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Hi,
Those of you who are avid readers of my posts - form an orderly - OK disorderly - queue - may recall that I was due to give a presentation on trans issues at a big Equality & Diversity event which my county council employers were holding last Wednesday. Well I thought I'd update you on how it went.
First of all fashion notes: I wanted something pretty and feminine but not in anyway over the top. So for the princely sum of £6.06 inc postage and packaging off Ebay I got a Linea grey chiffon over pale blue satin dress and as it had lilac hemming teamed it with a nice lilac jacket I picked up in a charity shop for £2 and a lilac Fiorelli bag I bought for 1p. Last of the big spenders huh? To make sure I could see to the back of the room I wore my purple 4 1/2 " heeled shoes but regretted this when I couldn't find a parking space within half a mile of County Hall. Matlock, for those who don't know it is very hilly and unforgiving of high heels.
I made it to the Members' Room where the event was to held though with dignity intact at 9:30. I entered the double doors and it was like one of those film moments when everything stops and the camera zooms into the central character. As I gazed down the rows and rows and bloody rows of seats which were all full of expectant people I thought: 'Now see what you've got yourself into Nell, you daft devil!' Anyway I found a seat and then realised it was behind the deputy head of the department I work for so another good move and as he said hello I knew I could hardly change to another seat.
The event kicked off promptly with speeches by the Chief Exec and a senior councillor. Then there was a keynote speech and presentation by Sylvia Lancaster, whose Goth daughter, Sophie, was kicked and stamped to death in 2007 for, well, just being different. It was all very moving and well presented and Sylvia has done a marvellous job of turning the grief and hurt she experienced into a force for good. Visit her website at: www.sophielancasterfoundation.com.
Then it was the first of the presentations which was by a colleague who is openly gay and works as a senior manager in schools admin. He gave a very good presentation about the benefits of inclusion, then it was the County Poet Laureate and a digital artist who have done a project called 'Lifelines' all about Equality and Diversity and then it was me.
Big deep breath and on with the show. Well after about a minute or so I suddenly realised that all my nerves had gone and I was actually where I wanted to be and being who I wanted to be. Despite some IT glitches which others had suffered from as well it all went brilliantly. The audience laughed where I wanted them to: 'Small room - big trouble' about the problems we can face in using loos and changing rooms and when I did the 5 life stories there were quite a few tears. A big round of applause at the end and as I returned to my seat the senior officer in front turned and said to me, 'Excellent presentation Nell.' At lunch I had loads of compliments and people who wanted to talk to me and offers to be involved in projects to turn the themes of the presentation into action. I'm following at least two up with a trans awareness course for teachers and staff working with young people in schools and a joint project with the aforementioned poet and digital artist to do something for LGBT History Month and/or Trans Memorial Day next year.
The next day I had an email from a solicitor in the legal section. She'd tried to talk to me but hadn't managed to get to me. She wanted to tell me that she'd seen, 'A brill and warm woman.' And that was my cue to cry a few tears, of happiness, of my own.
Thanks for reading this,
Nell x
