6/17/11

Adopted: First Ever UN Human Rights Resolution on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Today, on Friday June 17, 2011 the United Nations voted 23 in favour 19 against and abstentions to adopt its first ever human rights Resolution including gender diversity and sexual orientation.





L.9 Rev1 (14/06/11)

Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity

The Human Rights Council, Recalling the universality, interdependence, indivisibility and interrelatedness of human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and consequently elaborated in other human rights instruments such as the international Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other relevant core human rights instruments;

Recalling also that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in that Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status;

Recalling further GA resolution 60/251, which states that the Human Rights Council shall be responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in fair and equal manner;

Expressing grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

1. Requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to commission a study to be finalised by December 2011, to document discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, in all regions of the world, and how international human rights law can be used to end violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity;

2. Decides to convene a panel discussion during the 19th session of the Human Rights Council, informed by the facts contained in the study commissioned by High Commissioner and to have constructive, informed and transparent dialogue on the issue of discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity;

3. Decides also that the panel will also discuss the appropriate follow‐up to the
recommendations of the study commissioned by the High Commissioner;

4. Decides to remain seized with this priority issue.


Who voted what?

Yes": Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, UK, USA, Uruguay.

"No" : Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Moldova, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Uganda.

Abstentions: Burkina Faso, China, Zambia

Absent: Kyrgyzstan, Libya (suspended)

6/14/11

Houston PD Releases Transgender Murderers Composite Portrait

Have you seen this man? Call the police at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Nathan Eugene Davis died in the shooting, which occurred at the Canfield apartments at 13333 Northborough near Rushcreek about 12:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said officers who were dispatched to the complex on an emergency call about a shooting discovered Davis lying in the parking lot behind a trash container. Homicide investigators believed he was shot where his body was found, police said.

Davis was wearing a red dress, makeup and a wig, HPD Sgt. Colin Howard said today during a news conference when the sketch was released. Howard said Davis's friends told investigators Davis dressed as a woman.

Witnesses said they saw a man running from the area moments after the gunfire, Howard said. They also said they heard him talking on a cellular phone and that he wanted to be picked up. -->The Houston Chronicle

Get it for FREE! One Issue of FROCK the HOTEST TG Magazine EVER!


My Editor at FROCK the fastest growing online glossy TG magazine wants me to give it away for free. One Free copy that is. I love FROCK. Its informative, entertaining, a little sexy and the activism is in your face!

6/13/11

Two Spirits Murdered Today But In another time Honored

Durango Herald A boy remembered :"Ten years ago, 16-year-old Cortez resident Fred Martinez was murdered, bashed repeatedly with a heavy rock held by a man he met just that night. In what came to be central aspects of his death, Martinez was Navajo and described himself as “two-spirited,” a distinctly Native American term describing those who engender a male spirit and a female spirit."

"His death became another addition to a harrowing stream of hate crimes that have shocked the public with their brutality while also sparking unique conversations about two-spirited people and acts of intolerance against them."

Least we forget.

6/11/11

VA OKs Therapy and Hormones But not SRS


Why?

3. POLICY: It is VHA policy that medically necessary care is provided to enrolled or otherwise eligible intersex and transgender Veterans, including hormonal therapy, mental health care, preoperative evaluation, and medically necessary post-operative and long-term care following sex reassignment surgery. Sex reassignment surgery cannot be performed or funded by VHA or VA.

According to the June 9 2011 VHA DIRECTIVE 2011-024 "PROVIDING HEALTH CARE FOR TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX VETERANS" the VA is directed to diagnose, offer therapy and hormones but the VA is specifically ordered not to perform or pay for surgery.

That's like doing everything for a terminal cancer patient except remove the cancer!

Why not fix the plumbing?

According to the Transgender American Veterans Association "The VA is prohibited from accomplishing what is termed Gender Alteration, Gender Reorientation, or Genital Identity Revision. The last term effectively rules out even intersex corrective surgery."

[CITE: 38CFR17.38] Code of Federal Regulations Title 38, Chapter 17, Section 38.c)

How do we change that regulation?

6/10/11

Texas Gov Rick Perry + AFA Prayer Meeting = PROTEST!

Texas Governor presidential wannabe Rick Perry's latest hat hate trick has been met with a firestorm of condemnation coalescing advocates from a wide social spectrum. Perry's August "apolitical prayer meeting" at Houston's Reliant Stadium which is to be paid for by the American Family Association at his invitation, a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center has condemned as a hate group. Perry has invited all 49 other Governors to the August event but as of this post only Sam Brownback of KS has accepted. The Texas Freedom Network strongly condemns Rick Perry for Using Faith as a Political Weapon.



Wanna protest the scourge of religious demagogues being invited into politics by this tea party wannabe? The Facebook event asks only those who are going to be there click attending the "Protest of Rick Perry's Prayer Event" The event has carpooling pages for everyone in Texas to help us get there. Secular America has a editable email form for everyone outside Texas to ask there state governors not accept Perry's invitation . Contact Reliant Stadium . Tell them to stand by there commitment not to host events that are harmful to the community. I'll see you there.