Specialists in the Medical & Psychological Aspects of Transgender Health Care 

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Located inside Tampa International Airport, the Marriott Hotel is directly accessed from the main terminal, or for local visitors, through its own underground car park. Designed for local as well as international conferences, the TIA Marriott has spacious meeting facilities along with a multi-lingual staff.

The Splendor of Gender Conference was held in 1994 at the Tampa International Airport Marriott Hotel.  The conference had a true cost of about $165 per participant for this 10 hour, 2 day seminar that included catered meals.  But each transgender participant paid only $40.

While that creative budgeting may seem to be improbable, here is the story behind those amazing prices, and a brief look at the gender community that existed just a few short years ago.

Today we experience a greater openness, fostered in part by the Internet and other media. And many transgendered people are now somewhat complacent about coming out, and just being out - literally, being out in public.  But this recent self-esteem was not brought about without facing challenges along the way.

When we [Tampa Stress Center] began to organize the Splendor Conference, the meeting location seemed to be particularly significant.  Many transgendered people felt challenged by out-in-the-open gatherings. So the surroundings would need to aid in a positive expression, not detract from it.

Personally challenging our self is necessary for improvement, but financial challenge is another matter. We wished to remove any obstacle that may make that first step more difficult. But suitable surroundings required a means for cost cutting.  Ultimately, mental health professionals with an interest in learning about transgender issues helped to subsidize the conference. 

Being a Florida licensed continuing education provider, we were able to offer continuing education units (CEU's) that are necessary for licensing requirements to health and psychological services professionals.  Because of the CEU's being offered, health professionals had a greater interest to attend and to be introduced to transgender issues.  Health professionals also paid a higher attendance fee ($130) as they enrolled for continuing education credit as well. While that wasn't quite enough to subsidize the final cost, Tampa Stress Center made up the difference.

The Splendor of Gender Conference was a great success. Not only did health professionals have an opportunity to meet transgendered individuals as people instead of "cases," but the transgender community had the financial impediments removed from the circumstance of coming to terms with themselves. It was a win-win situation. 

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