transgendered attenders and their families, when relating to LGBT groups and other organisations; where possible a representative(s) from TransForum always attends major service users meeting in Manchester and the surrounding areas to provide a link to and a voice for, our part of the Transgendered community To work with the police and other public bodies to help report and prevent Transphobic hate crime through education and provide signposting to sources of support for those suffering such crime(s). To promote safe presentation and social interaction amongst all our members amongst the wider community. Keep confidential all personnel information about group members and our confidential discussions. And we provide an e-forum, Facebook and web pages for the group to have further discussions and circulate news of interest to the group. 1. Campaigning together with other Transgender and LBGT groups and liaise with national and local police, government and local government, healthcare and mental health services, and local public services to improve the legal and medical options available to Transgendered people. 2. Providing educational support to local government, public service organisations, employers, schools, families and individuals about the reality of being Transgendered, Gender Variant or Inter-sexed and the particular challenges and joys faced by all gender variant people. We are working to gain constituted group and / or charitable status to seek funding, so as to enhance public credibility and pursue other opportunities to improve the services provided to gender variant people. We Offer mutual support, advice and intervention wherever possible to gender variant people whose rights and liberties are challenged or denied within society. Outside of the Transgendered community, TransForum works closely with other LGBT groups and organisations to ensure that our issues and needs remain both visible, and high on the agenda, both in the Manchester area, the North West and North Wales in Collaboration with the Unique TG Network. We work with many professional bodies and organizations including Manchester City Council and many other NW councils ( Chester and West Cheshire, Crewe and Nantwich, Wrexham etc), the greater Manchester, Cheshire and North Wales Police, The NW NHS Strategy Trust, GIRES, the LGF(who partly fund us), Manchester Pride, Manchester University, Metropolitan Community Church Manchester, The Sparkle Event Team, etc. to provide awareness of Transgender people and education in Transgender Issues and rights. We also share information and where possible resources with many Trans Groups including Trans Youth network, LGYM, the Queer Gender Network, Manchester Concord, Unique TG Network, MORF, Inner Enigma, In-Trust, The Sibyls, Mid-Cheshire Rainbow LBGT group, Encompass LBGT group and all the members of TranzNet etc. We are also involved in Outreach and advocacy for Trans people that need help in Manchester and the NW, working with organisations such as Stonewall and the LGF etc., and are promoting the establishment of a Trans safe house for the NW in Collaboration with the Bethlehem community and In-Trust Sefton, Unique North Wales and the LBGT Liverpool & LBGT Wirral organisations. The group is greatly involved in many public events such as International Women’s Day, Manchester LGBT and Trans consultation events, Sparkle, Manchester Pride and many different LGBT and Trans Awareness and Training events in the North West and North Wales. And we are proud members of TranzNet. So why not come along for a cuppa and a lively discussion. You will meet others for mutual support, advice and make many new friends. You will be encouraged to get involved with the group and it’s many out of the Trans community events and its outreach to the wider community. TransForum Manchester is not a Church group, we simply use church facilities as a sanctuary for our members and gratefully acknowledge funding from Operation Fund-raiser and generous support from MCC Manchester. We define the terms Transgender / Transgendered and Gender Variant as follows: An umbrella term used to describe the full range of individuals who have a conflict with or a question about their birth assigned gender, & those who are experiencing gender confusion but don't know exactly where they fall along the gender spectrum. Also relating to, or describing a person whose identity does not conform, unambiguously, to conventional notions of male or female gender, but combines or moves between these." is very similar and is also an umbrella term used to describe the full range of individuals who have a conflict with or question their birth assigned gender, & those who are experiencing gender confusion but don't know exactly where they fall along the gender spectrum. Anyone who breeches the socially accepted gender norms set by their Birth assigned gender All members are required to maintain the complete confidentiality of the other group members in respect of their Transgendered status and personnel details( Name, address, e-mail, phone no etc.) Members are reminded that many members are living in ‘stealth mode’ or may not be out to family, friends, employers or colleagues. On no account should any member of the group ‘out’ any other member for any reason without the express consent of the individual(s) involved. Anyone who does so will be excluded from future meetings and events.

Aims

We Also:

We work to combat Transphobia by:

Transforum Outreach

Definitions

Transgendered

Gender Variant

Statement of Confidentiality

TransForum

Welcome

to

Manchester

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