Life Lines
By Rachel Miller

Perhaps the gravest problem facing many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning people is the fear that we are alone. It might seem obvious to the outside observer that there are many people in these situations. However, when you are mired in the midst of a discriminatory situation, there is frequently an overpowering feeling of aloneness. The feeling may not be rational, but the feeling is most certainly real.

Many of us have been treated poorly by our family, our friends, our church or our government. We think that no one knows how we feel. We think that no one knows the problems that we face. We think that no one can help us. We think that no one will support us. We think that no one will stand by us if we tell the truth. Many of us have turned to drugs and alcohol to escape the effects of this treatment. Many of us carry deep emotional scars that require strong medications to provide temporary relief. Some of us have resorted to the ultimate escape of suicide.

What we need most is someone who understands our plight, cares about us and offers support. When we find such a resource, they become a virtual life line for us. In recent years, the Internet has provided a growing number of such support resources. Because of anonymity and ease of access, it has become the most effective vehicle for delivering support information. It is an unbelievably powerful force to calm our feelings and help us find hope and support and peace. It is now our primary place for finding life lines.

This message is an appeal to existing life lines to become more robust and interconnected. It is also an appeal to encourage potential new life lines to emerge.

Additional Documents

We need online access to as many articles, books, brochures, pamphlets, papers and speeches as possible. Any given document might speak the exact words that are needed by a hurting person at a critical time. Providing a brief extract of the contents of a document and grouping like documents in some sort of categorization scheme are also extremely helpful techniques that enable searchers to find what is of greatest value to them.

I have just finished updating my web site to reflect 5 different series of articles:

     *  We Hold These Truths - Confronting societal and spiritual discrimination
     *  Planting Loving Seeds - For Christians who feel excluded because of their differences
     *  The Femme Mirror - Understanding for heterosexual male transvestites
     *  Spouses & Partners - Helping couples deal with cross-dressing issues
     *  Our Gender Family - Creating a healthy and unified gender community

Would you review your web site to determine what additional documents might be included and how they might be presented in a more user-friendly manner?

Enhanced Links

Nearly every web site has a list of links to other related sites. No single site has all of the resources needed by LGBTQ people. However, I believe that all the information we need is stored somewhere on the web. The trick is how to find it. We need to go beyond alphabetical listings of related links. We need to develop strong interconnected ties with each other. Links should include a sentence or two about the contents of the linked site. Links should be grouped into categories so that comparable sites are listed together. Wouldn't it be great if an LGBTQ person could find one site and from there be able to reach every other site through a series of well-defined links?

I have just finished updating my web site to reflect links to 11 categories of support resources:

     *  Links to Spiritual Support Resources - Churches, ministries, TG Christians, denominational support organizations, reading list and articles
     *  Links to Social Support Resources - Cross-dresser support groups, professional help, support & informational resources, spouses and children

Would you invest the effort into upgrading the links on your site to bring us all closer together?

New Web Sites

If you don't currently have a web site, consider starting one even with the most basic information. Some of the finest resources started as very small sites and have grown in value over the years. Whether you are an individual or an organization, you have some information that is of value.

Will you start building your site?

Remember!
Your actions are critical
BECAUSE
These life lines actually save lives!

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