Subject: Transgener Aging Research Project
From: HRTF FL <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 20:32:35 EST

(Please send email responses to [email-masked])

Greetings:
My name is Tarynn M. Witten, Ph.D. (check me out at
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~wittenm) and I am the initiator and
co-director of the International Longitudinal Transsexual and
Transgender Aging Research Project (ILTARP).  This longitudinal project
is an attempt to address the lifecourse needs of the transgender
community. It is the first an ongoing project to formally address these
issues and has many component projects which will be detailed on an
upcoming web page -  which will be announced very soon now.

One critical component of this project is an attempt to formally
document the healthcare needs and experiences, experiences with violence
and abuse, and general demography of the "T" community. For many years
the "T" community has been silent and uncounted. What we call
"invisible." While we are now coming out to claim our voice, we are
still an unknown quantity and it takes numbers to make changes. We are
trying to contact as many "T" people as possible around the world. 
Currently, the survey is being distributed in 10 countries worldwide. We
are hoping to have 14 countries collaborating by the end of 1998. We
have a comprehensive survey which we are trying to get filled out so
that we can make an accurate international demographic description of
the "T" community.  "T" people includes pre/post-op transsexuals,
transgenders (individuals who live full time in their non-natal gender)
whether they are on hormones or not, cross-dressers, transvestites,
agendered, individuals with other gender perceptions, dual spirits, and
any non-Western gendered viewpoints.  We need to reach all races, all
cultures, and all classes of the "T" community. Remember, many of us do
not have access to the internet so please spread the word on the streets
as well. We are also interested in collaborating with those of you are
members of the "intersex" community as well.

I would appreciate your help in connecting with individuals in these
categories.  All work is medically confidental and is anonymous. 
Surveys come in stamped, pre-addressed envelopes so that the sender
cannot be identified. The ILTTARP has been approved by the University of
Michigan School of Public Health Institutional Review Board. It is
sponsored under the aegis of the Comprehensive Gender Services Program
of the University of Michgan Medical Center. 

If you feel you that can assist in any phase of this project, I would
greatly appreciate it.  Please circulate this message to anyone who
might have access to the aforementioned populations, to anyone who might
be interested in filling out the initial demographic survey, to anyone
who resides in another country who might help us make contact with "T"
people in that country, and to anyone who knows anyone who might be
interested in furthering the cause.  Please send your email address or
phone number if you wish to be contacted by us. If you wish to receive
the survey, please send a complete postal mailing address so that we can
send you the survey. All addresses are treated medically confidentially.

For further details, you may contact me at via any of the following:

Contact: Tarynn M. Witten, Ph.D., 313-936-2102 (also has confidential
message machine) 
          [email-masked] 
        [email-masked]

web: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~wittenm

postal: Tarynn M. Witten, Ph.D
		ILTTAR Project
        Comprehensive Gender Services Program
	    University of Michigan Medical Center, University Hospital
        1500 Medical Center Drive
        Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0050

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Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 22:37:44 +0000
From: [email-masked] (Tarynn Witten)
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Subject: Human Rights and the Transgendered