9/17/09

My Worst Nightmare Lunch with Coworkers and the "Maury Show - Man or Women?"

Imagine when approaching your break room for lunch to be greeted with shouts "oh no I won't do that, he's really guy' and a non stop cascade of laughter and jeers as coworkers compared factual features and body types of contestants as they tried to 'trick' the studio audience into believing they were born woman.
Maury Show - Man or Women?


To a cisgender man or woman this maybe great fun. To a transgender person who has just started working part time after being unemployed and homeless for 8 months, this is your worst nightmare.

To put this into context. Imagine that you are one of the many ethnic people who were in the break room and were compelled to remain quite as coworkers bet on a contest if your parents and family were "Real Americans" by determining if their backs were wet or dry. Winner remains, losers shipped to a 'resettlement' camp or homelessness.

Or maybe you were a informed intelligent person in the break room or perhaps a closeted homosexual. Either way you could not hold my gaze as I stood in front of the TV and explained why I was so insulted by this show.

Do the last two scenarios seem a little ridiculous? That is true. Human rights have been earned and laws enacted that require society to respect ethnicity. It is expected and required.

Closeted homosexuals are so scared to be 'outed' they are among the most homophobic, transphobic and shameful of all and remain indiscernible to most.

Transgender people do not have that respect yet. Unlike LGB people most of us do not have the option of invisablity. However, transgender people are striving towards workplace equity with ENDA. Unfortunately there will be Judases like these people on the Maury Show who would sell their humanity for money and a chance for momentary fame.

Until societies mores change I will be compelled to stand up for my dignity and human rights whether it is in a break room, a transphobic Church or a bigoted politician.

Today I am meeting with HR to explain my mysterious I behaviour in the Lunch room that day. I will answer why I shut the TV off after what may have seemed to some in the room as irrational behaviour.

Wish me luck.

Fred Karger founder of "Californians Against Hate" Subpoenaed!

Picture courtesy of Latter Day Chino The as yet unanswered notice to reveal the NOM funders as required by law.

Prop. 8 Supporters Subpoena Activist Who Revealed Contributors

Source dailyjournal.com

"SACRAMENTO In its continuing efforts to protect the identity of those who bankrolled the campaign to pass Proposition 8, lawyers for The National Organization for Marriage have issued a subpoena for one of the leaders behind the opposition, Californians Against Hate founder Fred Karger, who led boycotts and created websites outing top contributors."
"The subpoena compels Karger to produce the group's financial records and all communications and documentation regarding affiliated websites and the dissemination of donor information. It also directs him to appear for a deposition on October 13th."
"This is harassment and they are trying to silence me," said Karger, who points out that he's not a party to the case. "I'm a citizen activist, and my organization is just me, funded entirely by myself versus the power of a group who has millions and millions of dollars behind it."

Source: Mike Tidmus Blog NOM subpoenas Fred Karger

"According to a press release sent a few minutes ago by Californians Against Hate, the group’s founder, Fred Karger, has been hit with a subpoena ordering him to produce the organization’s financial records and correspondence and to appear for a 13 October deposition. Clearly Karger’s complaints, filed in California and Maine, have the National Organization for Marriage’s collective knickers in a knot. This is, obviously, nothing more than a blatant attempt by NOM’s Maggie Gallagher to throw her considerable weight behind a shameless legal maneuver intended to suppress her opposition and conceal the sources of NOM’s substantial and mysterious funding."

Support the upcoming ENDA Congressional Hearing on 9/23/09


Join the "Hearing on Inclusive ENDA" Facebook group, and get info on how to contact the committee members in and near your state.

Go to the Facebook page for more information.

We are rapidly moving towards a vote. Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their party.

Jillian T. Weiss
Co-Chair, Inclusive ENDA

Memnosyne Foundation

World peace!



What we do this moment directly affects people around the globe. It is our responsibility to make this a GOOD Thing! Please watch this video and pause to reflect. Did that coffee purchase mean? What does that extra tank of gas a week do? What can we do? Did 9/11 have to happen?

When in history can we recount acts of violence precluded violence?

http://www.memnosyne.org/

9/16/09

Courage Campaign: Urge your Congressmember to co-sponsor the Respect Marriage Act


From: The Courage Campaign

"The Defense of Marriage Act unfairly singles out legally married same-sex couples for inequitable treatment, denying those couples the protections and responsibilities cited over 1,100 times in federal statute that otherwise apply to married couples."

"Ask your Representative to co-sponsor the Respect Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA as an important first step towards full equality. Remind them that we won’t stop until we reach full equality for all Americans."

Click Here to speak out for Equality!

Ohio House of Representatives passed H 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act.


Anti-Discrimination Law Passes Ohio House of Representatives
History is made in Ohio

Today, with a vote of 56 to 39, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act. The historice vote marks the first time in Ohio that a vote on the floor of the Ohio General Assembly has occurred on legislation protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The bill now moves to the Senate.

This win would not have been possible without years of hard work and dedication to change from activists across Ohio . Congratulations and thank you to everyone who played such a vital role in making today a reality.

Please take a moment to find your legislator's name below and click on the link to either thank them or express your disappointment.

Voting YES were (Democrats) Stewart, Belcher, Bolon, Book, Boyd, Budish, Brown, Carney, Celeste, Chandler, DeBose, DeGeeter, Domenick, Dodd, Driehaus, Dyer, Foley, Garland, Garrison, Gerberry, Goyal, Hagan, Harris, Harwood, Heard, Koziura, Letson, Luckie, Lundy, Mallory, Moran, Murray, Newcomb, Okey, Otterman, Phillips, Pillich, Pryor, Sayre, Schneider, Skindell, Slesnick, Sykes, Szollosi, Ujvagi, Weddington, B. Williams, S. Williams, Winburn, Yates, Yuko. (Republicans) McGregor, Blair, Dolan, Hite, Lehner. Click here to thank them.

Voting NO were (Republicans) J. Adams, R. Adams, Amstutz, Bacon, Baker, Balderson, Batchelder, Blessing, Bubp, Burke, Combs, Coley, Daniels, Derickson, Evans, Gardner, Goodwin, Grossman, Hackett, Hall, Hottinger, Huffman, Jordan, Maag, Mandel, Martin, McClain, Mecklenborg, Morgan, Oelslager, Ruhl, Sears, Snitchler, Stautberg, Stebelton, Uecker, Wachtman, Wagner, and Zehringer. Click here to express your disappointment

Absent: Boose, Fende and Patten

Celebrate with us tonight beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Union, 782 N. High St., Columbus
sign up for Equality Ohio Action Center.