The primary mission of the River City Gems is to serve the needs of crossdressers, their partners, and their families. This means providing our members with opportunities to express, explore, and develop their cross-gendered selves in a safe, supportive environment. It also means offering support to wives and families, and maintaining an environment where they feel welcome and respected.

As part of that overall mission and focus, we feel we have a special responsibility to assist those who are in the closet, or are just beginning their search for understanding and self-acceptance. For these girls, a helping hand from a group of caring big sisters can make a world of difference. This is one reason why it is so important that we not shut the door on anyone who needs us. Many transgender individuals, when they first reach out to a social or support group, are still struggling to understand their own feelings and needs. They may not know exactly where they fit in the transgender spectrum, and they need a safe space where they can find themselves. We feel that in order to be supportive of each person's process of self-discovery, we must have a membership policy that embraces all who choose to present differently from their birth or anatomical gender, without regard for their reasons for doing so, how often they do so, or how they prefer to identify themselves.

The fact is that many male-to-female transgender people initially come out as crossdressers. Over time, some will realize that their dressing is motivated by underlying gender identity issues that are different from what most crossdressers feel. Those who eventually come to identify as transsexual women will most likely find that a crossdressing group like ours cannot address all of their needs, and in that case we can help them connect with other local organizations that can offer more appropriate support. Our inclusive membership policy allows us to welcome those who are questioning, and to assist them in finding their path.

So are we an open group? What does that mean? It simply means that membership in our group is open to anyone who shares our goals. Our activities, programs, and services are focused on the needs of crossdressers and their significant others, but open to all who may enjoy or benefit from them. In other words, we leave it up to individuals to decide if they wish to participate in our events, rather than restricting participation through discriminatory policies. In that sense, we are "open" – open-minded, open hearted, and open to all who are interested in helping us to have fun and support each other.

It may be incorrectly assumed that if an organization is "open" in its membership policy, it must be "open" to a greater risk of exposure or being "outed."  This is not the case at all.  We take your privacy and safety very seriously. We know, for example, that some members do not feel comfortable meeting in public places. Others are happy to meet in LGBT-friendly venues, but shy away from mainstream locations. Some are confident enough to go anywhere – and they do! Our goal is to sponsor a variety of different activities and allow members to choose the ones they feel comfortable with. We believe we can support those who desire to do more, while also protecting those who need more privacy. We do not have to limit ourselves to only one type of group activity.

Are we the right group for you? Only you can decide that. We invite you to attend some of our upcoming events and see for yourself what we are all about.

Yours in unity,
The River City Gems Board of Directors