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(Re-print from January 1989 SGA Newsletter)
THE BLUE ROSE CHAPTER
A Brief History
by Jennifer Richards
I was recently asked, "Why the Blue Rose Chapter in our name?" A good question. The SGA is not the oldest organization of its type in existence, nor is it the youngest. We've been born and reborn several times - at least three since I've been on the scene. In my recent memory, we began as the Sacramento Chapter of the Gateway Gender Alliance, or SGGA. We held our meetings in the home of one of the founders, Pati Fink. (Incidentally, we still have two other originals with us in Laura Edwards and Kathy Rosen. Kim from RGA and ETVC was around a lot, too.) To continue, the GGA folded about 3 years ago and each chapter was left to its own devices. We decided to become the Sacramento Gender Association, SGA, and continue forward. We tried moving our meetings to the Metropolitan Community Church, but that didn't work out too well, so Pati graciously agreed to lend us her home again, even when she couldn't be there herself. In 1987, Pati, who had been supporting us financially as well as emotionally, won a long-standing disability suit, changing her status from poor comfortable. Shortly thereafter it was discovered that she had cancer, and had to undergo surgery and radiation treatments. it seemed that she had the cancer an the run when, tragically, in September of 1987, she was killed in a freak accident on the Capitol Ave bridge.
Pati Fink was that special kind of person you meet once or twice in a lifetime who makes you feel special. She wasn't a gender-challenged person herself, yet she gave to us without reservation. She gave to many others, as well. I've seen her calendar, and I don't know when the lady slept. Pati told all of us that the best time to reach her was between 4 and 6 in the morning. If she was going out the door, late, and the phone rang, she'd talk to whoever was on the line as long am, he or she wanted to talk. She figured that God put that person in touch with her for a reason, and it had to be important. She was recovering from chemical addictions herself, and was very active in counseling those individuals who needed help. In fact, Pati was returning from a Crisis Intervention when she died. She was working on a degree in counseling so she could establish a practice and reach out to as many people as possible. Even so, she was already getting referral-- from doctors, some as far away as the Bay Area.
We've since found two new places to meet: first the Lambda Center, and now Joseph's Town and Country Inn. We tried changing our name, briefly, to the SAGA - Sacramento Area Gender Association - but came back to the SGA for reasons of continuity. We added the Blue Rose Chapter to the name in honor of Pati Preston Fink, who's personal symbol was the Blue Rose. She was also called Princess Blue Rose. But to those of us who knew and loved her, she was a Queen without equal.
Well. I've run out of things to say for now, Hope to see each of you really soon. And whether or not we meet again in the near future, I wish each of you the best, the absolutely very best, 1989 possible'
Love, Jennifer
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