Says Karen,” I am looking forward to playing at the First Event 2010 for several reasons.  First, I have admiration for people who have the courage to be honest and true to themselves. Secondly, I believe that this openness and honesty will, person by person, dispel the "fear of what is not understood," and will move our society forward toward fairness and compassion. And thirdly, it is important to validate and identify with people and to encourage them to live honestly and fully!  My music has been described by a fan as "a hope-filled, honest reflection of emotions and experiences we all face."  

To hear clips of her songs, go to www.myspace.com/karengrenier or www.kgrenier.com

For the past 29 years Tiffany Clubs First Event has been one of the premier transgender conferences in the United States. FE 2010 will be held at the Boston Peabody Marriot in Peabody,.MA.from January 13-17.

First Event 2010 is anticipating over 600 attendees this year and will feature daytime workshops of interest to the entire transgender, spouse, partner and allies community.  Evening entertainment will include a number of special activities.  Tiffany Club’s Saturday night community recognition awards banquet and keynote will cap off the exciting event.

Registration forms and information for Tiffany Club’s First Event 2010 Transgender Conference are located at the club’s web site at http://www.tcne.org or by calling the club’s First Event program office at 802-356-4582 or via email at firstevent@tcne.org. 

Tiffany Club of ..New England.., the sponsor of First Event 2010, is a 5013C non-profit corporation and an open resource and support organization for all parts of the transgender community from cross dressers to transsexuals, both Male-to-Female and Female-to-Male, allies and intersexed persons.

The Transgender Project was a longitudinal study from 2004 – 2009 of the male to female transgender population of the greater .New York City.metropolitan area.  This research project was conduced by National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. and funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R-01) from a grant proposal “HIV/STD’s In a High Risk Urban Population: Male to Female Transgender” To date, it is the most in depth and largest study of its kind.. Dr. Larry Nuttbrock (NDRI) was the Principal investigator.  Dr’s. Walter Boctking, Andrew Rosenblum, and Sel Hwahng were the co-investigators: Jeffrey Becker, MPH, MSW and Monica Macri, MPH, were the research associates

Five hundred fifty volunteer male to female transgender persons between the ages of 19 and 59 years of age from different social and cultural backgrounds and of all of the transgender community, as well as numerous stages of transition were interviewed. The study looked at a number of areas:  mental health, suicide ideation, sexual identity, employment, income levels, education levels, HIV/STI prevalence, family relationships, hormone use and more.