October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 28

EQUITY
Explore Karen Kendra
Holmes' story and
learn about her efforts
to advocate for the
transgender community
before attending her
session at the 2023 NRPA
Annual Conference.
Telling My Transgender Story
By Karen Kendra Holmes
O
n Tuesday, October 10, I invite you to attend my education
session, " Respecting Me as a Transgender Woman, "
at 1 p.m. CDT, during the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference
in Dallas. However, before you add this session to
your conference schedule, you may be asking: " Who is Karen Kendra
Holmes? " I am an advocate for the transgender community. But let me
take you back to the time before I became an advocate for my fellow
sisters and brothers in the community.
My earliest memory of dressing
in women's clothes was at 13 years
old. I wasn't sure exactly why I
decided to do that, but I knew it
felt right within myself to wear
them, and I felt more comfortable
with myself when I did. For
years, I purchased women's clothing,
shoes and wigs. I kept the
clothes for about a year and then
threw them away, only to return to
dressing as a woman a few months
later. I felt awesome and at peace
crossdressing.
28 Parks & Recreation | O CTOBER 2 0 2 3
I never shared my feelings with
anyone, not even my parents. But
later, my parents suspected something
might be wrong and sent me
to a psychiatrist who prescribed
medication. After several months,
I stopped taking the meds but
deep down inside, I knew everything
wasn't OK. I feared talking
to my parents about why I dressed
in women's clothes because I
didn't understand it myself, and I
couldn't find the words to explain
it. As a young boy, I was confused
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
by this - which continued into
my adolescence.
During my 20s, I married a woman
who accepted me dressing in
women's clothing. But six months
later, she realized she wasn't OK
with it and divorced me. My second
marriage lasted 18 years, and
during that time I hid my identity
as Karen from my wife and her
kids. Between marriages, I thought
I would remove Karen from my life
for good by discarding her clothes
2023 NRPA Annual
Conference Session
Respecting Me as a
Transgender Woman
Speaker: Karen Kendra Holmes
Tuesday, October 10
1 - 2 p.m. CDT

October 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2023 - Parks & Recreation

October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 1
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 2
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 3
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 4
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 5
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 6
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 7
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 8
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 9
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10a
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10b
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 11
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 12
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 13
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 14
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 15
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 16
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 17
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 18
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 19
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 20
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 21
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 22
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 23
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 24
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 25
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 26
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 27
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 28
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 29
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 30
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 31
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 32
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 33
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 34
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 35
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 36
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 37
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 38
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 39
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 40
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 41
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 42
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 43
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 44
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 45
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 46
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 47
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 48
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 49
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 50
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 51
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 52
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 53
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 54
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 55
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 56
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 57
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 58
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 59
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 60
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 61
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 62
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 63
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 64
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 65
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 66
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 67
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 68
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 69
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 70
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 71
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 72
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 73
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 74
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 75
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 76
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 77
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 78
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 79
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 80
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
October 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com