This has been a
demanding year for the FTMA Network. We have
established an increasingly recognised voice for
the broad group of female-to-male (FTM)
transgender people and males with transsexualism
as well as stronger connections within the
formal health networks in NSW, Australia.
Enquiries, new and
ongoing, as well as existing support needs, mean
there is an increased and welcome demand on my
time and resources. The profile of the FTMA
network has been raised across the country and
overseas largely through the tools of our
website and newsletter which continue to reach a
national audience.
One of the main challenges
for this year has been the incorporation of the
network. Our experience of this formal
administrative management has proven largely
counter-productive. The paperwork required to
maintain incorporation reduced our time to focus
on the work of creating useful resources,
offering information, support and contact to
individuals and their family members. While this
has been a useful learning experience and a
necessary process to explore in these early
days, we now look forward to returning to the
simpler structure of an informal network of
community.
The work of the network
continues to be diverse with the central theme
of providing information, contact and support,
highlighting the health needs and concerns of
this community. As research into this field
increases and medical science continues to
expand our understanding, I look forward to
being able to offer the most up-to-date and
accurate information to our
community.
I am deeply appreciative
of the ongoing support from Elizabeth and
Cameron. Without Elizabeth’s involvement
many of the requests and support needs for
partners would go unmet and Cameron’s
meticulous management of the financial records
ensure the figures all add up. Lastly, although
this took place after the period covered in
these pages, I must offer sincerest condolences
to Elizabeth and Cameron. Elizabeth’s
mother, Betty Kelly, suddenly passed away in the
last five weeks of putting this report together.
She was an incredibly supportive and integral
part of their lives, was encouraging of the
network and co-authored “The Little Boy
Book” with Elizabeth as well as
contributing to the articles in Transcript and
Torque. Betty Kelly added to the network in so
many practical ways and her presence will be
sadly missed.
There are many more
supporters behind FTMA and I would like to thank
them for their ongoing patience, support and
contributions.
Craig Andrews
November 2004
The following
figures are new contacts to FTMA made between
the first of January 2003 to the end of December
2003.
The figures in brackets
are (new contacts) from the previous year
(January 2002 to the end of December
2002).
Geographical Contacts
– 2003 (2002)
- ACT – 1 (2)
- NSW – 45 (45)
- QLD – 13
(25)
- NT – 2 (0)
- WA – 7 (7)
- SA – 7
(6)
- TAS – 3 (3)
- VIC –18 (17)
- Overseas – 16
(33)
- Unknown geographical
contacts were 21(8)
118 (160) brand-new
contacts were made to FTMA between 1 January
2003 and 31 December 2003
FTMA recorded the
following occasions of service throughout
2003.
Occasion of
Service (OOS) is defined as – “a
single event of contact between a person and a
representative of FTMA addressing a specific
issue, need or question".
|
J
|
F
|
M
|
A
|
M
|
J
|
J
|
A
|
S
|
O
|
N
|
D
|
|
47
|
12
|
26
|
13
|
34
|
16
|
39
|
16
|
19
|
26
|
34
|
52
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
334
|
