Colorado Teens Protest Transphobic Schools

Colorado Springs Gazette.com Transgender teen decries hate at schools. A group of 25 Transgender teens and allies gathered to protest unacceptable treatment in Colorado High Schools and Colleges.

According to the protesters the shared experience of transphobia in school can be mainly attributed to a ignorant faculty who's binary conception of gender is reflected and amplified in the student bodies transphobic interactions.

When a person's gender identity is stifled by a unknowledgeable (ignorant) school faculty eventually the condition will become intolerable for the youth and can lead to the loss of that person to society.

When I attended a medical school I was humiliated by my instructors. Despite my best efforts before the semester began to introduce myself and subsequent strenuous objections I was constantly addressed with the wrong gender. I was allowed to use the faculties one stall woman's restroom, but this only increased my isolation and disenfranchisement. While in the halls the whispered degrading comments, laughter and finger pointing became increasingly frequent and blatant as students mimicked teachers unveiled bigotry making me extremely self conscious and eventually fearful for my very safety. Granted I was very early in transition and my appearance was not polished but the feeling of failure after escaping this intolerable situation was nearly unbearable. It was after all, my only life experience to that point.

Since then I have been successful in obtaining a physical appearance and mental state which nicely matches my gender and I am gainfully employed. My life has become meaningful and my passion for living intensely rewarding.

If we value all youth we must honor that obligation. All schools must work to become educated, understanding of, and sensitive to gender variant youth. It is a teachers obligation to afford equal opportunity to all not just the ones that fit effortlessly and conveniently in line with patriarchal preconceptions.

Related article Students protest dorm bigotry and violence

By kelli Busey
Dec 07, 2008
planetransgender

Support LGBT Measures passing in Cleveland

Date: Monday, December 8, 2008
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Cleveland City Hall
Street: 601 Lakeside Ave.
City/Town: Cleveland, OH

Google Maps

Contact Info Phone: 216-651-5428x12
Email: sdoerfer@lgbtcleveland.org

Please read the Action Alert below. We need as many people as possible to attend both the Finance Committee Hearing and the City Council Meeting on Monday Dec. 8th. Please do everything you can to be there yourself….and forward this to as many people as you can think of.



This is important as it sets a standard for other cities in Ohio! Even if you don't live in Cleveland it impacts YOU! Stand up for the rights of your community!

ACTION ALERT!

Friday Dec.

5th, 2008

The Legislation Committee of Cleveland City Council heard testimony on both the domestic partnership registry and inclusion of gender identity in the city's anti-discrimination law. Both measures passed on to the Finance Committee for hearing.



TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION

Your help is needed to ensure passage of this legislation.

There are several ways you can support this effort:

TODAY (Friday Dec. 5th)

Call your City Council representative (from where you live OR work) and ask them to support the Domestic Partner Registry and the Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Ordinances.

Ask 5 people to do the same thing!

MONDAY(Dec. 8th)

Attend the Finance Committee Hearing 9:45am - 12noon. The Finance Committee will be hearing both ordinances. Both Ordinances need to pass out of the Finance Committee for a vote of the Council.

Ask 5 of your friends to attend with you!

Attend the City Council Meeting 7pm to support the voting, and hopefully to celebrate passage, of these changes to Cleveland City Law. Come early to ensure a seat. Ask 10 of your friends to attend with you.

Cleveland City Hall
Council Chambers
601 Lakeside Avenue
Cleveland, OH

It is crucial that your city council representatives hear from their constituents so they know there is popular support for equality issues. It is important to show strong support through attendance at the Finance Committee Hearing and the City Council Meeting.

For further information or with questions, contact:
Sue Doerfer, sdoerfer@lgbtcleveland.org, 216-651-5428 x12



Sue Doerfer

Gainesville Florida gains in Equality Challenged

By kelli Busey
Dec. 06, 2008
planetransgender

Gainesville Florida a city of vision.

A misleading petition campaign which fostered fear of sexual predators is bringing to vote a proposed amendment whether to allow stand equality afforded presently by this cities laws. The petition campaign gathered the necessary votes by expounding on fear of sexual deviants who would for some reason would suddenly care about societies law and and attack woman in bathrooms now all people in Gainesville are allowed equal rights. This cities determination to protect it's citizenry is being brought to a vote on March 24, 2009.

>snip>

According to Gainesville.com Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan emphasized Thursday that without the city's added protections, it is perfectly legal for a business owner to refuse to serve a gay person or for a landlord to deny housing to a transgender individual.

She said the city has chosen to protect these people from discrimination.

"If you take away your community's right to do that and cede that right to the state, then you defacto say, that, 'OK, we are willing to allow those discriminations.' "

>snip<

The petition sponsor "Citizens for Good Public Policy" who orginally objected to transgender people being included in human rights objected to the wording the Council choose for the proposed admendment which clarified which class of people would loose protection as "Gender Idenity" should the admendment pass.

Glaad: Demand The New York Times Discontinues Anti Gay Advertisement

From the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD.)

In the December 5, 2008 edition of The New York Times, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty published a full page advertisement that makes inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims about supposed “violence and intimidation” against religious groups by “mobs” since the passage of Proposition 8.

The New York Times needs to hear from you. Contact them TODAY and demand that they discontinue allowing inaccurate claims in their advertising.

By kelli Busey
Dec. 5, 2008
planetransgender

Milk in Utah!

From Equality Utah:

Equality Utah is pleased to announce the December 5th opening of MILK at Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Centre Cinemas – 111 East 300 South in Salt Lake City. MILK is based on the life of Harvey Milk.

Gay Rights Activist. Friend. Lover. Unifier. Politician. Fighter. Icon. Inspiration. Hero. Harvey Milk’s life changed history, and his courage changed lives.

In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights.

Following each show this weekend and next, Equality Utah volunteers will be in the theater lobby distributing information on our Common Ground Initiative. We are inspired by Harvey Milk and his ability to connect with voters of all persuasions. We hope to follow Harvey's example with this initiative and build a broad network of support. By doing so, we will secure rights for gay and transgender Utahns.

Show times at The Broadway are as follows:

1:00
2:00
4:00
5:00
7:00
8:00
9:40

Please take the time to see this powerful movie, invite your friends and family and prepare to be inspired!

Working for a fair & just Utah,

Mike Thompson
Executive Director

Sign the Common Ground Initiative Petition of Support!

Students Protest Dorm Bigotry and violence while established gay community parties

THE GAZETTE Dec 3, 2008: UCCS Students protest physical and verbal attacks while according to a Dec. 3 Market Place article the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado conragulations self across town on making Colorado a friendly state for LGBT people.

Hundreds of Gay Lesbian and Transgender students University of Colorado, Colorado Springs protested the unsafe conditions on the UCCS campus while in the same city the established Gay community was wearing a hole in there shirts patting themselves on the back for "for Making the State a more Welcoming Place for Everybody"

Concerns that gay, bisexual and transgender students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs have felt unsafe on campus this semester and have experienced verbal and physical harassment drew hundreds of people to a peaceful rally on campus Wednesday.

Contact the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado and make sure that they are aware that our youth are in peril.

kelli Busey
Dec. 4, 2008
planetransgender