BRATTLEBORO — Representatives of the Transgender Oral History Project will be in Brattleboro on the weekend of Nov. 15-17 to present an afternoon workshop and collect local stories.
The workshop “Movement Building and Breaking” is slated for Saturday, Nov. 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Root Social Justice Center, 28 Williams St.
A program announcement notes the event is open to all in the community, including allies, friends, and family. A suggested donation of $5 to $25 will help defray expenses.
The visit and workshop are sponsored by Green Mountain Crossroads (www.greenmountaincrossroads.org) and the Root Social Justice Center (www.therootsjc.org).
The Transgender Oral History Project (TOHP) is a community-driven effort to collect, preserve, and share a diverse range of stories from within the transgender and gender variant communities.
TOHP works through promoting grassroots media projects, documenting trans people's experiences, and teaching media production skills to others to continue the documenting work.
Organizers say TOHP formed on the principles of building community through soliciting and sharing stories and encouraging multigenerational discussions, especially about community history.
With a special focus on highlighting individuals, communities, and organizations struggling with issues not addressed by mainstream culture, TOHP says it is committed to portraying experiences from the perspective of the folks who live them.
The oral history project takes many forms, including the TOHP website, interactive workshops, in-person exhibits, paper publications, and multimedia publications.
“Movement Building and Breaking” is an interactive examination of the history of the trans community and the ways that it has and has not existed alongside the mainstream lesbian and gay movements.
Join the TOHP presenters for an evening of brainstorming, collaboration, and storytelling around transgender history. Learn about central tensions between the trans and the lesbian and gay communities historically, and discuss how things are changing for transgender Americans today.
While in southeastern Vermont, the TOHP is looking for interview participants. Everyone is welcome to contribute, but the project is especially interested in talking to folks over 35 and people from communities of color.
To set up an appointment, call Debbie Potter at Green Mountain Crossroads at 802-490-0692.
The workshop comes days before the annual commemoration of the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), on Nov. 20. TDoR is a day to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of anti-transgender violence, and acts to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community.