4/16/09

NGLTF Creating Change 2010 Dallas Co-Chairs at the Resource Center April 23


April 15, 2009

Creating Change 2010 Host Committee Co-Chairs Take the Stage!
Host Committee to Launch in Dallas on April 23

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force announces the Co-Chairs of the Dallas/Forth Worth Host Committee for The 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. The Creating Change conference (as it is affectionately known) will take place in Dallas, Texas February 3-7, 2010. The 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change is sponsored, organized and produced by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The LGBT movement’s premier annual gathering will be held for the second time in Dallas; the 1994 Creating Change Conference was also hosted in Dallas.

“We are delighted with our Co-Chair team of four accomplished and experienced community leaders,” said Russell Roybal, the Task Force’s deputy executive director of external affairs. “We’re coming back to Dallas to host our annual movement family gathering and we look forward to a robust and visionary event in the heart of Texas. Our 2010 Creating Change attendees will be treated to real Texas hospitality. Let’s live large and think big at Creating Change!”

The Co-Chairs will convene the first Creating Change 2010 Host Committee meeting on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 7:30 PM in the Rainbow Room at the Resource Center of Dallas, 2701 Reagan St. For directions or information, call (214) 521-5124.

The National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change is the premier national grassroots organizing and skills building LGBT conference. The 2009 Creating Change conference was held in Denver Colorado and attracted over 2000 LGBT rights advocates. The conference is well known for providing a unique environment where activists and leaders come together from diverse places and backgrounds to create a community that is both strengthening and inspiring to the participants.

To learn about the work of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, visit http://www.thetaskforce.org/.

For more information about the Creating Change conference, visit http://www.creatingchange.org/.

For more information about the Dallas/Forth Worth Creating Change Host Committee, please e-mail http://us.mc456.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=creatingchange@thetaskforce.org.

Meet the Co-Chair Leadership Team for the 2010 Creating Change Conference!


Allen Andrade Murder Trial Begins


Greeley - 4/16/2009

Alex Hannum Reports: After two days of jury selection, the prosecution and defense finally got the chance to present their opening statements in the murder trial of Allen Andrade.

Andrade is accused killing transgender female Angie Zapata last summer, after he found out she was biologically a male.

The prosecution claims Andrade waited more than 36 hours after he found out, before killing Zapata.

Original Article and clip showing opening statements at North Colorado 5.com

THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT FOR NOT PROTECTING TEXAS SCHOOL CHILDREN



THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT FOR NOT PROTECTING TEXAS SCHOOL CHILDREN

Click here to take action.

Bullying & harassment are not rites of passage; they are serious problems.

Children are being bullied to death.

When will the madness stop?

In 2007, the anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying "Corinne's Law" was introduced in the Texas Legislature by Rep. Harold Dutton and supported by Equality Texas.

The bill died on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives for lack of action.

YOU can help stop the madness.

Urge passage of House Bill 1323 by Rep. Mark Strama.

Take Action. Ask your representative to vote FOR HB 1323. Help stop the madness.

Click here to take action.

Hey, That's The Wonderful Thing I Noticed! -- This Is How Community Is Supposed To Work! (+)

Cross posted with full permission from Autumn Sandeen from Pams House Blend. Thank you Autumn.

Hey, That's The Wonderful Thing I Noticed! -- This Is How Community Is Supposed To Work! (+)
by: Autumn Sandeen
Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 04:00:00 AM EDT
I was in a room in the courthouse today with good people from national and state organizations. We were talking about all of the organizations that have come together as a coalition to take on different responsibilities regarding the Angie Zapata Hate Crime Murder trial.
There was something that I'd noticed, and then another person in the room pointed out too. It dawned on me, and at least one other person in the room -- this is how broader community is supposed to work! Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations, as well as transgender specific organizations, ally organizations, anti-violence organizations, and progressive organizations are working together with all their related, but different but connected mission statements (and specific competencies) to create a unified coalition.
So, I asked for a list of local and national organizations that are working together, and folk in the room pooled their knowledge of which organizations have worked in this coalition -- so, from their collective memories I'll list these organizations alphabetically (if we missed any organization, I apologize in advance):
Colorado Anti-Violence Program (CAVP) • Colorado State University Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student ServicesDignity DenverGay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) • Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And Transgender Community Center Of ColoradoGender Identity Center Of ColoradoGill FoundationLambda Community CenterNational Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) • ProgressNow Colorado
This isn't even indentifying the many individual community activists who have been working in this coalition.
As y'all know, my presence here is being coordinated and funded by ProgressNow Colorado.
And, as someone working within the scope of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender media this week, I would not have been able to do my job effectively here without GLAAD's Adam Bass, as well as the rest of the GLAAD's support. (The GLAAD Online Resource Kit alone has been of tremendous value to me, and wonderful to recommend to other new and legacy media outlet reporters.)
I've seen cooperation working here at the organizational roots. I've seen the Colorado Anti-Violence Program, GLAAD, and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And Transgender Community Center Of Colorado working together to put out a single, daily press release instead of each putting out separate releases. I've seen the Gender Identity Center of Colorado and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And Transgender Community Center Of Colorado agree to have a single person filling the position of Transadvocate. I've seen ProgressNow Colorado and GLAAD work together to develop a new media strategy.
And this is just what I can see. It's obvious that I don't see all of the work that this coalition is doing, but it's very clear there is an effective coalition in place.
To me, this is a model how broader community can work together to coordinate their actions where their mission and vision statements either overlap or run parallel, or their serviced populations overlap.
I just can't help but believe this is just how broader community is supposed to work together -- It's been just amazing to watch this from the outside looking in.
I guess I can consider taking my rose colored glasses off a bit now, as I see the concept -- the idealism -- of community actually embraced and realized here in Colorado; I haven't needed my rose colored glasses to see something wonderful.
Autumn Sandeen :: Hey, That's The Wonderful Thing I Noticed! -- This Is How Community Is Supposed To Work!
Tags: , , , , (All Tags)

Tamil Nadu : Forced Prostitution and Slavery In Exchange for Sex Change

By kelli Anne Busey April 16, 2009 planetransgender.blogspot

Tamil Nadu : Forced Prostitution In Exchange for Sexual Reassignment Surgery(SRS)

I published an article on Friday, March 13, 2009 Sex-change for Free : Tamil Nadu India . I was very impressed that a State in India, Tamil Nadu, in a country with a long history of suffering transgender people to the lowest station of society was doing what appeared to be a 180 Degree turn about by offering Sex-changes for free. Sexual reassignment Surgery(SRS) to transgender people is freedom but a very costly one that marginalized people worldwide could never afford, without help.

Ever since that article was published planetransgender had hundreds of inquiries about 'Tamil Sex' and not one inquiry about the State of Tamil Nadu or how to arrange the SRS operation.

The article below found on Chennai Online, India is exposing what amounts to sexual slavery benefiting from what by first blush would appear to be a wonderful selfless act by the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Who is the grim reaper? It is doubtful the transgender people who were just arrested for trafficking had the where with all to organize and carry out such an undertaking.

Is the state of Tamil Nadu India sponsoring and benefiting from sexual slavery of the very most vulnerable people in it's citizenry?

Found on Chennai Online,

"Chennai, Apr 15 Five transgenders wanted in connection with an inter-state human trafficking case surrendered before a city court here today, taking the number of arrested and surrendered transgenders in the case to 11."

"CB-CID ADGP Archana Ramasundaram told PTI that the five persons, wanted in connection with the case relating to conducting transgender surgery on a teenager and forcing him into prostitution, surrendered before a Magistrate court and were remanded to 15 days judical custody."

Full original article at chennaionline.comFive wanted transgenders surrender before court

Also on the web,

planetransgender Friday, March 13, 2009 Sex-change for Free : Tamil Nadu India

Indian Express.com Sex-change for free



Investigate Bush administration officials who authorized torture


As you may recall, the ACLU has been trying to get Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memos that provided the legal basis for the CIA’s illegal torture program.

Tomorrow, April 16, a deadline set in our FOIA lawsuit, we may finally see the documents authored by then-OLC attorneys Steven Bradbury and Jay Bybee. The memos reportedly provided legal justification for the CIA’s use of enhanced interrogation methods — at black sites like the ones Abd Al-Rahim Hussain Mohammed Al-Nashiri was held in — that amounted to torture. The memos also reportedly provided legal cover for the CIA’s interrogation methods in anticipation of Congress’s expected effort to outlaw “cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment,” which it did in the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, passed several months after Bradbury issued the memos.
In this new ACLU video, National Security Project Director Jameel Jaffer talks about why it’s so important for the Obama administration to live up to its promise of transparency by disclosing the memos.


If you haven’t already, please send a letter to Attorney General Holder. He’s taken the first step and signed-off on the release of the memos. Tell him now to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate Bush administration officials who authorized torture.