3/9/12

Khloe Kardashian: We Don't Talk Like That In Texas, "Homo" and "Tranny" Don't Fly


Khloe Kardashian, a newcomer to Dallas said in this video she never felt such a sincere welcome as she did when she arrived here from LA attributing the hugs to southern hospitality.
Well, I think I can speak for most Texans and say we are glad you feel at home here Khloe. Welcome, but......



.....the next thing we know you're calling people homo's and using the "T" word while hosting on Mix 102.9 Radio. Then you went on to proclaim herself the 'queen bee' of our community to validate your're use of LGBT defamation. Listen to the audio of the show below......



Well Khloe, here some genuine southern advice. Here gay, transgender and allied people talk respectfully about each other. We don't defame transgender people with 'tranny', and we do not call people 'homo's as you did on your radio show. If you truly want to be a 'queen bee' you first must work in the hive, learn how people act and gain our respect.

3/7/12

Ryder Morrison: Not You're Generic Pop Star!

I had the pleasure of interviewing upcoming pop singer song writer Ryder Morrison for the March issue Frock Magazine and I'd like to share some of that.

Ryder Morrison (formerly known as Ryder Monroe) is more than just an up and coming recording star, she is a transgender woman doing a unique form of advocacy with her talents.

She is also a transgender person who realized that her potential far exceeded the conditions imposed on her by society. She used that knowledge and faith in herself to begin transitioning into who we know today, an exciting vibrant gifted woman. The next big thing!



Kelli: Ryder, thank you for interviewing with Frock. When we connected on
Twitter I visited your Sound Cloud site. You have a extraordinarily
beautifully voice, with a rich masculine texture but there's a layered
quality that makes it special. You are transgender so your femininity
shines through.

Many of us including myself, are reluctant to use the telephone. Its
embarrassing to have to constantly remind people to call us by
feminine pronouns so the thought of making music would seem
impossible.

Please tell us about your experiences in the music industry marketing
your voice having recently signed with a label.

Ryder: "Mach 1 Music, headed by super-producer Eddie Galan is a publishing company that recently signed me as a songwriter. I'm still actively looking for a contract as a recording artist, and building fan base through youtube, performing, and LGBT* outreach."

"Marketing my voice with a label as a singer has been difficult. When people
first hear my music they are intrigued and impressed at the artist but when they find out that the rich, rock-infused tenor is coming from a beautiful woman, they are almost always confused as the sound is coming from a man, so they think. It never fails. I always get the question,

"But this is a guy singing!?" and the point where I'm forced to come out as
trans* arrives much quicker than I'd typically prefer."

"I've rarely had anyone come outright with their bigotry upon learning of my
transgender status. I get a lot of "I don't want to judge," and "I still love your
music and think you are so talented!" but at the end of the day, once producers and managers learn of my trans* status I can never get a retweet, an email response, or a call back."

"My regular speaking voice, as people can hear in my youtube videos or in
every day conversation with me, is very feminine and actually nothing like my edgy, raspy, singingvoice. What people don't understand is how much muscle control it takes to train a once male-sounding voice to achieve a naturally feminine, passable range.
Almost every trans* singer will tell you it's impossible to train your singing voice in the same waywe can with our speaking voice and maintain the quality and control needed to be successful in the first place. I'd rather be able to sing naturally, and sing well than lose my skill level and authenticity in sounding "female". Unfortunately it's a catch 22for any transgender artist looking to breakthrough in the mainstream music industry."

Kelli: For many Male to Female transsexuals our voices have seemed an almost
insurmountable obstacle to achieving the older concept of 'passing', a
fact not missed as we were humiliated recently by Neil Patrick Harris.
Thoughts?*

Ryder: "I hate the way that people view our community as a whole, even within the LGBT* community, and amongst our supposed "allies". Public figures have been quick to humiliate and deride transgender people as sub-human, and less-than in their rants and more "light-hearted" jokes. A good example of this are noted celebrities Neil Patrick Harris and Kelly Osbourne."

"It upsets me that organizations that are meant to protect the integrity of our community are quick to give these celebrities a pass, and a pat on the back after receiving a quick apology that was more than likely career and politically motivated. Not to mention the so eloquently written articles and blogs these celebrities write in their support of the LGBT* community, which I'm more than convinced are headed up by their PR people. People forget how much words do have an impact. Transgender people are brutally murdered every day, and it's attitudes like the ones the celebrities have matched with the careless tossing around of words to mass media outlets that further fuels this hatred and disgust of transgender people. It's not fair, it's not right and I am so ready to have my soapbox to infect this industry with change."


"In the past, gender non-conforming artists like David Bowie, Billy Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel, and even more recently Jefree Star, have been able to easily gain mainstream acceptance and popularity. It's totally baffling and frustrating that as a transwoman I'm looked at in a completely different way. I live my life authentically and everything I am is represented in my artistry and my advocacy. I aim to be America's first transgender pop star and I know this goal is achievable with the support of the LGBT* community here in the states and abroad."

************

Ryder, I for one will stand with you and do everything I can to see that your dreams are realized.

Interview continues on Frock
.....

Ryder facebook and Ryder Morrison on Twitter

3/3/12

Open Letter to WBAP Arlington Texas: Drop Rush Limbaugh

Although in truthfulness, I am not a fan of talk radio, I have always been less a fan of Rush Limbaugh. And now he has crossed the line of human decency using his media platform of which your radio station is a part of to slander a young woman.

Limbaugh brags he has a network of 600 Radio Stations. to amplify his word.

As I am sure you are aware of, Limbaugh used your radio station to call Sandra Fluke a "slut" and "prostitute" for testifying in front of congress in favor of publicly funded contraceptives.

Limbaugh stated on the air if she wanted to get publicly funded contraceptives he wanted something for his money, he wanted to watch her having sex. That's sick.

And he said that on your radio station.

Rush Limbaugh's words have have enraged people of all political and religious beliefs.

As of this posting Limbaugh has lost six sponsors, been rebuked by the Catholic University Ms. Fluke attends and even the president of the United States who has consoled Ms. Fluke in response to Limbaugh's attack.

As a resident of Arlington and a fellow Texan I as you to please discontinue broadcasting this mans hateful rhetoric.

Thank you,

Kelli Ann Busey
Founder
Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies (DTAA)

2/28/12

INFORMED CONSENT: The True Path For Transgender Treatment

Informed Consent, what a concept!

The AMA begins its definition of informed consent as:
Informed consent is more than simply getting a patient to sign a written consent form.
It is a process of communication between a patient and physician that results in the patent's authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention.
This Campus Progress article suggests instead of the clinical gate-keeping method of admitting a person is a transsexual, which the APA now uses, we simply use informed consent to begin the process of transition.

Informed consent verse pathologization.

PATHOLOGIZE: to view or characterize as medically or psychologically abnormal.

One interview to obtain informed consent to begin transition as opposed to the unbearably long and quite often frustratingly unyielding process of vetting unknowledgeable therapists who never had a clue about transsexualism or any inclination to recommend hormone replacement in the first place. Gone would be the fallacy being forced to live a 'real life test' separates the pretenders. At that early state of transition we are at our most vulnerable. That concept is one which is long over due to be trashed!

The truth is, most transsexuals have successfully transitioned in spite of the DSM, not because of it!

That is why transgender people and those who truly care for our mental and physical well being are no longer using the DSM Regardless of Proposed Revisions as the standard of care. We have by default been using informed consent for years without naming the process!

Now we have a name and you can join with 5000 on facebook and sign our petition to the DSM to remove transgender from the DSM.

Become informed on the ICATH home page and on Facebook.

2/26/12

Federal Government Announces New Grants Available For Transgender Research

A watershed moment for transgender medical research is upon us. It is imparitive the research is conducted by people with our best interests in mind and people other than those who believe reparative therapy is the end all answer to transsexualism.

The Federal government has realized the medical system has failed the LGBT population in general, and for this post transgender people in particular.

From the Grant information Part 1. Overview Information

Recent data from national health surveys and targeted studies suggest that prevalence rates for some health conditions are higher among LGBTI populations than for the general population. There is evidence that LGBTI individuals delay health care treatment because they fear stigmatization or because their experiences have led them to believe that many health care providers lack knowledge and experience working with LGBTI individuals. There is also evidence that LGBTI individuals receive health care services that are not as appropriate and effective as those provided to non-LGBTI individuals. This FOA calls for research that will enrich scientific understanding of how sexual orientation and gender identity influence health, perceptions and expectations about health, health behaviors, and barriers and access to health-related services. This FOA also calls for research on how the household and family structures and processes of LGBTI individuals influence the health, development, and well-being of children born and/or raised in these households and families. This knowledge will also guide new directions for studies of the health of both LGBTI and non-LGBTI populations.

Biological and Clinical Factors

Research with transgender people, including transsexual people who intend to seek, have sought, or have received hormonal or surgical interventions and the health effects of such interventions.

Studies of the acoustic factors that contribute to perception of femininity and masculinity and of other non-voice factors (such as articulation, prosody and body language) that interact to create the perception of femininity or masculinity and the effects on the health of individuals.

Studies of the health and developmental effects of early gender assignment in cases of infants born with ambiguous genitalia.

Developmental and longitudinal studies on the health of gender-related and other biological and behavioral characteristics of intersex people, including follow-up studies of persons who have received hormonal or surgical interventions.

Studies of the development and evaluation of approaches to psychosocial assessment and counseling for intersex people and their families.

Studies of competency and training needs among clinicians, employers, and other service providers who work with LGBTI people.

Research to develop and evaluate training and knowledge dissemination programs for clinicians and health service providers on LGBTI-related topics.

*********

This is just a small snapshot of this exciting opportunity for our health care allies. We can shape the future now!

For more information please read the oii Australia article "Intersex and LGBTI are now starting to appear in federal US health websites and grants programs"

2/25/12

Gender Rights Maryland: You are welcome here if you agree with us

I was flabbergasted with Gender Rights Maryland board member Dana Beyer's response to my query as to why I had not been allowed to join GRM Facebook group.


And if you are like us. If you look like us. If you do not have a different view point. If you simply STFU and applaud whatever we do regardless of how devastating it will be for you. Then you may join, otherwise we give you permission to speak else where.

Because you are not a ally if your opinion is even slightly different.

The leadership bringing you the latest Jim Crow laws have a few things in common with their predecessors. They are rich so even though there is no racial delineation there social status all but eliminates the influences these Jim Crow Laws will have on there lives. And boy, they flaunt it like a 1%'er would.

And who could forget when Gender Rights Maryland board member Mark McLaurin called me a " Circus Freak" for taking credit for our success defeating HB235, the 2010 bill without public accommodations Equality Maryland failed to shove down our throats?

“Ohhhhh so it wasn’t spineless lawmakers who killed the bill but rather your uncannily strategic merry band of out of state circus freaks who, heretofore havent been able to organize anything more complex than a Sunday brunch at the local Denny’s ????? Now THAT is funny !!!!! Looooooooool !!!!!”
But now it appears that gender rights Maryland AKA Equality Maryland is going about it piecemeal until Jim Crow becomes a social conscript, again.

And dissent on the GRM facebook page by members leads to one response.





If you are transgender, you may work in Baltimore Maryland, but expect no respect.