Outreach and Education in Country Areas

Outreach is a new education program, started in 2007, to allow cross dressers from country areas, their partners or wives and family, counsellors, health professionals and any other interested parties to meet and discuss relevant issues about cross-dressing and gender.

We have conducted seminars in Coffs Harbour (2007), Dubbo (2008), Yass (2009) and Nowra (2010) where we have brought together people in an informal atmosphere where we can exchange thoughts, ideas and experiences. This entails a presentation by members of Seahorse and their partners, followed by an open question and discussion time.

If you are someone who would like to know more about gender issues, then please come along to our seminar. If you know someone who would be interested in attending these seminars, then please pass this invitation on to them.

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Aim of the seminars

The aim is to hold these meetings in 4 or 5 major cities in country NSW, for example; Coffs Harbour in the North; Dubbo in the West; Canberra or Yass in the South-west and Nowra on the South Coast. Delegates from the Seahorse Society with their wives/partners would travel to these regions to conduct a seminar on gender issues, with the main focus being on cross-dressing.

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Topics that would be covered

1. Why do I need to cross dress?
2. Definitions of the "boxes" found in gender issues.
3. Learned or inherited behaviour?
4. Hormones: cause and effect.
5. Is becoming a transsexual the next step, or the answer?
6. Nature versus nurture.
7. The power of the brain.
8. "Finding me"- What conclusions did this bring me to?

The meetings may also cover social and legal protocols such as:

1. General social behaviour when out in public, when dressed and presenting in the clothes and manner of the opposite sex.
2. What to do if you are stopped by the police.
3. Club, travel and public place protocols.

The wives and partners will examine the cross dressing from their perspective. They may discuss issues such as;

1. The social implications.
2. Family circumstances.
3. Does this make me a lesbian?
4. Setting boundaries.
5. Living with "the other person" and how cross dressing affects them.

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It is also a social event

Along with the serious sides of the seminars there will also be a social element. This will allow the participants to meet each other, exchange contact information, and hopefully forge bonds that will allow for more meetings and social engagements.

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The future

The plan would be an ongoing event, with the regions being visited once a year. At present, we do not have the funding to run these twice a year.

If anyone has any comments, suggestions or feedback on this scheme, you can contact the Seahorse Society.

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Previous Seminars

1. 28th April 2007, Coff's Harbour.
   Read the report of that meeting
2. 15th March 2008, Dubbo.
   
3. 12th September 2009, Yass.
   
4. 23rd October 2010, Nowra
   Read the report of that meeting