The movement toward unity began as a visionary dream in the heart of Dr. Peggy Rudd who realized how much our collective body of talented people could accomplish if we held our hands and moved forward as one. She knew we could realize this dream even if we held tenaciously to our own personalities and life styles. The secret related to human respect for others who did not share the same needs.

In 1990 Peggy began to lay our foundation with a series of articles related to unity and diversity. Later as the dream began to crystallize she contacted Dante’s Restaurant in Houston and set a date for the first Unity Banquet, an event established to honor the concept of unity and respect for human differences. She contacted the leadership of the Texas T Party and asked for a meeting room where all representatives of the two groups, GCTC, the Gulf Coast Transgender Community, and Tau Chi, the local chapter of Tri-Ess, could make plans for the first Unity Banquet. There was no room available, but Peggy and Melanie set up chairs around their booth located in a noisy corridor at the convention in February of 1990. The noise did not hold back the enthusiasm for people like Rene Fenner who stepped up to the plate and agreed to take the message of unity back to GCTA and Peggy agreed to promote the dream at Tau Chi. Many approached the idea with some reserve, but the seed of unity had been planted, and collectively the Houston transgender community comprehended the magnitude of what had begun to happen. The community was feeling a union of parts, each different and unique, forming a complex undivided whole. The Houston transgender community did the math, and the whole really is greater than the sum of all parts!

The unity dream took a giant step forward in 1994 when Lilly Roddy and several other leaders in the Houston transgender community formed the Houston Transgender Unity Committee. The Committee is responsible for the annual Unity Banquet, participation in the annual Pride Parade and Empower and other events and projects.

The dream has continued to expand as new transgender groups have formed in Houston including STAG and TATS joining the existing groups of Tau Chi, and HTGA. All of these groups have representatives serving on the Houston Transgender Committee. In 2003 the Houston Transgensder Unity Committee established the Peggy Rudd Transgender Scholarship Fund. Proceeds from the annual Unity Banquet and other fundraising events will support the Peggy Rudd Transgender Scholarship Fund. The first scholarships were awarded to two transgendered individuals in 2005.

Purchase Tickets Here

March 6, 2011 — D.R.E.D. – aka MilDRED Gerestant will be the keynote speaker at the Transgender Unity Banquet on Saturday, April 30. MilDred has been acting, lecturing, and doing workshops all over the world since 1995, and this year will deliver the address at the annual banquet, to be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Brookhollow (3000North Loop West), 6:30 p.m. until 1 a.m.

MilDRED inspires us to think about and express our freedom of self-expression throughher work as an actress, via lecturing and workshops around the world.

The Unity Banquet is organized by the Houston Transgender Unity Committee, the consortium of area transgender organizations. Proceeds from ticket sales support the Peggy Rudd Transgender Scholarship Fund. This is the fifth year that the Unity Committee will present the scholarships, established to help trans-identified students pursuing higher education and named in honor of advocate and educator Dr. Peggy Rudd.

During the banquet, representatives from other local transgender groups will make presentations about their community work. These groups include the Diamond Girls; Helping TransGenders Anonymous; Houston Transgender Cover Girls; STAG/Some Transgenders Are Guys; Tau Chi chapter of Tri-Ess; and, the Transgender Center/Transgender Foundation of America.

Tickets to the Unity Banquet are $50 in advance ($60 at the door) and can be purchased through the Unity Committee website, www.htuc.org. Tickets are also available at Vanity: A Trans-formation Studio (1446 Yale, 832/767-3252), the Heights boutique.

Unity Banquet sponsorships are available at a range of levels, from $75 to $2,000 to underwrite the Brenda Thomas Education Table, named in honor of Thomas (1943-2006), the activist and educator and longtime Unity Committee executive director. Interested individuals and firms may contact the committee via www.htuc.org.

Sheraton Brookhollow accommodations for event guests are available at a discountedrate of $89/room and $129/suite. Call 888.627.8196 and ask for the Unity Banquet rate.

The event is held in November for a variety of reasons. In the Latin world, November is the time for commemorating the Dead, the Sun is in Scorpio, our thoughts turn inward. Unfortunately, we also have gruesome reasons for choosing November. Rita Hester was killed on 28 November 1998, and a candlelight vigil was held in San Francisco in her honor. Her murder has still not been solved.

Most hate crimes go unsolved due to a variety of reasons: the police ignore them, the media does a poor job of reporting them with the respect they deserve; even the community itself turns an indifferent face to these crimes. It is for this reason that we need to remind everyone that hatred does not discriminate. Our sons, daughters, parents, lovers, friends, and yes, even our “ straight” friends have been murdered. Let us not forget that Jan Matarrase, a straight woman, was attacked in front of her husband for resembling a gay man. The attackers stopped only after she exposed her breasts.

We observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance yearly for many reasons. We have to draw awareness of hate crimes against transgender people in a time when yellow journalism sees itself in the role of entertaining a gullible public, and when mainstream journalism has mangled their duty to “ let facts be submitted to a candid world.” We mourn and honor our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. We express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred, and we give our allies a chance to step forward with us and denounce these terrorists and perpetrators of hate crimes.

Wine, water, and hors d’oeuvres wil be served.

Attire of business casual, or better, is suggested.

This is a free event. All are welcome!

When: Nov 20, 2010 7 – 9:30 PM

Where: A.D. Bruce Religion Center, UH Main Campus 4800 Calhoun, Hou, TX

http://campusmap.uh.edu/cgi-bin/campusmap

Parking: Parking is FREE. Take Entrance 13 and park in lot 13A (next to the A.D. Bruce Center)

After, several transgender groups are hosting an after-event at the Transgender Center. All are welcome!

When: 10 – 11 PM

Where: TG Center, 604 Pacific, Hou, TX 77006

More info  HERE.

Annual Unity Banquet to feature prominent national leader Mara Keisling

Rudd Transgender Scholarship program marks fifth anniversary

March 3, 2010 — Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, will be the keynote speaker at the Transgender Unity Banquet on Saturday, May 1.  Keisling, one of the leaders in the equal-rights movement not only for transgender people but also for gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans, will deliver the address at the annual banquet, to be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Brookhollow (3000 North Loop West), 6:30 p.m. until 1 a.m.

Keisling is the founding executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Washington, D.C.-based social justice organization dedicated to advancing the equality of transgender people through advocacy, collaboration and empowerment.

The Unity Banquet is organized by the Houston Transgender Unity Committee, the consortium of area transgender organizations. Proceeds from ticket sales support the Peggy Rudd Transgender Scholarship Fund.  This is the fifth year that the Unity Committee will present the scholarships, established to help trans-identified students pursuing higher education and named in honor of advocate and educator Dr. Peggy Rudd.

During the banquet, representatives from other local transgender groups will make presentations about their community work. These groups include the Diamond Girls; Helping TransGenders Anonymous; Houston Transgender Cover Girls; STAG/Some Transgenders Are Guys; Tau Chi chapter of Tri-Ess, the Society for the Second Self; Texas Association for Transsexual Support; and the Transgender Center/Transgender Foundation of America.

Tickets to the Unity Banquet are $50 in advance ($60 at the door) and can be purchased through the Unity Committee website,www.htuc.org. Tickets are also available at Vanity: A Trans-formation Studio (1446 Yale, 832/767-3252), the Heights boutique.

Unity Banquet sponsorships are available at a range of levels, from $75 to $2,000 to underwrite the Brenda Thomas Education Table, named in honor of Thomas (1943-2006), the activist and educator and longtime Unity Committee executive director. Interested individuals and firms may contact the committee via www.htuc.org.

Sheraton Brookhollow accommodations for event guests are available at a discounted rate of $89/room and $129/suite. Call 888.627.8196 and ask for the Unity Banquet rate.

Media info (please do not publish this phone number/e-dress): Tim Brookover • 281.757.0478 mobile • timbrookover@gmail.com •www.htuc.org