By Judy Tallwing Mc Carthey
Speech at Creating Change Conference,
Dallas TX, January 19th 2020

Yesterday was a most amazing day. I want to say thank you and blessings to all of my family and friends for the good wishes/ medicine they gave me! It made the day even more special.

A huge thank you too, to the wonderful people I met from the National LGBTQ Creating Change Task Force. What a powerful and dedicated group of activists we have fighting for us all.

I remember when just a few of us Leather folk were asked to speak at, the then, LGBT, Creating Change Conference, here in Dallas, in 1989. At that conference there were only a few of us representing our Leather family, Jim Richards, Jan Hall, Barry Douglas, me and at least two others I just can’t remember right now. It was a first and The LGBT Task Force was the first from the greater Community to officially recognize the Leather Community.

I will always remember it for more than the representation at the conference. My Sashie had died only three weeks before, but I knew it was important that I attend, so I went. I truly believe that conference gave me more clarity about where life would lead after Sashie. It was after our Leather panel discussion, I attended a workshop about losing one’s spouse and getting to talk to others who had gone through it made a huge difference for me.

As usual one story seems to lead to another. I just want to say thank you to you all and I love our people, always family for this old NDN.