Transgender American Veterans Association

T ransgender A merican
V eterans A ssociation

For Immediate Release: January 9, 2004
From:  The Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA)
Media Contact:  Tina Rice
Contact Email:  media@tavausa.org
Contact Phone:  618.867.3028
Website:  http://www.tavausa.org

TRANSGENDER VETERANS MARCH TO THE WALL - UPDATE

The Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) will gather veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 1, 2004.  Organizers hope to draw a significant number of supporters to honor the many transgender people who served our nation with pride and honor.

Individuals or organizations who wish to make donations may do so through the TG Fund.   Diane Dale, Co-Founder of The Transgender Fund says, "Through this march, the TAVA is making a profound statement to all that transgender Americans are, and have been since the beginning, an inseparable part of the fabric that made this magnificent democracy what it is today.  We at The Transgender Fund are proud to be associated with this event."  The main address for the TG Fund is: http://www.tgfund.org, and the page specifically for donations to the TAVA event is:   http://www.tgfund.org/page5.html

Several outstanding national and local organizations have come forward to publicly support the event, including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC), the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), and the Puget Sound, New York City and DC Chapters of the American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER).  Some have already supported this event with donations, including the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF).

Individuals or organizations wishing to donate services may contact TAVA Special Projects Director, Angela Brightfeather at: projects@tavausa.org. She says, "It is very heartening to see the support from the GLBTS community for the TG Veterans making this March to the Wall.  It is a wonderful example of respect and unity that will form a foundation for many more such ideas and goals.  This is very special for all of us and especially those TG Veterans who sacrificed so much for our freedoms."

Monica Helms, President of TAVA, encourages anyone – whether transgendered, gay, lesbian, bisexual or straight – who wishes to join this event to register your participation and for a hotel room by going to http://www.geocities.com/tg_vet_march_to_the_wall.

The Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) acts proactively with other concerned GLBT organizations to ensure that transsexual and transgendered veterans will receive appropriate care for medical conditions in accordance with the Veterans Health Administration Customer Service Standards promise to "treat you with courtesy and dignity … as the first class citizen that you are."  Further, TAVA will help in educating the VA and the US military on issues regarding the fair and equal treatment of transgendered and transsexual individuals.  TAVA will also advocate a change in public law and policy that will help initiate this fair and equal treatment.

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