Monday 3/5/2012
The Chambers
I have just recently became involved in two Chamber of Commerce here in Chicago. The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and the Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. So far I have been impressed with both and the direction they are heading in, the openness to diversity and the support of everyone no matter their background.
As of now I am the only trans business owner to be a part of the Lakeview East Chamber. I am really impressed with their openness and willing to learn and accept a trans business owner . I have no intention of pushing any trans agenda with them but to show them over time that I am just like them in so many ways and am there for the same reasons as everyone else. As much as I embrace being trans I don’t flaunt it and just wanted to be treated and viewed as any other woman. I was even more impressed by them when they selected me to be nominated to the Board of Directors ticket to be taken to public vote. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when I was voted onto the Board and had so much public support. It was a huge milestone for me in the fact that I felt like all my hard work and fighting for equality was starting to pay off and that society in fact is progressing forward. My hat goes off to the East Lakeview Chamber!
The Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber has been another Chamber who helped me out tremendously as a business owner. Even though they support the LGBT community they are still called the Gay and Lesbian Chamber. The name of their organization has somewhat kept me on the fence about becoming a member. I do not identify as gay or lesbian so I think to myself why would I want to join an organization that does not truly recognize me. On the other hand they have been there for me in support of my business and have referred me to other contacts that have proven to be extremely helpful. There are other “straight” people who are also members so maybe I am over reacting. I brought this to their attention and it had never even crossed their mind how a trans person would feel about the name of their Chamber. I was surprised when they told me that they never had any trans members or any trans influence in their Chamber. Once again it goes to show that the Gay and Lesbian community are just as uneducated about trans people as any other community and that we really are much more of minority than most of us would like to think. However their openness and willingness to learn and change was put right out there and for that I applaud them. It makes me wonder, are their other trans business owners in Chicago, am I the only one or maybe just the only one that is open about being trans. For these reasons I am going to join them and become a member. Not only is their Chamber filled with amazing people who want to change things and work together. I have an obligation to the trans community to become involved and make positive changes and educate them so it will become easier for trans business owners in the future.
I feel sometimes if I don’t get involved who else is going to? I also call upon other trans people to step up to the plate. I hear a lot of bitching but at the same time the people I hear bitching don’t want to do their part and get involved to progress forward. We are at a shifting point in society where trans people are getting more exposure and all of us need to do our part to show society how much we are like everyone else and what we have to contribute to society. You can speak or preach all day to a room full of naïve people but from my experience people have to see it to believe it. The only thing we have going for us is time and in that time we have a lot to do in a positive way showing people who we are, what we have to contribute, and just how “normal” we are. Bottom line is that it is time to get involved on whichever level you can!
All the Best
Kinley Preston
As of now I am the only trans business owner to be a part of the Lakeview East Chamber. I am really impressed with their openness and willing to learn and accept a trans business owner . I have no intention of pushing any trans agenda with them but to show them over time that I am just like them in so many ways and am there for the same reasons as everyone else. As much as I embrace being trans I don’t flaunt it and just wanted to be treated and viewed as any other woman. I was even more impressed by them when they selected me to be nominated to the Board of Directors ticket to be taken to public vote. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when I was voted onto the Board and had so much public support. It was a huge milestone for me in the fact that I felt like all my hard work and fighting for equality was starting to pay off and that society in fact is progressing forward. My hat goes off to the East Lakeview Chamber!
The Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber has been another Chamber who helped me out tremendously as a business owner. Even though they support the LGBT community they are still called the Gay and Lesbian Chamber. The name of their organization has somewhat kept me on the fence about becoming a member. I do not identify as gay or lesbian so I think to myself why would I want to join an organization that does not truly recognize me. On the other hand they have been there for me in support of my business and have referred me to other contacts that have proven to be extremely helpful. There are other “straight” people who are also members so maybe I am over reacting. I brought this to their attention and it had never even crossed their mind how a trans person would feel about the name of their Chamber. I was surprised when they told me that they never had any trans members or any trans influence in their Chamber. Once again it goes to show that the Gay and Lesbian community are just as uneducated about trans people as any other community and that we really are much more of minority than most of us would like to think. However their openness and willingness to learn and change was put right out there and for that I applaud them. It makes me wonder, are their other trans business owners in Chicago, am I the only one or maybe just the only one that is open about being trans. For these reasons I am going to join them and become a member. Not only is their Chamber filled with amazing people who want to change things and work together. I have an obligation to the trans community to become involved and make positive changes and educate them so it will become easier for trans business owners in the future.
I feel sometimes if I don’t get involved who else is going to? I also call upon other trans people to step up to the plate. I hear a lot of bitching but at the same time the people I hear bitching don’t want to do their part and get involved to progress forward. We are at a shifting point in society where trans people are getting more exposure and all of us need to do our part to show society how much we are like everyone else and what we have to contribute to society. You can speak or preach all day to a room full of naïve people but from my experience people have to see it to believe it. The only thing we have going for us is time and in that time we have a lot to do in a positive way showing people who we are, what we have to contribute, and just how “normal” we are. Bottom line is that it is time to get involved on whichever level you can!
All the Best
Kinley Preston
Saturday 2/25/2012
Off Hiatus!
Well hello everyone once again. It has been quit sometime since my last blog, right before Thanksgiving I believe. So lets see that would mean I missed all of you over the Holidays, New Years and Valentines Day. Well I hope everyone survived them, made New Years resolutions and hopefully fell in love or shared theses holidays with someone special.
I on the other hand have been extremely busy with many new projects going on that have kept me tied up the last few month and unable to Blog. I am back and will be blogging weekly giving you updates and in sight to my life. You are going to start to see many changes to GoPride as well as the Trans Channel, we are adding new features, columns and people to expand your GoPride experience.
Stay Tuned
Kinley Preston
I on the other hand have been extremely busy with many new projects going on that have kept me tied up the last few month and unable to Blog. I am back and will be blogging weekly giving you updates and in sight to my life. You are going to start to see many changes to GoPride as well as the Trans Channel, we are adding new features, columns and people to expand your GoPride experience.
Stay Tuned
Kinley Preston
Thursday 11/24/2011
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope you all have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you. I traditionaly celebrate this day and hope te generations to come will honour it as well. best online casino
Thursday 10/27/2011
Halloween at Kit Kat!t
Its that time of year where adults get to be kids and play dress up for a weekend and I will be at Kit Kat all weekend long. Stop by and see me as we have 3 nights of Costume Contests. It looks like it might be another chilly Halloween and this years Parade goes right by the Kit Kat so stop in and warm up with a Martini! Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!
Thursday 10/27/2011
Halloween at Kit Kat!t
Its that time of year where adults get to be kids and play dress up for a weekend and I will be at Kit Kat all weekend long. Stop by and see me as we have 3 nights of Costume Contests. It looks like it might be another chilly Halloween and this years Parade goes right by the Kit Kat so stop in and warm up with a Martini! Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!
Older blog posts
.jpg)
.jpg)
0 comments