Ugandan transgender fugitive Pepe Julian Onziema

Imagine being a law abiding citizen yet living in fear for your life, having been stoned by neighbors and falsely imprisoned by your government, and your only crime?

Being transgender!

KAMPALA, Jan 29, 2010 (IPS) - Every morning Pepe Julian Onziema wakes up not knowing if she will live to see another rising sun. Onziema is transgender and she lives in fear for her life because of a national campaign against gay people.

Although she has done nothing wrong, Onziema lives like a fugitive - always on the lookout to avoid trouble.

Her days are spent in fear and as darkness descends she securely locks the doors to her flat in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb where she lives with her partner.

Onziema is a well-known activist and the national programmes coordinator of Sexual Minorities Uganda, an advocacy network of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisations. She has appeared on television several times defending the rights of LGBTs. But it has not made her life any easier.

Just like other LGBTs in her country Onziema has been arrested; spat on; attacked; insulted and even stoned by neighbours.Read the rest at IPS RIGHTS-UGANDA: Fugitives in Their Own Country

Equality Utah amazing progress in five legislative days

I was along with many others, so profoundly effected by the Mormons contribution to the passage of prop 8 became intensely interested in Saltlake cities newly formed GLBT groups.

Like a flickering candle of hope in the mountains, Utah's equality birthright was a battlefield where every attempt to find common ground was met by the goverment and the LDS with stifling overpowering opposition, threatening to extinguish the very human spirit of those courageous early campaigners for equality.

Astonishingly, Utah may emerge as a bright star of fairness if progress is maintained. Many of us are now hopefull.

From Equality Utah:

Equality Utah has been working with Representative Christine Johnson and Senator Howard Stephenson on a Fair Workplace and Housing Bill.

Today at a press conference, Leadership of both the House and Senate along with Representative Johnson and Senator Stephenson agreed to engage in an anti-discrimination study related to Housing and Employment during the Interim Session.

It was also announced that there will be NO PREEMPTIVE BILLS.

Both of these announcements represent incredibly positive developments, especially in light of what was potentially underway during this Legislative Session.

This means that we truly have the opportunity to find Common Ground in the state of Utah. Stakeholders and interested parties have agreed to continue the dialogue to gather pertinent information through the study sponsored by Rep. Johnson and Sen. Stephenson.

Most importantly, just 5 days in to the 2010 Session, we managed to defeat 5 negative bills.

• Two were outright preemptions that would have stopped ANY non-discrimination Ordinances from being enacted, including those that were already passed.

• Two were focused on stripping housing protections from the Housing and Workplace bill.

• One would have gutted the Human Rights Ordinances by allowing religious "Adherents" to discriminate.

Equality Utah is committed to providing these critical protections in Housing and Employment, and will continue to work with all stakeholders until full equality is achieved.

Working for a fair and just Utah,

Brandie Balken
Executive Director

Salt Lake Tribune'Dramatic jump' with Utahns for gay rights "More want SLC's rules to go statewide; marriage, adoption don't gain traction."

Pay Your Respects to Myra Ical This Saturday

Pay Your Respects to Myra This Saturday

Friends and family of Myra Ical would like to invite the community to pay their last respects on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Santana Funeral Home located at 5352 Katy Freeway (corner of I-10 & T C Jester).

Myra Ical was a Houston transgender woman who was brutally murdered January 18th and whose memory was imediatly slandered by media. The community spoke out against the slander and organized the largest TG action in Houston's history.After the community spoke up, the media corrected their portrayal of Myra's life and death, the request for information leading to the arrest of Myra's killer was carried on practically all Houston media and we now know the name of a person of interest.

Myra's friends were moved beyond words by the response from the community. Many of them shared stories about Myra's life - especially her compassion - with me. Myra's family and friends asked me to extend this invitation to help them say goodbye to their loved one and our sister, Myra Ical between the hours of 1 and 9 PM this Saturday.

Thank you,
Cristan Williams

Tyra Banks Show Transgender Children with Cameos from Kim Pearson and Dr. Marci Bowers

Families of transgender children compassionately undertake the momentous task of educating Tyra Banks about transgender youth....like finger painting a Monet so that Tyra and more people might appreciate our children's wonderful rainbows.....





Just love your children unconditionally and know you are not alone.



This is something much deeper than just a physical thing.



At this point supposed "expert" makes a case for the disbarment of Kenneth Zucker.



Tyra Banks is obsessed throughout the show with the physical differences that the sexes have as if she believes that these differences alone predicate our genders. Then Tyra goes to show how just how shallow she is by embarrassing a post op transgender woman with a demonstration on how to pee with out sitting down. Tyra then tells her that "OK now that you are a real girl" you have to wipe the toilet seat clean. OMG!!

If thats what real woman do then why is the ladies room toilet seats covered with pee so often?

just asking

But the real tragedy is the wounding of transgender children everywhere as Banks again surprised her guests, but not with a unexpected act of goodwill. Banks blindsided the advocate who's good will brought the innocent children to the show, Kim Pearson of the TYFA, and world renowned SRS surgeon DR. Marci Bowers with a short unprovoked attack by a very obnoxious man who's religious views compelled him to shout over any objections that Marci or Kim presented.

I once asked Kim why she formed the TYFA and she responded, it's what a mother would do. The look in Kim's and Marcie's eyes as they leaped in defense of the children was like mother lions protecting their offspring, purely primordial and fearsome.

It was what a mother does.

To our transgender children. You are our blessing and we love you so very much.

Glaad Blog “The Tyra Show” Features Transgender Children and Their Families

Prop 8 testimony wraps UP proponents of gay marriage ecstatic "WE DEMOLISHED THEIR CASE"

Click on picture for raw video of statement.

The opponents of prop 8 said they were satisfied that the testimony of both sides validated their argument that gay marriage was not a threat to the present day traditional institution of heterosexual marriage.

The opponents of prop 8 said that the testimony of both sides established their contention that children of same sex couples suffer from not being allowed the security of being raised by married parents.

The testimony of the proponents of prop 8 established they did not do analytical research to validate their contention that same sex marriage would threaten "traditional" heterosexual marriage and their their own testimony established that prop 8 was conceived, organized and funded mainly by religions that have homophobic histories dating back thousands of years.

My opinion: I beleive the only tradition being threatened is the institutionalized right of religion to hold people of it's choice to positions of vulnerability and subservience.

The opponents of prop 8 appeared to be satisfied that their case for overturning prop 8 was won on all counts by testimony from both sides.

Source San Francisco Chronicle 01-27) 17:51 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- "Testimony in the federal court trial over California's Proposition 8 ended Wednesday in San Francisco with an advocate of male-female marriage maintaining that the rights of gays and lesbians must give way to society's interest in promoting traditional families.

Sponsors of the 2008 constitutional amendment called David Blankenhorn, founder of the Institute for American Values, to make the case that allowing gay and lesbian weddings would weaken marriage - a potentially decisive issue in the clash over the ballot measure's constitutionality.

In two days of testimony, Blankenhorn predicted fewer heterosexual marriages and more divorces and one-parent households if marital rights are extended to homosexuals.

But a lawyer for gay and lesbian couples challenging Prop. 8 confronted Blankenhorn with his declaration in a 2007 book, "The Future of Marriage," that "we would be more American" if same-sex marriage were legalized. Blankenhorn sought to reconcile his statements Wednesday, saying gay and lesbian couples and their children would benefit but marriage as a whole would suffer.

Although same-sex partners deserve "equal dignity," Blankenhorn said, their interests conflict with every child's right to have a mother and father.

As he wrote in his book, he said, "the rights of gays and lesbians should take second place to the needs of an existing social institution," traditional marriage."

H. R. 4530, the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA)

Polis Seeks to Protect LGBT Students from Discrimination in Schools through Introduction of Student Non-Discrimination Act

Press Contact: Lara Cottingham (202) 225-5693

Washington, Jan 27- Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), a leading proponent of equality in education, today introduced historic legislation—H. R. 4530, the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA)—that would protect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) students by establishing a comprehensive Federal prohibition of discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity and provide victims with meaningful and effective remedies. Thus far, SNDA has 60 original co-sponsors.

“Every day innocent students fall victim to relentless harassment and discrimination from teachers, staff, and fellow students based on their sexual orientation,” said Polis. “These actions not only hurt our students and our schools but, left unchecked, can also lead to life-threatening violence. Like Title VI for minorities in the 60s and Title IX for women in the 70s, my legislation puts LGBT students on an equal footing with their peers, so they can attend school and get a quality education, free from fear.”

While Federal civil rights statutes expressly address discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin, they do not explicitly include sexual orientation or gender identity and, as a result, LGBT students and parents have often had limited legal recourse for this kind of discrimination. By establishing a comprehensive Federal prohibition of discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity and empowering victims with meaningful and effective remedies (loss of federal funding and legal cause of action for victims) for discrimination, SNDA represents an enormous step toward safe public schools for all kids, regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation.

“Hatred has no place in the classroom,” said Polis. “Every student has the right to an education free from harassment and violence. This bill will protect the individual freedoms of our students and enshrine the values of equality and opportunity in our classrooms.”

Polis, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and Co-Chairman of the House LGBT Equality Caucus, is a former chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education and has founded and served as the superintendent of charter schools serving at-risk student populations.

Congress.org Bio Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO 2nd District)