“In the spring of 1982 a small group of crossdressers and transgenderists in the San Francisco Bay Area, wanting a safe space to meet, began getting together on a regular basis at various individual’s homes. We chose a name for our group, ETVC, which stood for Educational TV Channel…a rather obscure and elusive way to handle addressing and contacts…As word got around, we grew and established regular monthly socials at a San Francisco restaurant. In less than a year our “theme” parties were averaging 40-50 people, and ETVC has become established as one of the best places in the Bay Area for the crossed and the crossexed to go for a night out.

We established a set of by-laws and a formal structure in 1983. A year later we added committees, a Couples Group, information pamphlets, and card parties. Our membership grew to over 100. Later we added a library.

By 1989 ETVC had over 400 members and promoted itself as the largest autonomous gender group in the world.* In early 1994 the Internal Revenue Service granted ETVC nonprofit, tax exempt status. The ETVC membership voted to change the name to TransGender San Francisco (TGSF) in September 1998.”

Statement of Purpose

“The purpose of TGSF is to serve the educational, support, and social needs of all members of the transgender community, and to assist the general public in understanding crossdressing and transsexualism. TGSF is a non-sexual organization which welcomes all members of the transgender community regardless of sexual orientation or gender preference, as well as their significant others, friends, or anyone else interested in the subject of transgender.”

Text adapted from ETVC or TGSF publications.

• • “Kim’s Korner,” The Channel: Educational TV Channel Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 1, July/August 1989, p.1.