2/19/10

Dallas Area Transit (DART) Attorneys Pressure Judge to Reverse Transgender Women's Gender Marker Order

Dart Tyrannically crushes a transgender woman's life and steals her legal identity.

By Kelli Anne Busey/Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies

Found in the Dallas Voice "DART stands accused of bigotry and transphobia after attorneys for the local transit agency intervened in family court last year to challenge a gender-marker change granted to an employee."

"According to court records, a transgender DART employee obtained a court order in February 2009 directing all state agencies to correct their records by changing her gender-marker from male to female, including on her birth certificate."

"But DART’s attorneys objected to the gender-marker change and responded by filing a motion seeking a rehearing in court. DART’s objections prompted 301st Family District Court Judge Lynn Cherry to reverse her order granting the gender-marker change."


Is it legally permissible for a publicly funded service agency to employee it's attorneys to influence a family judge's decision in a private matter which results in that persons entire life ruined?

That is tyrannical. !Notice! The DFW LGBT community will not accept this.

This jeopardizes all transgender people in Texas.

Ironically the DART mission statement says one of the purposes that DART was formed was to "improve the quality of life'. That statement should be rewritten DART "will subjectively elect which citizen it will tyrannically oppress and reserves the right to use public funds to accomplish this goal.

DART Mission Statement
DART's mission statement defines the purpose for which the Agency was created:

The mission of Dallas Area Rapid Transit is to build, establish and operate a safe, efficient and effective transportation system that, within the DART Service Area, provides mobility, improves the quality of life, and stimulates economic development through the implementation of the DART Service Plan as adopted by the voters on August 13, 1983, and as amended from time to time.

2/18/10

Barney Franks optimistic on ENDA or prepping for Transgender Exclusion?

ENDA holdup: Transgender partial and full frontal nudity in bathrooms and shower rooms.

Barney Frank feels that ENDA is on track to be passed in the House in March but he is unsure about it's prospects, regardless of gender issues, in the Senate.

Regurgitation of HR2015?

Congressman Frank has reversed his lifetime stance on transgender participation. Might we have a unified political coalition that is essential in passage of ENDA? Or not.

February 5th Frank responded angrily and defensively on the Michelangelo Signorile Show when questioned about LGBT participation in the political proccess calling us whinny and lazy and that we have never lobbied congress and that now we are ultimately to blame for ENDA potentially failing.

Barney Frank since has dramatically abandoned his time proven scapegoat for the democratic party's political pandering and backsliding on ENDA telling the DC Agenda on Feb 17 that transgender lobbying efforts are now "supportive".

According to Frank everything is in place for ENDA to move out of the Education committee to a full house vote except that;
“There has always been a problem with the question of people who are
transgender in situations where people are totally or partially
unclothed.”

Are we a unified team, win or lose or is Barney "Lucy" Franks and his political backers setting up the ENDA football? Again?

2/17/10

Texas Instruments Hosts Enda Discussion

Texas Instruments will host a panel discussion on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The panel has been created to discuss the impact of ENDA on working Americans and the benefits of businesses supporting such legislation that would:

Support existing non-discrimination policies without adding a financial burden
Eliminate inconsistency across operations, business clients and suppliers
Reinforce corporate reputation

WHEN: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8am - 9:30am CST
WHERE: Texas Instruments South Campus
12500 TI Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75243
Map

TI Entrance/Gate 1, Parking in Lot I
Enter building through the South Lobby (South Lobby and Auditorium)
TIME: 8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m., Continental breakfast will be provided
RSVP: It is important to RSVP for this event by February 19, 2010. Please send your RSVP to political@hrcdfw.org

We are honored to have the following individuals contribute as panelists:
Rebecca Solomon (Bank of America)
Ken Upton (LAMBDA Legal)
Tony Vedda (North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce)
Cece Cox, Associate Executive Director, Resource Center Dallas will facilitate the panel

2/16/10

Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

What does the United States and Somalia have in common?

They are the only governments worldwide refusing to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.




The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child protects children. Only two nations in the world have yet to join the global community in ratifying this agreement: Somalia and the United States. Urge President Obama and Congress to ratify the convention without delay.

"We, the undersigned, support US ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We urge President Obama to submit the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to the US Senate for its advice and consent without delay. We further call on the US Senate to move swiftly to approve this convention.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child protects children by defining their basic human rights. It is the most comprehensive, accepted international agreement on basic protections for children. 193 countries have committed to support it.

Only two countries have failed to ratify this UN convention - Somalia and the United States of America. US failure to ratify the convention is an embarrassment.

Americans cherish our children and are generous in aiding boys and girls in need around the world. Now, with the advent of the 20th anniversary of the Convention, it is time to act. 2 countries in the world have yet to ratify. Let’s cut that number in half.

Sign the petition now so that children no longer pay the price for the United States' delay.

http://www.alternet.org/

2/13/10

Brittany Novotny Representing Keith Kimmel Lawsuit to have a Oklahoma 'IM Gay' License Plate

Kimmel points out officials allowed tags such as STR8FAN and STR8SXI.

Transgender lawyer Brittany Novotny is also the political Challenger to Sally Kerns for state representative after Kern's homophobic tirade made her infamous among LGBT people everywhere.
Brittany has made it clear that she does not wish gender issues to cloud the race for 2010, but the topic now will be unavoidable in her pursuit of liberty and justice for all.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Keith Kimmel,
405.886.5095,
http://tinyurl.com/otcplatecase

Oklahoma City, OK – An Oklahoma taxpayer has filed a civil lawsuit in Oklahoma County District Court against the Oklahoma Tax Commission, continuing a battle for freedom of speech on vanity license plates. The suit seeks to have part of the Commission's rules regarding the issuance of personalized license plates declared unconstitutional.

Keith Kimmel, who filed the suit through his attorney, provided the following statement: "The Oklahoma Tax Commission is continuing to subject Oklahomans to a subjective decision making process in issuing personalized vanity license plates. Under our state Constitution, all Oklahomans enjoy the right to freedom of speech and an equal opportunity to express their viewpoints. Previous testimony in the administrative proceedings held on this matter have shown that the Commission is selectively granting and denying applications based on Commission employees’ own personal prejudices and viewpoints. The Constitution requires that state rules are viewpoint neutral, with an objective standard that puts the taxpayer on notice of what is legal and what is not. This suit is intended to put an end to the Tax Commission’s unconstitutional practice of subjecting taxpayers to the whim of individual employees."

The case is Keith Kimmel v. State of Oklahoma, ex rel, Oklahoma Tax Commission, Oklahoma County Case No. CJ-2010-1072.

OCIS Case Summary Kimmel, Keith , Plaintiff
State of Oklahoma, ex rel., Oklahoma Tax Commission , Defendant


Facebook Keith Kimmel - Oklahoma 'IM Gay' License Plate Litigant

ENDA Whats the HoldUP? Bathrooms Again!?!

Bil Browning talks with Mara Keisling about the present state of ENDA.



I find Mara to be spot on about the reasons that ENDA have not been moved for a full committee vote.

However, the wordsmithing of Enda is only a glitch and easily amicably remedied. The real issue once again is bathrooms.

Religious and run of the mill right-wing zealot fearmongers fortelling the end of humanity if a transgender person is allowed into a bathroom and warning if the trans inclusive ordinance is passed it will open the door for predators to attack ciswoman and children while they are most vulnerable.

I can only speak from my experiences helping to pass city trans inclusive ordinances.

Tell congress to grow a pair. In city councils nationwide transgender inclusive ordinances are being proposed and passed by us and our allies as people realize that this isn't about pooing and peeing. It's about human rights