The Houston
Transgender Unity Committee has opened ticket
sales for the annual Houston Transgender Unity
Banquet, which will be held on Saturday, May 2,
at the Sheraton Brookhollow (3000 North Loop
West), 6:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. Tickets are $50 in
advance ($60 at the door) and can be purchased
through Ticketweb at the Unity Committee
website, www.htuc.org.
Tickets are also available at Vanity: A
Trans-formation Studio (1440 Yale, 832/767-3252),
the Heights boutique.
Proceeds from Unity
Banquet ticket sales support the Peggy Rudd
Transgender Scholarship Fund. The Unity
Committee will present two scholarships at the
banquet to trans-identified students pursuing
higher education. The Rudd Scholarship
application is available at the Unity Committee
website. The application deadline is March 16.
Scott Turner
Schofield, the Atlanta-based transgender
performance artist, is the 2009 Unity Banquet
keynote speaker. During the banquet,
representatives from other local transgender
groups will make presentations about their work.
These groups include Helping TransGenders
Anonymous, STAG/Some Transgenders Are Guys,
Transgender Foundation for America TG Center,
Tau Chi chapter of Tri-Ess, the Society for the
Second Self, and Texas Association for
Transsexual Support,
Unity Banquet
sponsors (as of February 19) are Charles
Armstrong Investments, Houston GLBT Political
Caucus, Resurrection Metropolitan Community
Church, Phyllis Randolph Frye, Zukowski Center
for Plastic Surgery, Denise O’Doherty, and
Legacy Community Health Services.
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 companies may contact
the committee via www.htuc.org.
A silent
auction held during the banquet will raise
additional funds to support Unity Committee
programs.
The Houston
Transgender Unity Committee is the nonprofit
consortium of area trans organizations. In
addition to the Unity Banquet, Unity Committee
projects include Unity Month in April and
Transgender Day of Remembrance in November.
Committee representatives frequently speak to
schools, businesses, and organizations.
