10/20/13

Pacific Justice Institute makes yet another blundering attack against Florence high school's transgender student

WMD interviewed Matthew McReynolds staff attorney at the right wing "Pacific Justice Institute" (PJI) which claims to represent students at Florence High School about alleged peer objections to a transgender student's access to public accommodations.

The interviewer was eager to nail down some specifics about what legal actions the PJI was taking against the trans girl. But all he was given was the same song and dance that we read in PJI's second backpedaling press release which was published immediately following TransAdvocate's Cristan Williams interview with the District School superintendent.

McReynolds stated  "if there wasn't something to this the school wouldn't be conducting a law enforcement investigation which is what their doing"' suggesting they were looking to prosecute the transgender student.

Superintendent Rhonda Vendetti made it clear in her interview with Cristan Williams the ones who would be made being legally accountable were those who were propagating these lies targeting their transgender student.

Who is this child?  Cristan Williams at the Transadvocate speaks with her mom and gives her the space to speak as well.



Please read Cristans incredible article on the Transadvocate.

McReynolds stated that Colorado law was vague on public accommodations and that there intent was to test it. The law in Colorado states very clearly  that Places of public accommodation may not deny any person participation, entry, or services based upon the person’s sexual orientation, including transgender status.

The PJI has no evidence, no clients and no case at this time, only objecting to what they consider behaviour that is 'inherently harassing' when a transgender student uses the restroom.

In other words they are fabricating untruths and creating a condition in which a transgender high school student faces increased prejudice, discrimination and the inherent accompanying violence.

McReynolds said that we transgender activists, 'talk out of both sides of our mouths' by insisting that we have protections under Title IV and  Title VII only because of the way we 'interpret it'.  In fact courts  have recently repeatedly upheld provisions protecting transgender and gender nonconforming people under both Title IV and Title VII



We've come a long ways baby.



Featuring two-time Olympian and Yale rower, Chris Ernst, who galvanized her rowing team to protest the substandard conditions facing female athletes in the 1970s. On a cold rainy day in 1976, Ernst led her teammates to the athletic director's office, where they stripped, baring bodies emblazoned with the phrase TITLE IX in blue marker. This event rocketed around the globe, leaving an indelible imprint on the nation in terms of what gender equity really meant. Directed by Mary Mazzio.

The Center for Transgender Equality Gender non conforming and transgender students Your Rights At School


10/19/13

Philippines Viral hit "That's my Tomboy" reclaiming defamation or network profiteering?


The Association of Transgenders in the Philippines posted this comment about Yahoo OMG post "Can ‘That’s My Tomboy’ raise equal rights? Almost but not quite, says activist:
"....it's noticeable that ABS CBN have been releasing news and feature articles about transgender people with incorrect pronouns.
We just hope that the launch of That's My Tomboy was to promote the rights of people with non-conforming gender instead of making them a laughingstock while it rakes king's ransom to the network's coffer."




Being totally ignorant I found this in Wiki: about "Tomboy"

"In the Philippines, the term gay is used in reference to any LGBT person. For Filipino gays, the Tagalog phrase paglaladlad ng kapa ("unfurling the cape"), or more commonly just paglaladlad ("unfurling" or "unveiling") refers to the coming-out process. Tibo, T-Bird and tomboy are derogatory terms for butch lesbians just as bakla is for effeminate gay men. Some lesbians, both butch and femme, use the terms magic or shunggril to refer to themselves. Neutral slang terms for gay men include billy boy, badette, bading, and paminta (straight-acting gay man)."

"While many of these terms are generally considered derogatory, they are sometimes used casually or jokingly within the Filipino gay and lesbian community. For example, gay men often refer to their gay friends as bakla when talking to each other."

There was a conflagration within the US trans community about the word 'tranny' that tore at the fabric of our community. A survey albeit unscientific, showed most trans people found the word offensive. Since that debate the "T" word has been generally accepted as defamation. I am curious if "Tomboy" is the same as "tranny" in that regard.

planetransgender has a growing number of visitors from the Philippines. Please share with the planet how you feel about this.


10/18/13

Florence Colorado Transgender student singled out again

The second day I begun my current job I was told about a rumor that was seen using the men's room. It was devastating to me this being the first full time job I had since beginning transition four years before. That rumor cut me so deeply since I had worked as a cashier for years at the Walmart just a few miles away in that small town. Whenever I entered a restroom or existed a stall for months afterward there was utter silence. People would star at my crotch. Whole tables would get up if I sat down at the lunch room.

I brought this to the management's attention and ended up with a department wide meeting that only served to spread that rumor. That was two years ago. Now I am more or less accepted. I have received over three dollars a hour in raises and am looking forward to my next advancement.

But for a young person with no previous life experiences to fall back on these rumors started by Pacific Justice Institute and amplified by Fox Nation are life threatening. The latest 'press release' from the PJI makes no mention of the child specifically but tries to reframe their intent with a wider brush. Curiously there was no mention of 'harassment' in there latest statement only a promise to bring wittiness forward. Again.

Trigger warning! The following video suggests that a transgender student is at fault.

The talking head begins with "Florance high school students say they are uncomfortable with sharing there bathroom with a transgender student." but this statement is not backed up by any of the students. It is a rumor. One propagated by the PJI.



Cristan Williams debunking the PJI lies.



Further exposing lies and rumors a excellent article cross posted from the HRC Blog:

Colorado School District Defends Transgender Students’ Rights

Earlier this week, conservative media outlets, including Fox Nation, circulated now debunked reports that bolstered a bigoted campaignagainst a transgender student at Colorado's Florence High School.
To its credit, school administrators have defended both the school’s policy and the transgender student victimized by extremist attacks.
“This is one parent basically bringing their view point about this situation to the media because they weren’t getting the responses that they hoped they would get from parents, from students at the high school or from the board and myself, “said Florence High School Superintendent Rhonda Vendetti in an interview with The Transadvocate’s Cristan Williams, who uncovered the truth behind conservative media reports.
Superintendent Vendetti continued, "I think it’s just an attempt to elevate the situation to a point where maybe some more attention can be drawn to that in the hope of having a different outcome. There’s not been any incident of harassment or anything that would cause additional concern.”
The Colorado Education Association has also come out in support of Florence High School and the student. The CEA has been working with local affiliates on issues important to LGBT youth and their families, including professional development for educators.
“Our promise to our students is that the Colorado Education Association will lead the way in guaranteeing every student access to the best public education," said CEA President Kerrie Dallman. "As educators we all have a responsibility to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student.  No excuses.”
In August, California passed legislation – the first of its kind – to protect transgender students from this exact form of bullying.
The School Success and Opportunity Act (AB1266) addresses the exclusion of transgender students from classes and activities to ensure all students are provided the same opportunities.  
Under this law, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed on August 12, California public schools must honor the students’ gender identity and expression, including the ability to use the appropriate bathroom.
The discriminatory National Organization for Marriage and other extremists have fought this effort – and any attempt protect transgender rights – using scare tactics around “privacy” and fictional stories of harassment like this one.   
HRC applauds Cristan Williams for debunking the media reports and the Colorado school district for continuing its efforts to provide a welcoming learning environment for all students. 
For more resources on creating learning environments that allow all students to thrive, check out HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schoolsproject and the upcoming Time to Thrive conference.


Attorney Todd Kincannon former South Carolina Republican boss Tweets "trannies should be locked up"



This is a couple of days old but quite honestly I had bigger fish to fry than Todd Kincannon. Now its Kincannon's turn and the girdle is still hot. Good old boy Tod obligingly tweets his self right on in and cooks us up some old fashioned south Carolinian republican hate.... sorry about the stench.

It all began somewhere about here:


Kincannon's Linkedin profile says that he was a former executive director of the South Carolina GOP, but he fails to mention he was only in that position for three months before resigning.



Kincannon is truly small fry and hardly deserving anyone's attention especially since he told a disabled vet he wished he had come home in a body bag.



Kincannon defended this racist tweet on Huffpost live.





We can learn one thing from this. Do not allow yourself to be baited by the likes of lawyers Kincannon or Cathy Brennan. They both seek the same results, its just Kincannon admits to it. It's curious that ether are still practicing law given the American Bar Associantion's stand on transgender inclusion.

South Carolina's Bar Association policy on personal views:

Section 6.3 Personal Views of Mem­bers. Any member who, when making public ut­ter­ance, permits ­himself to be iden­ti­fied as having an offi­cial con­nec­tion with the Bar or one of its divisions, sec­tions, com­mit­tees, boards, task forc­es, or com­mis­sions shall, if the pol­i­cy of the Bar on the subject matter of the utterance has been de­ter­mined by the House of Del­e­gates or Board of Gov­er­nors, fairly state that pol­i­cy and, if he ex­press­es views at vari­ance with it, clear­ly identify the vari­ance as his per­son­al views only. If there has not been, or if he has no knowl­edge of, any such policy de­ter­mi­na­tion, he shall nev­er­the­less identify his ut­ter­ance as his per­son­al views.




10/16/13

Fox News article about a Colorado transgender student 'harassing' girls in the bathroom is a lie

Fox News article "Girls 'Harassed' In School Bathroom By Transgender Student Told His Rights Trump Their Privacy" remains up even though the daily Mail  took down the article and the Examiner retracted their article and offered an apology to the student for not fact checking.

The Christian Broadcasting article about a Florence High School transgender student harassing cisgender girls in the bathroom which started all of this remains up even though it has been revealed as a total lie.

The Christian Broadcasting video:




Cristan Williams posted this interview with the town’s school superintendent.




Petition drive to force a vote on San Antonio's New Lgbt inclusive Ordinance fails



The petition drive to force a referendum on San Antonio's new LGBT inclusive ordnance led by pastor Pastor Gerald Ripley of Abundant Life Church failed to collect the 61,046 signatures needed.
MySA noted that the Cornerstone  was the only mega church that participated. I was part of Soulforce's 2009 effort to reach out to pastor Haggee at Cornerstone.

Evidently we failed at Cornerstone so at risk of sounding to smug I would like to dedicate this version of "Onward Christian Soldier" to Pastors Gerald Ripley and Haggee:

Onward, Fundie soldiers, kill a queer for Christ.
Wait! They are protected — Lord that burns our rice!

Once we ran the government, threw them to the cops,
Now we cannot do a thing but fume and grind our chops!

Slog on, Fundie soldiers, peddling hate and woe —
Now the mainstream shuns us, our lives really blow!