"Instead, it will be a year when our voices and our energies will emerge full-force to take our rightful place as full partners in Equality."

Yes, well let's make sure that the voices which are heard in 2009 are INCLUSIVE of EVERYONE in the trans community and not just those in the trans elitist "consultant"/"activist" circle who agree with the corporate status quo model while others get discriminated against, attacked or discounted, as has been the case for the past two years without any change or tangible results !!!

I would kindly remind you that you do not speak for ALL transgender people in the country. Sorry I forgot,

"They don't get a vote"

...... a famous quote from a well known "esteemed" figure in the trans community.

Thank you for your time.

"It will be a breakout year unlike any other we've experienced - a year many of us have spent a lifetime to achieve."

Donna,

As one of the "many of us" who has been looking for breakthroughs for over 40 years now, I certainly hope that your predictions, all of them, are correct. But I have been looking in my crystal ball and come up with a few that you have touched on or may have missed.

The marriage issue overshadowing all other issues will be a new battlefront for Trans people. A reshuffling of priorities is taking place in 2009 that will be led by HRC and Barney Frank that puts ENDA on the back burner. They will try to downplay it's importance in the gendeal scheme of things because GLB's don't have as much problem with employment any longer as do Trans people. The marriage fight has more visibility and helps to raise more funds for some people's pockets. I don't see ENDA happening until 2010, when Obama starts to really want that second term and before it becomes a "to liberal" brick for the religious right to throw and old news. Timing is going to mean everything.

I also see a year of possible complacency in the Trans community based on predictions of eventual success. It's going to be up to Trans leaders to keep the pressure on and to inspire our people to continue their activism at an even higher and stronger rate this year. We cannot let down our guard when we have ficticious Congressional polls that have been used against us or fabricated surveys of GLBT people that say we should wait for our rights.
They were simple to produce then and I predict they will be used again to try and reset priorities.

I also see gains in areas for our Trans Veterans, when the VA makes a public statement that no Veteran will be denied medical needs based upon their being Transgender. I also see a revamping of the VA regulations to upgrade the wording and description of Trans people and their needs. And lastly in that area, I see a large group of Trans Veterans taking a visible and overdue march down Pennsylvania Avenue in the Veteran's Day Parade with all the other hero's and heroin's who have served our country.

I predict that we have not heard the end of our inclusion in the DSM-V battle and that due to the professional and political liability of declaring us mentally capable human beings, the APA will continue to list us as having "special needs", just to cover their collective behinds and so as not to lose the copious sums of money that we pay them to be our gatekeepers to better healthcare and transtion needs.

I also see a new professional employment opportunity for Trans people in the field of fledgeling educational businesses for other people who wish to understand the "Transgender Phenomenon". The difference between the last 40 years and 2009 will be that Trans Educators will start to ask to be paid for their efforts.

I see a lessening of national lobbying and more of an emphasis on lobbying members of Congress at home, due to the increased costs of having to travel and fewer people having the funds to make the trips to DC. This may be the best thing that ever happened to us though. Lets relish this change.

Along with that last prediction, I also see a drop in attendance at Trans conventions and gatherings that are to costly. I see conventions like SCC who will prevail due to the large number of scholarships they grant to help defray costs for people. But other events will suffer attendance.

Since I have already heard Obama say Transgender in and of itself in one of his stump speeches, I'm not going to count your prediction on that. But I side with all the way on hoping that we see it happen a lot more in the future. I also note that it has become conspicuously absent since after the election and he now is heard saying Gay and Lesbian most of the time and leaving out Bi and Trans all together.

I predict that this year will be the beginning of some recognition for the activists who have been working for years in our community, with the beginning of a new website, similar to the TDOR site, but that is dedicated to the accomplishments of the Trans activists who have carried the torch to this point and beyond.

Lastly, I predict that more people will get the most important message of all and will stand with us as we stand with them for Human Rights. That message is simply that lives are at stake and being Transgende is a matter of "life or death" for many people.

Some good and some bad. In the long run, that is usually the way it goes. But generlly I see 2010 as the year that we really stand the chance of passing successful legislation for the Trans Community that will bring consumate changes and this year as providing the solid platform for that success.

In any event Donna, lets keep on working to make all our predictions come true.

I am with you all the way Donna. You know I am trying to get the word out. I am starting a support group for Transgendered people this month. We are going to do 3 things. 1. provide support for each other. 2. Make ourselves available to give factual information to legislators, judges, police, etc. and 3. raise money for women who have chemo to buy them wigs and for women who have had masectomies to get them breast forms. I feel if we go out in the public as concerned women for women we can do a lot of good for women out there and the Trans community.

Luv you Donna, you are my mentor!

Kathleen OBrien MSW.