Amnesty International : Gaza War Crimes and violations of international law

Amnesty International researchers’ found evidence of war crimes and serious violations of international law.

Hours before Israel announced a ceasefire, an Amnesty International fact finding mission gained access to Gaza. Their initial reports are disturbing: the team found first hand evidence of war crimes, serious violations of international law and possible crimes against humanity by all parties to the conflict.

AI researchers continue investigating attacks against southern Israel and are currently documenting the true scale of devastation wrought on civilians in Gaza. The stories they report are harrowing.

In the early afternoon of January 4th, three young paramedics walked through a field on a rescue mission to save a group of wounded men in a nearby orchard. A 12-year-old boy, standing by his house, assisted the operation by pointing to where the men could be found. An Israeli air strike on the area killed all four.

The bodies of the four victims could not be retrieved for two days. Ambulance crews who tried to approach the site came under fire from Israeli forces.

Our researchers later traveled to the scene of the strike with the two ambulance drivers who witnessed the attack. They met with the boy’s distraught mother and found the remains of the missile. The label of the missile read, “guided missile, surface attack” and cited the United States as the country of origin.

US Weapons Used in Attacks


Label on the remains of a US-made missile that killed three paramedics and a child. The U.S. has to support investigations about misuse of US weapons in attacks against civilians. Tell Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Susan Rice to support an independent investigation

This is just one of many similar stories.

Under the Geneva Conventions, medical personnel searching, collecting, transporting or treating the wounded must be protected and respected in all circumstances. Clearly, this was not the case on Jan. 4th.
Since we last emailed you, more than 87,000 of you have written Congress and former administration officials. These emails, along with the massive outpouring of letters from around the world from other Amnesty sections, are making an impact. Just this week:
the United Nations pledged $613 million in aid for Gaza
60 members of Congress signed a letter to Secretary of State Hillary of Clinton calling for humanitarian support for Gaza
And hours ago, the US pledged $20 million in aid1-2
We have a small window of opportunity to build on this momentum: urge Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Susan Rice to push for a full-fledged independent investigation



urge Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Susan Rice to push for a full-fledged independent investigation

Open Letter to Focus on the Family, AFA and Dallas Voice's Official Weblog "Instant Tea"

"Instant Tea" dallasvoice.com/instant-tea, the "Official blog of the Dallas Voice" a weekly paper which describes it's self correctly as the "Voice of the Dallas Gay and Lesbians" has with out remorse willfully and with malintent ignored the straight, gay, lesbian and Transgender people who have written "Instant Tea" and attemped to explain why the word "Tranny" is hurtful. To add injury to pain the blog "Instant Tea" like "Focus on the Family" both capitalize gleefully on this pain and suffering resulting in hate filled ephialtes being used to headline movie productions by segment producers for the DVTV (Dallas Voice TV).
Whether segment producer Israel Luna is producing a movie titled TICKED OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIFES for the Dallas Voice or not, is inconsequential. The damage by association is unavoidable and can not be reasoned or explained away.


I live my life as I must. I am a transgender woman. I do not meet all physical stereotypical expectations of our current society in presenting as a cisgender woman. I am a regional truck driver who lives in the deep south where 9 out of 10 radio stations are 24 hour religious broadcasts funded by the AFA, a mouthpiece for focus on the family. I spend many nights alone in a thin aluminum box, vulnerable, as I did last night, sleeping in my truck in a extremly filthy truck stop operated and patronized by people who for generations have been saturated daily by radio, print and hate inspired ministers.


When transgender and GLB people are beaten to an within an inch of their lives or murdered it is because the Dallas Voices Official Weblog "Instant Tea" and Donald E. Wildmon of the AFA have promoted Homophobia and Transphobia.

Justifying this behaviour, be it quoting hand picked misinterpreted bible quotes, monetary greed or simply a low self image momentarily sedated by INSTANT attention, are in reality just outlets for expressing hate.


Hate is like water. It flows easily to the lowest point.

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation"s publication "Media Guide" is applicable to ST8 AND GLBT Media equally.

GLAAD Media Reference Guide, 7th Edition
Click link below for a free copy
GLAAD Media Reference Guide, 7th Edition



Defamatory Language
Click the link below for a free download in it's entirety
Defamatory Language

"fag," "faggot," "dyke," "homo," "sodomite," "queen," "she-male," "he-she," "it," "tranny" and similar epithets.
The criteria for using these derogatory terms should be the same as those applied to hate words for other groups: they should not be used except in a direct quote that reveals the bias of the person quoted. So that such words are not given credibility in the media, it is preferred that reporters say, "The person used a derogatory word for a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person."

I was blessed by a minister when I finally gave into a friend's insistence to come to a church one Sunday. I was curious, this Church with a very odd name seemed very important to my friends. The friend is ST8 and the minister is gay. My life was forever changed that day. The change does not happen over night but gradually day by day I am amazed by love. I now and forever will be a disciple of Christ. I do not allow hate to limit and set the parameters of my life.


I work for Love and and Love defines who I am.
Love and Hate are human emotions. It is a human ability to define each.
My place of worship "Agape MCC Ft Worth Texas" Agape is an ancient word, one of the first which was used to describe Christianity. It's translation is as it was and forever will be "No Greater Love".

Phone: (214) 754-8710
Fax: (214) 969-7271

Robert Moore, Publisher
robertmoore@dallasvoice.com
Tele. Ext.112

Tammye Nash, Senior Editor
nash@dallasvoice.com
Tele. Ext.128

John Wright, News Editor
wright@dallasvoice.com
Tele. Ext.113

Ben Briscoe, Staff Writer
briscoe@dallasvoice.com
Tele. Ext.117


Kelli Busey
Transgender Woman of Faith
Friday January 30, 2009
planetransgender

DVTV Movie Producer Promotes newest movie "TICKED-OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES"

Israel Luna who produces videos for the Dallas Voice on DVTV, is promoting his new movie "TICKED-OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES" on the same Dallas Voice Instant Teas article that reported on the Queer communities objection to the nondiscriminatory usage of "Tranny" by the Dallas Voice and the Dallas Voice's Blog "Instant Tea."

Luna in referencing the relatively low level response (we are but 1% of the general population) of the queer communities to this article as a justification for his stance that hateful and hurtful language is acceptable and permissible.

Totally inexplicable is Luna's failure to correlate the struggle of transgender "minority within a minority" as it is portrayed as "Tranny" knife wielding lunatic by the Gays with the reason why we both were participating in the Liberaction rally to generate support for Gay Marriage.

Pictured left from to right at the rally, Israel Luna, Blake Wilkinson and our megaphoned kissing both shouting "Come kiss Me"!


Blake Wilkinson the founder and organizer of Liberaction which was formed in response to the Prop.8 disaster in which a majority victimized a minority and who's rally we were both attending commented on the Instant Tea Web log article linked below;

Blake Wilkinson ,Liberactions reaction:

"I think that if Transgender people are expressing to the rest of the GLBT community that they feel the word “tranny” is offensive then fair-minded people should not use it and the city’s GLBT publication shouldn’t use it either. It seems pretty simple to me."

"The same is true when Gays and Lesbians speak with straight people that say things like “he’s a gay” or “she’s a homosexual” or talking about our “lifestyle”. Usually those that say these things know no better than those GLTB folk who use the word “tranny”. It seems to me that it’s a question of education. Gay, Lesbian and Bi-sexual people should be the first to take this lesson to heart because of our similar experiences."

The Dallas Voices Official blog "Instant Tea" is attempting to generate readership by exploiting our objection to hateful, transphobic and immoral exploitation of the most vulnerable component of the GLBT community, transgender people.

I object to the moneyifcation and profiteering of this practice and have in the past resisted participating in their transbaiting as not to be a pawn in the the hate machine, but now is the time to speak up.

Let them know how you feel and leave a comment on the Instant Tea blog article.

Please leave a comment on planetransgender article "Demand Dallas Voice Stops Using Tranny"


Thank you so much for caring,

kelli Busey
January 29, 2009
planetransgender

City shrouds anti-bias ordinance in secrecy

By John Wright, Dallas Voice
May 22, 2008

"6 years after LGBT activists succeeded in getting an ordinance passed, no one knows if it works or not."

"In the nearly six years since they were ultimately successful, the city hasn’t prosecuted a single case of job discrimination under what is known as HR Ordinance 46".
"As of April 7, 2008, there had been 22 job discrimination complaints filed under the ordinance, according to the city’s Fair Housing Office, which investigates the complaints. The ordinance took effect on Oct. 1, 2002."

"Of those 22 complaints, only one resulted in a “mediated resolution,” while one was withdrawn, 17 were found to have no cause, and three were deemed nonjurisdictional (because the accused party was a government entity or the complaint involved an employer with fewer than 15 employees.)"

Read Full Story at Dallas Voice

Homeless Transgender in New York Ciry

Source Topix Trans Formed: To Be Homeless & Transgender

Nowhere to go: To Be Homeless & Transgender in Dallas Texas

Press Release
For Immediate Release

Kelli Busey
214-226-7080
kellibusey@yahoo.com
Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies
http://dallastaa.ning.com/

Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies (DTAA) and the City of Dallas TX working together to make "The Bridge" homeless shelter transgender accepting.

Dallas Texas. Dallas TX enacted Ordinances in 2002 prohibiting discrimination in housing and the workplace based on gender identity and sexual orientation. It was not until the death of a mayoral candidate and homeless transgender woman Jennifer Gale after spending a night exposed to subfreezing temperatures did it become apparent the cities homeless shelter did not house transgender people according to the transgender person's self determined gender identity. Transgender people were judged by a shelter staffer as to whether the applicant was female or male regardless of information supplied on intake. The transgender homeless person was then required to sleep, shower and use bathrooms without protection in whatever accommodation chosen by the staffer.

This condition created a unsafe environment for transgender people. Many transgender people would then refuse to stay in the cities shelter and forgo the opportunity to learn how to move from the streets to become a vital contributing member of society.

Dallas transgender Advocates and Allies invited the City to a conference in which it would conduct a gender 101 and introduce the City of Dallas to who transgender, queer and the gender diverse people are. The next step was to use the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force study "Transitioning our shelters: A guide to making homeless shelters safe for transgender people" to suggest options to make the cities shelter safe and accepting for the gender diverse.

According to DTAA member Kelli Busey "My initial reaction to this effort was that the conference was a success. The city managers who were present although dismayed by the unaccountable absence of the invited Bridge personal at the meeting, became involved and enthusiastic about the prospect of caring for our GLBT homeless population. We will be monitoring the city to insure it implements policy that will make it compliant with it's gender and sexual protective ordinances. We will also offer our assistance to the City of Dallas to conduct ongoing Gender 101 classes for Bridge employess. The need for this was made apparent at the meeting by the observation of a Dallas City manager who noted that when the Bridge was initially opened there was a concern expressed for making it GLBT accepting but "It was never followed up on."

Press Release
For immediate Release
planetransgender
January 28, 2009