It seems that a California university expelled a transgender student for 'fraud', as she told the truth on her application to that university, in the question that asked her gender. She did so, and now they are upset about it. Here is the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...ef=mostpopular

I read about this woman's story earlier this week online in a local paper for that area of Southern California. That article was more in depth. It explained that this California University is a private college affiliated with the most conservative conference of the Baptist Church. There is the rub. It is not really clear if these private Universities affiliated with churches are exempt because of religious beliefs. "Churches" are exempt from some federal and state law that would require them to act against the teachings of their church. (I am not an attorney so I am giving the jest of this in laypersons language.)

Apparently the young woman was accepted into the Nursing Program at California State University San Bernadino but she declined the offer. If she had chosen a public university her legal case would be much stronger. I think what happened to her is morally wrong, but I am unsure if her case will meet the legal requirments in place to determine discrimination.

I think that she will prevail, as they accused her of 'fraud'. Apparently, the application/questionaire asked for her gender, and she answered it. Her gender IS female. Since a person's gender is determined by their gender identity, therefore, she answered the question truthfully.

So I'm on the road tonight and there isn't nothing really on so I stopped at one channel that has Whitney, the comedy show on. As it turns out, its about Whitney dealing with the transition of her sister (soon brother) from Female-to-male. The whole discussion as to what will happen and the side effects of T, IMO, puts a nice humourous spin on the FTM transition. The episode is called "Lost in Transition".

It appears that the country of Malta has finally started coming to it's senses. http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/04/03...nt-drops-case/

I found this to be a very interesting article, and may be of use to many here. http://www.policymic.com/articles/33...-becomes-daddy

Thanks for bringing this article to our attention. The part of the article that really spoke to me was about the accusations made by the disgruntled spouse in court about the Trans person. My now wife, had recently separated from her cisgender male husband when I met her. I met her by chance at a B-F dance.

Her ex is a Psychologist and the accusations he made in a court of law were outrageous. (The fact he is a licensed Psychologist makes it even more scary and sad. Some give added cache to doctors, law enforcement, psychologist.) Things like "I have lesbian friends and they have told me that FTM's are very aggressive and prone to violence because of the testosterone." Or, alluding to the possibility there may be sexual misconduct on my part with the minor daughter they share custody. I did not attend any of the divorce hearings. The divorce had nothing to do with me but the remarks, accusations made by a heterosexual cisgender male were sadly familiar.

Living the majority of my life as Butch left me and others vulnerable to homophobia. I had never dated a woman with children previously but many times the heterosexual parents, siblings and friends blatantly expressed their outdated, fearful and homophobic beliefs.

Thankfully, I live in Northern California, a large metropolis with many LGBTQ people living their lives here. The judge was not swayed by the Queerphobia. Then the age old threat that I would be outed as Butch or Trans was made. (Duh.... I have always wondered how some can believe they are outing me, us. My gender expression speaks for itself. Hello, I am not in the closet.)

Thankfully the worst of my "criminal" background is a parking ticket. What happens to others that may have a mistake, blemish from when they were younger and dared to live an authentic life.

Some may believe this post is snarky, perhaps. My motivation is a lifetime of queerphobia, trying to educate others, sharing so that others may not feel so alone or crazy.

Here is a link to an article about the US's top 100 trans community activists. I found it quite interesting. I am acquainted with one of the people on the list, and have been at a presentation by another person on this list. http://chicagophoenix.com/2013/04/09...ates-released/

Interesting, isn't it? They arrest her for displaying her breasts, and throw her into the male side of the jail. :(

http://www.wsav.com/story/21966635/trans

I happened to run across this article, this morning. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...troom-use?lite

IF she has been standing up, while urinating, in the women's restroom, I can see the other people's reason for being upset. I probably would be, too. Mind you, I'm not necessarily convinced that that was what she was doing. It is certainly a possibility that someone is lying on that bit of information.

If it is true, however, I would say that she is very new to her transition, and it is likely that she has very little contact, at present, of other trans people, particularly trans women. I hope that she finds some mentors soon, that will help her get herself together, and make her transition a lot smoother.

It has been a long time, in my transition, since I had to face that issue. I do remember a bit about it, though. I hope that she is keeping a journal, about her transition. I was advised to do so, and I think that it helped me a lot, overall.

I recall back in the day prior to my transition that going to the restroom was almost a covert mission. There were times I was reported for being in the "wrong" bathroom. This dates back to elementary school.

When I "officially" began I lived in an area where my gender wasn't questioned however within months of starting my company moved me to a state that at the time had NO laws protecting any person of the lbgt community as a matter of fact I was "informed" by my manager that as long as I had "f" on my drivers license I better keep using that restroom or I could be arrested in that state.

I lives there less then a yr the moved far away. I don't know if theyhave changes the laws or not and really hope I never have to deal with such closed minded ppl again.

This article seems very interesting, and would be of interest to ftms, I would think. http://openmindedhealth.com/2013/04/...anssexual-men/

A new article seems to have come out, about this transgender woman that is in a legal disgreement with a California religious university. One thing, I found particularly interesting:

"Southwick said state law requires universities that admit students regardless of religious affiliation – as Cal Baptist does – and that receive financial support from the state cannot discriminate against transgender people. The financial support, Southwick said, comes from Cal Baptist’s participation in a state tax-free-bond program."

Southwick is the presiding judge in this matter.

If this is true, it seems to me that Cal Baptist is going to be found wrong, in expelling her from school. Here is the link to the whole article:

http://blog.pe.com/multicultural-bea...set-precedent/

A Hong Kong transgender woman has just won the right to marry her boyfriend, thru the courts there. http://news.yahoo.com/hk-transgender...072149587.html

This article isn't very clear as to whether or not Miss Del Valle was placed in a cell with bio males. I believe that she was placed in an area where the male population could see her but not touch her. I hope that this is the case. However, this is really beside the point of actual harms done.

This is the point and fact that makes this experience harmful to Miss Del Valle...
First and foremost, she has been recognized and outed to several people whom will be able to recognize her among the general public. Her life, therefore, has been put into jeopardy by these officers and this jail.
Good news is that she doesn't live in there.

Legally, if they booked her as male...how can they arrest her for (having a see threw blouse on that shows her chest) indecent exposure baring her chest?

Interrupted by phone call...I am.

Thanks for posting this, very interesting.

Recently, I have been interested in the similarity of brains differences in trans vs cis brains (both in form and in function). They find transwomen's brains more similar to cissexed women's than cissexed men's. Less studies have been done for transmen, of course, but there are some small ones done.

The article you linked helped me find this one. It is a bit dense, but worth the read in my opinion. Thanks!

http://openmindedhealth.com/2012/01/...brain-studies/

That link that you posted was most interesting. Thank you for sharing it!

A Navy SEAL member comes out as trans
 

A Navy SEAL member, who was part of the Seal Team Six (the team that captured and killed Osama Bin Laden), has come out as transgender and has written a book. The book is available on Amazon Kindle.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/natio...-memoir/65823/

http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/F...tee-13707.aspx

Still unsure how I feel about it, and it won't actually change much for a lot of trans people when it comes to housing and employment...in most cases people don't tell you to your face that they won't rent to you or hire you/fired you because your trans and this kind of stuff only really helps in the "obvious" cases. It's society and the education system itself that needs to change so that people aren't such assholes generally, and I don't think this piece of legislation will really help it do that.

It won't change people but at least it will protect trans when this can be proved (akin to discrimination that's happened to various gays in Canada, vis-a-vis gay marriage). It really should be a two-pronged approach but given who's in charge of the gov't, I'm impressed that this is even being considered at this point.

Thing is to me, even since it passed in Ontario there hasn't been much change (which doesn't make much difference in Toronto since the city already had its own policy beforehand). Still regular/blatant discrimination by health care providers on basic checkups, still lots of homeless and unemployed trans people. The government passes legislation like this, and then they go and try to make cuts to ODSP or do little to force the Catholic school board to follow provincial discrimination laws and backed down from school reforms to include queer and trans people in the curriculum, the minute Conservatives complained. It just seems like a little fluff to try to appease trans people so they can now say "oh look, you have your rights" like they did with gay marriage (you know, "you can get married now, what more do you want?"), meanwhile making cuts to social services that many trans people need to survive or don't address other ways employers/landlords can easily dodge discrimination claims.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mara-k...b_3444713.html

Good news on the SSN front.

Awesome! Thanks for posting!

Apparently, the AMA has passed a new resolution, in favor of transgender people having access to accurate birth certificates. Here is the link that I found it on: http://www.glad.org/current/item/gla...icates-for-tra

Wow, things seem to really be moving along nicely for trans people the last year. I feel like there is some real inertia moving towards equality.

Thank God, Obama came into office, or we would be at a standstill, if not sliding backwards

It is like trans is becoming the new gay. Corportations, professional organizations, etc., seem to be jumping on the bandwagon of it being "ok" to be gender variant, in order to be politically correct.

Do others here think similarly?

For those interested in studies
 

I received my January-March 2013 volume of the International Journal of Transgenderism today in the mail at work.

I don't remember the name of the study, but it was written by Milton Diamond, M.D. (he is a big dealio in the field) about identical twins.

I only read the abstract and forgot to bring it home with me. However, evidently based on a study he did, along with data from past studies, 20% of identical twin pairs both transitioned if one transitioned.

He says they controlled for environmental factors, but I didn't see anywhere that it said that this was for twins raised apart, so I will have to see how they controlled for this.

Anyway, interesting stuff!

"Hormonal therapy for transsexual patients is safe and effective, a multicenter European study indicates. The results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco."

http://www.sciencecodex.com/hormonal...fective-114284

Thanks for posting this Linus. Honestly, I still have concerns. I hope in the near future there will be studies done on long term use of hormones. This study was based on only 12 months of study.


"Hormonal therapy involves large doses of male or female sex hormones, which has led to concern about its health effects. This study found that short-term hormonal therapy for transsexualism is effective and safe, with few side effects."

"Female-to-male transsexuals received a form of the male sex hormone testosterone. Male-to-female transsexuals received anti-androgen treatment in combination with a form of estrogen, which is the principal female sex hormone. Treatment was for 12 months."

I am in the SF Bay Area and I am going to see if I can get into conference to hear about the study and/or get an entire copy of the study. Thanks again.

We definitely do need more information on it, that is for certain. We do know, however, the effects of NOT having hormonal therapy, and being able to transition. We also know something about the effects of stopping hormonal therapy, from the experience of all the people that have had to do that. I, personally, do not ever wish to go off my hormones. They help keep me fairly sane, and somewhat content with my body.

This reminds me of something. After my colon cancer I went to see a doc in Chicago who had a different approach to cancer treatment besides just the usual chemo (what you eat, stress, exercise, supplements, etc). Anyway, his/my/lots of people's belief, is that the environment that we live in contributes to cancer. Last time I looked my state was 5th in the nation for cancer. The state with the least amount of cancer is Utah. Arizona is second. So, I asked him if I thought that I should move to Utah, if that would make me safer from a recurrence.

His response was to ask me to think about the distress I would feel about leaving where I currently live. Did I like my job here? Would I be ok moving away from my family? His point was, the distress of leaving my home could create just as much chance of recurrence as the environment/atmosphere could.

We all know the connection between emotional stress and physical illness. Will the transperson who does not use cross sex hormones due to fear of cancer actually be more likely to get cancer due to the level of distress they have from their body dysphoria?

Just some food for thought.

I went to the trans-health conference in Philly last week. On Saturday there was a workshop on hormones and cancer. I was not able to attend that particular workship, but I plan to try to get a hold of the presenter and see if he/she can send me any materials.

I can post the information here, if anyone is interested.

That, is a very good point!

The Williams Institute (UCLA)
 

Gendered Restrooms and Minority Stress: The Public Regulation of Gender and its Impact on Transgender People’s Lives

By Jody L. Herman
June 2013

Transgender and gender non-conforming people report being denied access to gendered restrooms, and experiencing verbal harassment and physical assault in these spaces at alarming rates. The Washington, DC- based survey, conducted with the DC Trans Coalition, found that 70 percent of survey respondents report experiencing verbal harassment, assault, and being denied access to public restrooms. The study identifies the impact that transgender people’s negative experiences in gendered restrooms can have on their education, employment, health, and participation in public life.

Findings include:

• 27 percent of those who worked in Washington, DC, experienced problems using restrooms at work that, in some cases, caused them to change jobs or leave their employer entirely.

• 54 percent of all respondents reported having some sort of physical problem from trying to avoid using public restrooms, such as dehydration, kidney infections, and urinary tract infections.

• 58 percent reported that they have avoided going out in public due to a lack of safe public restroom facilities.

• 10 percent of survey respondents who attended school in Washington, DC, reported a negative impact on their education, including having excessive absences and dropping out of school due to issues related to restroom access.

• People of color and people who have not medically transitioned fared worse in some measured survey outcomes.

Read the Full Report:

http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.ed...-June-2013.pdf

__________________________________________________ ________

In the final point above it says "medically transitioned." I think we can all agree that medical transition could include surgeries and hormones. I point this out because many Butches experience the same sort of stuff when using the restroom. I don't think this only happens to Transexual people. I think it happens to people that do not conform, express their gender according to whatever "mainstream" construction that is put upon gender expression. This would include even female identified butches. Many may disagree with me but I think there are many butches that are transgender and not transexual. IMO, transgender is those who do not conform, express, fit in the box of what most of society thinks their gender should look and act like. You can very well be a butch and identify completely as a woman and still live your life outside of what most consider "gender norms."

My point, maybe we have commonalities that trump the differences.

I can definitely agree with your point!

Thank you to Corkey & Nadeest for posting about SSN & birth certificates. Great information. And much appreciated.

Freedom of speech does not give journalist carte blanche to exploit trans youth
 

As a former journalist this really bothers me. As a transman this sickens me.

Ms. Brownworth's article had no need, in my personal opinion, for the description of Devon's genitals. She hid behind Freedom of Speech in order to satisfy her own morbid curiosity and more than likely to gain readership. Her own article contradicts her responses to her actions in subsequent interviews regarding the incident.

There is so much more I can say but I have had my fill of discrimination and exploitation from being trans. For now, I will hold my tongue.

http://www.transadvocate.com/gawking...-philly-pd.htm

I don't know if this is the right place to post this. Please let me know if you can think of a better place.

I want to help encourage awareness about these queer and trans refugees who are living in dire circumstances and need. Please take a look and help in any way you can, if only to help spread the word.

Health Care For Queer And Trans Refugees In Turkey

https://www.facebook.com/notes/sima-...51634484873422

"Dear Friends,

I visited Iranian queer and transgender refugee applicants in several Turkish towns last month and was struck by the lack of affordable health care for refugees. Turkey extends protection under the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees only to persons originating in Europe. However, the Turkish government allows non-European asylum seekers to remain in Turkey temporarily while their cases are pending with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Refugee applicants are required to register with the Turkish Ministry of interior and with the UNHCR, while waiting to be interviewed several times in a span of several years. If approved as true refugees, they are allowed to apply for resettlement to a third country of asylum. Upon registration with the UNHCR, the applicants are assigned to small “satellite cities” where they are registered by the Turkish Police and are required to stay during the time they are interviewed by the UNHCR and the embassy of the country of asylum. The registration process with the UNHCR, registration and assignment to small satellite towns in Turkey, interviews with the UNHCR for refugee status determination, and interviews with the third country of asylum take years, during which time asylum seekers are required to pay for their own expenses. Queer and trans refugees who have no choice other than working “illegally” face discrimination and exploitation. Many lose their jobs or face violence if they are “outed” as queer and trans to their employers. While the Turkish government provides limited social and medical services to refugee applicants, this requires a fee-based foreign number/blue book (kimlik), which costs 198 TL (around $100). This card will not be issued unless the applicant pays a $50 “temporary resident permit,” which needs to be renewed every 6 months. Many refugee applicants cannot afford the kimlik fee and therefore do not have access to necessary health care. While the current refugee application processes bind healthcare to strategies of surveillance through a foreign ID card, currently this is the only way for refugee applicants to have access to basic health services.

I have been in touch with a group of queer refugees who are willing to volunteer their time to identify people who urgently need to buy kimlik in order to receive healthcare. We need to raise at least $12,000, but are hoping to raise more funds to reach out to as many queer and trans refugees as possible. There are at least 537 queer and trans refugee applicants who are currently living in Turkey, 470 of whom are from Iran. While I am only in contact with Iranian queer refugees, we will certainly reach out to other queer and trans applicants (mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan), in order to increase the life chances of people who fall through the cracks in the international human rights regimes. We choose not to receive funding from states or organizations that serve the neocolonial agendas in the Middle East, nor do we wish to become complicit with any kind of pinkwashing propaganda that claims to save or liberate queers. We believe that social change will happen through grassroots politics and organizing, and not from above. That is why we have chosen crowdsourcing to raise funds for the Iranian queer and trans refugees who are living under dire conditions and are not receiving sufficient support from the "liberating” states and human rights NGOs.

We hope that you can participate in this fundraising effort. http://fundly.com/health-care-for-qu...olks-in-turkey

Thank you,

Sima Shakhsari"

IRS Affirms that Transition-Related Care is Tax Deductible
 

In case any of you haven't seen this before:

http://transgenderequality.wordpress...ax-deductible/