4/27/13

Tufts Joins at Least 37 Other US Universities By Including Transgender Healthcare


There is a wide range of insurance policies offered to trans people in academia. Some cover just staff, some include students too. Some policies only cover HRT while some cover limited SRS surgical procedures. Some cover all transitional costs from a2Z. It's a wide array of possibilities. But all have one thing in common. They value us so much as individuals they are making the effort to cover us to some extent. That says a lot.

Source Boston.com "Tufts University has adopted a new healthcare plan that includes benefits for transgender students, making Tufts the 37th university or college in the country to offer health insurance of this kind, according to university officials."

"Michelle Bowdler, the senior director of health and wellness services at Tufts, said that these benefits will include coverage of hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgeries."

“These are needs that are absolutely a medical necessity,” she said Friday in a phone interview with Katherine Landergan at Boston.com.

Thanks to HRC for compiling this list.

Employee Health Plans: transgender-inclusive coverage
Some colleges and universities with employee plans that provide minimum or better transgender-inclusive coverage including at least some transition-related surgeries (15 TOTAL):

•American University
•City University of New York (CUNY)
•Harvard University
•University of California Berkeley
•University of California Davis
•University of California Irvine
•University of California Los Angeles
•University of California Merced
•University of California Riverside
•University of California San Diego
•University of California San Francisco
•University of California Santa Barbara
•University of California Santa Cruz
•University of Michigan
•Yale University

Student Health Plans: transgender-inclusive coverage
Colleges and universities with student health plans that provide minimum or better transgender-inclusive coverage including at least some transition-related surgeries.

•California Institute of Technology (Fall 2010)
•Cornell University (Fall 2011)
•Emerson College (Fall 2007)
•Emory University (Summer 2010)
•Harvard University (2010, 2012)
•New York University
•Portland State University (Fall 2008)
•Stanford University (Fall 2010)
•The University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo)
•University of California Berkeley
•University of California Davis
•University of California Irvine
•University of California Los Angeles
•University of California Riverside
•University of California San Diego
•University of California San Francisco
•University of California Santa Barbara
•University of California Santa Cruz
•University of Connecticut (Fall 2010)
•University of Michigan (Fall 2007 - all students; Jan 2006 Grad Student Employees)
•University of Pennsylvania (Fall 2010)
•University of Vermont
•University of Washington (Fall 2008; updated 2011)
•Washington University in St. Louis covers surgical services only, and not hormone therapy.

Student Health Plans: limited coverage
This is a partial list of colleges and universities with student health plans that provide much more limited access to needed health care: hormone therapy but not medically necessary surgical procedures related to sex reassignment.

•American University
•Bridgewater State University
•Ithaca College
•Lewis and Clark
•Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•Ohio State University
•Pennsylvania State University
•Princeton University
•Reed College
•Suffolk University
•University of Chicago
•University of New Hampshire
•University of Oregon
•University of Southern California
•University of Wisconsin, Madison
•Vassar College
•Yale University

More detailed yet confusing data can be found at the HRC White Paper



A First! Transgender Actress Gets Lead In A Major Film, "Boy Meets Girl"

There are far too few films with a romantic lead who is transgender. There even fewer, if any at all, movies that appeal to cisgender audiences that features a female transgender romantic lead. That's about to change.

From the director: "BOY MEETS GIRL is a tender, human, sex-positive romantic comedy that explores what it means to be “real”: to live and love authentically to the truth of one’s heart, regardless of the sex or small town you’re born into. Our story focuses on Ricky, a beautiful twenty-one year old transgendered girl living in Virginia with dreams of becoming a fashion designer in New York. Bringing Ricky to life is our sparkling lead actress, Michelle Hendley of Columbia, Missouri, whom I was enormously lucky to discover in a nationwide search for a trans actress."



Michelle will be supported by an amazing cast, including lead actor Michael Welch (Joan of Arcadia; Twilight films), New York indie film and stage actress Alexandra Turshen, and a tremendous crew and production team. My two producing partners Elisa Pugliese, who has produced a number of independent feature films, such as Nanette Burstein's award-winning documentary American Teen, and August (starring Josh Hartnett, Adam Scott, Rip Torn and David Bowie) and Bruce Edward, who teamed up with me on my last film After Fall, Winter and my recent TV series Eric Schaeffer–Life Coach, will lend their wisdom, skill, and tremendous work ethic to the project.

The project is currently raising funds on Indiegogo.com

Huge thanks go's out to Queerty for their amazing article. For the record, I'm not overly concerned about "sexual orientation" Faux pas.



Red Lion High School Transgender Student Will Attend Prom Tonight With His Girl Despite Principal's Bullying and Threats

It's been a traumatic experience so far for transgender high school senior Issak Oliver Wolfe and girl friend Taylor in a story first broke on planetransgender. Issak will be allowed to attend his Prom in his correct gender and his girl friend will accompany him despite threats and bullying by Mr. Shue, Red Lion High School Principal.

The ACLU published this press release demanding that Red Lion High School Principal Shue allow Issak to attend graduation in his correct gender and have his correct name read.

When Wolfe's girlfriend, Taylor Thomas, posted a message on Facebook and created an online petition supporting him, Shue called Wolfe into his office and threatened to prevent him from bringing her to prom unless she changed the posts. Shue also wrote a scripted press statement that he then pressured Wolfe to give to media. After Thomas's online posts were changed, Shue continued to threaten to bar her from attending until Wolfe said he was contacting the ACLU.


Shue declined to say whether or not Wolfe's male name will be read at graduation, as he has repeatedly requested.

"Issak is accepted by his family, teachers, and peers for who he is," said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. "He had no reason to expect to be treated differently by school officials, and Shue's efforts to silence Issak and Taylor and suppress their First Amendment rights are completely inappropriate and unconstitutional."


The full letter sent by the ACLU to the Red Lion School district can be viewed here.






4/26/13

Is the Kick Starter #AssignedSex NYC Trans Youth Film being Ignored Becuse So Many Are Black?

Looking at this project I see immense possibilities in every one of the young trans people featured. So why is it not receiving the support it deserves? It's not for a lack of commitment by those involved in the project. They have made four youtube promotional videos. That's three more than the norm. The project only has a few days left to be fully funded if it is to receive any of the pledges. My opinion? It's not getting money because the most of the participants are people of color. They are the easiest to ignore. That's right. Even within the transgender and LGB community there is a perceived stratification of privilege. In black and white, we are racists.

I always written reviews about transgender kick starter projects positivity, until now that is. We are failing and need to step up.

These young folks represent our vital link to our future. We all (privileged white trans peeps) have all attend a TDOR and silently shook our heads in dismay at every name read. We all know who is being victimized. People of color. I challenge our community, rich, poor, black, red, yellow, white, everyone, to walk the walk. Please support #AssignedSex on Kick Starter



Published on Jan 7, 2013

Kyrie, Angel, Lala, Jay'lin and L get ready to share their stories with the world. They have moved beyond the traditional gender labels assigned to them at birth and they aren't looking back.

#AssignedSex is a documentary that provides an up-close and personal look into the multidimensional lives of transgender individuals in the NYC metro area. The web series serves as a platform for transgender mentors and provides behind the scenes footage revealing the challenging emotional and physical barriers that transgender individuals are currently facing.

MUSIC BY: Fayola & O.N.E.

The Making of Assigned Sex - The Web Series' is the creation of
MESHAE.com
Twitter MESHAESTUDIOS
Facebook MESHAESTUDIOS





4/25/13

Lebanese mayor defends forcing a transsexual woman to strip naked

Source albawaba.com: The Lebanese mayor of Dekwaneh defended his actions in an interview Tuesday after he ordered Lebanese security forces to raid and shut down a gay-friendly nightclub in the Beiruti suburb town.

Several club-goers were arrested and forced to undress in the municipal headquarters, where they were then photographed naked.
“I saw 25 men outside, or what looked like boys and men. I went inside... I saw people kissing, touching each other, and a man wearing a skirt. These homosexual acts that are happening... are scandalous sexual acts,” Antoine Shakhtoura said.

Those arrested included “people from the Syrian community and a Lebanese transsexual woman, who was harassed and forced to undress in the municipal headquarters,” said Maydaa.

“Of course we made them take off their clothes,” Shakhtoura said referring to the people they transferred to the municipality’s headquarters who were also photographed there.

“We saw a scandalous situation and we had to know what these people were. Is it a woman or a man? Turned out to be a half woman and half man. I do not accept this in Dekwaneh,” he insisted

read more at albawaba.com



Israeli Transgender High School Teacher Fired For Explaining Her Gender Status To Curious Students


Marina told Channel 2 Israel: ‘I tried to explain that I am a human being just like they are and that it has no bearing on me being professional, and they need to accept people as they are’.


She tried to explain ongoing work with pupils includes small talk, and she refuses to hide her identity, ‘coming out should encourage teachers to come out to students to teachers so that neither teachers nor students feel ashamed of themselves’.

Attorney Moshe Shochetman, of the Aguda, Israel’s LGBT advocacy group, told Chanel 2 News: ‘Its very hard for this woman to find work, this is her bread and butter and she’s very good at it – she is outstanding and has received an award for her work.

‘To cut her off with this pretense is to destroy her livelihood’ ~ Gay Star News

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