Check out what's happening!
info@PATransEquity.org
484-602-5918
May 2024
In this edition:
 
  • Job Fair with up to $1,000 Sign-on bonus!
  • Resume & Interviewing Workshop
  • Personal Safety and Self-Defense Program
  • New Federal Protections
  • Scholarship Winners
  • Drag Fundraiser
  • Pride Festival Dates
  • And More!
Upcoming In-Person Hangouts, & Support Meetings
Lehigh Valley Renaissance - 2nd Saturday of the Month.  Doors open at 6:30pm for social time, meeting starts at 7:00pm EST. Open to all trans/gender diverse people and allies.  Location: Metropolitan Community Church of the LV (rear entrance) 2354 Grove Rd, Allentown, PA 18109.  Please park in the rear parking lot.
 
Beyond the Binary - 2nd Saturday of the Month.  Doors open at 6:30pm for social time, meeting starts at 7:00pm EST. Open to all nonbinary, gender-fluid, and two-spirit people.  Location: Metropolitan Community Church of the LV (rear entrance) 2354 Grove Rd, Allentown, PA 18109.  Please park in the rear parking lot. 
 
Trans Masc Group - 2nd Saturday of the Month.  Doors open at 6:30pm for social time, meeting starts at 7:00pm EST. Open to all masculine-identifying people of transgender experience.  Location: Metropolitan Community Church of the LV (rear entrance) 2354 Grove Rd, Allentown, PA 18109.  Please park in the rear parking lot. 
 
Radiant Group for Neurodivergent Folx - 2nd Saturday of the Month.  Doors open at 6:30pm for social time, meeting starts at 7:00pm EST. Open to all neurodivergent trans and queer people.  Location: Metropolitan Community Church of the LV  (rear entrance) 2354 Grove Rd, Allentown, PA 18109.  Please park in the rear parking lot. 
 
Pocono Renaissance - 1st Saturday of the Month.  Doors open at 6:45pm for social time, meeting starts at 7:00pm EST. Open to all trans/gender diverse people and allies.  Location: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Building, 118 Knight St, Stroudsburg, PA 18360  Please use front entrance. 
 
Game Day on Summer Hiatus! 
Please note that due to Pride Season activities our Monthly Game Day will be on Hiatus through August 
Upcoming Virtual Hangouts, & Support Meetings
Spouses and Partners - 2nd Tuesday of the Month at 7:30pm. Open to spouses/partners of trans/nonbinary folk.  Click this Zoom link to join using Meeting ID: 832 5382 3949, Passcode: spouses.
 
Radiant Group for Neurodivergent Folx - 3rd Tuesday of the Month from 6-7:30pm. Open to all neurodivergent trans and queer people.  Click this Zoom link to join using Meeting ID: 828 1864 7982, Passcode: EPTEP
 
Renaissance Virtual Meet-up and Happy Hour -  4th Saturday of every month at 7pm.  Open to all trans and nonbinary people. Click this Zoom link to join using Meeting ID: 828 1864 7982, Passcode: EPTEP
Join our Online Communities!
That's right!  You have the ability to connect with Community to share news, seek support, or chat at almost any time!  They are the best places to find breaking news about meetings, times, cancellations, etc.
  • Join the Renaissance Facebook group at this link here
  • You can also Join our Discord Community here
 
Scroll to the end of this newsletter for a list of other support groups in PA and NJ 
We hope you will join us for our first Drag Fundraiser of the year this coming Saturday!
 
Year-to-date we have provided over $55,000 on direct financial assistance to trans folk throughout our service area, have had over 325 people attend support group meetings, and have provided cultural awareness training to over 1,000 individuals. We can't do this work without financial support, so come out for a good time in support of a good cause. Get your discounted tickets TODAY at https://www.ticketsource.us/eastern-pa-trans-equity-project Then join us next Saturday for the fun!
Reserve Your Seat At Our Monthly Dinner
 

Join our Hostess with the Mostest, Christine, for our monthy pre-meeting dinner.  This month, folks will be getting together at the Bethlehem Diner located at 1881 Catasauqua Rd, Allentown, PA 18109.  

 

Note: this restaurant does not take reservations so we need a good headcount well ahead of time and all folks need to arrive by 5pm.  Click Here to Register

SAVE THE DATE!

 

Are you looking for a great job?  Want a job that has good pay and great benefits?  Are you looking for a career with an organization that support transgender team members?

 

We are partnering with LVHN for a job fair on Thursday, May 23rd just for members of the transgender community and they will be making initial offers on the spot! 

 

Additionally, Eastern PA Trans Equity Project will provide attendees who are hired with:

  • $500 direct payment from EPTEP upon confirmation of start on the job and another $500 upon completing 90-days on the job.
  • Financial assistance with any uniforms/equipment required for training/employment
  • Ongoing mentoring and support

LVHN has hundreds of positions open at their facilities in Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks, Montgomery, Carbon, Luzerne, Monroe, and Lackawanna counties and many of them require no prior experience working in healthcare.  These include both patient-facing and back-office positions.  Some positions even allow you to work from home and/or provide significant signing bonuses from LVHN!

 

We have been working with LVHN for several years and know that they seek to support and affirm their transgender and gender-expansive team members.

 

The event will take place on May 23rd in Conference Room 8 of the Kasych pavilion at their location at Cedarcrest hospital from 2:00-5:00pm.  Registration is required if you wish to gain the benefits listed above from EPTEP.

 

Register for the event by clicking here.

 
Resume and Interviewing Workshop
In conjunction with the LHVN job fair, we will be having a Resume Writing and Interviewing Workshop on May 13th via ZOOM at 7pm.  Our partners at Resilience Resource Center will be leading the workshop and the information presented here will be helpful for anyone seeking a job.
 
Safety and Self-Defense Workshop
Join us for an in-person workshop on Safety and Self-Defense for transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive people on May 15 at 6pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.
 
you will learn how to recognize and avoid dangerous environments, how to deescalate dangerous situations, basic self-defense techniques, and how to recognize and protect yourself from domestic and intimate partner violence.
 
Every person in attendance will also receive a free Personal Safety Kit that will provide you with some additional tools to help you stay safe.  Register Here.
Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference
 
After a year-long hiatus, the PTWC is back!
 
That being said, it will be a little different this year as they are limiting attendance to 1,000 people this year vs. the 5,000-plus in past years.  That means there will be a lottery system for registration.  It also means EPTEP will NOT be chartering a bus for attendees.
 
Find details on registration by clicking here
Scholarship Winners Announced
This year, EPTEP was able to provide educational scholarships to 10 students residing in our service area.  Pictured are: (Top Row L-R) Holden Chirelli, Jazz Gonzales, Leon Gavreau, Vanessa Tavarez, (Bottom Row L-R) Bethany Gen, Brenden Stumpo, Camryn Bowden, and Charlie Ana Sywulak Herr.  Not pictured are Matteo Montero-Murillo and Alex Lee Annechino.  Scholarship funds may be used for any purpose in support of a person's education ranging from books, to housing, to tuition and more.  Congratulations to you all!

Biden administration restores protections for gay and transgender Americans seeking health care

This past week the Biden administration announced a new Federal Rule that restored healthcare protections under the Affordable Care Act that had been rescinded by the Trump Administration.  The rule bars health providers and insurers receiving federal funding (i.e. medicare funding) from discriminating against those seeking care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.  It should be noted, however, that exemptions based on health care providers’ religious beliefs still apply and that a provider can still deny GAHT or Gender-Affirming Surgical care if they feel they are unqualified to provide it.  That being said, the majority of transgender healthcare relates to everyday ailments, acute care, and emergency care and these protections extend to those forms of treatment.  You can learn more about this new rule by clicking here.
Biden Admin Also Revises Rules Around Education
 
Two years after announcing their intent to do so the Biden Administration had finalized the rule-making process and has formalized an Education Department policy that ensures LGBTQ+ students will receive explicit legal protection from sex discrimination and harassment under Title IX.  This means that any school that receives federal funds to support their educational work must not discriminate against LGBTQ+ students.  THis includes in athletics as well as in any other activity.  You can expect legal challenges to these rules - especially from states that have enacted legislation around transgender participation in athletics or bathroom bans in schools.  You can read all 1,577 pages of the Rule here.
 
Pride Season... Already?
 
We hope you will come out and visit us at one of these amazing Pride Events!
 
May 18 - New Hope
May 18 - Bethlehem
June 1 - Gettysburg
June 2 - Stroudsburg
June 8 - Upper Darby
June 8 - Phoenixville
June 8 - Easton/Nazareth
June 15 - Lancaster
June 22 - York
June 22 - Doylestown
June 23 - Wilkes-Barre
June 29 - Perkasie
June 30 - BuckMont (Abington)
July 7 - EPTEP Pride Picnic
July 13 - Bangor
July 21 - Reading
July 27 - Harrisburg
August 18 - Lehigh Valley
October 12 - Westchester
October 13 - Bloomsburg
 
2024 Pride Season T-Shirts
Our 2024 Pride Season T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies have arrived and starting for as little as $16, they are a bargain!  Plus, a portion of your purchase is donated back to support our work here at EPTEP:
 - Click here for white writing for dark-colored shirts
 - Click here for black writing for light colored shirts
 
Hats are available too!
Thanks to our Wonderful Pride Season Sponsors!
 
We couldn't do this work without you!
Always Stay in the  Know - Follow Us on Social Media!
Transgender Conferences

MORE PEER SUPPORT GROUPS

Please note these groups are unaffiliated with Eastern PA Trans Equity Project - check with the facilitators of these groups for details.

  • Rainbow Connections Online Group for LGBTQ youth in grades K-5.  Contact Jolzak@mclinc.org or call 215-885-5180 for more information 
  • Reading: Gender Expansive Possibilities - meets 2nd and 4th Mondays from 6:30-8 pm at the LGBT Center of Greater Reading.  Click for more info
  • Hatboro: Online Trans and Nonbinary Group - Saga Hatboro 1st Thursdays at 7pm
  • Southeast PA Trans Parents Group - meets monthly via Zoom and on Facebook click for more info
  • Lancaster County Parents Group - First Wednesday of each month Email TransParentSupport@EtownCoB.org for more information
  • Harrisburg TransCentralPA operates groups for trans folk and family members
  • Danville, PA: Danville PFLAG,  Email danvillepflag@gmail.com for meeting dates.
  • State College: LGBTQ & Gender Identity Group contact info@centrelgbtqa.org at Centre LGBTQA for details
  • Lehigh Valley
  • Philadelphia: TransWay - Meets every Thursday at 7pm at the William Way LGBT Center, 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 
  • New Brunswick, NJ:
Volunteer Opportunities
 
Are you looking for ways to give back to our Community?  We are always looking for new volunteers.  Opportunities include:
 
 
 
  • Facilitating/co-facilitating support groups
  • Moderating on-line community conversations
  • Editing/providing submissions for this newsletter
  • Creating social media content
  • Volunteering at events
  • Accompanying clients to court hearings
Take Advantage of Our Resource Lists & Handouts
 
We get hundreds of calls and emails a year asking us for referrals to trans-affirming doctors, therapists, lawyers, and more.  We also get requests for information about transition, name changes, 
 
When we get these requests we direct our clients to our on-line resource lists and educational handouts.
 
 Updated regularly, these are amazing resources that you can access 24x7 so be sure to check them out!
Buy a T-Shirt and Support Our Mission! 
 
Be sure to stop by our Pride Shop for a unique selection of original shirts, hats, travel mugs, phone cases and much, much more!
 
Not only will you get some cool products, but every purchase supports our mission of empowering transgender people while building community and promoting social justice!
 
Another New Way To Support Our Work
 
Do you have an older car, boat, RV, motorcycle or other vehicle that you you are not using?  Now you can donate it to EPTEP and potentially get a big tax write-off!
 
We even accept farm vehicles and trailers.  Make difference today by visiting this link!

Your Support Makes A Difference

Our work saves lives and then changes them for the better. But it requires time and money to make these things happen.  Please consider a small tax-deductible donation to help us continue our work by visiting the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project website, if you are able to, please consider donating your time and skills through volunteering.
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1807 Majestic Dr., Orefield, PA 18069