Trans News/ Issues

[EnderD_503]

Bill C-389 has arrived at it's final vote at last. Another hour of debate will happen this Monday (February 7th, 2011) with the final vote coming on February 9th, 2011. For those who haven't been following, this bill strives to add gender expression and gender identity to the Canadian Criminal Code and Human Rights Act as prohibited grounds for discrimination.

To those in Canada, this would be a good time to write your MP's again if you haven't already!

February 2, 2011
Final vote on Bill C-389 scheduled for next week

Bill C-389 could get through Parliament next week but we need your help to get it there.

Bill Siksay's private member's bill in support of trans human rights passed a report stage vote by only 12 votes in December. Fundamentalist and right-wing groups are flooding MPs' inboxes, opposing this crucial piece of human rights legislation.

The bill will get its final hour of debate on Monday, February 7 at 11:00 am. It will be voted on at Third Reading on Wednesday February 9, 2011 between 5:30 and 6:00 pm.

* Please make sure that your MP hears from you. Today.

This is the third time that Siksay, the MP for Burnaby/Douglas and the GLBT critic for the NDP, has attempted to pass legislation that would add gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act and federal hate crime laws.

For trans people – those whose gender identity and gender expression does not match their birth sex – accessing a public bathroom, applying for a driver's license, and similar daily interactions can trigger hostility, intolerance, discrimination and even violence.

The Canadian Human Rights Act and federal hate crimes laws do not explicitly protect people from discrimination based on gender identity or expression.

This means a trans person could be prevented from using the washroom that matches their affirmed gender identity. It also means a trans person could be denied a security clearance, because his identification doesn't match his appearance.

Everyone deserves dignity and respect in the workplace and on the streets. That's why PSAC is supporting Bill C-389 to ensure that the Canadian Human Rights Act and federal hate crime legislation are amended to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination.

http://www.psac.com/news/2011/issues/20110202-e.shtml

And of course the crazies always gotta come out of the woodwork...more reason to gather as much support as possible: http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/29791

[Arwen]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

Bill C-389 has arrived at it's final vote at last. Another hour of debate will happen this Monday (February 7th, 2011) with the final vote coming on February 9th, 2011. For those who haven't been following, this bill strives to add gender expression and gender identity to the Canadian Criminal Code and Human Rights Act as prohibited grounds for discrimination.

To those in Canada, this would be a good time to write your MP's again if you haven't already!



http://www.psac.com/news/2011/issues/20110202-e.shtml

Way to go, Canada!

[EnderD_503]

So today Bill C-389 (which endeavours to add gender identity and gender expression to the Canadian Criminal Code and Human Rights Act) was passed by the House of Commons during its third reading.

By Yolande Cole, February 9, 2011

B.C. MP Bill Siksay’s bill to protect transgender people from discrimination was passed by the House of Commons today (February 9).

Members of Parliament voted 143 to 135 to pass Bill C-389 through third reading.

Bill C-389 seeks to add “gender identity” and “gender expression” to the Canadian Human Rights Act’s list of prohibited grounds of discrimination.

But the private member’s bill introduced by Siksay, the NDP MP for Burnaby-Douglas, still faces another hurdle as it heads to the Senate.

The majority of NDP, Liberal and Bloc members voted in favour of the bill, while it was opposed by most Conservative MPs. Some cabinet ministers, including James Moore and Lawrence Cannon, voted in favour of the bill.

http://www.straight.com/article-3742...-house-commons

Excellent news, there may be hope yet!

[Soon]

Groundbreaking Study Finds Pervasive Discrimination Against Transgender People


February 4, 2011

A new study reveals pervasive discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming people in a variety of fields, including education, employment, housing, health care, and more.

/snip

The study, based on the results from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), was based on responses from over 6,450 participants. The NTDS is the first large-scale national study of discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming Americans, and paints a more complete picture than any prior research to date.
Among the key findings from “Injustice at Every Turn”:
● Respondents were nearly four times more likely to live in extreme poverty, with household income of less than $10,000.
● Respondents were twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the population as a whole. Half of those surveyed reported experiencing harassment or other mistreatment in the workplace, and one in four were fired because of their gender identity or expression.
● While discrimination was pervasive for the entire sample, it was particularly pronounced for people of color. African-American transgender respondents fared far worse than all others in many areas studied.
● Housing discrimination was also common. 19% reported being refused a home or apartment and 11% reported being evicted because of their gender identity or expression. One in five respondents experienced homelessness because of their gender identity or expression.
● An astonishing 41% of respondents reported attempting suicide, compared to only 1.6% of the general population.
● Discrimination in health care and poor health outcomes were frequently experienced by respondents. 19% reported being refused care due to bias against transgender or gender-nonconforming people, with this figure even higher for respondents of color. Respondents also had over four times the national average of HIV infection.
● Harassment by law enforcement was reported by 22% of respondents and nearly half were uncomfortable seeking police assistance.
● Despite the hardships they often face, transgender and gender non-conforming persons persevere. Over 78% reported feeling more comfortable at work and their performance improving after transitioning, despite the same levels of harassment in the workplace.

[SelfMadeMan]

FYI friends... Lisa Ling's new show on OWN, called 'Our America', airs Tuesday nights at 9c... this coming Tuesday, the topic is 'Transgender Lives', spread the word :-)

[weatherboi]

This is super fucking awesome!!!!

Rhiannon O'Donnabhain finally got the tax break she deserved from the IRS in 2001.

Tuesday, Federal Tax Court ruled in favor of the petitioner, a transsexual woman in the landmark case of O'Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The favorable ruling opens the doors wide to tax equality for transgender Americans.

Citing protocol from Harry Benjamin/WPATH Standards of Care and DSM-IV, the court ruled that medical treatment for gender identity disorder (GID) qualifies as tax deductible medical care under the Internal Revenue Code.

In 2001, O'Donnabhain underwent sex reassignment surgery (SRS). She claimed the cost of surgeries, transportation and related expenses in the same tax year as a medical expense deduction under section 214, I.R.C.

The medical deduction was rejected by the IRS.

In the landmark victory won by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) the court rejected an argument by the IRS that transgender medical treatment is different than medically necessary treatment recommended by recognized medical and psychological organizations.

The U.S. Tax Court decision has huge financial ramifications for transgender Americans, opening the door to potential deductions in other related areas of transition as defined under the Standards of Care.

The Harry Benjamin Standards of Care for GID prescribe a "triadic" treatment sequence including 1) cross-gender hormone therapy to effect changes in physical appearance toward the opposite sex; 2) "real-life" experience described as a trial period of living full time in society as a member of the opposite sex and 3) sex reassignment surgery including non-genital surgical sex reassignment.

Non-genital surgical sex reassignment refers to any and all other surgical procedures of non-genital, or non-breast, sites (ie: nose, throat, chin, cheeks, hips, etc.) conducted for the purpose of effecting a more masculine appearance in a genetic female or for the purpose of effecting a more feminine appearance in a genetic male in the absence of identifiable pathology which would warrant such surgery regardless of the patient's genetic sex.

More than 80% of all transgender individuals never transition in large part due to discriminatory health care insurance practices which typically exclude treatment for gender identity disorder (GID).

The full scope of transition---gender counseling, hormone therapy, medical supervision, hair removal, genital, facial and body surgeries--can easily exceed $50,000, in some cases over $100,000.

Since "non-genital sex reassignment procedures" often are performed together as facial feminization surgery (FFS) for trans-women it's logical to extrapolate that these procedures could be in line to qualify as medically necessary tax deductions.

The court case and it's ramifications on the transgender community will be the topic of a conference call tonight at 6pm Eastern hosted by GLAD.

[Linus]

Originally Posted by weatherboi

This is super fucking awesome!!!!

Rhiannon O'Donnabhain finally got the tax break she deserved from the IRS in 2001.

Tuesday, Federal Tax Court ruled in favor of the petitioner, a transsexual woman in the landmark case of O'Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The favorable ruling opens the doors wide to tax equality for transgender Americans.

Citing protocol from Harry Benjamin/WPATH Standards of Care and DSM-IV, the court ruled that medical treatment for gender identity disorder (GID) qualifies as tax deductible medical care under the Internal Revenue Code.

In 2001, O'Donnabhain underwent sex reassignment surgery (SRS). She claimed the cost of surgeries, transportation and related expenses in the same tax year as a medical expense deduction under section 214, I.R.C.

The medical deduction was rejected by the IRS.

In the landmark victory won by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) the court rejected an argument by the IRS that transgender medical treatment is different than medically necessary treatment recommended by recognized medical and psychological organizations.

The U.S. Tax Court decision has huge financial ramifications for transgender Americans, opening the door to potential deductions in other related areas of transition as defined under the Standards of Care.

The Harry Benjamin Standards of Care for GID prescribe a "triadic" treatment sequence including 1) cross-gender hormone therapy to effect changes in physical appearance toward the opposite sex; 2) "real-life" experience described as a trial period of living full time in society as a member of the opposite sex and 3) sex reassignment surgery including non-genital surgical sex reassignment.

Non-genital surgical sex reassignment refers to any and all other surgical procedures of non-genital, or non-breast, sites (ie: nose, throat, chin, cheeks, hips, etc.) conducted for the purpose of effecting a more masculine appearance in a genetic female or for the purpose of effecting a more feminine appearance in a genetic male in the absence of identifiable pathology which would warrant such surgery regardless of the patient's genetic sex.

More than 80% of all transgender individuals never transition in large part due to discriminatory health care insurance practices which typically exclude treatment for gender identity disorder (GID).

The full scope of transition---gender counseling, hormone therapy, medical supervision, hair removal, genital, facial and body surgeries--can easily exceed $50,000, in some cases over $100,000.

Since "non-genital sex reassignment procedures" often are performed together as facial feminization surgery (FFS) for trans-women it's logical to extrapolate that these procedures could be in line to qualify as medically necessary tax deductions.

The court case and it's ramifications on the transgender community will be the topic of a conference call tonight at 6pm Eastern hosted by GLAD.

That is indeed awesome. Since many health benefits programs do not cover procedures and/or hormones, then at least one can write some of it off.

[DapperButch]

Wow! That is AWESOME!!!

Originally Posted by weatherboi

This is super fucking awesome!!!!

Rhiannon O'Donnabhain finally got the tax break she deserved from the IRS in 2001.

Tuesday, Federal Tax Court ruled in favor of the petitioner, a transsexual woman in the landmark case of O'Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The favorable ruling opens the doors wide to tax equality for transgender Americans.

Citing protocol from Harry Benjamin/WPATH Standards of Care and DSM-IV, the court ruled that medical treatment for gender identity disorder (GID) qualifies as tax deductible medical care under the Internal Revenue Code.

In 2001, O'Donnabhain underwent sex reassignment surgery (SRS). She claimed the cost of surgeries, transportation and related expenses in the same tax year as a medical expense deduction under section 214, I.R.C.

The medical deduction was rejected by the IRS.

In the landmark victory won by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) the court rejected an argument by the IRS that transgender medical treatment is different than medically necessary treatment recommended by recognized medical and psychological organizations.

The U.S. Tax Court decision has huge financial ramifications for transgender Americans, opening the door to potential deductions in other related areas of transition as defined under the Standards of Care.

The Harry Benjamin Standards of Care for GID prescribe a "triadic" treatment sequence including 1) cross-gender hormone therapy to effect changes in physical appearance toward the opposite sex; 2) "real-life" experience described as a trial period of living full time in society as a member of the opposite sex and 3) sex reassignment surgery including non-genital surgical sex reassignment.

Non-genital surgical sex reassignment refers to any and all other surgical procedures of non-genital, or non-breast, sites (ie: nose, throat, chin, cheeks, hips, etc.) conducted for the purpose of effecting a more masculine appearance in a genetic female or for the purpose of effecting a more feminine appearance in a genetic male in the absence of identifiable pathology which would warrant such surgery regardless of the patient's genetic sex.

More than 80% of all transgender individuals never transition in large part due to discriminatory health care insurance practices which typically exclude treatment for gender identity disorder (GID).

The full scope of transition---gender counseling, hormone therapy, medical supervision, hair removal, genital, facial and body surgeries--can easily exceed $50,000, in some cases over $100,000.

Since "non-genital sex reassignment procedures" often are performed together as facial feminization surgery (FFS) for trans-women it's logical to extrapolate that these procedures could be in line to qualify as medically necessary tax deductions.

The court case and it's ramifications on the transgender community will be the topic of a conference call tonight at 6pm Eastern hosted by GLAD.