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TBC: My personal message to my community
Oct. 19th, 2010 10:31 pmHey guys. I know I've been posting a lot of official TBC stuff over the last few months and it can get tiresome. Tonight I want to talk about the organization and event, no press releases, just talk.
Transcending Boundaries Inc. is a tiny non-profit whose primary purpose is putting on the conference. When I say tiny what I mean is there are maybe a dozen people working on this conference and I'm pretty sure everyone on the TBI board is among those numbers. None of us get paid a cent. In fact, none of us even get into the event for free. I paid the cost of membership as did my colleagues on the planning committee. So what you've got is 12 people paying for the privilege to work our asses off 8 months a year - a true labor of love. Its worth it because there's really nothing else like it. This is an event that creates a safe space for members of all relationship, sexuality and gender minorities. With all the talk of gay teen suicide, pathological bullying and general divisiveness plaguing humanity, we NEED spaces that are radically inclusive. We need spaces where we can talk openly about privilege issues, interactions with the medical and other professional communities, identity politics, all the stuff that everyone in any minority constantly bumps against just trying to live a normal life. I went to TBC last year and that's exactly what I found. That's why I've spent the last 8.5 months working to make it happen again. That's why I volunteered to be a department head in my first year (and also because I'm a sucker but mostly the love thing).
TBI is a small organization but TBC is a big event. We're aiming for 300 people this year. We had 200 last year. We're taking over the DCU center convention space. We're providing scholarships so people in dire financial straits can still attend, in addition to having special discounted student rates. All of this takes money and man hours. This is why I push so hard; we NEED you guys. We need people first and foremost to attend because without that, the panels are REALLY BORING ;) We need those people who are attending to volunteer, an hour here and there makes a world of difference to a staff member who needs a bathroom break! For those who can't or won't attend but still want to support our mission, we need donations and sponsorship to provide all those scholarships. For people running any type of LGBT oriented business or community organization - we need advertisers in our convention book and vendors at the event. And for all of you, we need you to spread the word! Despite constant advertising and publicity, press releases at least once a week, partnerships with pride events and other local organizations and multiple meetings open to the community, a lot of people who need us still don't even know we exist.
If you can, volunteer.
If you can, be there.
If you can't, consider donating.
If you can't donate, tell someone you know.
TBC hospitality out.
www.transcendingboundaries.org
Transcending Boundaries Inc. is a tiny non-profit whose primary purpose is putting on the conference. When I say tiny what I mean is there are maybe a dozen people working on this conference and I'm pretty sure everyone on the TBI board is among those numbers. None of us get paid a cent. In fact, none of us even get into the event for free. I paid the cost of membership as did my colleagues on the planning committee. So what you've got is 12 people paying for the privilege to work our asses off 8 months a year - a true labor of love. Its worth it because there's really nothing else like it. This is an event that creates a safe space for members of all relationship, sexuality and gender minorities. With all the talk of gay teen suicide, pathological bullying and general divisiveness plaguing humanity, we NEED spaces that are radically inclusive. We need spaces where we can talk openly about privilege issues, interactions with the medical and other professional communities, identity politics, all the stuff that everyone in any minority constantly bumps against just trying to live a normal life. I went to TBC last year and that's exactly what I found. That's why I've spent the last 8.5 months working to make it happen again. That's why I volunteered to be a department head in my first year (and also because I'm a sucker but mostly the love thing).
TBI is a small organization but TBC is a big event. We're aiming for 300 people this year. We had 200 last year. We're taking over the DCU center convention space. We're providing scholarships so people in dire financial straits can still attend, in addition to having special discounted student rates. All of this takes money and man hours. This is why I push so hard; we NEED you guys. We need people first and foremost to attend because without that, the panels are REALLY BORING ;) We need those people who are attending to volunteer, an hour here and there makes a world of difference to a staff member who needs a bathroom break! For those who can't or won't attend but still want to support our mission, we need donations and sponsorship to provide all those scholarships. For people running any type of LGBT oriented business or community organization - we need advertisers in our convention book and vendors at the event. And for all of you, we need you to spread the word! Despite constant advertising and publicity, press releases at least once a week, partnerships with pride events and other local organizations and multiple meetings open to the community, a lot of people who need us still don't even know we exist.
If you can, volunteer.
If you can, be there.
If you can't, consider donating.
If you can't donate, tell someone you know.
TBC hospitality out.
www.transcendingboundaries.org
