Trans News/ Issues

[Alpha Dog]

"Transmen" is a documentary that follows the lives of three Tennesseans during their transition from females to males. Each transman faces his own struggles in the film, such as the availability of health insurance for surgeries and discrimination in the workplace and school, as well as coming out as transgender to their friends and family. Currently, Tennessee is the only state with a "law" that bans gender changes on birth certificates. Ohio and Idaho have policy bans that can be overturned by an executive order signed by the governor or government agency. Tennessee is the only one with a law that passed the legislature. This film is a call to action for people to become involved in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and lobby for legislation that will protect and serve all Tennesseans equally.

View the trailer. http://transmen.tumblr.com/


SPREAD THE WORD FAR AND WIDE!!!

[EnderD_503]

A lot going on in the news lately.

The good news:

The Liberal/Left cooperates for Transgender Rights in Canada. Since New Democrat Bill Siksay (previous champion for Bill C-389) has decided to retire, some felt their hopes dashed regarding the passing of Bill C-389, a Bill that would recognise transgender rights Canada-wide by entering gender identity and expression into the Canadian Charter and Criminal Code.

But yesterday Hedy Fry of the Liberal Party of Canada has assured that she will sponsor Bill C-389 after the elections (Bill passed through 3 readings in the House of Commons and entered the Senate for a final vote, only to be stalled. Now that an election has been called, the Bill needs to start from scratch again).

http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/L...ent-10026.aspx

Bad news:

Recently been reported that a jail in the US was mistreating and even sexually assaulting its LGBT immigrant detainees. At least two transgender detainees (in two separate articles) have spoken out about the abuse they suffered at the hands of jailers.

WOODSTOCK – The McHenry County Jail is named in a civil-rights complaint alleging abuse of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender immigrants while in custody at facilities owned or contracted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On behalf of 13 people, Chicago-based Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Justice Center filed the action with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Inspector General’s Office.

One complainant, an HIV-positive transgender who identifies as a woman, said she was groped by McHenry County Jail staff, placed in administrative and solitary segregation and denied basic privileges during that time, and constantly threatened and harassed by both detainees and jail staff, resulting in severe psychological harm.

She said she was detained in McHenry County for almost nine months and “living in hell.” She said she was isolated from the other inmates, with the only human interaction being from the guards who yelled at her, slammed doors in her face, called her names, and physically assaulted her.

In September 2009, she alleges that an officer began teasing her, including giving her the middle finger and calling her a “f-----.”

“One of the officers squeezed my breasts very hard,” she said. “I am taking hormones and because of this, it hurt a lot when he squeezed my breasts.”

She said the officers made sexual gestures and did not protect her from harassment by other inmates.

“The officers would stop by my cell to make fun of me,” she said. “They imitated my voice and fluttered their hands to make fun of my transsexual mannerisms.”

She also said she was put in a basement cell for two days on separate occasions, and while there she was not properly fed or clothed.

Officials confirmed that a transgender ICE detainee was in the McHenry County Jail during the time of the alleged abuse from July 2009 to April 2010 and was placed in protective custody.

Assistant State’s Attorney Don Leist said there was no foundation for the allegations.

“We completely and utterly deny these allegations,” he said.

Alliance leaders said the allegations within the complaint went beyond mistreatment by a few guards. They included blanket policies against the immigrants, such as the rule at the Theo Lacy facility in California that keeps all gay and transgender immigrants confined to their cells for 22 hours and the practice at a Santa Ana, Calif., jail that denies hormone treatments to transgender immigrants.

Read more: http://www.nwherald.com/2011/04/14/c...laint/ak1z2ks/

More bad news (why is it so often bad news?): As some may have heard, a transwoman was beaten, though thankfully not killed, by two men in San Fransisco earlier this week. But seems like there was a strong reaction by the SF lgbt community. Report of the rally against violence: http://ht.ly/4BGwO

This just goes to show how far we have to go all over the world when it comes to trans rights. This shit should not be happening anymore.

[Quintease]

This is happening in Australia. Two transmen are taking on the Government for legal recognition of their gender, AH & AB, and now have the go-ahead to go to the High Court! Until now Transmen haven't been recognised as male, nor been entitled to a gender certificate until they were physically sterile, as the possibility of Australia having a 'pregnant man' was just too much to bear

They're currently looking for financial support so I thought I'd put it out there for any Australia BFP members http://www.gofundme.com/High-Court-Challenge

[blackboot]

Hawaii Legislature Passes Transgender Employment Protections
by Tony Wagner

"Yesterday, by a 45-4 vote, the Hawaii House concurred with the Senate on a HB 546 SD1, a bill codifying prohibitions against discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity. The bill now heads to Governor Abercrombie, who has said he will sign it into law. Upon Governor’s signature, Hawaii will join 12 states and the District of Columbia in banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations.

HRC worked closely with Equality Hawaii to build both public and legislative support for this legislation. Through this joint effort, thousands of phone calls, emails and handwritten letters were sent to legislators urging them to approve this legislation."

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by blackboot

Hawaii Legislature Passes Transgender Employment Protections
by Tony Wagner

"Yesterday, by a 45-4 vote, the Hawaii House concurred with the Senate on a HB 546 SD1, a bill codifying prohibitions against discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity. The bill now heads to Governor Abercrombie, who has said he will sign it into law. Upon Governor’s signature, Hawaii will join 12 states and the District of Columbia in banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations.

HRC worked closely with Equality Hawaii to build both public and legislative support for this legislation. Through this joint effort, thousands of phone calls, emails and handwritten letters were sent to legislators urging them to approve this legislation."

Outstanding!

The same bill passed Nevada's Assembly and is now going before the state Senate. The governor has also indicated he would sign it into law.

*fingers crossed*

[Soon]

Texas May Strip Away Transgender Marriage Rights

By JIM VERTUNO Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas April 25, 2011 (AP)

Two years after Texas became one of the last states to allow transgendered people to use proof of their sex change to get a marriage license, Republican lawmakers are trying to roll back the clock.

Advocates for the transgendered say a proposal to bar transgendered people from getting married smacks of discrimination and would put their legally granted marriages in danger of being nullified if challenged in court.

One of the Republican sponsors of the legislation said he's simply trying to clean up the 2009 law in a state that bans same-sex marriage under the constitution.

"The Texas Constitution," Sen. Tommy Williams said, "clearly defines marriage between one man and one woman."

The legislation by Williams, of Houston, and Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, of Brenham, would prohibit county and district clerks from using a court order recognizing a sex change as documentation to get married, effectively requiring the state to recognize a 1999 state appeals court decision that said in cases of marriage, gender is assigned at birth and sticks with a person throughout their life even if they have a sex change.

Most states allow transgendered people to get married using a court order that also allows them to change their driver's license, experts said. Some advocates for the transgendered say the Texas proposal would not only prevent future transgendered marriages but also open up the possibility that any current marriage could be nullified.


"It appears the goal is to try to enshrine a really horrifying ruling and making it law in the state of Texas," said John Nechman, a Houston attorney whose law firm does work for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.

Gov. Rick Perry's spokesman Mark Miner said the governor never intended to allow transgendered people to get married. He said the three-word sex change provision was sneaked through on a larger piece of legislation Perry signed two years ago regarding marriage licensing rules for county and district clerks. Perry, a Republican, supports efforts to "clarify the unintended consequences" of that law, Miner said.

"The governor has always believed and advocated that marriage is between a man and a woman," Miner said.

Williams said he understands that some people's gender cannot easily be determined when they are born and they later have an operation that could change the originally assigned gender.

"It is an emotional issue," Williams said. "I can appreciate that."

But when asked about claims of discrimination, Williams insisted his goal is to simplify marriage licensing for clerks who are trying to balance the 2009 law with the 1999 Texas appeals court ruling.

"They shouldn't have to resolve these issues," Williams said. "We have confused them."

Williams' legislation has cleared a committee vote and now awaits approval by the full Senate, which is predominantly Republican. The version in the GOP-dominated House has not yet been given a hearing.

Some advocates for the transgendered say that even if the legislation is passed, transgendered people could still get marriage licenses using other state and federally-issued documents such as a drivers' license or passport. But without the weight of a court order officially recognizing their gender reassignment, they worry any legal challenge, such as a divorce or estate dispute, would nullify the marriage.


"We want to be recognized as people. We want to have the same rights as all of you," Lisa Scheps of the Transgender Education Network of Texas said at a March hearing on Williams' bill. No one testified in favor of the legislation.

Kolkhorst, who authored the 2009 law that allowed the sex change documentation to be used in getting marriage licenses, did not respond to messages left at her office seeking comment on why she now wants to take it out.

The 2009 law originally was filed without the sex change document provision, but House records show Kolkhorst put it in as part of a lengthy amendment in the last month of the session. The changed legislation passed the House and Senate and Perry signed it into law a month later.


AP
In this April 20, 2011 photo, Nikki Araguz stands in front of a monument to fallen volunteer... View Full Caption

"It would be terrible for Texas, now that it finally caught up with the rest of the country, to take a step back," said Shannon Minter, an attorney for the national Transgender Law and Policy Institute. He said most states allow marriages for people who have undergone sex reassignment surgery.

Nikki Araguz was at the Capitol last week to lobby against the legislation. Her husband, a volunteer firefighter, was killed in the line of duty in July and she is being sued by her dead husband's family over control of his $600,000 estate.

Araguz had a final sex change operation in October 2008, two months after they were married, and says her husband knew and supported her. His family argues the marriage should be voided because Araguz was born a man and same-sex marriage is not legal in Texas. A hearing is scheduled for May 13.

"This is crazy. I feel like this is a personal attack on me," Araguz told The Associated Press. "If this bill is passed, it essentially means women like myself who have had reconstructive surgery will not be allowed to marry their heterosexual partner."

[EnderD_503]

This morning the Dallas County Commision voted 3-2 to include gender identity and expression to the existing non-discrimination policy. The vote was split down party lines with Democrats Judge Clay Jenkins, Commissioner Wiley Price, and Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia voting for the measure.

This vote came just a month after sexual orientation was added to the non-discrimination policy by the commission unanimously on March 22nd, following a campaign promise by Judge Jenkins. Jenkins later stated that the commission had been under the false impression that adding sexual orientation would cover trans people as well.

Maurine Dickey, a Republican Commissioner whose district includes Oak Lawn a gay neighborhood, voted for adding sexual orientation but voted against trans rights. In the run up to the vote for adding trans people to the non-discrimination policy, Dickey was hoped to be the third vote while Price was undecided. However in an interview with the Dallas Voice Dickey compared the measure to giving protections to “overweight people” and “people with diabetes” raising controversy over her transphobia and questions as to why those people did not deserve protections too.

This bill’s passage comes as the Texas legislature is pushing for a bill to make it harder for trans people to marry within the state. Including trans people in existing non-discrimination policy at the city, county, state or federal level is still widely contested and, while progress is made in some places, there are places like Maine which are seeking to remove existing protections. Dallas County’s status as the ninth most populous county in the United States makes this a major victory for the trans community both at a local level and in the overall fight for trans rights.

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/04/dallas...-trans-rights/

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by Thinker

Outstanding!

The same bill passed Nevada's Assembly and is now going before the state Senate. The governor has also indicated he would sign it into law.

*fingers crossed*

It took a while, but it passed the state Senate with an 11-10 vote; however, they added an amendment that employers could require appropriate workplace clothing and grooming.

Now it has to go back to the state Assembly because of the amendment.

Way to go, Nevada!

http://www.lvrj.com/news/senate-narr...8.html?ref=208

[Camo Eagle]

Maybe the heat of Nevada is preferable to the heat in Texas.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/2...rriage-rights/

[ahk]

Originally Posted by Alpha Dog

"Transmen" is a documentary that follows the lives of three Tennesseans during their transition from females to males. Each transman faces his own struggles in the film, such as the availability of health insurance for surgeries and discrimination in the workplace and school, as well as coming out as transgender to their friends and family. Currently, Tennessee is the only state with a "law" that bans gender changes on birth certificates. Ohio and Idaho have policy bans that can be overturned by an executive order signed by the governor or government agency. Tennessee is the only one with a law that passed the legislature. This film is a call to action for people to become involved in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and lobby for legislation that will protect and serve all Tennesseans equally.

View the trailer. http://transmen.tumblr.com/


SPREAD THE WORD FAR AND WIDE!!!

Not sure if this has been posted, but its officially out on youtube or tumblr.



and

[Toughy]

One of the things Dr Bowers talked about was the complete lack of surgical training at every medical school in the country. If the training is not available then you will not get surgeons to do SRS. That is one of the reasons so few surgeons do these types of surgeries.

She is now located in San Mateo (on the peninsula about 20-30 minute drive to SF) and also see patients in Seattle. The Trinidad office is closed. Her being located in San Mateo makes her availabe to UCSF medical school. The SF VAMC is affliated with the UCSF Medical School........consequently we get first rate, cutting edge care. I believe I heard her say she wants to work with UCSF and start a training program for SRS. If UCSF does it, then it's extremely likely the SF VA will end up doing the surgeries.

Theo ...great explanation for how the VA system is set up. Thanks for helping folks understand the VA model. The other thing that affects quality of care at every VA medical facility is leadership. Strong leadership in every facility translates to excellent care.

The VA model should be the single payer model for the entire country. I want to scream every time Obama and others say Medicare for all..........NO NO NO...........VA care for all. There is a pharmacy formulary (which the VA negotiates drug prices, Medicare does not) but it is huge and it's never been an issue for me to get drugs not on the formulary. The doc makes a call to the outpatient pharmacy and I go pick it up. There is no 'this test/procedure/referral must be approved' before it can be done. Physical Therapy gave me a cane to walk with on the spot and a special walker because of the RA in my wrists. No approval required. She ordered (on the computer) the special walker while I was sitting at her desk and it arrived at my house 2 weeks later. I'll stop because it's a derail...sorry

[Slowpurr]

Getting funding from non-traditional sources is not new, but it is becoming more popular-as is selling directly to fans. An inevitable yet delightful side of this is certainly more diverse entertainment being made available to a wider audience and in better quality.

Kickstarter is one of these crowd-sourced online funding platforms and Hand basket productions has received funding to help them reach their goal to fund a three volume erotic documentary named Doing it Again: In Depth, to be produced and directed by Tobi Hill-Meyer. The plan is for three volumes; the first two focusing on trans women with trans partners, trans women with cis partners and the third volume addressing gender queer trans women and trans women who choose genderqueer partners.

The bulk of the film will be filmed in the PNW, but casting calls will be made in a few cities throughout the US and CAN. There is an online application available. I will post a link to that as well as some general information about the documentary. Happy viewing!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...again-in-depth

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...RjF1cHBIRlE6MQ

[Nadeest]

Toughy, Theoddz, from what you have said, it seems likely that that is how it is going to go, if all goes well. I think that it would be wonderful if that happened, even if Dr. Bowers only trains the surgeons at the medical school for a start. For starters, the more people that are trained to do it, the more likely it is that others will be trained, in time, as new surgeons become experienced at this procedure.
If they start also training people at the SF VAMC that would be even better. I'd happily go to SF to have my SRS done by the VA there. Mind you, I would still have to find the funds to get there, and support myself, but it would certainly be worth it, to me.

[Nadeest]

This is very good news, if limited in scope: http://gaystarnews.com/article/tasma...E2%80%99211012

[Linus]

Saw this story: http://www.canada.com/news/national/...924/story.html and made me wonder... hrmm... could this potentially open a door for FTMs?

[DMW]

Biden Gets It: Trans Rights Are a Defining Civil Rights Fight

by WATCHER Posted November 02, 2012 (6 hours ago)
http://www.sodahead.com/united-state...stion-3292249/

http://www.care2.com/causes/biden-ge...#ixzz2B52Y92U2

[Nadeest]

Linus, I think that it is possible that it eventually will open a door, but it is going to take lots of time, I'm afraid. There are also likely to be transphobes that freak out about it, if they find out that transmen are using this to help themselves father children.