untitled4

The Office for Transgender Affairs was a dream of the President of the Transology Association, Michael / Michelle GreyFeather. It all started back in 2002 / 2003 when He / She began developing Transgender Support Groups with close friends who wanted help and provide support for the transgender community as Michael did. At first he and his friends were members of the LSV transgender support group in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. A couple years after joining that support group he and a few close friends decided to start their own transgender support group in York Pennsylvania which they called the Divas Social Organization. Divas was started in the year 2004. The following link is to the web site Michael built for the Divas Social Organization ...... http://divassocialorganization.homestead.com/ When Michael built the ROSE Web Site he included the Divas web site as a fun addition for events and programs.

The ROSE web site was used by theripist and psychologist to help them in learning about the transgender subjects.

Their first support group met in a Transgender / Gay night club called the Velvet Rope in York, Pennsylvania but the club became to noisy for meetings and they decided to try and find another location. The new location was in a Lutheran church on the out skirts of York, Pennsylvania which became a popular support group in York at the time. They moved from the night club to the church in the year 2005. A few years later they decided to reach out to Lancaster Pennsylvania and started a Chapter of the York support group in Mountville, Pennsylvania in a church in that area. One thing led to another and eventually Michael and friends who started the support group joined up with the National Renaissance Transgender support Organization out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. They renamed the support group, "Renaissance of Southeastern Pennsylvania in short, ROSE. A few years later in 2007 they reached out again and started a chapter of ROSE in Lancaster Pennsylvania in a church which became a popular support group in that area.

The support group in York met on the 4th Saturday of each month and the support group in Lancaster met the second Tuesday of each month. The Mountville support group became a satellite group and met there once in a while for events in the area or special occasions.

In 2005 / 2006 Michael began developing an outline of his dream of how he wanted to start a office for the Transgender Community. The office would be available to the community five days a week where Transgender individuals could have access to a location in York, Pennsylvania when they needed help, support or wanted information. The office would be a place transgender individuals and their families could call their own in the community. A place where they could go to just chat with someone knowledgible with Transgender issues and affairs. At the time support groups were only meeting once a month and still are in most areas. There were many transgender individuals and family who wanted and needed support and help but could not make it to once a month meetings. He also wanted to provide programs for the different transgender people and families such as Parents raising transgender children, Support for Husbands and Wives who had a transgender spouse, family support for families with transgender family members, support for transgender students and their parents, Schools, School Boards, Employers. also providing help to transgender individuals who lose their homes and jobs just because they were transgender. Another goal he wanted to accomplish was providing help and education about the transgender community to the General public to help better understand transgender people and the issues they face and much more.

Everyone was excited about the idea and the program but money became an major factor and obstacle to pay for a office, for program cost, utilities etc.. This delayed the dream of Michael for many years. The dream was tabled for a long time because of family sickness. Michael's health became a issue and he left the Transgender support business for several years starting in about 2011. About the middle of 2016 Michael was diagnosed with cancer and was dealing with that as well as his wife becoming extremely ill with COPD. In March of 2019 his wife passed away from Pneumonia from the COPD. A major devastation in his life.

Still dealing with the cancer and with his wife missing from his life he decided to start putting his dream back together. He had to give it long heart felt thought due to issues from earlier years but decided it was worth while regardless of pass issues. In January of 2021 he began a search for a location to open a Office for Transgender Affairs. Upon locating a location he began putting the office together. He remembered how many people and families needed help back then who could not make it to monthly meetings when he was involved in support groups. Since being out of touch with transgender issues and the transgender community he reached out to friends who were still involved in support groups after all the years of not being in touch with the transgender community. Michael had tons of research and knowledge he had from all the research he did in the pass years really not realizing that some of that information may be out dated. In late January 2021 he contacted Ellen Davidson, a good close friend, and asked if she would be interested in partnering with him to start the York Office for Transgender Affairs. Ellen remembered the outline and after her giving it long hard heart felt thought said she would like to be a part of the journey putting the office together and helping the community. Michael told Ellen about the location he found for the office then both going to look the location over to see if it was a fit for the office. Ellen and Michael had had disagreements over the years from the previous support group activity many years ago but all that was forgotten and they moved on picking up where they had left off from being great close friends. Years ago when they worked together in the support groups they got a lot accomplished for the transgender community and people for instance having transgender non discrimination ordinances passed in York, Pennsylvania..

Michael asked others who once worked with him and Ellen if they would be interested in becoming part of the Office and all were delighted to begin the journey to make the York Office for Transgender Affairs possible in York, Pennsylvania .... Krystyna Mcillroy, Amanda Taylor, Felicia Baugher just to mention a few who joined the journey of creating the Office.

Michael and Ellen are spliting the difference for funding the cost of the over head for the office between them out of pocket because they both believe that the office is something that is well needed in the York, Pennsylvania area as well as in other cities to help the people in transgender communities. Most all invited in making the office a reality have been living and working as their preferred gender for many years. Most are retired and dedicating their time to helping the transgender community to the best of their ability. If questions and other needed request can not be solved by members of the Office they will direct those in need to professional help or someone who can answer their needs.

They applied for a 501(C)(3) non profit status and a fictitious name in January of 2021 but had not recieved the non profit status as of yet due to the Covid crisis causing major delays. The office is still in the works and much has to be done yet but everyone feels that the office should open on Monday June 21, 2021 so they can begin helping the community and making the office available for those needing help and support.

Everyone we have spoken to about the office really likes the idea. Several people we talked to said they think having a office for transgender affairs open 5 days a week would greatly benefit the community. The hours of the office starting out will be Monday through Fridays from 3 PM to 7 PM. Everyone in the office is well versed on the transgender subject, issues and problems transgender people face on a daily basis.

Drop in and say hello .....

Below is a link to the original outline for The Office for Tansgender Affairs

Click here to view the Original copy of the outline for the office for Transgender Affairs