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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

IFGE

During the period of time that I was searching for understand as to living transgender there was a wonderful source of critical understanding.  Unlike Tri-Ess I found information that was open and inclusionary.   The International Foundation for Gender Education sought to bring together the transgender community with knowledge, and understanding.  I found this description of the organization:
The International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE), founded in 1987 in Massachusetts, is a leading advocate and educational organization for promoting the self-definition and free expression of individual gender identity. IFGE is not a support group. It is an information provider and clearinghouse for referrals about all things which are transgressive of established social gender norms. IFGE publishes a leading magazine, Transgender Tapestry, providing reasoned discussion of issues of gender expression and identity, including cross-dressing, transsexualism, FTM and MTF issues spanning health, family, medical, legal, workplace issues and more.


IFGE’s goal was to educate and provide support to professionals, transgendered and transsexual people, and the general public.


Their annual conference which started in the late 1980's marked the first time that cross-dressers and transsexuals found common ground.  This was a major shift in attitudes.  Not only did transsexuals and cross dressers come into regular communications, but transsexuals, who had been largely unwelcome in the gay/lesbian and heterosexual cross dressing community all came into communication with one another.  Articles in the IFGE publication Tapestry were relevant and informative.  Tapestry did became a mainstream publication and you could pick one up at Boarders bookstore in the magazines section. That was a first for us. 
 

IFGE through Transgender Tapestry became a clearing house for informational materials related to anything considered outside of our society’s gender norms.  I remember attending many transgender conferences and IFGE was always there with boxes of books, all related to being transgender in form or another.  A wonderful service. 

The IGFE web site seems to be still alive but not sure if it is still a function organization.  It anyone has any information please share it.

2 comments:

  1. I'd bet that it is no longer a functioning organization. When the last blog entry is dated 2012, I'd expect that the site is maintained for historical reasons, and nothing more than that.

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  2. That was the last I could find also. I was hoping I was wrong.

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