''Hollaback'' Help

Local pharmacy hosts transgender support group

Local transgender activist Dee Curry describes the newly formed ''Hollaback'' support group for transgender people as ''a place where transgenders feel they can come, talk, say whatever is on their minds without being challenged or confronted with any type of phobia.''

The support group will meet at 6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday on the second floor of Alpha Drugs, 1638 R St. NW. The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20.

Curry, the group's volunteer facilitator, says that health concerns unique to transgender people include the side effects of hormone therapy for people who are also taking HIV medications.

''Those of us who are on HIV medications aren't really aware about hormonal therapy and how we have to have that monitored,'' she says. ''We need to have our bodies monitored when we have medicine in our system, because HIV medications and hormones don't often agree with each other. There are all kinds of side effects that we're not knowledgeable of.''

Curry says organizers of the bi-weekly group plan to invite experts from all across the country to speak about those side effects and other concerns in upcoming ''Hollaback'' meetings, which are free and open to the general public.

''We hope to bring a lot of information to the metropolitan Washington area.''

For more information call Dee Curry at 202-290-0324.