10/19/12

East Aurora schools May Bow to Hate Group And Vote Tonight To Rescind Trans Policy

Update: A sad day in Aurora as the trans policy is revoked.
Full story on CBSlocal

The possible win for a hate group is a failure for Illinois human rights groups to organise effectively.

The rational given for rescinding the trans policy was since there were only a couple trans people in the School district and they had not received any complaints from them, the school board felt the policy would be unnecessary.

The reality is they were intimidated by the hate group the Illinois Family Institute's  email campaign which not only demands a repeal of the policy but in addition the firing of the School Board as well.

You can attend the meeting tonight at East Aurora School Service Center located at 417 Fifth Street in Aurora and will be Friday, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m.





Boy Scouts Of America Dishonored: Sexual Predator File Posted Here


"Oh You belong to the Boy Scouts? Scouting boys tonight?

It was a common joke used by neighborhood girls when they wanted to embarrass, humiliate or intimidate us on our scout meeting days.

I always dismissed them as I did all bullies as being needy and insecure idiots but in my heart I knew there were some truth to the taunt. I knew even before puberty that I was more comfortable with same sex company. Was I somehow impure?

The Boy Scouts thought so kicking out anyone LGBT  who dared to live authentically and they called us immoral?

But there were Scout leaders who made me very uncomfortable. I could never quite make sense of them. They seem such loners, detached, yet so dedicated on our long weekend camping trips always maintaining the highest Scouting traditions.

Now it is starting to make sense. I would never accuse any of my troop leaders of any wrongdoing however  Kelly Clark Attorney at Law did and has published the file the Boy Scouts, clergy and police have fought so hard to keep secret.

Is your former Scout leader listed as well in the "Perversion Files"? The file only covers twenty years. Its the tip of the iceberg.

But in my heart of hearts I know my life has benefited immensely by my Boyscout days because I have done my best to live it as a Bisexual Transsexual Life Boy Scout.

Just yesterday as I recall now, I corrected the Walmart Pharmacists clerk when she forgot to charge me for my hormone scripts and while walking out I offered my assistance to a elderly man in a wheelchair who seemed disorientated at the foyer. Its because of the following creed I am at peace with myself:

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

To my brothers and sisters who have been hurt by these monsters, my heart goes out to you dear soul. Live in shame no more.





10/17/12

Meteor Drag Queen Performer Paul Ryder: The Transphobia YOU spread HAS tried to Kill Me

Shame on you Paul Ryder for your role in this advertisment.



Following the Twitter Hashtag  #MeteorShame  begun by the Transgender Network of Ireland  to kick start the campaign to end the awful Meteor advertisment  I found a very verbal opponent of the ad Co-chair LabourLGBT Louise Hannon. Her opposition was also noticed by one of the drag queens in the advertisement, Paul Ryder who replied to Louise with this tweet:


However Ryder isn't at all aware or could care about the harm he is causing. Looking at his Facebook it's obvious he couldn't care less.


Ryder let me help you to understand. Louise is not the only one becoming aware of the harmful contribution to the trans community. So regardless of your personal concerns, you should be aware you are doing your reputation and your marketability great damage by not taking responsibility for your role in the Meteor Advertisement.

You could make this right by saying you are sorry for the harm you are causing and contacting the other Drag artists in that ad and ask them to come forward with a public apology for there role as well.

Anything less is good as signing a employers dismissal notice to a trans person, or telling a cop to harass us or loading a gun for the next murderer.

Some reactions since posting this article:

A tweet posted by a follower of Paul Ryder in a conversation about what should happen to me. It's the most violent reaction to date for my audaciousness confronting a man for his transmysiogony.

It occurred to me some what belatedly, that the teeth that Mr O Reilly threatened to kick in were in fact not my teeth at all. The picture he saw was taken by a professional photographer for a local newspaper. He did a nice job photoshoping my teeth. See, I hadn't had dental insurance for decades before that picture.
Mr. O Reilly, I'm sure that the photographer would be very accommodating if you'd like to kick in his camera lens or have a go at his computer.
But he was a very big man Mr O Reilly, and a Texan to boot.
And this beauty from NG Blog. SOME men hate it that a transgender woman would have a media platform and would dare use it to demand accoutablity from them for transphobia.
  SOME many gay men.


You can find that NG post here. I have had a long association with that blogger Nelson G. Oddly enough begining with his helping me get my blog back after being violated for confronting gay misogony in 2008.  I posted about the timing of Congressman Barney Franks use of the transphobic phrase "men with penises in the womans room"  when talking about Trans Rights and the publication revealing his boy friend for the past decade was in fact a rent boy .

Related posts:

Transgender Equality Network Ireland Press Release

Irish Times Meteor Dials Up Trouble

Gay Community News

Galick News "Meteoric Mistake"


Memphis Approves Sexual Orientation and Gender ID Protections

As expected Memphis passed the amendment to it's cities employees non discrimination policy to include sexual orientation but totally unexpected was the reinsertion of gender ID including trans people as well!

The Amendment originally included trans protections.

Upon learning that the amendment had been rewritten to exclude transsexuals behind closed doors  at the last moment before the vote I began a petition asking Memphis to protect Trans people. Four hundred people signed sending a email message each time to every council member. I will close that petition now and thank the Council for there vote.

To all those of us who signed the petition, we can only speculate as to what effect our effort had but since we were the only petition to address trans exclusion specifically, and mainstream media  made absolutely no mention of our being written out, I can assure you, we helped.

My friend and great ally Rafael McDonnell, Communications and Advocacy Manager  Dallas Resource Center (RCD)  posted this on my facebook profile:
"From an activist friend of mine in Memphis: Memphis City Council passes non-discrimination ordinance and resolution prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity!(though the title is wrong)"
From the Commercial Appeal "Memphis approves protections against discrimination for sexual orientation":

The Memphis City Council on Tuesday approved a nondiscrimination ordinance that includes workplace protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, ending a debate that began in 2010.

"City of Memphis employees will go to bed tonight and wake up in the morning to hear the news that their hard work will be respected and their ability to contribute to their community will be preserved," said Jonathan Cole, vice president of the Tennessee Equality Project, one of the backers of the legislation. "It's a new day in Memphis, Tennessee."

There's at least one more person I must mention. Thank you Jonathan Cole, I know our brief relationship was contentious at times but given the situation I think we did a good job to keep everything in perspective. Thank you for your patience.

And I thank the following Memphis City Council Members for voting yes to protect your city's trans and gay employees: Council members Flinn, Harris, Harold Collins, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove, Wanda Halbert, Reid Hedgepeth, Myron Lowery and Jim Strickland.

Council members Bill Boyd, Joe Brown, Bill Morrison and Kemp Conrad you all vote against it. I have faith as your city's trans people become empowered by your new ordinance and begin living authentically you will get to know who they truly are and will ask yourself why you hadn't voted for this measure in the first place.

Thank you Memphis City Council for doing the right thing.









10/16/12

Harvey Milk Plaza Will Be Graced With The Trans Flag This TDOR

Usually I acknowledge a win by updating the post that helped contribute to our advancement, like I did one post back, but there's nothing usual about this achievement. The MUMC have publicly announced they will fly the Transgender Flag on Transgender Day of Remembrance, at the Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro.

MUMC President Terry Asten Bennett  who has control of the flag pole went into detail explaining why his organization denied the request to fly our flag, ultimately blaming it on a technicality, a request the flag be flown at half mast November 20th.

Be that as it may the reality is on November 20th 2012 Trans people are going to go where no trans person has dared, to the pinnacle of the gay mans tower in the heart of the Harvey Milk Plaza. I don't wish to lord this over anyone, and I won't. It would be nasty and would only cause discontent.

What I want to do though is to point it out how huge an advancement this is in our recognition as a valuable and equal component of the LGBT community. On our most solemn of days we will have a beacon of hope, a reminder that the LGBTQI is one community. A win for everyone.

I also want to thank everyone who was responsible for this happening including the anonymous person who bought the huge flag. I have a sneaky suspicion it was a gay man. Thank you.

10/15/12

US Census: Transgender People To Be Counted In 2020


Once we've been counted we can't be discounted.

The US Census Board Announcement  indicating a willingness to acknowledge transgender people exist comes as welcome surprise but we can't take for granted that the procedure that will be established will ask the right questions. But how much of a focus will be put on trans issues?

A issue a facebook friend quickly pointed out:
...when I was an NRFU Enumerator, also in 2010, I was told to write down what people anwsered, with no questions. Are they going to start counting people who are androgyous and crossdressers, people who are in the closet, as well as one's who are out? and how about someone like me who just went all the way? This could be harder than it sounds..
All of the media reports to date I have seen regarding this announcement make scant mention of transgender population (just the T at the tail of LGBT)  instead focusing mainly on gay couples concerns.

 So who's advising?

Shane Snowdon  the only LGBT community member announced is the HRC Director, Health & Aging Program and the 2005 Transgender Law Center Community Ally Award  recipient.