Will Cemia Dove's Murder Be The First Time The Mathew Shepard Act Is Used To Prosecute A Hate Crime Against A Transgender Person?

Will the Mathew Shepard Hate Crimes law be used to prosecute Andrey Bridges? And if not, why not? No confession is needed that he committed this heinous act of violence because of transphobia. Cemia's body was found wearing a red Betty Boop belly tank top, three black bras on top of one another, and a light black-hooded jacket. She was naked from the waist down. The rope was tied from the back and also attached to a steel pipe and the concrete. It's more than obvious transphobia was the motivating factor that drove Bridges to murder her.

Andrey Bridges, the man accused of murdering Cemia Dove, a 20 year old transgender woman, appeared in court Friday. Bridges's is charged with aggravated murder, kidnapping, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. His bond was set at 5 million dollars and his case is to have it's first hearing by a grand jury on May 16th.

But no mention of this being a hate crime has been made yet. Can Bridges be charged for a hate crime?
 
From the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act' text:

(A) IN GENERAL- Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, in any circumstance described in subparagraph (B) or paragraph (3), willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability of any person--

`(i) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both; and

`(ii) shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if--

`(I) death results from the offense; or

`(II) the offense includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill.

The transgender community should be afraid the Bridges a repeat offender might walk free. Most recently he beat a woman so badly she after he was released from prison on June 25, 2010 that she had to be admitted to the hospital with a collapsed lung, broken ribs and other injuries.

Bridges pleaded guilty in 2012 to aggravated assault in connection with the June 2010 incident and was sentenced to probation by Judge Hollie Gallagher.

Hildebrand, the Attorney that represented Bridges told the Plain Dealer "he believes the prosecuting attorney agreed to probation for Bridges because so much time had passed and because of concerns about whether his right to a speedy trial had been violated."

Requirement D, that a minority feels that justice will not be served is met. If Bridges had been held accountable under the law for the 2010 beating  he wouldn't have been free to murder our transgender sister.

1) IN GENERAL- No prosecution of any offense described in this subsection may be undertaken by the United States, except under the certification in writing of the Attorney General, or his designee, that--

`(A) the State does not have jurisdiction;

`(B) the State has requested that the Federal Government assume jurisdiction;

`(C) the verdict or sentence obtained pursuant to State charges left demonstratively unvindicated the Federal interest in eradicating bias-motivated violence; or

`(D) a prosecution by the United States is in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice.

There are a number of other conditions before charging Andrey Bridges with a hate crime but one that is painfully obvious to the transgender community. This act of violence was reported in such a way in the media that it will result in an increased bias against transgender people.

In Fact the last main stream article by Newsnet5 reporting the bond was the first article that was done in such a way as not to further bias against transgender people.

How would that be used by the prosecutor to convince a jury this was a hate crime? One of the reasons the Mathew Shepard Act was passed by the Senate was because...

"Members of targeted groups are prevented from purchasing goods and services, obtaining or sustaining employment, or participating in other commercial activity"

Nothing could be truer in this instance. The atrocious reporting by local media was amplified time and time again nationally and internationally as editors jumped at the chance to sensationalize and dehumanize Dove parroting the original reporting by the Plain Dealer resulting in the demoralization of our minority internationally.

This devalued sense of worth compounded with the knowledge people obsessed with harming us have been given a added boast to their prejudice makes us more fearful for our individual well being. This of course interferes with our ability to be hired, job performance and participation in the free market.

The transgender community has heard time and again that prosecutors refuse to persecute our murders as hate crimes for fear the jury will reject that charge and ruin there case against the accused.

It's time our transgender minority is protected under law as intended by the Mathew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. It's time transgender people are protected under law. It is time.

Blue Cross Anthem Now Covers Sexual Reassignment Surgery

Not sure if I'm the last to know about this but it's news to me. Since my company switched to a new unaffordable insurance plan that does not cover HRT all options are on the table. Why not try and upgrade if we can? Judging by the phrase "one option for extreme cases" it would appear Blue Cross has preempted the generally accepted diagnosis and will put the onus on the patient to prove their gender dysphoria is 'extreme' enough to warrant SRS. (jumping through cisnormative binary hoops)

Reading the Clinical UM Guideline it becomes apparent the devil is in the details so read it carefully and be fully aware of your options. But most importantly, since you are dealing with a commercial enterprise intent on giving you the least for your money, be beware.

Virtual Criminal Flash Mob Stole 45 Million From ATM's Worldwide in a Few Hours

In what may be the crime of the century cells of people called 'cashiers' used prepaid cards with limits removed to empty ATMs around the world in just hours of more than 45 million dollars.

The good news is that the stolen money did not belong to individual accounts so no one who has a prepaid card has to worry. It was stolen from two middle Eastern banks, Rakbank and Muscat Bank, both banks racked in millions in net profit in 2012. The demographic that uses prepaid bank cards, poor people,  includes trans folk who suffer incredible job discrimination.

Here's how it worked according to the associated press:

"Hackers got into bank databases, eliminated withdrawal limits on pre-paid debit cards and created access codes. Others loaded that data onto any plastic card with a magnetic stripe — an old hotel key card or an expired credit card worked fine as long as it carried the account data and correct access codes."

Source USA Today "After penetrating the processor's computer network, the hackers fraudulently manipulated the balances and withdrawal limits on Rakbank prepaid debit card accounts. Then, teams of so-called cashers allegedly launched carefully timed attacks that caused more than $5 million in criminal losses from more than 4,500 ATMs in about 20 countries."

"In just two hours and 25 minutes, the thieves allegedly conducted 750 fraudulent transactions that withdrew nearly $400,000 from approximately 140 New York City ATM locations, according to prosecutors and the indictment."

"The alleged second unlimited operation unfolded between the afternoon of Feb. 19 and the pre-dawn hours of the following day. This time, the gang's hackers allegedly compromised computers of the processor of prepaid debit cards for the Bank of Muscat, located in Oman."

"In approximately 10 hours, casher cells in 24 countries conducted approximately 36,000 ATM transactions worldwide, withdrawing an estimated $40 million, the indictment charged. The haul included $2.4 million withdrawn by the alleged New York crew."


Modern day Robin Hoods? Not. But at least they didn't steal from the poor. They stole from the filthy rich.

变性能见度开始与“兄弟”Chinese Transman Visibility begins with the "Brothers" Documentary

In 2012 a competition was held for fledgling Chinese directors who aspired to make documentaries about LGBT topics. Out of dozens of applicants two projects were chosen. One project about transmen was picked up because the subject has received so little attention. Chinese transgender men share a peculiar blessing universally with all queer comrades worldwide. Many meld seamlessly into society which is why so little is known of their lives, joys and struggles. We see transmen day to day like vague distorted images seen through a moving vehicle's window.

Yaoyao, one of the winners runs a photo studio for lesbians in Shandong province '... works in an organisation with quite a few transgender people and she already has the permission of one of them to film the whole process [from female to male],’ Stijn Deklerck of Queer Comrades told
Gay Star News in 2012 . ‘And that's a story that hasn't really been covered in China. There have been quite a few documentaries and films about male-to-female transgenders, but there's not been very much on female-to-male.

That's about to change. The Netherlands Embassy in Beijing, Queer Comrades, the Aibai Culture & Education Center, the Beijing Gender Health Education Institute and Common Language are holding an event in connection with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on Friday 17 May, 14.00 – 17.00 pm.



The event is hosted by and will take place at the Netherlands Embassy in Beijing. It will consist of the premiere of the documentary “Brothers” produced by the LGBT organization Queer Comrades (you can watch the trailer here), a panel discussion including Yaoyao (director of thedocumentary), Tony (transgender man, documentary main character), Joanne Leung (founder Transgender Resource Center Hong Kong), Zhen Hongli (psychologist Global Care Women & Children’s Hospital Beijing), and Guo Yanan (Aibai Transgender Program Assistant). This will be followed by an informal networking event where you are encouraged to get to know the Beijing LGBT organizations and their work on transgender issues. The documentary will be provided with Chinese -English subtitles, the panel discussion will take place in the Chinese language without translation.

As seating is limited, please confirm your attendance by writing an email to IDAHO2013@163.COM. We will give priority seating to members of the media, educational professionals and psychological counselors, so please specify your affiliation in this regard.

Address: Netherlands Embassy in Beijing, Liangmahe South Road #4, Chaoyang, Beijing

Tel. : (+86 10) 8532 0200

event information

National Institute of Mental Health Rocks the Mental Health World by Abandoning The DSM

Just weeks before the release of the DSM-5 National Institute of Mental Health Abandoning The DSM has they will be "Transforming Diagnosis" by initiating a completely separate system of Diagnosis.

It became immediately clear that we cannot design a system based on biomarkers or cognitive performance because we lack the data. In this sense, RDoC is a framework for collecting the data needed for a new nosology. But it is critical to realize that we cannot succeed if we use DSM categories as the “gold standard.

That is why NIMH will be re-orienting its research away from DSM categories. Going forward, we will be supporting research projects that look across current categories – or sub-divide current categories – to begin to develop a better system”

The NIMH understands this is an immense expensive proposition, one that will be fought by entrenched bureaucrates, but desperately needed as the diagnosis of transgender people by the APA has become disassociated with reality.

RDoC, for now, is a research framework, not a clinical tool. This is a decade-long project that is just beginning. Many NIMH researchers, already stressed by budget cuts and tough competition for research funding, will not welcome this change. Some will see RDoC as an academic exercise divorced from clinical practice. But patients and families should welcome this change as a first step towards "precision medicine,” the movement that has transformed cancer diagnosis and treatment. RDoC is nothing less than a plan to transform clinical practice by bringing a new generation of research to inform how we diagnose and treat mental disorders. As two eminent psychiatric geneticists recently concluded, “At the end of the 19th century, it was logical to use a simple diagnostic approach that offered reasonable prognostic validity. At the beginning of the 21st century, we must set our sights higher.”3

Read more at the National Institute of Mental Health Abandoning The DSM

ABC News Producer's Transition reveals the True Dawn

ABC News producer D. Ennis was to coworkers and friends just a very affordable and able person. The kind of person you want to share a beer with at joe's bar at the end of a day. By all outward appearances and old facebook profile pictures that what Ennis was. But much of that changed with the beginning of the new day.

As affable as Ennis was what people saw when the sun rose and a new workday began, to some extent, was a false false dawn. Ennis was keeping a secret from the world.

Dawn told the world about her coming out in a life event on facebook:

Today I begin anew. I arrived at work tonight in my LBD (little black dress, for you guys) and found on my desk a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my coworkers and a touching ...note from the president of the news division of ABC (I myself brought the cake -- and the glitter -- to thank my very accepting colleagues).

Please understand: this is not a game of dress-up, or make-believe... it is my affirmation of who I now am and what I must do to be happy, in response to a soul-crushing secret that my wife and I have been dealing with for more than seven years, mostly in secret.

I have a rare medical condition -- nothing deadly or infectious -- but it has resulted in an unusual hormonal imbalance, one so profound that I don't resemble the man you first met ten years ago. It's wrecked our marriage and changed me, both physically and in my personality; even my own way of thinking has been altered.

What I have done is to try to put together a life based on my new experience. I have spent years fighting this, trying through dozens of tests and sheer willpower to overcome what doctors cannot cure nor reverse, or even satisfactorily explain.

My beloved wife and I are separating after nearly 17 years of marriage because of this change in me; despite the heartbreak, she has encouraged me to start this new life that we both believe better fits who I now am. It's not something I've longed for or dreamed of, or discovered in my youth. It's not even something, frankly, that I wanted to do -- but I've realized, I needed to do it.

I am transgender, and identify as female. My legal name is now Dawn Stacey Ennis, and my government records now reflect that my gender is female. However, I have not had surgery of any kind, and the HRT I now take is merely to maintain a balance in what is already, mysteriously a more female than male body.

My bosses at ABC have been supportive beyond my hopes and encouraged me to be real, to be who I feel I am. Trust me, this is NOT the midlife crisis I was counting on -- I'd much prefer to have bought a sportscar. Even an affair, I think, would have been something we might have recovered from. But Wendy and I realize that with this, there is no going forward for us, and that is without doubt the saddest aspect of this change for me.

As you may know,we have three children and we are putting them first. I am moving out Saturday, to give my wife and our kids time and space to adjust to life with me on the outside. It's not what I want, but we agreed it's what she can handle. It's a small sacrifice to try to avoid ruining the end of their school year.

I know this is a lot to throw at you out of the blue, and I'm sure if you had to pick someone we know in common who might be transitioning from male to female, I'm guessing I would not even crack the top ten. But it's my reality. I hope you can understand.

I look forward to hopefully keeping you as my friend, and respect your choice to block or defriend me if that's how you feel. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Being a journalist, I've asked them all, and will share what I know.

Warmly,
Dawn