11/6/09

Smile by Kalki कल्कि द्वारा मुस्कुराओ

Smile is a short 3 minute film by Kalki Subramaniam, Chennai, India. The rare joyous moment of transsexual women. Filmed and edited by Kalki. This video is a Sahodari Foundation presentation. http://www.sahodari.org. Made in 2009

11/5/09

Goldman Sachs Hoards H1N1 Vaccine Endangers Woman and Children


Wall Street Corporation Goldman and Sachs which received billions in bailout dollars are now receiving hundreds of H1N1 vaccine doses to inoculate employees while depleting supply available for hospitals and people at risk.

Sign Credo petition Tell Goldman Sachs: Hands off the H1N1 vaccine.


"In particular, NBC reports that Goldman Sachs has received 200 doses of the vaccine -- the same amount as Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Wall Street banks, like many other companies, put in requests for the vaccine but seem to have had something of a leg up on securing doses."

"Dr. Nancy Schnyderman, NBC's chief medical editor, chimed in on this seeming disparity:

"I think they probably played by the rules, there are corporations all over the country who put in there dibs...But, what a sore eye for Wall Street. Wouldn't have been lovely if they had said, look we put it in our dibs, we played by the rules, but we're going to donate our 200 doses."
Some corporations seem to be getting the doses before doctors and hospitals. Here's more from Schnyderman:

"If we know that the distribution is the weak part of this entire thing, why not put doctor's offices and hospitals at the top of the line, and say to corporate America, no matter who you are, you're you're going to have to go through clinics and hospitals like everyone else." Source: Huffington Post
Credo petion Tell Goldman Sachs: Hands off the H1N1 vaccine.

Live Web Casting the Senate ENDA hearing November 5, 2009

Committee: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Title: Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Ensuring Opportunity for All Americans
Date: Thursday, November 5, 10:00 a.m.
Place: SD-430

Click HERE for the Video and Audio http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_11_05/2009_11_05.html

11/4/09

Fort Worth / Tarrant County Transgender Day of Remembrance


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Curtis Smith
Telephone: 817-845-2124
Email: curtisls7@yahoo.com

TARRANT COUNTY TRANSGENDER REMEMBRANCE
11th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

Location: Carr Chapel on TCU
Address: 2855 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76129
Date: November 20, 2009 Time: 7:30 pm
Facebook

Since 1998, each November 20th is set aside to memorialize those who were murdered due to anti-transgender hatred, prejudice or ignorance. Tarrant County will commemorate the 11th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance at the Carr Chapel on November 20th beginning at 7:30 PM. The community is welcome to attend this service sponsored by Brite Divinity of TCU, Agape MCC, Trinity MCC, Sexuality Education Center and the Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies (DTAA).

The TDOR will be an opportunity to express love and respect for all people. It will remind participants that they are all a part of the human family, daughters and sons, cisgender(non-transgender) and transgender people together. Allies of the gender diverse will stand alongside us in this ceremony to memorialize, honor and look forward to a day that differences and gender variance can be celebrated without fear of violence.

Agape MCC has many transgender people in regular attendance at their worship services including their Senior Pastor, Rev. David Wynn, a transgender male. They also host a cross-dressing men‟s group monthly. “Agape MCC has always held a strong commitment to providing sanctuary for gender diverse people,” Rev. Wynn declares. Rev. Wynn clarifies, “In many ways transphobia appears to be the „last acceptable form of prejudice‟ in the culture today, thus setting up transgender people to be victims of violence and those who are seen as expendable.” Rev. Wynn‟s goal of the service is, “To honor those who have paid the highest price for fearlessly being who they are and providing an enduring voice against transphobia. Our transgender community at Agape reflects our entire community in affirming Jesus' radical inclusion and God's unconditional love for all of creation.”

Curtis Smith, Pastoral Leader of Trinity MCC Arlington, reports that his church has been participating for the last 6 years. Smith explains, "Trinity's transgender and questioning church members are a cherished people in Christ‟s communion. We feel enlightened by the TDOR and our ongoing "Would Jesus Discriminate" campaign as to the historical reservations our Gay and Lesbians congregants previously felt towards transgender people. We feel it is important for our members to respect all people and offer them an open communion.” "Last year," Pastor Smith recalls, "Trinity MCC participated in the 2008 TDOR with Agape MCC by praying for victims as a bell was rung after each name was read of those who had died in that year to anti- transgender violence. It was a very somber and moving part of last year‟s TDOR service,” Smith said.

The Remembering Our Dead Web Project estimates that 2 people a month, on average are killed from violence against transgender people. Not that every person commemorated self-identified as transgender but each was a victim of violence based upon bias of gender variance. "Because intolerance and violence against the Transgender Community is often ignored, we remember those who have gone before us and we dedicate ourselves to life – living it responsibly, respectfully and lovingly. Life really comes down to treating others as we wish to be treated,” exclaims Dr. Rita Cotterly, PhD., Director of the Sexuality Education Center.

The Matthew Shepard/James Bryd Jr Hate Crimes Prevention Act recognizes that there is much work to be done locally as there are only 13 US states with Hate Crime Laws that include Gender Identity, Texas not being one. A provision of this law is that it authorizes and funds the federal government to step in and prosecute hate crimes in states that are disinclined to do so.

Texas has had 20 recorded transgender deaths attributed to anti-transgender violence, with 3 of those occurring in DFW, only surpassed by New York and California. Internationally there have been 95 Deaths from January to October 22, 2009 which average 19 per month. Names, statistics, locations and causes of deaths can be found on the Transgender Day of Remembrance website at www.transgenderdor.org.

Dr. Stephen V. Sprinkle, PhD., of Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University will be in attendance. On the Unfinished Lives Project website, Dr. Sprinkle reports, ""We must remember that the recent passage and signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law will not magically stop the killing. Record numbers of LGBTQ Americans, especially young transgender people of color, are dying violently all across the land. But the high water mark of hatred has been scotched with the stroke of a pen on the day President Obama kept his promise and signed the bill. The end of the beginning of full equality for my people has come. And we who believe in justice will not rest until it comes fully, so that all of us may love whom we choose without fear of violence."

Kelli Anne Busey will be in attendance. Kelli, a woman of faith, authors planetransgender.blogspot.com and is founder and co-administrator of the Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies. Kelli says "I believe that our Transgender Day of Remembrance is a critical component of our advocacy." She elaborates, "The TDOR is emotional and spiritual because it educates and endears us with our current and potential allies as we lend a human touch to the horrific murders of transgender, gender queer, questioning, friends and lovers."

The Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies (DTAA) are locally based non-denominational activism group with members worldwide. DTAA membership believes that the world and especially the LGBT community is a, "Place for everyone. No Exceptions." The DTAA was conceived while protesting the expulsion of transsexual entertainers from the Crews INN bar and hosted the first formal conversation with the openly gay Episcopal bishop, Bishop Gene Robinson. Since that time the DTAA has moved on to insure that the Dallas's publicly funded homeless shelter 'The Bridge' policy and training manuals were amended so that weather related deaths such as that of Austin‟s Jennifer Gale's, could not be attributable to hostile shelter conditions.

Both Agape MCC and Trinity MCC Arlington are members of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches which is the world's largest and oldest Christian denomination with a primary affirming ministry to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons. Known as "The Human Rights Church," local MCC congregations are located in 28 countries. Both churches are currently participating with three other North Texas MCC churches in the “Would Jesus Discriminate? WhyWouldWe.org” campaign.

The Sexuality Education Center‟s director, Rita Cotterly, PhD, is well-known locally and nationally in the fields of human sexuality and sexuality education. She provides individual and group counseling, support groups and educational programs. Dr. Cotterly has conducted numerous sexuality educational sessions for a variety of organizations and educational programs on AIDS prevention, sexual orientation, safer sex, sexual ethics, and spirituality and sexuality.

XXX

For more information about this topic or to schedule interviews please call, Rev. David Wynn, revwynn@yahoo.com; Curtis Smith, curtisls7@yahoo.com; Dr. Rita Cotterly, PhD., drritac@gmail.com. Kelli Anne Busey, kellibusey@yahoo.com or Stephen V. Sprinkle, s.sprinkle@tcu.edu

11/3/09

Kalamazoo VICTORY! Voters say YES to Equal Rights, YES to 1856!


"Ordinance 1856, passed by 61.8 percent, or 7,671 votes to 4,731, with all precincts reporting. The ordinance, which was approved twice by the Kalamazoo City Commission, makes it illegal for a landlord or employer discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation and gender identity." Posted on Topics by Thomas Jackson.

This victory represents the very best of the human rights movement. When the City Commission realized there was injustice to be righted they did not hesitate to stand up for democracy and when their document did not pass the scrutiny of opponents of equality they did not flinch and rewrote their Ordinance.

The Kalamazoo city Commission's Ord. 1856 makes it clear that it is a law of equality and does not infringe on anyones right to freedom of speech or the right to worship as you wish. The population of Kalamazoo Michigan made it clear, their home is the land of the free and home of the brave!

Vote YES on 1856 Kalamazoo's Non-Discrimination Ordinance


Today is the day to make a stand for fairness and equality for all people in Kalamazoo – Vote YES on Ordinance 1856!Polls are open from 7am to 8pm. Please call the One Kalamazoo office at 269-903-2277 if you need a ride and click here to find out where to vote:www.onekalamazoo.com/vote

The hard work and efforts of hundreds of volunteers has gotten us to this point – and now it is in your hands. We need EVERY pro-fairness voter to get to the polls today if we want to win. Make sure you vote, and make sure your friends and family who live in Kalamazoo vote YES today too.


P.S. We still need your help! If you have a couple free hours today, stop by the One Kalamazoo office at 344 N. Rose Street (Rose and Kalamazoo)!