6/30/12

Massachusetts Toothless Transgender Law Goes Into Force Sunday

Fail. Caved. Gave up. All these terms come to mind when considering the Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights law that does not protect transgender peoples right to be in public places. Why would I condemn a law many see as a step forward? Because on the ground, unemployed or in the workplace, this law means squat.

Perception is 99% of social Conscript. The haters won. Sure they aren't celebrating openly, we are still alive after all.

Point to consider. Im September of last year I was hired to work in a warehouse in a small Texas town. Its a huge state of the art electronics distributor, a place you might assume to have enlightened people employed.

The second day I was there I learned of a rumor that I was seen using the men's room. The next thing I knew I was being questioned by HR as to whether hiring me had been a good idea. It's been a uphill battle since then with myself continually having to be on the defensive, essentially fighting for my life.

Employment revolves around public accommodations. Without a job having housing or credit protections doesn't mean mean jack shit.

No high falutin lawyer came to my defense even if they could have. But there are Lawyers who defend the Transgender Equal Rights In Massachusetts: Likely Broader Than You Think.

I am not a lawyer but the reality for Massachusetts transgender people in Public Accommodations is this. The public now knows for some reason unlike any minority before you, you were judged unworthy, unequal and untrusted enough not to be thought of as fully human. Not to be granted the same dignity.

I'd rather die than live a life so judged.

Advanced Screening Of "Hit & Miss" Chloë Sevigny's Dick Is Out

I now I have bashed this concept from the beginning only having seen the trailer, but now that I seen the first episode...I am fascinated in a dark sort of way. It doesn't just challenge social concepts it runs them over like a tank with guns blazing.

They didn't waste any time getting to the real money shot at 2:50 mark following the gratuitous killing seen (yawn) and a peek at her tits and ass (yawn). The real money maker is Chloë Sevigny getting ready for the shower as she turns to the camera with her dick hanging out.

My only question is this, what now? More murder? More gratuitous dick and tit scenes?

Just when you thought your sense of morality couldn't be more challenged..transsexuality more perverted...there's more..



The scene when Chloë Sevigny finds her "hormone" pills stolen she reacts in rage punching a hole threw a door. Just for the record cisgender people, speaking strictly for transgender woman, this is a awful presentation. Often many of us are can't afford our hormones but it would be completely out of character for us to react with violence.

Secondly, when we resume HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) there is a deep sense of becoming whole again but unlike how Hit & Miss portrays us we are NOT DRUG ADDICTS as that scene suggests.

Sevigny said wearing the fake penis made her cry every day..."Then looking in the mirror... it was weird. I was lonely and I felt really unattractive. I was confused about my desirability - was I desirable? - in having put that on, and having men see me with that on."

Sevigny hoped her part would raise awareness of what it means to be transgender, and she succeeded in part anyways. She became personally aware of what trans people feel when we see our reflection pre op. but I think the only one who would make this connection would be transgender people. To Joe and Josephine Cisgender it just justifies their unabashed staring at my crotch, regardless how uncomfortable I am about that.

Chloë you're money shot is your fake penis. Our existence depends on taking the focus off our crotch in into our hearts and souls. In that regard you have done us a major disservice

Great cinematography mixed with a real perversion of transsexuality and a appealing bulldozing of social conscripts. As much as I have booed this I have to say, its a ground breaker.

6/29/12

Police Didn't Protect The Istanbul Trans Pride. It was Cameras.


Watching Turkey's Trans Pride March videos since its beginning in 2010 there is one point that's undeniable. Each year the Turkey's Trans Pride March has progressively become less a celebration of gender diversity and more of a protest. 2010 it was a party....



The second year of the Turkey Trans Pride the drums became louder, more central and rhythmic, a noticeable shift from celebration to a political statement. Although it was still a party there was a noticeable shift to militarization.



Finally, this year on the Trans Pride, permitted march held as the final LGBT Pride event, had to take the square that was being occupied by another goverment sanctioned march, of all things a right wing group.

What was the chances this was just conquencidence? Highly unlikely.



I don't understand what the highly distraught young person was saying but I would guess this person recognize someone in the right wing crowd that had committed violence against one of us. And the police knew it too by the looks on their faces had no intention on investigating.

It's also clear that the Turkey "Riot Police" had no orders to protect the Trans Pride. They were all looking around at each other with a look like "what do they want us to do".

And the right wingers? They didn't move away from the police, they moved away from the cameras like any common thief of murderer will. The police and the fascists, those are the people that are responsible for or have knowledge of who is murdering us in Turkey.

6/28/12

100 Russian Cultural Icons Demand "Free Pussy Riot"


More than 100 prominent cultural figures have addressed a letter to the Supreme Court and Moscow City Court calling for the release of the three jailed Pussy Riot rockers.


Among the signatories were figures who openly supported President Vladimir Putin in the last election, including Chulpan Khamatova, a popular actress and co-founder of the Gift of Life charity, and actor and theater director Yevgeny Mironov.

A copy of the letter was published Wednesday in Moskovsky Komsomolets.

In all, the list of Pussy Riot supporters includes 103 musicians, actors, filmmakers, singers and other cultural figures.

"We do not believe that the actions of Pussy Riot constitute a criminal offense," the letter said. "The girls did not kill anyone, they did not rob, did not commit violence, did not destroy or steal anyone's property."

The letter asks for the women, two of whom are young mothers, to be freed from custody.

"We see no legal basis or practical reason for the further isolation of these young women, who do not pose any real danger from society," the letter said.

Ekho Moskvy has a list of the 103 signatories gathered so far, and they are looking to add names to the list.

Three members of the Pussy Riot punk group have been in detention since shortly after an impromptu February performance at the Christ the Savior Cathedral that incensed church and state officials. Their detention was extended last week until at least July 24 while they await trial. They face up to seven years in prison.



The above is cross posted in full from The Moscow Times


I posted the letter in Russian and the English translation provided by PussyRiot.org

Please sign Amnesty International Petition "Free Pussy Riot"

Интеллигенция призывает освободить Pussy Riot

Appeal of actors and artists of the Russian Federation



6/24/12

14 Year Old Transgender Asher Needs His Family, Thats You And Me.



Fourteen year old transgender Asher needs a change. He needs a nurturing accepting educational environment and believes that it awaits him at the Arthur Morgan School in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He needs us, his family now especially since he has no father in his life.

All I know about this school is what Asher tells us and I believe him, and I know how magical those mountains and people are from personal experience. When I was growing up I needed a different environment just as Asher does now and I found that by hiking the blue trail thru those mountains, summer and winter spring and fall, this city kid made the trip south. Sometimes I was accompanied and guided by the most fearless mountain people I have ever meet, sometimes alone I found the challenges I craved and the satisfaction of doing what no one thought I could, on the Blue Ridge.

Source: indiegogo.com Hi! I'm Asher, I'm fourteen, and I'm transgender. I'm raising money to get to this really awesome Quaker boarding school in North Carolina.

If you wanna learn more about me and my desires for education, then please keep reading...

Being fourteen isn't easy, not for anyone. Puberty, middle school, and all that crazy stuff. For trans kids like me, it's even more complicated. At two, I found this out about myself. This has never been easy at my other schools, but luckily, my mom has been very supportive and has learned a lot about trans issues over the years. I am so grateful for this. If I hadn't been raised around a bunch of queers, or if my mom was trans-phobic, I honestly don't know where I would be. I have felt very affirmed and accepted by a lot of adults in my life, and this has helped me so much.

The school I currently go to is not a great fit for me. I think they try to be good allies to me, but they don't know much about trans stuff, and I don't feel safe coming out as trans when most of the teachers and staff are not so prepared to support me. This makes it much harder for me to make good, trusting friendships with kids at school, so I wind up feeling pretty isolated, and this causes more stress and loneliness and frustration in my life. Its been a pretty depressing year so far.

As I've been looking for a way to create a better future for myself, I found this place called Arthur Morgan, a small boarding school in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I got to go visit a couple months ago and it was everything I hoped for and more! Surrounded by beautiful mountains and woods, we sang songs every morning, there were cows and chickens and sheep, the other kids were super mature and fun, the classes were very small, and INTERESTING! They served great homemade snacks between classes. For PE, we hiked in the woods and played fun, athletic games. It felt really good to me there, surrounded by mountains, forests, and lots of animals. I applied and they accepted me... YAY! Although the school has never had an out trans student before, they're very excited about welcoming me to the community. The staff is doing workshops to learn how to be good allies for me, and any other trans kids they get in the future. I really feel like this sort of outdoor education within a small community will bring out the best in me, and help me build a solid foundation for the rest of my life.

I'm seriously wanting to go to this seriously awesome school, and it's seriously expensive. Well, not so bad for a boarding school... but its still a whopping $25,000! I'm getting about a 7,000 dollars scholarship from the school, and my mom is pitching in at least five thousand. Now all that's left is ONLY thirteen thousand dollars! Not so bad, right? Well YES, I'm dreamin' big here, but why not? Which is why I'm needing LOTS of SUPPORT from LOTS of PEOPLE! AND, I'm offering some SWEET perks (check 'em out>>>)

Even if you can't afford to donate to my campaign, you can still help! You can SPREAD THE WORD by forwarding this to your friends, POSTING IT TO YOUR FB WALL, telling people you work with, announcing it at potlucks, and whatever else.


Any help you can offer me will make a huge difference in my life. These are important years, for me and the whole world. Going to middle school in a healthy environment surrounded by people who accept me for who I am will not only give me a better life next year, but will also influence who I become in the world. Thanks for reading this, and I totally appreciate whatever you feel inspired to contribute.

That's it folks!


Cecilia Chung, Tita Aida and Theresa Sparks performing the Vagina Monologues May 2012



Herbst Theater, San Francisco May 25 2012. Three trangender icons took the stage to perform the Vagina Monologues.



Cecilia Chung a longtime trans advocate is currently a Health Commissioner in San Francisco where she is the first trans woman appointed to the position by Mayor Ed Lee.

Tita Aida Aids/HIV activist.

Theresa Sparks Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

Enjoy.