https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2016-12-20/wish-list-tent-needs-community-engagement/

Wish List: TENT Needs Community Engagement

By Montinique Monroe, December 20, 2016, 11:50am, Newsdesk

Those looking for an opportunity to make a difference this holiday season have the perfect chance to do so by supporting the statewide advocacy group Transgender Education Network of Texas.

“It doesn’t matter what gender someone is," said TENT chair Brandon Beck. "We’re all living in the same city and we all care about the same human conditions.”

TENT is currently asking the Austin community to consider donating time for volunteer support, financial resources, and opportunities to be visible in the community.

Members of the LGBTQ community and allies alike can support TENT by volunteering time at one of the organization’s local events. Financial contributions go toward supporting one of TENT’s missions: creating and implementing educational presentations and cultural competence seminars. These workshops focus on gender as a shared characteristic and its enforcement; the influence of privilege in regard to gender expression and identity; self-examination; and best practices for working with gender nonconforming clients. Financial support will benefit trans lives throughout Austin and other regions across the state.

Readers are welcome to invite TENT to speak to their communities about what it means to be trans and how allies can be more supportive of gender nonconforming folks. “We all want people in our city to live healthy, happy lives,“ said Beck. “So we have to get to know people of difference in order to do that.”

See TENT's donation requests on our annual holiday wish list, and visit TENT’s website or send an email to learn more.