About our Support Groups

The backbone of MaineTransNet's programming is our peer-to-peer support groups. In these groups, trained transgender identified facilitators lead a group of trans people (and sometimes allies) though a casual yet structured meeting where people can ask questions, share their successes and challenges, get advice, and enjoy the feeling of being in a non-judgmental, trans led space. Find the calendar here: http://mainetrans.net/groups

Topics of discussion often include transition issues and resources questions, community updates, relationship changes, work challenges, mental health, personal victories and so much more. After many of the meetings, some attendees choose to go out to dinner or for coffee together to continue being in community with one another.

Group Guidelines:

In an effort to keep meetings as safe and welcoming as possible for as many in our community as possible, all of our meetings begin with a review of our group guidelines. They are as follows:

• This is a confidential space. Please do not mention people who are not present in this room, and please do not talk about who was in this room outside of this meeting without their express permission. This means, if you bump into each other in the grocery store or on the street, please act as though you have not met unless you pre-agree on an alternative way of handling this situation. 

• No Cross Talk: only one person talking at a time 

• Please Avoid Generalizations (generally speaking :p) 

• Please set cell phones to vibrate or silent. If you must take a call, please take it out of the room

• This is a non-judgmental space. Everyone who says they are trans is trans enough to be here. There is no right or wrong way to be you. 

• No unsolicited advice. Please only give advice when it is asked for. If you want advice, please say so. 

• No violent or sexual language. Even in jest. We do not know everyone's story and what their triggers might be. Failure to follow this rule can result in us asking you to leave. 

• Respect that people come from different backgrounds than you. If you make a mistake with language or terminology, be open to correction. We strive to create a space where our participants are called into best ways to support one another. 

We emphasize that these are just guidelines and that they are broken from time to time in an effort to allow needed conversation, or simply because we are all people who make mistakes. If you are struggling with any of these, please reach out to us or discuss your challenges with your group facilitator. We want to support people in constructive participation in our meetings.