Information

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Statement of Purpose

The St Louis Gender Foundation is a not-for-profit and non-sexual social/support and educational resource for transgendered adults including crossdressers, transvestites, transgenderists, transsexuals, intersexed and androgynous individuals. We also welcome Significant Others, caring professionals, and all who support freedom of gender expression. The StLGF is proud of its long tradition as an open organization that does not discriminate on the basis of biologic sex, sexual orientation, race, or marital status. The major goal is to provide a nurturing environment conducive to individual growth and development and for networking among the membership regarding supportive health-care and legal professionals, and businesses in the St. Louis area. Although we have event themes at our regularly scheduled sessions, there is no dress code.

Bill of Gender Rights

StLGF Rules and Policies

Membership.The $30.00 annual ( January to December ) membership fee in STLGF entitles you to receive six(6) issues of the newsletter, The Gazette, access to the library materials, right to vote and run for office and to attend STLGF meetings and functions. Members are entitled also to use the designated changing facilities. The dues are used for day to day operating expenses - including all mailings, printing of the newsletter and bulletins, and advertising. Members are charged an additional fee for admission to each meeting (September - June) to cover costs for room charges, refreshments, and special activities. A somewhat higher fee may be charged for the annual Holiday and Awards Banquets. All memberships are renewed on January 1 and prorated as needed for year 2. Dues can only be increased with the approval of the general membership. Membership Application Form

Rules. All information about the organization, it's members, and events shall remain strictly confidential for the protection of all. There shall be no excessive use of alcohol and NO use of illegal drugs. Photos and publications shared with members shall not be of an explicit or pornographic nature. No one under 21 years of age may attend the meetings. Failure to comply with these rules will result in suspension of membership according to the procedures enumerated in the bylaws.

Members are also expected to avoid incidents that might lead to embarrassment or inadvertent "outing" of other members. For example, it is inappropriate to address another member in public by their club name when others are in the vicinity. It is also inappropriate for a crossdressed member to greet or approach a noncrossdressed member in public without first being acknowledged or invited.

Etiquette. Members are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and thoughtful manner, respecting the privacy and concerns of others. This is especially important when encountering members of the staff or other patrons at the meeting establishment. Discretion is also expected in the presence of a member's spouse or significant other. At meetings you will be expected to use the designated restroom or, if unavailable, a restroom appropriate for your gender presentation. Smoking is not prohibited but smokers are encouraged to be considerate of the health concerns of non-smoking members. Although there is no dress code, members are encouraged to dress appropriately for the scheduled activities or event.

Photo Policy. At meetings and events photographs or videos may be taken for club use. If you don't wish to be photographed or have your picture used in the Gazette please let us know. Anything that you send to be printed in the Gazette becomes the property of StLGF. You must inform the editor that you wish pictures returned in advance. Members are expected to destroy photos and old copies of the Gazette prior to disposal.

Organization of the StLGF

The St. Louis Gender Foundation was originally founded as a social club for crossdressers, named the "St. Louis Gateway Femmes". It was subsequently renamed the St. Louis Gender Foundation (StLGF) in part to reflect the increasing diversity of our membership and to acknowledge the broadening of our educational and community outreach activities.

The StLGF is administered by a Board of Directors, members of which are nominated at the April meeting. If more than one prospective Board member in each office is nominated, elections are held for such at the June meeting. All elected Board members assume responsibilities at the June meeting. The board consists of five members: the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Librarian and the Newsletter Editor is appointed by the President. The President is responsible for day-to-day administration of the organization and for community outreach activities, while the Vice President assumes primary responsibility for coordinating club social and educational activities. Board meetings are called by the President and held regularly and often enough to assure the smooth and proper running of the organization. The StLGF and the activities of the board are governed by written by-laws accepted by a majority vote of the general membership. A listing of current board members is given in each issue of the newsletter (The Gazette). Copies of the bylaws are available upon request.

Scheduling of Business Meetings

We are trying to minimize business-related activities at our monthly meetings - which are primarily opportunities for socializing, learning, and having fun. Although administrative, community outreach, and inter-organizational activities are solely the responsibility of the elected officers, member participation in these activities is welcome and encouraged. Copies of the agendas and minutes of all Board meetings are provided to any member upon request, and major policy decisions are announced in the StLGF Gazette.

Affiliations

The StLGF is represented in PRIDE St. Louis. Although the majority of our members and crossdressers in general are not gay, this is an important political affiliation that has helped give the transgendered people in our community a unique voice and platform for community outreach. Nationally, such affiliations are the exception rather than the rule. The President or other individuals appointed by the Board of Directors serve as representatives to these organizations.

Community Education & Service

It is not feasible for most of our members to openly participate in community outreach and public gender education activities. Fortunately, some members of our organization are sufficiently "out" to allow them to represent our organization through interviews for newspaper articles or radio or television broadcasts, presentations to civic groups, or lectures in college classrooms. We also support the activities of organization's such as PRIDE St. Louis that are more visible in the community. In addition, our organization is proud of having a long tradition of joining other community organizations in securing donations for Doorways, an interfaith AIDS residence program, through bingo games, our annual Follies Talent Show and other club activities. Finally, during our annual Awards Banquet selected professionals and businesses are recognized for their service to the local transgender community.

The Greeting Table

Each meeting has a volunteer - often a member of the Board, who greets arriving members and guests, and takes responsibility for after meeting clean-up. In addition, the hostess may assist the Treasurer in documenting attendance for the meeting and in collecting the $20.00 (couples $35.00) meeting fee. The hostess is also responsible for making sure that the greeting table has informational brochures and membership applications, and

Voice Mail System

The StLGF maintains a dedicated voice mail system at (314) 607-4163. To leave a message for an StLGF officer or a question or request info, please leave less than a 1 minute message after the tone. Speak clearly and someone will return your call.

Sources of Information

Additional educational materials are available in the StLGF library, through transgender resources such as Renaissance and the International Foundation of Gender Education (see below), transgender businesses such as Creative Design Services, at large local bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble or Borders, and at gay owned and operated bookstores such as Left Bank Books.

For more information about materials in the StLGF library, contact the Librarian at our meeting or through our voice mail system. Selections will be brought to the next scheduled meeting and can be checked out for one month or until the following meeting. A copy of the catalog and a list of recommended readings are available on request. If you are interested in transgender fiction or personals, most of the national publications identify established periodicals or reliable vendors that can be relied upon to maintain your confidentiality.

HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER?

You can apply for membership simply by completing an application form. You can request a form by contacting our cell phone (314) 607-4163, by mailing a letter to StLGF, P.O. Box 9103, St. Louis MO 63117, by e-mail stlgftg@netscape.net, or by printing this page and filling in the attached form. If you leave a message on our voice mail be sure and speak clearly and keep the background noise as low as possible. If you would like to talk with an StLGF representative you can leave a phone number together with any instructions you may have regarding who to ask for, time of day etc. All information is held in the strictest confidence. The application and $30.00 annual membership fee should be mailed to the address given on the application.

After receiving your application we will contact you by U.S. Mail, e-mail, or telephone with the option of scheduling a personal interview. Discretion is assured in all phone contacts and mailings. Receipt of an acceptance packet will confirm final acceptance of your application. The interview helps us to assure the privacy of our members, and must be completed before we will disclose our meeting location or allow the use of materials from our library. All members must be at least 21 years of age and agree to abide by the rules given on the application. Excessive use of alcohol, the use of illegal drugs, and the distribution of pornographic or sexually explicit materials are prohibited.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

What other transgender organizations do you belong to?: _____________________________________

Special skills / hobbies: ______________________________________________________________

Comments/Concerns: _______________________________________________________________

Membership:The $30.00 annual ( January to December ) membership fee in STLGF entitles you to receive six(6) issues of the newsletter, The Gazette, access to the library materials, right to vote and run for office and to attend STLGF meetings and functions. Members are entitled also to use the designated changing facilities.

Rules: Members are expected to conduct themselves in a thoughtful and courteous manner at all times. There shall be no excessive use of alcohol, no use of illegal drugs, and no sharing or distribution of sexually explicit materials. All information about the organization's members and the location of its events shall remain an individually and collectively well-kept secret for the protection of all.

Failure to comply with any of these rules will result in suspension of membership.

I certify that I have read, understood, and agree to abide by the rules given above, and that I am at least 21 years of age. I have enclosed the required membership fee in the form of a check or money order payable to STLGF.. I also agree to hold StLGF and its members blameless for any accidental and/or incidental harm that may come to me as a member of StLGF.

Legal Signature: _______________________________________________________[REQUIRED]

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