hey folks.
yes CBC and most major media outlets love to portray conflict. that is what sells papers and gets people to watch tv. there were definitely some inaccuracies in their reporting today. the press release that went out to the media is viewable at stjohnspride.org. there is nothing in there that discusses any of this, but they went digging and obviously found some old stuff i had written elsewhere and came knocking.
it's no secret that i have publicly butted heads with major lgbt orgs and challenged them to pay more attention to trans issues. it's also no secret that many prominent members of the local lgbt community boycotted pride over the past 18 months because they either have personal issues with me, or they just don't like me.
when media approached me, they seemed more interested in discussing the challenges trans people face within the lgbt community, than discussing pride. with so little media attention paid to trans issues, i hate to turn down a chance to talk about the very serious challenges i faced, such as losing my job and not getting MCP to cover my surgery. between lost income and having to pay medical bills, i am literally down about $200000 over the past 3 years, all for no fault of my own.
on the bright side, i am very excited to see so many people expressing interest in attending the march 21 meeting. i am also excited to see the media actually caring and paying attention to us at this time. pride media in the winter is unheard of! usually they only show up to the flag raising and parade. i also hope that my tv and radio work today will encourage even more people to attend the meeting.
i'll be the first to admit that i can be tough to get along with at times. yes, i can be a major bitch at times, and yes i can be spirited, passionate, and even savvy and ruthless when it comes to conducting business. i never intend to single out individuals. i am always careful to try and address concerns at organizational or process levels. if anyone has ever taken personal offense to anything i have ever said or done, then please let me offer a sincere appology.
This March 21 meeting is so important. Pam, Vannie, Brandon, and others have been working very hard over the past 3-4 months to get us to this point where we are able to hold such a big meeting and elect people to the board. We are starting to gain momentum. I recently received an e-mail from a gay couple in Switzerland who just got married and want to celebrate their honeymoon by coming to St. John's Pride week, amazingly enough! True story folks! i've also heard from a couple in Labrador that are planning to be here during Pride week too. Let's make this Pride Week the biggest and best one in Eastern Canada! Let's step up to the plate and challenge Halifax's notion that they are the biggest and the best! lol
Anyway, I sorry if anyone was startled by all this media excitement today, but i truly believe and hope that this will make Pride stronger. Oh, a big thanks and congrats to Pam for her awesome comments on CBC today! I can't tell you how amazing Pam has been to work with. I've never seen anyone show so much dedication and work so hard, as she has over the past while. Please give her a big standing ovation at the meeting folks!
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