Tri-Beta Times

Monthly News about our Sisters

A Little Treatise on Tolerance"

Well, Happy July everyone!  I trust your getting ready for our meeting coming up on the 18th.  In addition to a great dinner out at St. Pete Diner, (love their acceptance, love their food,) we will have a great presentation by HRC, courtesy of Susan and Debi.  These are the people involved with the effort to get some meaningful TG-Friendly Legislation passed at The National Level, but they need grassroots support and participation at The Local Level.  I anticipate a lively discussion, and I think you will truly enjoy The Presentation.

Now, just a little bit of an editorial about "Tolerance."  Of course The Word probably means something different for each person.  But, I think we can safely say that "Tolerance," is the opposite of intolerance and rigidity, in our views and actions concerning other people.

Don't get this wrong, it isn't me doing some sort of condemning speech about how intolerant all Tri-Beta Gurls are, and how we need to do better....I'm going to say that so far, we have done just The Opposite!  I think for some time, Tri-Beta Gurls may be getting a reputation as being some of the most tolerant CD's around. 

"Old Hands" who have been around for a while, know that Tri-Ess has rightly or wrongly been blamed for a lot of intolerance over the years.  Many others in The TG Community, have always painted ALL Tri-Ess people as being very "stand-offish," and quick to dismiss anyone who was different.  BUT, we are proving that, "It ain't so!"  We have done so many things over the last couple of years to prove differently, and thankfully just about everyone in The Tri-Beta Family have been very willing to make these changes.

Let’s see what we have accomplished so far....

1.)  Heavy participation in St. Pete Pride.

2.)  Liaison with HRC and Equality Florida

3.)  Enthusiastic participation in Tropical Escape

4.)  A welcome to quite a few people who in the past would not have been considered for membership in Tri-Beta.  (Yes Virginia, we don't worry so much about what folks "do," "are," or "might be" anymore.)  

 5.  An effort by many people in our group to "mingle" and "reach-out" to other people within the TG Community.

That's quite an impressive list!  You all have done a lot, and I am sure you’re going to do more.  In addition to making new friends, you can also feel good about yourselves....you are getting a "street-cred" as good persons.

I'll give you a personal example of what I'm talking about.  Several of us attended a July 4th "get-together" at a home in Clearwater.  Just about everyone there was TS.  Now supposedly, we are all supposed to "fight like cats and dogs."  You know what?  It didn't happen!  No accusations from anyone, no anger, no acrimony.  Just PEOPLE having fun.  Later on we all went over to Alternative Pathways.  I think this place is quickly going to become the new "hang-out" for just about everyone in The TG Community.  The odd part is that it's not the usual "Gay Bar."  In fact, there really aren't many people there that would qualify as "Gay."  But, there are bi-sexual people, people into various fetishes, like bondage and swinging, people who might be sex workers, people who are nudists (but not on the premises), in short people who are "different"......just like us!  Once again, when we put on our "tolerance hat," guess what?  Nobody bites; nobody is going to "steal your soul."  It's just people who can be fascinating, and you get to learn about them....if you’re tolerant and want to learn.

My point?  This is an on-going process.  The more tolerant you become, the more you learn and grow.  Because Tri-Beta is "moving forward," into the 21st Century, it will all get better and better for this organization.  My oh my!!!  I think all of you should be looking forward to some wonderful things.  It's great to be part of a Family that grows.

See you at The Meeting; bring a friend as a guest.  Just let us know ahead of time and "vouch" for their character and behavior.  You might get to be a "heroine" in some other Gurl's Eyes.

Love, Joanie

Joanie Martin --- President 2009

Brianna Lovely---Vice President 2009

Susan Donovane --- Secretary 2009

Babs Stevens --- Membership 2009

JoAnn --- Treasurer 2009

Tri--Beta Photographer

Debi - Member-at-large 2009

Nancy - Member at-large

Carolann Dunn - Newsletter Publisher