3/22/11

Transgender Marriage Rights Under Attack in Texas


Senate Bill 723 would disallow proof of sex change as appropriate documentation for marriage.

Texas Family code as amended in 2009 currently allows the use of an original or certified court order of name change or sex change for purposes of marriage in the state of Texas. Senator Tommy Williams (R-Woodlands) has authored a bill that would disallow such proof, effective September 1, 2011.

This legislation is a direct attack on civil rights garnered by transgender Texans in 2009 and effectively erases gender diversity from legal protection and public discourse.

What are some things you can do?

In the Austin area: Go by the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence meeting on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 1:30 pm room 2E.20 (Betty King Cmte. Rm.) of the Capitol and submit a testimony card AGAINST SB 723.

Please contact the members of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee and tell them to leave the law the way it is, vote NO on SB 723.

Chair Chris Harris 512-463-0109

Vice-Chair Jose Rodriguez 512-463-0129

John Carona 512-463-0116

Robert Duncan 512-463-0128

Mario Gallegos 512-463-0106

Joan Huffman 512-463-0117

Carlos Uresti 512-463-0119

Special thanks to:

Tara Smith Texas Trucker extraordinaire somewhere on the highways of America.

Daniel Williams at: legislativequeery.com

transgriot.blogspot

Transgender Education Network of Texas


For more information on this bill:

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/html/SB00723I.htm

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/analysis/pdf/SB00723I.pdf#navpanes=0

Tommy Williams is the Senator who wants cities that do not enforce ICE immigration policies during traffic stops to lose state funding.

Senator Tommy Williams tearing apart Texas families one at a time.

3/19/11

Barney Frank ENDA AGAIN Anytime now: Better be with Public Accommodations


Barney Frank AKA the "men with penises in the women's shower" congressman has just announced that the 2011 version of ENDA is about to be "reintroduced" in Congress "at any time now". This means the current version has already been written and he is gathering co-sponsors now.

I sincerely hope the Congress of the United States does not try to pull the stunt that Equality Maryland is doing by backing a transgender "anti Discrimination" bill without public accommodations provisions.

I hope that Mr. Barney Frank and his political backer HRC have taken heed of the outrage in Maryland and across this country. We will know "anytime now".

Some comments reflect a ignorance or a wish to revise transgender history. Lets set something straight now. The 2010 ENDA failed because of public accommodations Despite assurances from NCTE Barney Frank says there will be Gender police.

3/18/11

EQMD mounts HRC assisted ATTACK on Transgender People ACT NOW!


Equality Maryland's director Morgan Meneses-Sheets is using all of EQMD's membership might to bulldoze the Maryland Transgender community 6 feet under placing this headstone to commemorate our murders.

HB235 without public accommodations protections is a killer. Equality Maryland knows this, has shut dissenting transgender and marriage advocates out and has mounted a massive HRC sponsored drive to plant that headstone on our graves!

Nationwide CALLOUT to trans people call these delegates whether you live in Maryland or not TODAY! Help us counter the massive burial power of GAY.COM!

The committee vote could come as early as today!

Committee Chair Peter A Hammen (D, Dist. 46, Southeast and South Baltimore)
(410) 841-3772, (301) 858-3772)
peter.hammen@house.state.md.us

Committee Ranking Member ROBERT COSTA (R, Dist. 33B, Anne Arundel Co)
(410) 841-3551, (301) 858-3551
bob.costa@house.state.md.us

Subcommittee Chair Dan Morhaim (D, Dist. 11, Baltimore County)
(410) 841-3054, (301) 858-3054
dan.morhaim@house.state.md.us

Subcommittee Ranking Member Nicholaus Kipke (R, Dist. 31, Anne Arundel Co)
(410) 841-3421, (301) 858-3421
nicholaus.kipke@house.state.md.us

Delegate John P Donoghue D, Dist. 2C, Washington County
410) 841-3125, (301) 858-3125
john.donoghue@house.state.md.us

Delegate Shawn Z. Tarrant, D, Dist. 40, Baltimore City
(410) 841-3545, (301) 858-3545
shawn.tarrant@house.state.md.us

Delegate Veronica Turner (D, Dist. 26, Prince George's County)
(410) 841-3212,(301) 858-3212
veronica.turner@house.state.md.us,

Delegate ERIC M. BROMWELL (D, Dist. 8, Baltimore County)
(410) 841-3766, (301) 858-3766
eric.bromwell@house.state.md.us

Delegate Nathaniel Oaks (D, Dist. 41, Baltimore City)
(410) 841-3283, (301) 858-3283
nathaniel.oaks@house.state.md.us

3/17/11

Equality Maryland slams door SHUT on Transexuals after HB235 Protest



Transmaryland hosts DC protest of HB235 with participants of NCTE lobby day as reported by She Wired and Trans Forming Media

In response to the protest equality Maryland shut down the transgender Baltimore "working groups" until after the legislative session ends. This unprecedented act of censorship by any federation member was preceded by equality Maryland banning members and deleting opposing messages on its facebook page. These two combined actions effectively eliminates all voices but those who fully support HB235 without public accommodations and the failed marriage bill strategy.

Prior to this announcement there have been two "meetings" held by eqMD about HB235. One was unannounced and the second one any and all transgender opponents of HB235 were shouted down by eqMD staffers.

These two sham meetings are what equality Maryland has touted as its source of input from the greater transgender community They are to be discontinued according to a message received by a participant of the preceding 'Gender Identity work group meetings'.

The message from equality Maryland:

Due to scheduling conflicts, the transgender issues working group meeting originally scheduled for tonight has been postponed.

Thank you for coming out to Baltimore these past few weeks, lending your time and your voices to the ...discussion.

We believe these meetings have been constructive. We are committed to continuing these conversations after the legislative session so we can best formulate a coordinated, long range educational and legislative agenda.

We look forward to continuing this important dialogue. The next meeting will be scheduled for Wednesday, April 13th at 7:30 PM in the Equality Maryland offices. At that time we hope to have a system in place that will allow folks to join via a conference call. We'll keep you posted as the date draws closer.

(emphasis added by kelli Anne Busey)


We are of course aware that some members of the group disagree with the strategy behind HB 235. For those who are interested in supporting this legislation, please consider getting in contact with our deputy field director, Aimee Martin at aimee@equalitymaryland.org.(all others, fuck off and die)
We're committed to winning bulldozing over these vital protections for the transgender community now, and hope you'll join us.<
We look forward to seeing you on April 13th. (after the legislative session ends)

Sincerely,

Morgan Meneses-sheets
Executive Director


(L-R) Trans Maryland's Media Director Jenna Fischetti, IFGE's ED Denise Leclaire, Trans Maryland organizer Donna Plamodom all atttend Trans Maryland's education rally last night at The Supreme Court, opposing HB235's tainted version


Equally troubling is the revelations that equality Maryland did not make the decision to pull the marriage bill before the Vote. Apparently out of state interests manipulated that decision.
.
Most troubling to transgender people is HRC's control of the issue.

We are fully aware that HRC would like nothing more than to get ENDA enacted and be rid of the transgender menace. The hold up on ENDA is of course public accommodations! HB235 sets a extremely alarming precedent by eliminating public accommodations as a component of states civil rights and could be used as a example in national bills.

Undoubtedly HRC and its sock puppet NCTE would love that.

3/16/11

Ethics Board rules for Dana Beyer: Complainant "Maryland Citizens for responsible government" Unethical

The Montgomery ethics panel dismissed charges brought against transgender woman Dana Beyer then a policy advisor to Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At large).

The discredited group which brought the charges, "Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government" (CRG) also produced the Not in My Shower campaign and was of the same ilk as those who perpetrated the ridiculous discredited Rio Sport and Health Club shower man in the shower hoax.

This manufactured event in lieu of any actual occurrences was reported by ABC 7 which abdicated its integrity by reporting it as factual news of a man invading womens privacy with "Controversial Law on Gender Identity Tested"

Those same type of people that produced the country club video produced this egregious video preying on the worst fears a mother could have. Who could forget the Gainesville pervert bathroom video?



"CRG" had alleged Dana Beyer had used her position to intimidate opponents collecting petition signatures to overturn the county's transgender non discrimination law at a supermarket.

"The ethics commission ruled that there was no persuasive evidence that Beyer used her position for personal gain or to stop people from collecting the signatures, according to the 17-page finding issued Friday."

"The commission also found that those making the claims against Beyer showed "palpable and unapologetic disdain for transgendered individuals," which made the testimony not credible."


We will continue to Teach the facts debunking one lieing cowardly hate mongering transphobic extremist at a time.

3/15/11

Equality Maryland Silences past Board President and accuses Advocates of Threatening Legislators


Equality Maryland accuses transgender and equality advocate allies of making threatening calls to their staff and making threats of physical violence against delegates to the Maryland House of representatives!

Equality Maryland alleges that:



These self destructive blanket accusations were made by EQMD to justify its censoring of dissension by deleting comments and banning former members. These unsubstantiated accusation are libellous and sure to disenfranchise even more of its membership who have become increasingly aware of EQMD's oppression.

The FAQ – Censorship, HB 235 and the EQMD Facebook page makes accusations that threats were made not only by marriage advocates who questioned their controversial strategy but transgender people who object to HB235.

Equality Maryland claims it began its censorship after the marriage "vote was taken". This is untrue. Equality Maryland began its censorship of the entire LGBT community on February eighth after Baltimore journalist Danna LaRocca questioned Equality Maryland not about HB235, but its commitment to racial diversity.

Equality advocate David Toth, former Board President of Equality Maryland from Oct 2004 to Jan 2011 is now being censored as well.

The below comment by David Toth on the EQMD note was copied by a friend prior to it being deleted by Equality Maryland........
David B Toth: I have to agree somewhat with T.A. The community would like answers as to why EqMD along with the LGBT caucus and national partnes made this decission. What makes sending it back to committee so "right." There are so many people who put ...alot of effort in volunteering, and than those of us who have put money and time in other ways (even if not seen by all the staff), do you think that they deserved to have the House take a vote, even if it would not pass, to see where the Delegates stand on the issue. Either way the bill was going to die and have to be reintroduced next year."
In this screenshot Mike Toth comment's about the above deleted comment to a person who's was already censored!

Equality Maryland's FAQ stated they are deleting comments because they are "racists" or "threats of violence or intimidation towards our staff, legislative allies, and volunteers."


Once again unsubstantiated allegations of violence made against Equality Maryland. This time the deleted comments were supposedly made against Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director.



IT IS TIME FOR THIS TO STOP!!!!



Equality Maryland you are also invited to attend the March rally against HB235 organized by Maryland residents of Transmaryland attended and supported by our national community.

Indeed this is just one more effort by eqMD to quash the will of the transgender people but this time they have stepped too far over the line.

If Equality Maryland could prove these accusations of threatened violence, the LGBT people would ostracize the offenders, never to return to our community and I as a member of EQMD would stand by Morgan Meneses-Sheets in doing so!

But in absence of that.......

Many marriage equality advocates like myself now agree Morgan Meneses-Sheets must resign. Freedom of speech, marriage equality, our very civil rights movement is under attack. Marriage equality and transgender civil rights are suffering.

Morgan Meneses-Sheets must resign.