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Finally, I am crying tears of joy today, the House of Representatives, which has stalled in passing a version of the Violence Against Women Act that was inclusive of the LGBT community, finally passed the more inclusive Senate version.
From CNN:
Thursday’s votes reflected an emerging political reality in the GOP-led House, with a minority of Republicans joining Democrats to pass legislation supported by the public, including increasingly influential demographics such as Hispanic Americans.
By a vote of 166-257, the GOP version of the Violence Against Women Act failed
…
By now, everybody seems to have heard of the misogynist behaviour of Seth MacFarlane, the creator of 3 animated TV shows, each containing a loveable idiot, an attractive wife, a loser son, a daughter who hates him, a comically sized sadist, and a non-human best friend, at the Oscars on Sunday.
According to the Huffington Post:
Two female California state lawmakers have condemned Oscar host Seth MacFarlane’s comments during Sunday’s awards presentation as degrading toward women and asked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to use
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Human Trafficking is a major issue all over the world, happening not just in far flung nations, but happening here domestically. Although all people can be victims of this ugly epidemic, there needs to be more focus on how it affects the transgender community. The FBI, on a website devoted to human trafficking issues, actually mentioned the term “transgender”
Other young people are recruited into prostitution through forced abduction, pressure from parents, or through deceptive agreements between parents and traffickers. Once these children become involved in prostitution, they
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On Valentine’s Day, I decided to take a ride to LOVE park, where Philadelphia’s One Billion Rising Celebration was taking place.
According to local activist Caryn Hunt:
Today all over the world, feminists – women and men, will gather together in solidarity against violence towards women. In Philadelphia, One Billion Rising will happen at Love Park, at 2:14PM.
The event is the creative juggernaut of Eve Ensler, the feminist activist and playwright best known for The Vagina Monologues. She has traveled the world speaking everywhere as a
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Today is Martin Luther King Day and all over social media, people are putting up quotes from this legendary civil rights leader. However, I have found that one quote by Dr. King really sums up my activism and means a lot to me on this very day.
“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but
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The short answer is, I FORFEITED MY MALE PRIVILEGE UPON BEGINNING TRANSITION, but that would not be enough for a blog post, now would it, nor does it effectively deconstruct the myth that somehow, us transwomen, who experience the worst of the worst in terms of misogyny and gender based violence (which is the root of homophobia and transphobia), somehow have the same privilege as cisgender men.
According to Dr. Julie Magnanti of the Telegraph:
People can say whatever they damn well please. But they shouldn’t be surprised
…
Note: this was originally submitted by me to QueerTimes.Net, an online news source based in Philadelphia. This is the full uncut letter.
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Recently, Philadelphia Councilperson Jim Kenney introduced Bill 120956, which has been touted as an LGBT “overhaul” bill. The Councilperson seeks to, with one piece of legislation, “plug the holes” in the city code in terms of LGBT issues. Among other sundry details, it enumerates “life partnerships” in various portions of the city code, makes a few tweaks to the Fair Practices Ordinance, creates an …
By now, we have all heard of the terrible tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT in which 20 young children and six adults were assassinated by a young person carrying an assault weapon. So, why am I mentioning this here? It’s because issues relating to gun control are relevant to me as an LGBT individual, and I feel that this tragedy is a catalyst for talking about our laissez-faire gun laws and the cisgender straight male privilege of the NRA.
Gun violence is everyone’s …
Many of the mainstream LGBt intelligentsia are currently celebrating yet another local victory in a very conservative part of the country:
Last night, close to 200 supporters of the Helena Non-Discrimination Ordinance showed up and spoke out for dignity, fairness, and security. The Helena Non-Discrimination Ordinance passed unanimously (5-0). As it stands after last night’s vote, our entire community is protected in housing, employment, and some public accommodations.
Now, pay attention to that last phrase “some public accommodations”. Yep, you guessed correctly, this is just another instance of throwing the transgender …
I am a Native American woman. Yes, I may have a lot of European heritage in me and I am non-status, but I am still proud of who I am (I am descended from the Lenape people, who were indigenous to what is now eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and southern New York State). Recently, the issue of violence towards indigenous women, an issue that has been long brushed under the rug, has been gaining in awareness.
According to the Indian Law Resource Center:
“According to the U.N. Special
…
Over the past week, there has been some major news concerning transgender citizens and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
From Slate.com
The Associated Press reported that the American Psychiatric Association’s Board of Trustees approved certain notable changes to that body’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders on Saturday. The story began with the controversial announcement that Asperger’s syndrome will now be included in the autism spectrum disorder category, but another change buried at the bottom of the piece may prove to be even more divisive—and,
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I have posted numerous times about how the state of New York constantly throws the transgender community under the bus. However, some local progress was made several weeks ago, as Syracuse passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
From the Syracuse Post-Standard:
Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse Common Council…passed a local law extending civil rights to all people regardless of “gender expression.”
Councilors voted 7 to 1 to approve a law that prohibits discrimination based on a person’s “actual or perceived sex, or
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The project that has delayed many blog posts of mine for the last few weeks is something that I cannot discuss here, however, it has taken me on an interesting journey through the world of public policy and how it affects many different communities, from queer, women\’s, and/or LGBT issues. I will admit that I haven\’t been as \”in the loop\” about AIDS/HIV (though I do know one thing, housing and affordable care are very important), but I feel that one issue that is not given enough attention is …
We transgender people never have had a good relationship with the Human Rights Campaign, due to them being an organization catering only to the issues which are most important to white, able-bodied, privileged cisgender gay males, in fact, all of HRC’s presidents have been such.
Well, just recently, HRC released a Municipal Equality Index, showcasing cities which have supposed LGBT policies and creating a scorecard based on various city policies or the lack thereof. Well, take a look at what they consider “bonus points”
BONUS POINTS
Logistically, not
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I would like to apologize if it seems that I have been neglecting this blog lately, my mind has been in other projects and activism, plus getting over my almost constant mental problems.
At around this time last week, I went to the Philly Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was held at the William Way Community Center. Although there has been an ongoing controversy about certain LGBt organizations appropriating this day for their own gain, the William Way Community Center has happily hosted us and has let the …
San Francisco is known to be a progressive idea lab, especially when it comes to LGBT issues. However, San Francisco now is in a position to breed another great idea, that is, covering sexual reassignment surgery for uninsured residents.
From CBS News:
San Francisco is preparing to become the first U.S. city to provide and cover the cost of sex reassignment surgeries for uninsured transgender residents.
The city’s Health Commission voted Tuesday to create a comprehensive program for treating transgender people experiencing mental distress because of the mismatch between
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We have seen a lot of efforts to help bring awareness of transgender issues to the greater world, and to include positive portrayals of the trans community into various media. However, I would like to take a break from reporting on hard news and policy perspectives to report that Lilly Mossiano, a transgender blogger, has put out a book called “My New Mommy”
From the Barnes & Noble review:
Life is exciting when you’re four years old. You are learning new things every day and things are
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In a previous blog post, I had explained how New Hampshire, in terms of state level policy, is not one of the most trans friendly states. Well, in Nashua, NH, history was made when Stacie Laughton became the first openly transgender state representative in the United States.
From the Huffington Post:
New Hampshire joins neighboring Maine in making history this Election Night, welcoming its very first transgender lawmaker.
The Nashua Telegraph reports that Stacie Laughton, a Democrat, beat out two Republican candidates for one of three seats in
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Tomorrow is election day, and like millions of Americans, I will be going down to my polling place and casting my vote (Pennsylvania is still in the dark ages in terms of early voting, so I am stuck doing it on the day of). However, given issues surrounding transgender people and voter ID, it can be very difficult for us to get out and vote. Well, a group called True The Vote is trying to intimidate people out of voting, and they are using transphobia to intimidate voters.
From …
As many of you know, I am a native of the Jersey Shore, which has been hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. My parents, and several other extended relatives, still live on the mainland and got only some flooding in our back and front yards. However, the barrier islands near us, which include the resort community of Seaside Heights was totalled, the world famous boardwalk was chopped into pieces by the waves and a pier containing a mini amusement park was destroyed, and several rides associated with my childhood are …
It is safe to say that, as an unemployed transgender person who relies on medical assistance, it is very unlikely that I will be able to get the state of Pennsylvania, where I live, to cover the cost of my sexual reassignment surgery. In fact, only California‘s Medicaid program will cover MediCal, and as I will do anything within the bounds of the law to further my transition, I may be moving there in the coming year.
It’s safe to say that the issue of whether to publicly …
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with outgoing PA state representative Babette Josephs, a tireless champion for LGBT rights. One of the last pieces of legislation she will ever put out in her legislative career seeks to replicate California’s success in banning sexual orientation conversion therapy.
From the Erie Gay News:
State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., has introduced a bill that would ban mental health providers from offering sexual orientation conversion therapy for minors.
“No reputable mainstream mental health association considers being gay, lesbian or
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Last week, I blogged about how October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, October is also another awareness month, and like breast cancer, this is also something that wasn’t directly relevant to me personally until this year (while these issues should be relevant to everyone, I have not been personally affected or at risk of being personally affected until now). This poster explains it all.
Yes, it is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this year, its going to hit a little too close to me…
Over the past year, …
Todays forecast in my part of the state was cloudy with intermittent rain. However, despite the nasty weather, it is a sunny day for many elderly, African-American, Puerto Rican, immigrant, youth, and transgender voters (among other groups that I can’t think of right now), as today, Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson entered a preliminary injunction against implementing Pennsylvania’s voter ID law for the November elections.
Sourced from CNN:
A Pennsylvania judge ruled Tuesday that state officials cannot enforce a new voter identification law in next month’s presidential election.The
…
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A few weeks ago, I had decided to blog about how certain cancers are so rigidly associated with one sex that the trans*/gender variant community oft gets left out. Breast cancer is one of them, and quite possibly, for the first time in my 27 years, it has become an issue that has become directly relevant for me.
While breast cancer can actually occur in both sexes, it’s a sad fact that cisgender women are the only faces that are associated …
New Hampshire is not known to be a state that is transgender friendly. Currently, the entire state lacks any form of gender identity non-discrimination protections, and to add insult to injury, the state senate took up a gender identity bill and NOBODY VOTED FOR IT, and compounding that injury is the fact that New Hampshire is one of few states that still require surgery for a driver’s license gender change.
But however, in the absence of such laws, a school district, after some backsliding, has taken the …
It’s finally happened!!!!
During late 2010/early 2011, I blogged about my many efforts to lobby my state’s legislators to do the right thing for safe schools, and while I moved away from heavy lobbying for that, mostly because I wanted voices that were nearer to the issue and other trans related projects on my mind, there were many capable people, including Jason Landau Goodman and the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, to take up the fight. Now, on this first day of the new legislative session, after having many positive …
Yes, I live in one of the sadly increasing number of states where in order to vote, I have to present my identification. Yes, I do have a proper identification, a driver’s license, and should I misplace it before the election, I can easily pony up $15 for the duplicate without having to provide any secondary identification. However….this may not even matter for me come election day, and it has to do with my license photo and PennDOT’s policy concerning retakes of said license photo.
My driver’s license …
Last week on Labour Day, I finish off a two hour stint at Temple University’s Library (the only one that was open on that day). I receive a text from a friend asking if I am alright, and that there was a transwoman murdered in North Philadelphia. I rush to her place and find out that 6ABC and NBC10 reported that a "man in women’s clothes" was found dead in Frankford, a distressed area in Northeast Philadelphia. I just then had to square off with the vicious dot commenters. …
Last year, I covered the story of Jovanie Saldana, a pre-operative transwoman who was rightfully held in the women’s jail at Riverside Correctional Facility, who, after being sexually assaulted by a prison guard, was then placed in the men’s jail. Well, soon after I posted that story, several cisgender women who had lived with Saldana filed a vexatious lawsuit against the Philadelphia Prison System, and last week, a story in the Philadelphia Gay News ran about how the PPS is now going to settle with these women.
City…
Last year, I covered the story of Jovanie Saldana, a pre-operative transwoman who was rightfully held in the women’s jail at Riverside Correctional Facility, who, after being sexually assaulted by a prison guard, was then placed in the men’s jail. Well, soon after I posted that story, several cisgender women who had lived with Saldana filed a vexatious lawsuit against the Philadelphia Prison System, and last week, a story in the Philadelphia Gay News ran about how the PPS is now going to settle with these women.
City officials…
Earlier this year, I covered the story of a transwoman in a Massachusetts prison,
Christine Alexander, who was granted the right to have electrolysis by a conservative federal judge. Now, another conservative federal judge has ruled that another incarcerated transwoman, Michelle Kosilek:
From the Boston Globe:
A federal court judge has ordered state officials to provide a sex-reassignment surgery for a transsexual prison inmate, convicted of murdering his wife, after finding that the treatment is the only adequate care for his serious mental illness, gender identity…
This is Labour Day weekend, and while this has become a de facto end of summer party, as a supporter of worker’s rights, this day is something that has meaning for me. However, Christine Quinn, the first female speaker of New York City’s city council, and an out lesbian, is betraying people just like her:
Sourced from Tiger Beatdown:
This would apparently come as a surprise to Christine Quinn, Democratic Speaker of the New York City Council, who is blocking a paid sick days initiative. Despite the fact…
Yes, Philadelphia’s shelters are rapist friendly. I know this may sound extremely harsh and hyperbolic, but I have to call it as I see it, and if you read below, you will understand why I take this position.
Last week, the Philadelphia City Paper, an alternative weekly, did a story about the challenges, whether justified or not, of rapists and other sex offenders upon being eligible for parole or released from prison. However, the city of Philadelphia, which already suffers from a major image problem, is unique in …
Just as I got done writing my last blog post, I then discover, right in my own back yard, that Tom Smith, a prominent business owner from Western Pennsylvania just compared having a child out of wedlock to rape at a press conference.
Sourced from PoliticsPA:
Robert Vickers, Patriot News: In light of Congressman Akin’s comments, is there any situation that you think a woman should have access to an abortion?Tom Smith: My stance is on record and it’s very simplistic: I’m pro-life, period. And what that Congressman
…
Of course, we have all heard about the horrendous statement from Missouri U.S. Representative Todd Akin, in which he claims, against all science and reasonability, that the female body has little ninja warriors in their uterus which slay bad people’s sperm (OK, so it wasn’t worded like that, but it seems like that’s the point he was trying to get across). Now, straight from the mouth of another midwestern U.S. Representative, is something that that would make people shudder.
EXTREME TRIGGER WARNING FOR VIDEO:
Well, thanks to my …
I have covered the story of Meggan Somerville, an Illinois transwoman who works at regional chain Hobby Lobby, and who has pursued legal action against her workplace for forcing her to use the men’s room. Well, the Illinois Department of Human Rights has returned a decision, and frankly, it appears that despite gender identity being included as a protected class under state law, the agency has #$*% the bed in terms of protecting Somerville’s rights.
From the Windy City Times:
In a stunning blow to transgender-rights advocates, the Illinois…
September is upon us, and next month has been designated both Prostate Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Months. Indeed, the Big C is an issue that is not to be taken lightly for anybody of any gender identity or any other category in life, however, I feel the way in which we recognize these two horrible diseases makes me and other people who do not identify as the gender which we were assigned at birth feel left out.
From the American Cancer Society:
There is no better time than…
Note that it took me one month to copy this from facebook to this site, so you can see what I am up against.
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Yes, that’s right, I’m quitting blogging forever. I wish that I could say that I would be able to continue my blog, but so much has happened and so much has been realized that to even keep going on would be searching for fool’s gold. Basically, I am 27 years old and have flunked at so much in life that I don’t even deserve …
I have blogged a lot about how Pennsylvania’s new voter ID law may prevent people in various stages of gender transition from voting, specifically, for myself, there could be many pollworkers who would not believe that my name is "Jordan Gwendolyn Davis" or that I should even have that "F" on my driver’s license. Well, when I saw that the House Democratic Policy Committee was hosting a hearing on voter ID issues right here in Philadelphia last Thursday, I just had to take action, and because trans people are …
Just a few days ago, I was back with in New Jersey celebrating Mother’s Day weekend with, of course, my mother. This was a rather sweet occassion, as just one year ago around that time, I had gone missing with the intent of dropping all contact, due to my transition. She has since accepted the fact that her "son" was actually her daughter all along. But to many LGBT people, this is a bittersweet holiday, as many have been rejected by their family for simply being who they are. I …
A few years ago, I wrote a piece on Amplify about Argentina legalizing same sex marriage and all the other issues surrounding the LGBT community in the South American nation, especially when it comes to transgender rights. I deleted the article a while back because I had evolved and radicalized much more since then, however, I now have the pleasure of reporting that due to recent legislation, Argentina is, in many ways, far ahead of America in terms of trans rights.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Adults who want sex-change…
We all know now about Obama and his embracing of marriage equality. Suddenly, the blogosphere is fawning over this and many privileged cisgender gay males are celebrating like its 1999. However, many facets of the queer community have been left behind.
Now, I know that human rights is often a painfully long and incremental process. However, as many states do not have rudimentary anti-discrimination andpeople’s health needs are not being met, I find that Obama’s priorities are, well, screwed up.
So, here is a list of things that WON’T …
Philadelphia’s Equality Forum is a yearly event happening at the end of April/early May each year in which various workshops are done, culminating in a Sunday social event at the Piazza in Northern Liberties. Due to other commitments, I was unable to attend most workshops, however, I was able to attend three on Saturday.
The first event I attended was "Sexuality, Disability, and Mental Illness", hosted by a young state worker. He revealed some interesting information, such as the fact that given Pennsylvania’s rather conservative reputation, no state dollars …
It is stories like this that remind me that one day, my already compromised bladder would get me into trouble:
A trans woman was cited earlier this week for using the women’s restroom at Dallas’ Parkland hospital. Reports conflict of the actual timing, but at one point Paula Witherspoon showed authorities a note from her doctor that supposedly ‘proved she was female.’ Other reports however, states it was just a ‘letter of transgender rights’. Either way, she was cited by police and released.’
It’s something that, minus the …
Minneapolis, Minnesota has the distinction of being the first city to pass a trans* rights bill into law, and Minnesota has the distinction of being the first state to pass a trans* rights bill into law. However, recent events show that society still has a long way to go in overcoming deep prejudices against transgender individuals.
Earlier today, Ms. Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the second degree in the criminal case resulting from the racist, transphobic assault she survived last…
ABC’s "What Would You Do?" is a reality TV show that airs on Friday Nights at 9pm Eastern/Pacific, 8pm Central/Mountain. The show, hosted by John Quinones, features staged scenarios in public places and gauges people’s reactions. Around a month ago, they did a segment in which actors played two children and their gay dads and visited a real diner. As soon as the gay dads left, an actor playing a teenage bully started harassing the children and the point of the program was to gauge the reaction of customers, …
On Saturday, many rallies were held around the country decrying the Republican War On Women, a very real offensive that is seeking to turn back the clock on reproductive freedom. I wish I could have gone to the one in Harrisburg, but alas, I had a prior commitment here in Philadelphia. I am pro-choice, and have been for as long as I even was interested in politics; in fact, one of the first major protests I went to was the March For Women’s Lives in Washington, DC back in …
In a three part series last fall, I exposed the moral cowardice of the Massachusetts legislature and its local trans rights organization for not including public accommodations in it’s long awaited trans rights bill. Well, this is having some real consequences; and one woman from Beverly is not taking this lying down.
On Tuesday April 24th Morgan Murphy was called to the office of the executive director, Judith Cronin who told her that she was banned from taking her daughter to the kids locker room for her swimming…
First off, I would like to apologize to my readership for the delayed posting. I have been knee deep in Pennsylvania’s primary (which in Philadelphia, often becomes the de facto general election). I have had to blog about stuff outside of this site that I cannot discuss here.
But at any rate, just as I was going to electioneer for a candidate, I get this piece of good news. From Planetransgender:
In what at first glance may seem too good to be true the The U.S. Equal Employment…
It’s finally official, Joseph Casey, chairperson of the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, has signalled that he would put in motion a plan to eliminate SEPTA’s long standing discriminatory gender sticker policy by July 2013:
The end appears to be in sight for SEPTA’s decades-old gender-marker system that many say discriminates against transgender and gender nonconforming riders.SEPTA general manager Joe Casey told PGN this week that the agency intends to cease use of the stickers in the second half of 2013, several months before its new fare-collection process
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I like to keep this blog policy focused, but it is a pleasure to report that two major victories have been scored in terms of human services targetted towards the LGBTIQ community here in Philadelphia.
The first victory happened over the weekend, as PGN publisher Mark Segal got the greenlight for funding on an LGBTIQ friendly senior housing project:
After years of stops and starts, the city’s proposed LGBT-friendly senior residences got one of its most important green lights last week.Backers of the proposed William Way Senior
…
Yes, the title says it all, vouchers are nothing more than a big rotten scam, on par with all those pyramid schemes and work from home opportunities you see on craigslist (which is why I barely even go there anymore; not worth the effort). The snake-oil salesmen prey on the misfortunate, promising a better life, but will have negative consequences all around; think higher property taxes, degraded public schools, and most relevant to my heart and to Advocates For Youth, taxpayer funding for schools which may or …
In the past, I have blogged about the struggle of activists in Abington Township, a wealthy township located above Northeast Philadelphia to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance, however, the dream of being able to say yes to sexual orientation-gender identity protections when the state has said no has now come true.
Late last night, the Abington Township Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, sexual identity or sexual expression. It also establishes a human relations commission.The ordinance passed 10-5.
…
There have been two major stories concerning the University of Pittsburgh that I have been following closely. One is, of course, the recent hullabaloo concerning restroom usage by trans* members of the community, and the other was the recent rash of bomb threats against the university. I am hoping that whoever is responsible for the bomb threats faces some type of accountability, however, this is not the way for law enforcement to find whoever has been doing this:
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. —Officials said a transgendered couple from Cambria
…
Recently, I had been commenting on articles on the Philadelphia Gay News website; the PGN is one of the oldest publications geared towards the LGBTIQ community in the country, though I wish it could focus on the T as much as it focuses on the cisgender G male. I was commenting on an article about a political race in the Gayborhood. Though I cannot really discuss the race here, given this website’s restrictings on electioneering, there were a lot of issues of misogyny and privilege swirling around said race, …
When I lived in Pittsburgh, I used to visit the eponymous university for many things, however, more than a year after I left that city, I just received this piece of news that sent chills down my spine.
From the Pittsburgh City Paper:
Since joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 2003, Emilia Lombardi has never had to worry much about which bathroom facilities she should use on the Oakland campus. The choice was simple: As a transgender person who identifies as a woman, it’s always made…
Jenna Talackova is a post-op transsexual model who was vying for Ms. Universe Canada, but was disqualified due to the fact she was not a "natural born" woman. This was a story that permeated the mainstream media, and I am somewhat ashamed that I, for some reason, didn’t get around to blogging about this. But of course, there may be a reversal:
Donald Trump has stepped in to overturn a decision by the Miss Universe Organization — which he owns — that would prevent a transgender Canadian beauty…
Well, it happened; last week, the Affordable Care Act, one of the centerpieces of the Obama administration went before the Supreme Court. It has become one of the great national controversies, the challenge sparked by over 20 states and a small business group, and there will likely not be a ruling on the issue until late June, however, as a disabled transgender youth who has been marginalized by the healthcare system as well as the economy, I believe that no matter what happens, we as a society …
It all started when Wisconsin, catering to conservatives, who will find anything to complain about besides the issues that truly matter, decided to pass a law that bans inmates from receiving transition related treatment. The trans inmates, of course, revolted in the best way possible; they dropped the suehammer on their oppressors. Well, a few days ago, the Supreme Court of the United States, which is not known for their progressive jurisprudence, ruled that laws that single out trans inmates were unconstitutional:
Earlier this week, we got the…
A few weeks ago, I saw this top that I absolutely had to get on Target’s website, so I made the journey up Roosevelt Boulevard to this target location in suburban Northeast Philly. For those who are unfamiliar with the area, Northeast Philly is quite possibly the most conservative party of the city and near where I had some fun times with a certain suburban police force. While purchasing this product, nature called, and fortunately, the restrooms were right across from my register. Of course, they were gender segregated. However, …
From The Philadelphia Gay News:
The case that sparked a national debate on LGBT youth bullying came to a close Friday morning with the defendant being found guilty on most counts.A New Jersey jury found Dharun Ravi guilty of invading former Rutgers University roommate Tyler Clementi’s privacy and of bias intimidation because Clementi was gay. While he was exonerated on some of the bias-intimidation charges, he faces 10 years in prison and possible deportation to his native India.
He will be sentenced May 21.
Now, I am …
In my last post, I discussed the implications of Pennsylvania’s new voter ID law and how it would have a negative impact on the trans* community. Well, as much as the powers that be at Amplify don’t encourage quoting full articles on here, I feel it is important that this article from the Philadelphia Gay News (despite its name, it regularly covers stories relating to the LGBTIQ spectrum) be seen in its entirety.
Pa Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law one of the nation’s toughest voter identification measures…
The Pennsylvania State Senate, claiming that they want to protect the integrity of the electoral process, but controlled by Republican-Tea Partiers with ulterior motives, passed a bill which would replace the requirement that people only need to show a voter ID card the first time with a requirement that a photo ID be shown at all times when voting. According to Senator Daylin Leach:
“Supporters of this bill say that it would curb the incidence of voter fraud in the state, but that is a misleading claim,”
…
Children who are exposed to those who are different at a young age tend to be a lot more tolerant, and gender differences are no exception. Just today, an AP bulletin on a part of Obama’s early life could explain how he has come to do more for the trans community than any other president.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports via AP:
Once, long ago, Evie looked after "Barry" Obama, the kid who would grow up to become the world’s most powerful man. Now, his transgender former nanny has…
While riding on a train today, I saw something that made my blood boil, and one only has to look at this guy’s resume to see why he is unfit to lead a federal queer organization:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chad Griffin, the Los Angeles–based political consultant whose central role in the Proposition 8 lawsuit turned him into a national LGBT rights figure, has been named president of the Human Rights Campaign.A major fund-raiser for the Obama campaign who began his career in the early days of the
…
I just got this email blast today from Representative Mike O’Brien (D-Philadelphia). If you thought Virginia was bad, check this out:
Dangerous legislation is moving through the PA House, and I need your voice to
help to stop it. House Bill 1077, which was reported out of the House Health Committee and is ready for a vote by the full House, would mandate all women seeking an abortion in Pennsylvania to have an ultrasound at least 24 hours prior to having the abortion.Disturbing as that is to women’s
…
With Maryland, a state that has shown contempt towards trans rights, passing gender neutral marriage, and the storm that is brewing in terms of a popular veto (which, unless Maryland passes an appopriate gender identity bill WITH public accomodations intact, and without caveats, I will wholeheartedly support the repeal of such), I have begun to think about marriage equality and healthcare.
I began to think about the story of Marsha Shapiro and Louise Walpin in New Jersey (for the record, due to New Jersey having full non-discrimination and anti-bullying, I …
Baltimore County, Maryland, which surrounds, but does not contain, the city of Baltimore, is the home of Chrissy Lee Polis, who was attacked at a McDonalds in a community in said county. The horrible events of last spring have become an impetus for the county to join the city it surrounds, as well as Montgomery and Howard Counties, in including gender identity in their non-discrimination law.
The County Council of Baltimore County heard hours of testimony Feb. 14 from both sides on a bill that would prohibit discrimination…
As of Wednesday, there are now 26 jurisdictions within the state of Pennsylvania banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity:
Cheltenham Township became the 27th municipality in Pennsylvania to enact an antidiscrimination ordinance to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents Feb. 15 after a 7-1 vote by the commissioners.“I suspect I will look back at this vote as one of my proudest,” said Ward 5 Commissioner Daniel B. Norris shortly before the commissioners voted.
Most residents who spoke during public comment favored the ordinance,
…
It is a new year, and when it comes to issues surrounding the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), not much tends to change. This includes a discriminatory policy in which gender stickers are placed on monthly and weekly passes with the intention of "fraud prevention" and the unintended consequences that occur for members of the trans*/gender variant community. The powers that be within the SEPTA borg claim that they will be switching to a system of fare cards, much like what is used in New York City, thus eliminating …
A little over two years ago, gender neutral marriage legislation went down in the state legislature, and I was extremely upset. Of course, this was when I was a fresh face in LGBTIQ activism and when I looked upon the marriage fight with somewhat more starry eyes. Now, while I was unequivocable in my opposition to New York State’s marriage equality bill, I believe that by having LGBTIQ non-discrimination a reality and having passed the Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights (which unfortunately, was recently struck down by some unelected shadowy …
You may recall that my position on New York’s marriage equality push was negative to say the least, and that position still stands until New York State gets its sh*t together. However, I am jumping for joy that marriage equality in Washington State is all but inevitable.
From Washington Governor Christine Gregoire’s twitter:
Thank you to the Washington State House–a civil, respectful debate on marriage equality. And a 55-43 vote! Next stop, my desk!
This makes Washington state the first on the west coast to legalize gender neutral …
American society tends to run on retribution, and according to the New York Times, other nations dwarf the US in terms of prison population:
Criminologists and legal experts here and abroad point to a tangle of factors to explain America’s extraordinary incarceration rate: higher levels of violent crime, harsher sentencing laws, a legacy of racial turmoil, a special fervor in combating illegal drugs, the American temperament, and the lack of a social safety net. Even democracy plays a role, as judges — many of whom are elected, another…
It is extremely hard to follow the lulzy and chaotic Republican primary (a serial adulterer, a google target in a sweater vest, and an indecisive hatchetman walk into a bar….) without noticing the long shot candidacy of Ron Paul, a cult hero among the Libertarian movement who is currently occupying the Republican primary. While it seems unlikely he will win said primary, he’s in it to shake up the establishment.
So, what is libertarianism? The long and short of it is, it is a political philosophy that is supposed to …
It’s seems like the Volunteer State has been on a phobia kick lately. Between the "Don’t Say Gay" bill, a potential Romer v. Evans violation, and trying to allow students to bully LGBTIQ students if they do it in the name of Jesus, the Tennessee legislature sure has time to go to the bottom of the cracker barrel; even in light of the fact that Tennessee is suffering from a major deficit and 9% unemployment, they sure have found something to focus their …
So, Joe Paterno, who just a week ago, claimed he did not know what to do when one of his subordinates was caught sexually abusing children; the scandal just recently having ended his career, died from lung cancer on Sunday. I know I will sound like a mean old trollette who should just shut up and go under a bridge, but I am increasingly SICKENED by how many people have seem to have forgotten about the fact that he LET CHILDREN GET SEXUALLY ABUSED BY THAT MONSTER SANDUSKY.
Now, …
Ya know, children are our future, and it is best that tolerance is taught early. I remember when I was at home for Christmas, my 11-year old cousin came to my parents house unexpectedly, and had not been previously briefed on my gender transition. She handled it just fine, which of course, gives me hope for the younger generation.
Of course, it makes me sad that some girl in California has decided to let bigotry stand in the way.
TRIGGER ALERT FOR FOLLOWING VIDEO:
Apparently, one girl scout, angry …
It’s seems like the Volunteer State has been on a phobia kick lately. Between the "Don’t Say Gay" bill, a potential Romer v. Evans violation, and trying to allow students to bully LGBTIQ students if they do it in the name of Jesus, the Tennessee legislature sure has time to go to the bottom of the cracker barrel; even in light of the fact that Tennessee is suffering from a major deficit and 9% unemployment, they sure have found something to focus their …
Well, the circus that is the Iowa caucuses is over and Mitt Romney is on top as the Republicans (which, with the exception of Fred Karger, are not known for their common sense on women’s/queer/youth issues). However, he won by only 8 votes, and as a Pennsylvanian, I would be remiss if I did not bring up the second place winner, ex-Senator and conservatroll Rick Santorum, who managed to represent Pennsylvania in the US Senate from 1995-2006, even though he actually lived in Virginia.
He first won election …
I am involved with a political action committee which is focused on LGBTIQ rights in Philadelphia, as well as on the state and national levels, and I was tapped to be on a committee within that PAC which deals with issues and advocacy. We had our first meeting on Thursday night, it was only sparsely attended, due to the head of that committee being in Washington DC for most of the week, focusing on an LGBTIQ senior housing issue. However, it was a great opportunity for myself, the head …
Early this week, I was riding on New Jersey Transit’s River Line minding my own business when I notice some dude starts filming me and calling me a "tranny" and saying "Only In New Jersey", which is really strange. I then decide to whip out my Droid and photograph the man, as you can see in this photo, he is quite resistent, and even threatened to break my head if I filmed him.
Now, I posted this up to my personal Facebook and there was a debate about passability. …
One of the major milestones of gender transition is the name change. Unless one was blessed to have parents give them a gender neutral first and middle name (and provided the person likes both names), we often are given names which do not match our gender identity (I, for one, had an ultramasculine first and middle name). To have that final order stating that you are now your new preferred name in your hands feels like a real blessing, knowing that that old name is history and your preferred …
Last night, I set out on a long bus ride to Doylestown, PA; a small yet progressive town in the Philadelphia suburbs to see a personal friend of mine, Marlene Pray, get sworn in as a councilmember in the borough. Pray helped in organizing the Rainbow Room, an LGBTIQ youth center in Bucks County associated with the local planned parenthood.
Most notably, she is quite possibly the first queer person to be elected in PA that wasn’t cisgender gay or cisgender lesbian. She is a cisgender bisexual person, and …
I would like to end this year on a positive note; the organizers of the Philadelphia Trans* March had a great idea and decided to hold a clothing bank for the holidays geared towards the trans community. While it may seem as if it is something minor, this is a major step in a "for us, by us" philosophy which is sadly more necessary than ever. Though this has not been much of an issue in Philadelphia as in other cities, many clothing banks are run by religious organizations …
Vandy Beth Glenn was a legislative editor at the Georgia State House, and a transgender woman. Now, I am sure she was a talented editor, but when she came out in the office place, her supervisors forgot whatever good she did for the workplace and fired her. Now, one would think that somebody who gets discriminated against because of gender identity would have no legal recourse in a state as conservative as Georgia, however, Ms. Glenn fought back…and won.
From TIME magazine:
Since there is no federal or Georgia…
Ohio has been a state where LGBTIQ rights have been an uphill battle. I regret to inform you, my dear readers, that I did not give enough adequate coverage or outrage to the fact that John Kasich, high off his Tea Party victory for the race for Governor of Ohio, decided to throw trans people under the bus earlier this year:
The new governor’s order protects state employees or candidates for state employment from discrimination based on "race, color, religion, gender, national origin (ancestry), military status (past,…
We observe World AIDS Day each and every December 1 to memorialize those who have been lost to AIDS and to disseminate true information about the disease and to destigmatize those who have it. Although anybody can get HIV/AIDS, it has been a major issue among gay males. However, AIDS has also had an impact on the trans community.
From Daily Kos:
Helena Bushong was diagnosed with AIDS in 2002. She probably had been HIV+ since 1985. She also has Hepatitis C and is a survivor of spinal…
November is the month of elections and the beginning of the holiday season. Now, with few exceptions, people who support LGBTIQ rights tend to go blue and those who oppose tend to go red. Blue and red happen to be the main colours of the two largest non-profit-thrift-stores-which-help-people-out, the relatively secular Goodwill and the religious conservative Salvation Army, respectively. This is why whenever you are out and about and you are a queer or an ally, and you see a red kettle, you should avoid it like the black …
I know this is somewhat late, but I had a lot on my plate lately. Here is a post-mortem of elections in both PA and NJ (with a special emphasis on the Delaware Valley, since that’s where I am currently centred) and the implications for LGBTIQ civil rights.
PENNSYLVANIA STATEWIDE JUDICIAL ELECTIONS A MIXED BAG:
Seats on both the Superior Court as well as the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania were up for election. Both positions, although not as high profile as a presidential race, are very important in terms …
Every year, on November 20, we commemorate the Transgender Day Of Remembrance; this important day was the brainchild of trans activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a response to the murder of Rita Hester of Allston, Massachusetts in 1998 (and what is bittersweet here is that 13 years later, her home state would throw trans people under the bus). I did my duty as a member of the community and attended two events in Philadelphia, the first one was at 5pm and was connected with Occupy Philadelphia, and the second, …
The Public Religion Research Institute, billed as a non-partisan, non-profit think tank for gauging the people’s pulse on social issues, just released the results of a survey which gauged people’s knowledge as well as support of the transgender community. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that….
Overwhelming majorities of Americans agree that transgender people should have the same general rights and legal protections as others.*Approximately 9-in-10 (89%) Americans agree that transgender people deserve the same rights and protections as other Americans.
Overwhelming majorities of all major religious groups…
Part 3 Of Massachusetts Trans Sellout:
Nancy Nangeroni is on the steering committee of the Massachusetts Trans Political Coalition, who green-lighted the Massachusetts trans rights bill that excludes public accomodations, and threatens trans rights across the country and beyond. She wrote a not, which only shows how much of an apologist she is.
I can’t take the time to read all this right now, but here’s what really happened:We did not drop PA in order to “get Republican Support”. We did not drop PA at all.
However, our
…
So, it just happened. Thanks to information hoarding by the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, a bill which deletes public accomodations from discrimination based on gender identity passed in record time and not with enough of a comment period so that people like me, who believe that this is worst than nothing, could speak out against this travesty. For the list of reasons why this is going to set back trans rights everywhere, read this blog post I wrote yesterday.
But what angers me the most is that the head of …
Just when I thought the defeat of HB235 in Maryland sent a message that gender identity should be put on equal footing with race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Massachusetts, AT THE LAST MINUTE, decides to put a non-discrimination bill up for a vote.
From The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
Over the next 24 hours, it is critical that lawmakers hear from bill supporters!MassEquality will be phonebanking in support of the bill all day today. And we need volunteers! During phone banks, we talk to constituents and transfer supporters
…
There have been many news stories concerning transgender youth in the last month or so, so I will be providing a round-up of five stories about the most misunderstood of queer youth.
MAINES FAMILY OF MAINE HONOURED BY ACLU:
Wayne Maines of Orono, ME is a conservative Republican from Northern Maine. Now, it’s safe to say that conservative Republicans from Northern Maine don’t exactly sign up to be trans allies, but when what he thought to be his son turned out to be his daughter, he was able to …
Circumstances force me to address the firestorm surrounding the football division of Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, in which football coach Jerry Sandusky was caught anally violating a ten year old boy in the showers, and many members of the Penn State community, including legendary head coach, Joe Paterno, were implicated in the scandal. Some have been charged with perjury, others, such as Paterno, have been dismissed.
I am currently dismayed at the events that happened in the minutes and hours after Paterno’s firing, when Penn State …
There’s an old adage that the further east you go in Europe, the further south LGBT and women’s rights go. Poland is an example of a country that is both considerably under the thumb of the Catholic Church and is struggling to come to terms with numerous tyrannical regimes of its past. But, a major LGBT milestone has come out of this country.
Poland’s first transsexual lawmaker vowed Monday to campaign for the rights of gender minorities and make predominantly Catholic Poland more receptive to transsexuals and homosexuals.In
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