In urban centers and small cities across the South we work with local Trans women to organize retreats for those who want to build connection to each other: family and communities that support their lives.
These retreats focus on leadership and organizing skills, healing, mutual reliance, and most importantly, strong caring relationships. They are led by Miss Major and local women working together.
We have to be able to be safe wherever we want to live, and in order to do that we must learn and share our skills much more broadly with each other. I realized that we need a place to learn, be loved on, and be in deeper relationship. In our community, we really are not familiar with what it means to have elders around. More of us are living longer and openly. The role in families of parents is to teach young people how to live. The role of the grandparents and elders is to teach them to love. They need the love, practical skills, and information directly from those in our communities who have been around long enough to know what to teach them.
–Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
As these retreats grow, we will offer some retreats that bring women from different parts of the South together to share their work and ideas for a “stronger together” region that can support Trans women of color.
All-inclusive expense paid scholarships are provided for every retreat participant. This includes round-trip travel to the Little Rock site; transport to and from the Retreat site; all food (3 meals and snacks per day); lodging; and social activities.
What is a Real Retreat Like?
House of GG brought together local Virginian Tarena Williams – a participant in earlier House of GG leadership retreats – and the communities in the Hampton Roads area of Northeastern Virginia.
