My Introduction
I am a transvestite and I like to share my own account as a member of SGGURLS Group. I have been with the SGGURLS Group since it was started on the 14th November 2007. Though many a time I have left the group and rejoined back (I will not elaborated on these, as it has nothing to do with the Group but my own accord due to my mood swing) Being a transvestite, life is naturally complicated and we faced up and down in our transition. Generally I have benefited significantly from the Group. I am very down to earth person by nature and I am very possessive of my own peers, friends, sisters and love ones. But I can be easily touched by sincerity and ready to repay back with gratitude. In short I am an introvert and reserve person but through the group influences, I have changed overtimes. And I owed it to a best T-gurl friend of mine who is always there to support me and cheers me up.
I will now answer to your 10 questions.
1. What is the purpose of the setting up the group?
As people like us in the LGBTQ, regardless we are cross dresser, gay, lesbian, transvestite or transsexual, morally we needed support and assistance through sister/brother hoods or as "buddies" in the group. That is the purpose of the group.
Being what we were in this extreme and harsh World, we could always face loneliness in our tribulation and rejection from the friends, families and love ones. Life of a transsexual or transvestite (I am speaking as a transvestite level) is not easy. It is difficult to trot on the path we have chosen to go through. Transition period was always so lonely to start on and the latter lives of transsexual or transvestite were even lonelier in the society that we lived in. Every day of our lives seem hard to pass by.
Some of us started as cross dressers. Dressing has been a form of expressing our feminine norm. But some of us were Transsexual before we reached puberty. We were born in the wrong body. It is all hidden inside us and it was always up there in our minds. We can't change it, neither can our families, our love ones, the society nor the World can corrected us. We have somehow suffered from our gender disorder but in determination we seek after our own destiny till we found our happiness in our desirable gender where we can belong. An identity so called "Transgender"
I benefited a lot from the group in my feminine trait as transvestite. Regular exposure in the group forums, gatherings, outings and events organising, I tend to be more aware of myself of who I am and where I belong. I became more conscious of my own feeling, my body, my mind and my personality.
Though there were good times and bad times but the good times were more rewarding and memorable comparable to the bad times that we faced. The happier moment was always the sweetest to cherish and remembered for the rest of our life.
2. How did it begun? When did it start?
It was on Halloween night, last weekend of October 2007 where a group of SG gurls met up together for the first time to come out as gurls to celebrate Halloween night. We formed a group of gurls to participate in a costumes contest for the best well dressed in Halloween costumes event. One of the gurl was asked by the comperre to intro our group theme. And the gurl came out with the team "SG GURLS" night out! It was two weeks later, on 14thNovember 2007, our Group SGGURLS was then formed and all the gurls were moderators of the group. However, some didn't make it with us but most of us stayed on and continued with our outings and events. We eventually grew from a small group of seven gurls to a much larger group of 1.047 members now. Membership is flourishing, the discussion and pictures on the board was doing well too. And we managed to reach out to our overseas friends and sisters. We have formed allies with other sister groups, like the SG Butterfly, the Bangkok Trans Group and the CD House. Much later, similar other sistas groups, like the Mygurls and Chinagurls were also formed.
3. What activities have the group organised?
We came a long way from our existence right up to the present moment organising events and outings for our members. Initially, we have to find a gathering place for the gurls and we found one LGBT friendly bar at Chinatown, "Backstage." Though Backstage was a gay bar but the gurls were welcomed and treated as sistas in the present of the gentlemen at Backstage. The guys were friendly. Soon we were recognised as SGGURLS of Backstage and have our first Residential Bar. We did many of our outings and events at Backstage and we hosted some of our members' birthday parties too. We met regularly to share our knowledge on transgender issues and cross dressing. We also encouraged new members and closet cd to come out and joined us in our outing. Besides meeting at the pub, we also organised shopping sprees, going to movies, dinning and chalet barbeque party. And we have organised an overseas trip for our members too. In SG, we celebrated Halloween, Christmas and countdown party annually. During lunar New Year day we organised our auspicious "Loh Hei" dinner for our Chinese members. Last but not least, we celebrated our annual anniversary on the 14th November to commemorate our group birthday.
4. How often does the group meet and how big is the current group?
From Backstage, we moved on to various different locations in Chinatown, like the Tocame, DMYK, Taboo, Cow and Coolie and etc…. Lately the gurls' favourite bar, was Deixie at Mosque Street. And now the gurls even found a nice and cool place called "Oohtique" at 50A, Circular Road which have an alley shopping arcade for lingerie and adult apparels within bar vicinity. We usually met on alternate weekend on a cool Saturday night with a group of about 6 to more than 10 gurls. Currently our group members have reached 1.047 members and that included the overseas members as well. Our group is ever growing and participated actively in the net working other than organising function and social gathering.
5. Tell me a few events which you think have been successful (and had received positive feedback)
The most successful and glamorous event that we have was our 1stAnniversary nights on 14th Nov to 15th Nov 2008 where we hosted a big party at a double storey terrace chalet in Aloha Changi Resort and invited many of LGBT groups' brothers and sisters to attend our anniversary night. Our annual trip to visit the Bangkok Tans Group sistas was also successful in the sense we have better rapport between the two groups. We were warmly treated to a party hosted by the Bangkok Tans Group in close exchanges of friendship and ties between the two groups' mementos. And we exchange memento as gesture of friendship.
Though year 2009 wasn't a good year but we have pledged during the New Year in our resolution to do the best for our group. We did came out with a very big project for charity but due to logistics and time factors the project was delayed till later times so we have plenty of time to work on it with ease and stability. But unbelievable the fact was we have received positive feedbacks and supports from our members, friends, relation and admirers in this project through their kind donation. We believed in perseverance will prevail. Unity through strength and all that! Our group is ever progressing though there were down turns but one thing for sure our group we will keep on going!
6. What activities have been planned for 2010?
Our group held our regular meeting when necessarily at PLU (Serangoon) to discuss matters pertaining to the group activities and organising of events. We have all the committee members to take charge of the group activities and domestic affairs. We are unable to disclose what is in the activities planned for 2010 until we formally meet and confirmed in early December to discuss the schedule for year 2010.
7. Who should join your group?
This group is for the gurls of Singapore. We also welcome gurls from abroad though it states the group as SGGURLS. We are LGBT friendly and warmly welcome all those who share the love of being a cd(cross dresser), transvestite( cds on hormones) transsexuals( M2F, F2 M) whether you are from SG or abroad. This is your group, so please feel free to post and network with each other. Love, enjoy and learn from one another. We lived short lives. Try to live life light heartedly, be generous to your sisters and brothers in here, and be light on politics. Being sexy, healthy, stay pretty and live happily. Muacks — may love shine on you when you're in your desired form. We're turning 2!!!! And look forward to many more years to come!!!!
Last but not least, the Group is created especially for you people like us…. You are most welcome to join in any Groups as fun and loving transgendered people. Friendliness is the door step to every Group. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Sexiness is the feminine expression of womanliness. Romanticism is in our minds. And Love is in our Hearts.
8. What do you hope for the gay (and trans) communities in the near future?
We are all human beings on earth regardless we are from lesbian, gay, transsexual or bi-sexual communities…. and we all have the same kind of feeling. We have our dreams to hope for. We want to be loved and to love. We want to live a life full of happiness and peace. We want to live a life with beauty and pride.
With the mutual support and help from each one another of us here, we are going to make it to reality in the near future….. Acceptance, love and respect are what we look for from the public. To be accepted as part of the community and respectful civilian in the society.
9. What can we do to increase our outreach?
Having joined a group but not coming out to the outing was not good enough. We need to interact and share our experiences as what we have gone through as sistas. Every Transgender support group has their own gathering and outing. It is through past experiences we learnt from one another and through constant exposure in the group meeting that we get recognition in our gender identity … Every face tells a story, so it is through social gathering and meeting with the Trans likeminded people that we learnt and benefited within the Group.
10. Do you think a confederation of gay civil societies would help or hinder?
Yes, having confederation of gay civil societies would definitely help to confer our legal rights, status and belongings in the aspect under the communal laws of the societies. What we need most is morale support and understanding from the community. Unity through strength and all that!
Thanks and with Warmest Regards,
Adaline Keh
SGGURLS Group
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