3/22/09

Obama endorses UN declaration for gay rights


Cross posted from Integrity FT Worth

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Wednesday formally endorsed a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.

The move was the administration's latest in reversing Bush-era decisions that have been heavily criticized by human rights and other groups. The United States was the only western nation not to sign onto the declaration when it came up at the U.N. General Assembly in December.

"The United States supports the U.N.'s statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and is pleased to join the other 66 U.N. member states who have declared their support of the statement," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.

Read more here onUSA Today

3/21/09

Everyone Matters: Dignity and Safety for Transgender and Transsexual People



Alishia is a firefighter. Enoch is a university professor. Dana is a software engineer. Jesse is an HIV prevention educator. Each makes invaluable contributions in the work place and in the community. And each faces the threat of losing a job, being denied housing or health care, and suffering violence and harassment simply for being transgender.

In Everyone Matters: Dignity and Safety for Transgender People - a new video produced by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders(GLAD) Transgender Rights Proejct, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coaltion (MTPC), and MassEquality - Alishia, Enoch, Dana, and Jesse talk about their jobs, their family, their hopes, and their worries. Framed by hope and optimism, their stories nevertheless show how vulnerable transgender people still are, and highlight the need for comprehensive laws to ensure that people can obtain and retain employment, remain safe on the streets, and have access to health care and housing.

Everyone Matters allows the viewer to hear from transgender people first-hand about their lives, and makes a powerful case for the passage of transgender-inclusive anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws in Massachusetts and beyond.

Please support the passage of transgender-inclusive non-discrimination and hate crimes legislation. For more information visit Glad.org

3/20/09

Take Action: Demand that Colorado Radio Host Trevor Carey Disavow Remarks Condoning Violence Against Transgender People

Cross posted from radical queer news
Origin GLAAD

Contact: Richard Ferraro, Director of Public Relations
Phone: (646) 871-8011 Email: ferraro@glaad.org

Contact: Adam Bass, Media Field Strategist
Phone: (323)634-2018 Email: bass@glaad.org

In a disturbing diatribe on KNUS radio on March 14, host Trevor Carey engaged in a conversation with a caller in which both men condoned violence against transgender people, blaming slain Greeley, Colo. resident Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman, for her own brutal murder.

(Transcript from Colorado Media Matters):


CAREY: And what the transgender segment of our society needs to be telling their type is, you don't commit fraud because –

CALLER: No, that's exactly what it was.

CAREY: A), you're at least gonna get your teeth kicked in, and B) – [caller laughs] – here's a story from Greeley that turned out very tragic, and you should pay attention to this, because –

CALLER: You know, when I was growin' up in Greeley, I grew up in Greeley, that kind of stuff didn't ever, you know, surface in this town. And it's just sad, you know; my heart just weeps for all, everybody that's concerned. But, you know, we gotta go back to basics. You're a man or you're a woman, and, like you said, if you're fraudin' somebody, then you deserve to have your teeth kicked in. Not necessarily hung or you're killed, but it just – they shoulda known better, you know?
Carey sustained his gratuitously defamatory tone throughout the entire show, and his remarks during the segment – including a false representation of a conversation with a GLAAD representative – make it clear that his references to Angie and her tragic murder will continue to be disrespectful, abusive and inaccurate. The transcript and audio for the program can be found on the Colorado Media Matters website.

Carey owes the family of Angie Zapata, the transgender community and all Coloradans an apology for condoning and promoting the very hostile climate that puts transgender people in harm's way and then blames them for the resulting acts of violence committed against them.

TAKE ACTION NOW!
Please contact Trevor Carey and ask him to disavow his remarks that condone violence against transgender people. Call on KFKA and KNUS to hold Carey accountable for his remarks and establish clear standards to ensure their media platforms will not be used to condone or promote violence towards any parts of the communities they serve.

Please forward this link to any of your friends and others who may also wish to take action. When contacting KFKA and KNUS, please ensure that your emails and phone calls are civil and respectful and do not engage in the kind of name calling or abusive behavior that we are expressing our concerns about.

Trevor Carey
Host, KNUS, "Trevor Carey" and KFKA, "AM Colorado with Trevor, Troy and George"
Phone: (720) 434-2714
trevorcareywork@aol.com

Justin Sasso
General Manager, KFKA
Phone: (970) 356-1310
justin@1310kfka.com

Kelly Michaels
Operations Director, Salem Communications (KNUS)
Phone: (303) 750-5687
kelly@salemdenver.com

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.

Census Bureau : WE COUNT!


The United States Census Bureau announced that ALL same sex couples even the legaly recognized marriages in California, Connecticut and Massachusetts will be removed from the 2010 census.

Tell the goverment of the United States it exists because we the people will it to! and that WE Count!

Join with The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in expressing your outrage over becoming a non person to the United States Goverment.

Tell Thomas L. Mesenbourg, Jr. - Census Bureau Director WE COUNT!

3/19/09

Gainesville proponents of Amendment 1 Deception in Desperation


The proponents of Amendment 1 are trying to influence innocently ignorant uncommitted voters with misinformation and deception. Their effort to amend the Gainesville City Charter and force fellow Floridians to live without human rights has been debunked by the voters themselves in this Gainesville Sun compilation of letters to the Sun "Voice of the Voters: Amendment 1"

"Michele Gifford: Scare tactics cover up real agenda"

"Recently I received my sample ballot in preparation for the March 24th city election. I gathered up and reread the growing collection I'd saved of past letters and op-eds thus far submitted to The Gainesville Sun on the Amendment 1 debate. Oh my goodness, those supporters, they are ever so vicious, hateful and sarcastic."

"But you know what? If Charter 1 proponents were really just concerned about protecting women and girls in public restrooms, as they all keep loudly trumpeting, why pray tell do we not see the words PUBLIC RESTROOM or BATHROOM or GIRL or WOMEN in the wording of the Charter 1 Amendment?"

"Well, of course we know why, even if they can't or won't admit it to themselves or to us. They have to cover up the ugly, real reason for this discriminatory vote they’ve forced upon us. They have to distract with scare tactics hoping to thus attract naïve voters who can be misled and fooled."

Michele Gifford,

Gainesville

Read more atVoice of the Voters: Amendment 1

Anatomy of the Transgender Inclusive Bills in Massachusetts

From Ethan Jacobs associate editor, Bay Windows a brilliant look inside the body of politics as Massachusetts strives to become the only state in the union to offer both Marriage equality and transgender inclusive legislation.

From Ethan;

"LGBT advocates have already persuaded a majority of the legislature to back the transgender rights bill, but that doesn’t mean that passage of the bill is a done deal. In fact, the bill’s fate will ultimately be determined by a handful of legislative "gate-keepers" who must decide both to support it and to make it a legislative priority. Without their support and commitment to expend political capital on the measure, the bill is dead in the water this session."

Ever wonder how one bill passes both houses in one session and another languishes to die never to have been introduced for consideration? Read all about it at "I’m just a (trans rights) bill"