Innovative organization blends organizers’ skills, talent and creativity

DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com

Pride Frisco hosts its first Spring Name and Gender Marker Clinic on April 20 in Frisco. The clinic is free, but registration is required, and, for security purposes, the exact location will be provided only to those who register. The Dallas LGBT Bar Association is partnering with Pride Frisco to present the clinic.

Transgender and non-binary persons who would like help in legally changing their name and/or gender marker will be walked through the process by volunteer attorneys and law students.

Pride Frisco co-founder Jon Culpepper said the clinic is available to anyone 18 and older, and, he said, the organization hopes to be able to expand the service to those under 18 at future clinics.

Volunteers are still needed to help at the event, including paralegals, legal assistants, Texas licensed therapists and certified fingerprint specialists as well as ushers and greeters.

Culpepper said the clinic came about when Pride Frisco began looking at the needs of the most marginalized part of the community. As a preview, Dallas LGBT Bar Association President Callie Butcher did a presentation about what the process entails.

“Last year, the Dallas LGBT Bar Association hosted its first gender marker clinic,” Culpepper said. “It was a huge success.”

He said the two organizations have a good relationship, and he told Butcher then that Pride Frisco would “love to be able to collaborate.”

Culpepper said part of the idea was to bring the service closer to Collin County’s nearly 1 million residents. But the organization has already gotten registrations from five north Texas counties. And while he thought registrations would skew younger and more professional, reflecting the county’s demographic, applications have instead come in from “all across the board.”

He said he hopes what can be a daunting task will be made easier when professionals with experience in name and gender marker changes assist.

Stronger together
Culpepper said the theme of much of what Pride Frisco offers is, “We’re much stronger together.” That applies to the transgender community as well as the LGBTQ community at large. He said his organization is always seeking resources, and, for the trans community, they’ve found transportation for families seeking medically appropriate gender-affirming care out-of-state.

In another example, Pride Frisco is co-sponsoring a Tarrant County event called Reality Check with Lambda Legal. Local Executive Director Shelly Skeen will host a clinic about what to expect in the next session of the Texas Legislature.

Culpepper said his organization arranged for this to become a hybrid event which would be available for those who register to live stream. Reality Check takes place at 7 p.m. on April 24. He referred to this as amplifying services, resources and events offered.

An innovative upcoming program is an LGBTQ mental health forum for clinical and non-clinical participants to discuss various aspects of affirmative care. Among the partners is the Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative, which uses evidence-based therapy created by and for LGBTQ people. That event takes place May 17 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and is free to attend, but, as with the name and gender marker change event, it requires registration for security reasons. The location will be in the Frisco area and will be sent to those who register.

Not everything Pride Frisco does is serious. Earlier this month, for example, they held a Dungeons & Dragons meetup.

“D&D builds community in a non-threatening environment,” Culpepper said, calling that event a good balance with information and education.

But Pride Frisco’s main event is its Pride celebration in October. In its first year, the event was held in a local church parking lot. In its second year — last year — it moved to Toyota Stadium, and thousands attended.

The festival included food, entertainment, vendors, games, door prizes, music and giveaways. FC Dallas and the Dallas Wings are among this year’s sponsors, and area LGBTQ service organizations will be on hand offering information and resources. Keynote speakers and artists and artisans will also be featured.

This year’s Pride festival takes returns to Toyota Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 1-5 p.m.

“If Covid taught us anything, it is that you can live and work anywhere,” Culpepper said. “You shouldn’t have to drive an hour to receive resources. Every other service we seek and enjoy is available locally.”

Pride Frisco is connecting organizations providing some of those services and is filling in the missing blanks itself.

Visit PrideFrisco.org for links to register for their events.