3/15/14

Pennsylvania AG Kathleen G. Kane, Transgender people demand justice for Nizah Morris

Two days after a courtesy ride by Philadelphia police on December 22, 2002 transgender woman Nizah Morris died at a Philadelphia hospital of a subdural hematoma, the result traumatic blows to her head. Her family believes that police murdered her and have received a $250,000 dollar settlement in civil court where it is easier to fix blame, but her murder remains unsolved today.

Morris's murder is such a sore point that on new year's day the Philadelphia DA and I became engaged in a heated Twitter conversation after I published a detailed summary of the events leading to her death







Here's what we know. The police report on her death was 'lost' and not was not recovered until eight years later in 2011.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's office refuses to make public crucial information regarding their investigation into transgender woman Nizah Morris' murder.

Two police advisory commissions have been convened to investigate. Nether were allowed to disclose what they learned from the Philadelphia District attorney's records but the second reconstituted commission recognizing they had reached the end of their legal tether issued this statement:

We therefore intend to forward a copy of this advisory opinion to both the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the federal Department of Justice, and urge both agencies to review the facts and the Police Department’s investigation in the Nizah Morris homicide.

As much as the Philly DA would love it there are many of us who will not stop demanding justice for Nizah Morris. There is a group of concerned citizens who meet frequently to strategize.



Source PGN

Nizah committee to contact city, state pols

Advocates for Nizah Morris say they’ll contact city and state lawmakers for help in obtaining a state probe into the transwoman’s death. 
Morris, 47, became a homicide victim in 2002, shortly after entering a police vehicle for a “courtesy ride.” The case remains unsolved, and advocates want Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane to step in. 
At this week’s meeting of the Justice for Nizah committee, members agreed that support from elected officials could help persuade Kane to intervene. 
Jason Goodman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, said he’ll contact the Pennsylvania LGBT Equality Caucus, composed of state legislators who support equality for LGBT Pennsylvanians. 
“With every delay, more community stakeholders are invested in securing justice for Nizah Morris,” Goodman told PGN. “The movement for a complete investigation will be made stronger by state legislators taking a stand for Nizah. The Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition will work as swiftly as possible with our partners in the state government to advance her case.”

Transgender advocate Jordan Gwendolyn Davis said she’ll contact Philadelphia City Council, to urge that a resolution be passed in support of a state probe.

“I believe it would be very powerful if Philadelphia City Council supported an independent probe into the Nizah Morris case,” Davis told PGN. “While City Council made our city one of the most trans-friendly in the nation, it would all be in vain if they ignored the epidemic of violence against transwomen, especially transwomen of color.”


Ms. Davis told planetransgender in a statement "I believe that it is necessary that there be an independent probe. With great power comes great responsibility, and the police deserve scrutiny in this case. If the police and DA do not release full unredacted documents, it will be the position of the transgender community that there isn't much difference between cops and street criminals."

The next meeting of the J4N committee is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 19 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. The public is invited to attend.


Mississippi law legalizing discrimination passes both houses, travel advisory issued

You can buy a tee shirt with this image on it from
the KKK

Some things remain the same.


The House and now the Mississippi Senate has passed a bill making it legal for a person to sue for an infringement of their religious beliefs.

Here's the unbelievable part. The act doesn't have to be committed, the offended party only has to believe it will or could happen.

Seeking to squelch public outrage and legal concerns the law will be discussed three times publicly in committee.

Source Jackson Free Press "The Mississippi House of Representatives passed the RFRA—Senate Bill 2681—proposal 80 to 37 after its Republican sponsors, in a face-saving move, amended it to create a legislative study panel. The amended bill keeps a provision that would add the phrase "In God We Trust" into the state seal, but removes controversial language that civil-liberties groups argued could clear the way for Jim Crow-style legalized discrimination."

"After dispensing with most other items on the calendar, the House went into a series of recesses in an apparent attempt for the Republican leadership to convince fellow Republicans to support the bill. When it became clear that the votes were not there, Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, offered the study committee as an alternative."

"It is our First Amendment right to worship the God we want to worship," said Gipson, who added that protecting that right was too important to outright kill SB 2681.

"We need a well-reasoned bill that protects our religious freedom," Gipson said.


The fox guarding the hen house.

The bill will then go to the governor, who originally requested the law, for his signature.

The main proponent behind the bill, Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He had the outrageous audacity to suggest in a audio message  failing to enact the law would enable a KKK member to demand a Jewish deli owner cater their cross burning.

Is he serious? It's no secret who's under those sheets Mohler, it was your so called 'christians' And yes your ability to discriminate is now under national and state scrutiny. And yes you're discriminatory message is falling on sparse crowds.

But they are fighting back.

Christain Action Center alert and the link to the Southern Baptist leader's
supportive audio message




The local chapter of GetEqual has issued a travel alert. Some would consider that hyperbol but I can tell you as a former truck driver from the south it's words to the wise.

Christian bigotry embedded in KKK mentality is live and well in Mississippi, and that's dangerous.


3/14/14

Transgender woman Monica Jones stands trial today for walking while trans and refusing Catholic "Project Rose"

Monica Jones was arrested one night after protesting Arizona's failed religious anti LGBT legislation for 'manifesting prostitution" while walking while trans.

Since Jones hadn't been previously charged with similar 'crimes' Ms. Jones was offered a deferral if she enrolled in the Catholic "Project Rose" and successfully completed it.

However, Ms. Jones is fighting back refusing the plea and religious programming despite being repeatedly harassed by police.

Moskal-Dairman is certain her friend was profiled, saying Jones was stopped multiple times after the initial run-in with the undercover officer and that SWOP-Phoenix has video of police profiling Jones and using discriminatory language against her.

“She was profiled as a sex worker because she’s a trans woman of color. She is not guilty,” Moskal-Dairman said.

Jones has sequentially becoming a local and national icon for the woman previously targeted by this program with it's 70% fail rate.

The programs co founder was recorded in the video below saying she believes that once a woman prostitutes herself she will forever remain burdened with shame.

Once you have prostituted yourself,  having so many body parts in your body, and doing so many weird and freaky things you can never have not have not prostituted.

No argument there. Once you become indoctrinated with Catholicism you will be forever shameful.

Monica isn't the first one to suffer the consequences of speaking up. Al Jazeera reporter Jordan Flaherty was fired and his 2013 article "Arizona's tenacious laws against sex workers US state's initiative that aimed to improve prostitutes' lives has brought "no real reform" as harsh penalties persist" was deleted. You can still read Jordans article here.

Update!
Monica's trial has been postponed due to a constitutional challenge to the Manifestation of Intent to Prostitute’ Statute. Read about it at here


Sex Work In Phoenix from news clips on Vimeo.

Al Jazeera has since published a watered down version of their original article but RT has taken up the slack by publishing Sex workers in Arizona given choice of therapy in church or arrest.

The Young Turks hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian brake it down, jail or church.







3/13/14

Commission's study finds no reason to ban transgender people from military service

A study on the feasibility of transgender troops in the military was released today by the Palm Center. The commission co-chaired by former US Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders and former Coast Guard Director of Health and Safety Alan Steinman found that the ban on transgender service was not only unreasonable but empirically unsound.

The Palm Center study which was funded by a billionaire transgender woman from Chicago, retired colonel Jennifer Natalya Pritzker, reported that the commission.....

"..[] finds no compelling medical rationale for banning transgender military service.."
The Military has changed many of it's regulations to reflect the updated DSM but hasn't done this regarding transgender service even though the DSM no longer classifies gender diversity as a mental illness.

Brynn Tannehill, Advocacy coordinator for Sparta an organization advocating for LGBT inclusion in the US military issued this statement:  
"The Elders Report validates some of the things we have seen from our transgender service members in SPARTA. Transgender people have served, currently serve, and will continue to serve - Marines, pilots, medics, foot soldiers, intelligence specialists, submariners, in every field - with honor and distinction. We are more than capable."

The United States Military ranks number 40 out of 103 countries studied by The Hague Commission  regarding LGBT inclusion. The survey found the United States low ranking was mainly due to the exclusion of transgender people.

Retired Brigadier General Thomas Kolditz, a former Army commander and West Point professor on the commission, said he thinks allowing transgender people to serve openly would reduce gender-based harassment, assaults and suicides while enhancing national security.
"When you closet someone, you create a security risk, and we don't need another Chelsea Manning," Kolditz said, referring to the soldier formerly known as Bradley Manning who came out as transgender after being sentenced for leaking classified documents to the website WikiLeaks.
Source SF Gate

The findings by the Palm Center and the Hague studies will undoubtedly be challenged by the likes of the Center for Military Readiness. Although founded by a woman the center has opposed woman in combat roles and recently derided Chelsea Manning's transition.


3/9/14

Manoj Shahi Monika may become the first transgender person to successfully climb Mount Everest

Manoj Shahi Monika, a third gender from Kailali, Nepal could be the first documented transgender person to climb Mount Everest, but to do that the 35 year old must first make summit. The climb made famous by the book Into Thin Air is fraught with dangers that have maimed and killed many who have tempted fate.

There is a saying in mountaineering "Getting up is optional and getting down is mandatory."

“I cannot afford to miss the opportunity to make the record for climbing Everest as the member from the LGBT community,” said Monika, who wants to be listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

"Third Sex" photo Blue Diamond Society

Monika dreams to flutter the national flag together with a banner of Blue Diamond Society, an organisation working for LGBT community in Nepal, at the top of the peak.

However, Monika isn't the first transgender person to be on Mount Everest, not by a long shot. Nineteen years before Hillary and Norgay successful summit, British climber Maurice Wilson attempted and possibly reached the peak. Little is known or written about Wilson's 1933 climb because she was transgender, or mad, as gender diversity was deemed then.

A transgender woman, Jan Morris, known at the time as James, had the coveted role as the sole reporter on the mountain when Hillary and Norgay made the first known successful climb.

I haven't been able to locate any further information about Monika's expedition but being the Mount Everest aficionado that I am I will certainly update this when I learn more.

The highest peak in the world 


Pussy Riot horse whipped, pepper sprayed by police in Sochi and attacked in a McDonalds


Russian punk group Pussy Riot is attacked by Cossack militia as they try to perform under a sign for the Sochi Olympics.

Cossack militia attacked the Pussy Riot punk group with horsewhips on Wednesday as the group staged an impromptu performance under a sign advertising the Sochi Olympics.
Six group members — five women and one man — donned their signature ski masks and were pulling out a guitar and microphone when at least 10 Cossacks and other security officials moved in.

One guard appeared to use pepper spray, another whipped several group members while others ripped off their masks and threw the guitar in a rubbish bin.

Police arrived and questioned witnesses, but no one was arrested.

Source: APTN

"No one was arrested" even though the attack on Pussy Riot violates Federal law adopted by the Duma "ensuring the implementation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation established the rights of Russian citizens to assemble peacefully without arms, hold meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets."



Then in March Putin's murderers attacked Maria and Nadia while they were eating in a McDonald's after visiting prisoners in the stalag they were jailed in. Western soldiers, take a good look at the thugs attacking these woman. Its a very good possibility the next place you see them will be on the battlefield. Be ready.