NCOD

Today is National Coming Out Day.  People are coming out every day but I think it's important to have a particular day to highlight it as the significant life event that it is.

Several years ago a group of us worked with Mark Shields who was the director of HRC's Coming Out Project on a specific Coming Out as Transgender booklet.  It's disappointing that the booklet isn't available anymore as a number of us did really good job with it.  In fact, I've got copies of it myself and brought a bunch to give away here at the SHRM Conference specifically because today is NCOD.  I suppose I should add that they've replaced it with a "newer" publication.  I guess I should also admit that I liked the old one better.

I was thinking back to other resources that we developed over my time there that were valuable, but that aren't available any more.  We also did a lot of work on a green covered booklet called "Understanding Transgender".  I have a bunch of those in my garage, as well.  They eventually published a much condensed version of it but I don't think that's available any more, either.

My sessions at the SHRM Conference today went well.  There was even a book signing afterwards - I haven't done one of those for quite a while.  And, a highlight of the day was having dinner with a friend I haven't seen since 2006.  We had lots to catch up on.

As I type this I'm down in the lobby of the hotel since that's the only place here that provides free internet access.  There's another football game on that huge screen.  The Jets are playing and it's either raining or snowing - it's hard to tell.  Either way it looks cold and wet.  I miss autumn, but Lord knows I don't miss that.

I've bumped into a number of people here that I know.  I guess the "Diversity world" is smaller than I realize because I bump into people I know at these kinds of things.  Some of the people I know went to Out and Equal last week so they're just as crazed as I am when it comes to travel.  If you went to O&E and want to share something here feel free to send me your thoughts.  I'm happy to publish them.

One last thing - if you're looking for some good trans resources they've got some on the PFLAG website (here's the link).  They've got something they call TNET - Transgender Network - that's worth checking out.  PFLAG rocks.