Core principles of our law firm - By Katherine Van Wagner

For those of you unfamiliar with our law firm, our core principles are anchored in championing for equal respect and dignity for all human beings, particularly those in the LGBTIQ community.  (If you ever stop by our office you will discover we also have a lot of love for our four-legged friends.)

On September 16^th and 17^th, I had the privilege of attending my first Gender Infinity Conference and Unity Banquet.  The Gender Infinity Conference brought together transgender individuals, their families, educators, providers, and advocates in furtherance of learning about and helping the transgender community.  One of our partners, Phyllis Frye, spoke at the conference about the legal history and current legal climate of transgender law and her own experiences as a transgender individual.  She is the first openly transgender judge in the nation and possibly the world.

The Unity Banquet was held at a local Houston hotel and focused on celebrating and recognizing all those who have made a positive impact in Houston’s transgender community.  Since Frye, Oaks, Benavidez & O’Neil, PLLC, participated as a featured vendor at both the Gender Infinity Conference and Unity Banquet, members of our firm were able to connect with many members of the transgender community, their families, and advocates.

At both the Gender Infinity Conference and Unity Banquet, I met lovely individuals and learned a lot more about the plight of the transgender community.  I want to thank the brave and beautiful souls who took the time to share their stories and enlighten and educate me.   They helped me better understand issues related to being transgender.  Before attending the Gender Infinity Conference and Unity Banquet, I did not fully consider and comprehend all the obstacles facing transgender individuals and the psychological impact those obstacles can have.  Things that many of us take for granted, like the sex on our driver’s license or the choice of restroom to use, serve as daily reminders to transgender individual of the battles they still face.

While I have in no way personally experienced the struggles of the transgender community and do not want to diminish their particular difficulties, most of us have experienced times in our lives where we struggled to feel accepted and included.  I think we can all empathize with the basic desire to feel loved and accepted for who we are.  With coverage of the seemingly endless tragedies bombarding us on social media these days, isn’t it time we all learn to reconnect with our humanity and show some compassion and understanding?  Despite all of our differences, one thing will always bind us; we are all human beings. 

If you are a human being with a legal matter that needs attention, I hope you will consider contacting us.  We have a team of attorneys ready to assist you with a wide variety of legal needs.  We strive to make our office a welcoming environment for people of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and sexual identifications. We promise to reserve our judgment and discrimination for the sports teams you support (just kidding!).

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