There seems to be a false rumour circulating that the Beaumont Society does not welcome post-op transsexual members. This is clearly nonsense as the president is a post-op transsexual. (Personally I do not like, and prefer not to use, that word - although it is currently the legal and medical term, and I have no objection to anyone else using it - which is why I describe myself as a 'trans woman', or just 'woman', but it is up to each of us to use the label that we feel most comfortable with.) Those short of reading material during this lockdown might be desperate enough to read my account of my own transition in Issue 89 of the Beaumont Magazine (pages 14-15) which can be downloaded from this website. There is no hierarchy of trans people. We are all who we are, and it is not for others to define us or tell us how we should present ourselves in the privacy of our own homes, though clearly there are cultural expectations and boundaries in any public or semi-public space. I believe that there are probably as many ways of being trans as there are trans people. We are all different and I hope that the Beaumont Society is an association of people who respect those differences and cherish the things we have in common. You do not even have to be trans to be a member of this society, but you are expected to share its vision and aims as set out in our Constitution:

The Society believes transgender people are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect in all aspects of their lives by family, friends and the wider non-transgender community, including businesses and services. To achieve this, the Society will:

a. Form an association for the transgender community to facilitate mutual support and communication in order to improve the health, emotional well-being and confidence of transgender people.

b. Promote and assist the study of gender and gender diversity.

c. Educate lay and professional groups about transgenderism, its associated issues and the work of the Society.

d. Engage in and support the accomplishment of any lawful activity that promotes the above aims.

I have put this on the News page of the website, although it is not news, because items on 'Activity' disappear quickly to another page as that is such a busy and interesting space.