Awakenings Support Group A donation based support group open to all in the GLBT Community I’ve written articles about therapy practices that specialize in dealing with queer and gender issues. (Most of these are on the AO website and were never published in the newsletter). These therapy practices provide resources for people whose problems with crossdressing are greater than can be readily addressed within the confines of Alpha Omega or Triess. I’ve made a point however, of noting that the meetings are often not about these special problems, but about ordinary problems of relationships, misinterpretation of life’s event and choosing how to respond. Awakenings is a donation based discussion group located in Brecksville that takes this idea a step further. Here is a group where you can be a member of the queer community and not have that be an issue at all. Here you won’t be told, all your problems would cease if only you; chose one: weren’t gay, weren’t transgendered, stopped crossdressing. It is assumed that these various areas are reasonable parts of one’s life. I made an unannounced visit to a meeting in early November and found it to be a warm, welcoming, safe environment. It didn’t matter that I was nearly an hour late either. Robert Elias, Ed.S. M.E.Ed., has run this group as an adjunct to his counseling practice for thirteen years. Diane S. Frank Further information: Website: http://hometown.aol.com/awakeningssg Phone: (330) 659-6496 or (440) 526-0468 Meetings are held the first and third Wednesday of each month from 8:30-10:30 at: Benedetto and Associates Brecksville Commons, Bld #4 8221 Brecksville Road Brecksville, OH 44141.