Trans Group Blog

Why HRC, GLAAD and TLC’s advocacy hurts the transgender community

2011-12-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

Today I got an email from the Human Rights Campaign saying, "Tell ABC: Your new comedy is no laughing matter." It's about this new television show called "Work It." HRC says,As part of their winter line-up, ABC is releasing a new comedy called "Work It," featuring two men who dress as women in order to get jobs. The problem is that the premise reinforces false, hurtful stereotypes about

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and Don't be Trans

2011-09-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

History is being made today for the lesbian, gay, bi, and respective non-heterosexual communities the US Military policy Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) officially is repealed. Everyone is celebrating, and I'm celebrating too, but I have to admit I'm more jaded than joyful. Today as the LGB military is coming out, trans* military is being left out. As an activist rooted in the anti-war/

The curious incident of the healthy transwoman

2011-07-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

by Angus "Andrea" Grieve-SmithI've noticed that transgender health researchers tend to focus on people with health problems, and that makes sense. Consequently, I've often felt a bit guilty talking about transgender health issues. I don't have a sexually transmitted disease, the worst thing I'm addicted to is sugar, I've never been bashed, and I'm not depressed or suicidal. So why should I

The consequences of sampling bias

2011-07-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

By Angus "Andrea" Grieve-SmithI wanted to go into a bit more detail about something I've mentioned before: that the use of non-representative samples can cause problems down the line. To illustrate this, I want to examine the claims of health disparities that Emilia Dunham lists in her Bay Windows article. Transgender people take more hormones and have have more surgeries than average.

Just Stop, OUT!Wear

2011-07-13T10:31:00.001-07:00

Ugh. An LGBT clothing retailer is selling WBW t-shirts, which stands for "women born women" which is a policy used by spaces that exclude trans women, such as Michigan Women's Festival.Ugh. How awful. How insensitive, and shitty, and irresponsible, and yes, I'm going to say it, how TRANSPHOBIC.Just cut it out.Bug them on their FB page, or via their website.What complete bullshit.

DC Trans Coalition Findings

2011-07-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

from the DC Trans Coalition:Washington, DC – The DC Trans Coalition today released summary findings from the first phase of its ongoing Needs Assessment Project, which found that transgender, transsexual, and gender non-conforming people in the District of Columbia – regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status – have serious concerns about their safety as they go about their everyday

A critical opportunity in transgender research

2011-07-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

By Angus "Andrea" Grieve-SmithThe Department of Health and Human Services has just made a big announcement: they will begin collecting data on LGBT issues, including transgender issues. The goal is to document disparities in health care, as well as plain old disparities in health, so that they can be addressed in the future. The plan is to have two roundtables on "gender identity data collection"

The closet corrodes your soul

2011-05-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from my personal trans blog.I’ve talked before about the value of being out of the closet – the global political value. But being out can be valuable in a more direct, immediate way. It can save us from the closet.When I first started cross-dressing, I knew that it was not acceptable. I had heard so many people making fun of transvestites that I didn’t think that anyone would

Tenured radical on Chaz

2011-05-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Claire Potter at Tenured Radical on Chaz Bono and Transitionhttp://tenured-radical.blogspot.com/Famous people live in bubbles; the children of famous people also live in bubbles, and benefit much less from the experience. Witness Chaz, the only child of Salvatore "Sonny" Bono and Cherilyn Sarkisian, otherwise known as Cher. One of the many criticisms that will doubtless emerge about Chaz Bono's

Almost a Transgender Role Model

2011-05-16T11:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a cross post from my blog, www.ninaherenorthere.comI really wanted Chaz Bono to be a transgender hero. By sharing his transition in his film, “Becoming Chaz,” and in his memoir, “Transition: The Story of How I became a Man,” he is offering gender-questioning people an intimate entry into his personal experience. With his fame, he is raising much-needed awareness about a marginalized

TX Trans Marriage Bill

2011-04-24T21:30:00.001-07:00

Monica Roberts has been covering a proposed bill call SB 723; her most recent update is here. It's in the Senate, & what it will do is make it illegal to use a court order about name/gender change to apply for a marriage license. The only reason it's been proposed is to mess with the legal marriages of trans women to men, such as in the Nikki Araguz.If you live in TX, call your senators now and

Survey:: By & For

2011-04-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

There's a new cool survey out for - and more importantly, by - trans people. Non trans people can take it too: it examines attitudes about self, gender, & relationships. The researcher explains:My advisor and I are painfully aware that most surveys in psychology are not inclusive of—or even recognizing of—trans spectrum identities because we ourselves have trans spectrum identities.

West Michigan Trans

2011-04-19T17:25:00.001-07:00

There are plans afoot for an educational/outreach conference for West Michigan. Here is their call for organizers:Call For Organizers: Transgender Education Collaboration of West Michigan (2011-2012)A collaborative plan for educating West Michigan about transgender, gender variant, and intersex issues Why?There is a need for education about Transgendered, gender variant, and intersex issues in

As Goes Maine, so goes---?

2011-04-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a cross post from my blog, www.jenniferboylan.netYesterday, I spoke to the Maine legislature’s Judiciary committee. A bill has been proposed to “exempt” transgender people from protections under the Maine Human Rights Act, which went into effect six years ago. Currently, Maine protects GLBT people from discrimination, and this includes a so called “public accommodations” provision of the

Discrimination Suit: Man Enough

2011-04-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

A man whose job it was to make sure men in recovery don't switch their urine for someone else's got fired because he wasn't born with a penis.TLDEF brought the case, which has now been reported in The New York Times.So here's how you tell this is discrimination: if a man who had lost his penis in an accident had this job, no one would have fired him for being penis-less. If a man who had

ENDA

2011-03-30T09:11:00.001-07:00

ENDA has been re-introduced in the House as of today, according to NCTE and TLDEF. More updates as they come through.

The Rebecca Juro Show Is Live Tonight At 7pm Eastern With Guest HRC Press Secretary Michael Cole-Schwartz

2011-03-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

On this week’s Rebecca Juro Show we welcome Human Rights Campaign Press Secretary Michael Cole-Schwartz. We’ll talk with Michael about HRC’s advocacy of LGBT rights, where they are now and where they’re going. There’s been a lot of discussion about HRC’s past and their history with the trans and grassroots communities, but on this show we’re going to talk about the future. Can HRC and the trans

RIP: Julie Anne Johnson

2011-03-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

For those of you in the Chicago area, especially those who helped put together the Be-All, my condolences on the loss of activist Julie Anne Johnson. She was a cool lady & liked trains more than I do, even. The Chicago Tribune carried her obituary.

Threats to “Women’s Rights” Step on Trans Toes

2011-02-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

The recent legislative and funding threats to abortion rights, sexual assault, and sexual health (aka Planned Parenthood) have been described as an attack on women's health. I do not agree with this... at least not in full. I have been getting a surge of petition and action emails from the sexual health organizations I work with, and I've been working hard to get the word out. The problem is that

New Trans Art & Lit Magazine

2011-02-16T14:49:00.001-08:00

Bodies of Work, a new Art and Literature Magazine is looking for submissions. We, the editors, are three trans artists who believe art and literature are two of the most vital parts to our world today. At this moment, there is no magazine which brings all transgender, transsexual and gender variant writers and artists to the forefront. We believe it is time to publish such a magazine! The

Discrimination Against Trans People Documented

2011-02-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

NCTE and The Task Force released the findings of an extensive survey on the kinds of discrimination faced by trans people in the US. It's not good news, and anyone who is surprised that it's not good news hasn't been paying attention.Said Mara Keisling, Executive Director of NCTE: “Reading these results is heartbreaking on a personal level—each of these facts and figures represents pain and

Dear Pop Culture: Leave TransFolk Alone!

2011-01-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, so am I the only one who really would prefer it if pop culture would leave transfolks alone? I'm not saying I don't want our folks in media, quite the opposite, I want our faces, our stories, our experiences out there; I want visibility for our people. That said, there is a difference between visibility (which I define as socialized educational promotion of our community and cause) and simple

Trans Advocacy Network is Now Taking Applications for Membership From State and Local Organizations

2011-01-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Gunner Scotttransadvocacynetwork@gmail.comTrans Advocacy Network is Now Taking Applications for Membership From State and Local Organizations The recently formed Trans Advocacy Network (TAN) is now taking applications for membership. TAN is an alliance of transgender organizations that work at the state and local level, coming together to build a stronger

The Rebecca Juro Show Returns Thursday, January 13th at 7pm Eastern with Guest Autumn Sandeen

2011-01-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, at long last it’s the return of The Rebecca Juro Show! We’ll be coming to you every Thursday with two hours of news, issues, politics, interviews, rants, and of course, your phone calls! This week, our guest is Pam’s House Blend blogger and activist Autumn Sandeen. We’ll talk with Autumn about the battle for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and her part in that effort, and much more.

The Democratic Party’s New LGBT “Equality” Agenda: Big Words, Short Arms

2011-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

It’s really interesting to see how mainstream cable newsmedia is lauding the Democratically-controlled 111th Congress for getting so much done. It’s not entirely undeserved of course, but when one takes a close look at what actually did get done this past session of Congress in terms of protecting and ensuring equal civil rights for all Americans, we find that their actual results are really not

Trans Woman Attacked in TN Kohl's (warning: Triggery)

2010-12-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

It sounds like it's going to be just some holiday shopping insanity, but then:When store personnel unlocked the doors to the store, Akasha Adonis and her mother of Humboldt, TN made their way to one of four entrances where there was no line. As they were entering the store, a girl from another entrance where there was a line ran up to Akasha's mother and another woman and attempted to ram through

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves Call for Interns

2010-11-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is looking for interns for the positions listed below. The deadline for submission of applications is December 1, 2010.Internships begin December 15, 2010. Their end date depends on the particular position. The survey and chapter interns will likely complete their work by the end of the Spring. The website and publicity interns will continue on through the book’s

Trans Partners: Come Out , Come Out, Wherever You Are

2010-10-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, lovers of trans people! Come out about your desires today for National Coming Out Day! Celebrate the beauty of trans bodies and souls, no matter their shape or size or color.There’s not enough of us out.Here’s an exercise I ask trans partners to do when they’re feeling isolated: imagine you are Professor Charles Xavier and you’ve got that fabulous helmet — except instead of finding mutants,

Nibblerspeak: Why The LGBT Community Doesn’t Believe Anything Democrats Say Anymore

2010-08-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

Did you catch Tim Kaine’s new video, supposedly about the progress the Democratic Party is making on LGBT issues? Like a lot of what comes out of official Democratic Party channels these days, it’s simply unbelievable. Not amazing, exciting, or surprising, but quite literally not believable. Most notable is Kaine’s assertion that Democrats are “working hard” to pass ENDA. Really? Current whip

David Bowie and "Gayface"

2010-08-16T07:03:00.001-07:00

by Jenny Boylan.so i wrote, and posted here, a piece about David Bowie; I've been thinking about him over the weekend, having suddenly remembered how much I liked his music (and saw him live at the Tower Theatre in Philly during the Ziggy Stardust tour). I wrote about feeling a little betrayed that--apparently--Bowie's androgyny was really all play, and that he's really straight, and that all of

Trans People, "MSM" and HIV Study and Outreach

2010-07-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

There is a serious problem in HIV study and outreach when it comes to trans people -- and especially transsexuals -- in studies of high-risk populations. Many of late have been doing so by trying to include them under the term "MSM," or, "men who have sex with men." I've heard the creation of this term attributed to the Center for Disease Control, but it's widely used now by United Nations -

Trans + Jewish

2010-07-12T19:25:00.001-07:00

Prof. Joy Ladin on what it means to be transgender and Jewish:

What's wrong with this picture?

2010-07-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

So it was 40th annual Pride celebration here last weekend and the San Francisco Chronicle published its usual slideshow filled with fierce and fabulous people having fun at the installation of the Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks, at the Dyke March, at the Pink Saturday in the Castro, at Sunday's parade, at the official celebration party that takes over blocks around the Civic Center.But guess

Cincinnati Pride or Privilege?

2010-06-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Cincinnati Pride is approaching, and this year issues have gone beyond the usual problems with Pride. Pride is a clusterfuck or issues, visibility, consumerism and corporatization, access, politics... but this I guess it was bored of the old problems and wanted something new. One issue vexing Cincinnati Pride this year is location. Pride has moved from its ‘gayborhood’ home to Cincinnati's

At Last, The Rebecca Juro Show Returns! Live Test Show Sunday June 13th, 7pm Eastern

2010-06-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

It took a while longer than we'd anticipated, but it's finally here! The Rebecca Juro Show returns to the cyber-airwaves for a live one-hour test show tomorrow, Sunday, June 13th at 7pm eastern, and we need your help! We've got lots of new and cool things planned for our big premiere, but this test show is mainly intended to give our new studio setup a workout. We want to know how it looks and

Can An E-Cigarette Really Help You Quit Smoking?

2010-06-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

That's what I'm going to find out, very soon. When people tell me, as they so often do, that I should quit smoking, I like to joke that I'm an expert on quitting smoking since I've done it seven times already. For me, the real problem is that I've never been able to make it stick. I've tried gum, lozenges, patches, cold turkey, cutting down...with the exception of prescription medication (and

Let's Call The Democrats What They Really Are: The Nibbler Party

2010-06-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Have we had enough yet? I don't know about you, but I certainly have. This past Sunday, I went to Asbury Park and attended Jersey Pride. As is the norm for this annual event, the heat was oppressive, the festival was crowded, and LGBT's were lauding Democrats for doing exactly nothing useful to protect our basic civil rights and equality. The single actual politician I saw there is one of the

Insightful Yet Still Blind: MSNBC Just Doesn't Get the LGBT Civil Rights Movement

2010-05-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

I mean, what else could it be? How else can you explain the logic involved in presenting the kind of excellent coverage MSNBC has been doing on Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the virtually absolute silence from the network on its "Big Sister" bill, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act? Surely, it can't be about the policy itself. Both efforts if successful would do essentially exactly the same thing

JB interview in the School Library Journal..

2010-05-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

The School Library Journal did this interview with herself, posted today. I'm hoping it's relevant to what we talk about here. For me, the interesting balancing act is discussing "adult" issues like trans stuff in the context of children's literature. I think the blogger (NYPL librarian and all around mensch Betsy Bird) did a very nice job:I don't often host folks who've appeared on Oprah,

The VA has a New Directive on the Treatment of Transgender Veterans

2010-05-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

By Monica F. HelmsThe VA has a new directive on the treatment of Transgender Veterans, BUT they won’t release it. This is becoming a theme with the Obama Administration. Tell LGBT people that their issues are important then do nothing to make them a reality. Transgender veterans have decided not to be quiet about this issue any longer.First, a little history. In January of 2003, the

RIP Chanel Larkin

2010-05-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

I just received some sad news from Michael Munson of FORGE about a local woman who was killed in Milwaukee not even two weeks ago.Chanel (Dana A. Larkin) was murdered on May 7, 2010. The person who killed her was caught and charged. Chanel was an African-American transwoman who was 26 years old. She was killed in the middle of an exchange of sex for money - shot three times, the fatal shot to her

Current ENDA Language Regarding Transgender Workers Revealed, Concerns Mount

2010-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

During his show Sunday night, TransFM founder and host Ethan St. Pierre received a call-in from International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) Executive Director Denise LeClair, who revealed for the first time what the current language regarding transgender workers and bathroom usage currently being considered by the Congress may mean in a practical, everyday sense. Among the key points:

Response to the APA's New GID

2010-04-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Callen-Lorde and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, both of New York, have written a response to the APA's revised DSM diagnosis for Gender Identity Disorder -- which is now being re-named Gender Incongruence. They make a few important and valid points in a statement which is tidy, well-written, and well-argued. I'm impressed & will be added as a signatory.Re: Comment

Petition Pelosi to Move ENDA

2010-04-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

I know this whole TOTWK controversy is fascinating, but ENDA isn't on the floor yet, & no matter how you feel about the term "trannies" or about exploitation films, or about gay men, trans women, & hate crimes, we all really need ENDA.Just saying.More than 16,000 people have signed the petition to get Nancy Pelosi to move ENDA to the House floor for a vote. There are growing indications that ENDA

Like Horsradish and Hot Fudge: "Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives" Fails, as a Movie and as a Concept

2010-04-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

It's rare that a three-and-a-half-minute trailer tells you just about everything you need to know about a movie, but in the case of "Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives" the movie is everything you see in those few minutes but more...and worse. First and foremost, this is a really bad movie, but clearly intentionally so. The film is artificially "aged" and made to have a look similar to the "

AN OPEN LETTER IN SUPPORT OF "TICKED-OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES" IN THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

2010-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, a campaign to boycott Israel Luna's film "Ticked Off Trannies With Knives" began, and within days GLAAD had joined the cause with a call to action on the GLAAD blog. The facebook group currently boasts over 1,700 members. I have seen this film and I am writing this letter today to support it, and to encourage people to stop protesting it. As a transsexual, and as a filmmaker,

Transgender and Transgender-Like Veterans - Part 1

2010-04-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

By Monica F. HelmsThis is my most ambitious video project yet. It's called: "Transgender and Transgender-Like Veterans - Part 1." Besides doing it in widescreen, I used several techniques I have only experimented with in the past. This is a documentary of those individuals who crossed gender lines to serve their country, from the Revolutionary War to the Spanish American War. The video

GLAAD's "Ineffective" Campaign And Doing The Right Thing Even If It Isn't Easy

2010-03-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, I received an email in my inbox asking for people to get involved in a survey about HIV risks for men who have sex with men (MSM). It was very specifically about penile-anal intercourse (PAI) and very specific about the kinds of participants that were wanted. While there are are some transmen in our community who have male partners, it was clear that they weren't who the survey

GLAAD Petition to Remove Trannies With Knives

2010-03-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

GLAAD has now seen Ticked Off Trannies with Knives and is asking that Tribeca Film Fest remove it. You can sign a petition.Start a Petition »change_setup('300', '28284', '#000');

You Say You Want a Revolution?

2010-03-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Looks like the movement for LGBT equality is finally getting interesting again. Last Thursday, we saw two gay soldiers chain themselves to the White House fence to protest DADT, dual sit-ins staged at both the DC and San Francisco offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to protest the lack of action on an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and a massive blogswarm which produced not only

Why The Transgender Community Had To Take Out Susan Stanton

2010-03-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's something you hope you'll never have to do, but you do it when you have to. I watched "Her Name Was Steven" on CNN Saturday night, and it's taken me until now to decide how I want to discuss this documentary and revisit this story. I found myself somewhat closer to this story than most when it happened, in part because I'd actually met Susan Stanton at an event here in New Jersey, and

In Defense of the Town Tranny

2010-03-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

From my friend Susan:There is an implied attitude that "real" transsexuals are stealth, or make every effort to be so.Not all women are from a cookie cutter mold, neither are all men, but some how nobody is telling super butch women that they should be acting more like the cookie cutter variety of women, and the same is true for the varieties of men, i.e. drag queens, CDs, and effeminate straight

One of these things is not like the others

2010-03-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

I can definitely understand why L.A. School Superintendent Ramon Cortines was upset that students were carrying pictures of O.J. Simpson at a Black History Month parade. The man is widely believed to be a brutal murderer, and is currently in prison for robbery and kidnapping. I can also understand why Mayor Villaraigosa was upset that the children were wearing pictures of Dennis Rodman, who was

The Little Case Study that Autogynephilia Forgot

2010-02-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

(a discussion specific to Dr. Ray Blanchard's model of autogynephilia, and not so much to people who identify as autogynephile because they feel it's a close representation to their identity. This is a draft response to the proposed DSM5 changes, in this case specifically to the diagnosis of Transvestic Fetish / Disorder, which I see as the most urgent part to address from the trans spectrum --

Petition to the International Olympic Committee

2010-02-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

About a month ago the IOC (International Olympic Committee) came out with new 'policies' for addressing intersex women athletes. If you're not familiar with the new guidelines, this article is a good overview. There is a petition being circulated by the Organisation Intersex International requesting the IOC to abandon these guidelines. If you care to learn a bit more about the petition, here

The Dr. Oz Show and the Transgender Umbrella

2010-02-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven’t seen it, the Dr. Oz show recently did a story about transgender youth. (If you have not yet seen it, you can learn more here: http://glaadblog.org/2010/02/18/the-dr-oz-show-raises-the-bar-for-transgender-talk-show-coverage/). For the most part, I have heard many Trans people applauding the show and the parents/families featured. Although I fully support the parents,

From the Guardian: Julie Bindel's Dangerous Transphobia

2010-02-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

This essay originally appeared on the Guardian's Comment is Free website on Monday, February 1st 2010. The comments thread was, shall we say, lively, and included both a reply from Ms. Bindel herself and my own reply to her reply.I don't much care for Julie Bindel, unlike Beatrix Campbell, who defended her on this site yesterday. That does not mean I don't admire her. As a feminist

Stealth / Closeted

2010-01-24T15:32:00.001-08:00

Autumn Sandeen recently wrote an article about Mike Penner / Christine Daniels called "The Closet Kills" for PHB. A woman who transitioned quite a long time ago responded to it, and her take on Sandeen's ideas about stealth seemed like exactly the kind of opinion we don't often hear in the larger / activist trans communities. So here it is:Sandeen writes:So first of all, there is a difference in

Republican Candidate Paul Scott Targets Trans Folk

2010-01-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Paul Scott, republican candidate for Michigan secretary of state released his platform last week and was kind enough to include transfolks in his agenda. Among his desired changes of immigration restrictions and traceable RFID chips inside state IDs he has included a statement for us trans folks too:" I will make it a priority to ensure transgender individuals will not be allowed to change the

GenderQueer in the Midwest

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

Documentary about being a trans activist in the Midwest by Hunter Stuart at Stuart Productions You can also access the video on YouTube. Please help us to SHARE this video by RATING it (the five little red and grey stars), COMMENTING, and SENDING to your friends and coworkers! The Midwest is crawling with queers. Not because of any strong presence but in the more literal sense. Queers are

Transphobia In Mainstream Media: Are The Right-Wingers The Real Problem?

2010-01-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

It seems like all too often when you tune your radio or television to mainstream news and talk shows these days, there's good reason to be at minimum pretty annoyed, and sometimes even genuinely pissed off and angry if you're a transgender person or ally. Despite decades of progress made in the area of LGBT acceptance and representation in mainstream media, the problem of transphobia in

Not Just Amanda Simpson

2010-01-08T09:56:00.001-08:00

From the "there goes the MTF end of things sucking all the air out of the room again" division: in fact there were two trans people appointed by the Obama administration in late November.The difficulty arose because Simpson is a former NCTE Board member, & so they sent out a press release noting their former board member's new job, which is what caused all the hullabaloo.

Just Say Sorry, David Letterman

2010-01-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

Ox Freeman of the Alabama Gender Alliance just posted the info from GLAAD about the stupid joke that was made on David Letterman about Amanda Simpson, and with it he commented that, "Trans people will not be safe from hate violence until it is safe to be attracted to us, to love us, and to regard us as human."He's entirely right, of course, and it's nice to have someone else articulate exactly

Drag History Month: No boys allowed? Or is it no girls?

2010-01-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

Apparently January is the 2nd annual National Drag History Month. A month-long event that “salutes the richness of drag culture and pays tribute to the courageous queens & kings who have fought for equality while inspiring, educating & entertaining us all.” Sounds cool right? But when you click the link you may feel the same disappointment I did in seeing that “drag history month” is nothing but

The Future of Trans in Genetics?

2009-12-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Recently scientists have found that a specific gene can be altered to make a female body begin functioning as a male, and another to make a male function as female. Now, I am not a molecular geneticist, but my parents are, so I feel entirely capable of talking about this situation by summarizing what other people wrote. ;)If you remember your 6th grade science class, it has been commonly thought

Open Thread: Ronald Gold & Bilerico

2009-12-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

If anyone would like to send me a guest post about the Ronald Gold piece at Bilerico, please do. Feel free to post here in the comments too.

Pass ENDA Now!

2009-12-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

By Monica F. HelmsThe following is a plea to Congress and the President to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) HR-3017, which is currently stuck in the House Committee for Education and Labor, Chaired by Rep. George Miller.LGBT Americans want to help get this country back on its feet, but can't as long as most of the country can still legally discriminate against them. We need ENDA

Greg Grunberg Responds...and So Do I

2009-12-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

Early yesterday afternoon, I received a email through the Bilerico Project from "Heroes" star Greg Grunberg about my recent post about his tweeting about Chaz Bono. It read: My comments about Chaz Bono letting himself go had NOTHING to do with the transgender issue. NOTHING. Chaz is overweight as am I and people have jokingly told me that we look alike. I was merely poking fun at that notion.

"Heroes" Star Greg Grunberg Tweets Transphobia

2009-12-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

Since I started using Twitter several months ago, I've built up quite the list of personal friends and acquaintances as well as media folks and celebs who I find interesting. In addition, I'm always looking for new and cool tweeters to add to my list. In using Twitter, I've found that I can often glean new insight into the kind of person a Tweeter really is through their 140 character posts. In

The risk of suicide

2009-11-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

Assigning blame for someone's suicide is always tricky business. The only clear-cut cases are if the suspect intentionally drove the victim to suicide. Everything else is just speculation, although we can identify group trends. The harassment and discrimination that most gay men, lesbians and bisexuals have to deal with is quite likely a cause of the higher suicide rates in those groups.

Sara Davis Buechner: On Mike Penner / Christine Daniels

2009-11-30T17:52:00.001-08:00

On Mike Penner / Christine Daniels30 November 2009About two weeks ago I was the subject of a New York Times profile, published in connection with an important piano recital I gave on November 11 in New York City. I had transitioned from David Buechner to Sara Davis Buechner in 1998, and my life since then was the focus of writer Mike Winerip's article. I'd like to add that Mr. Winerip struck me

RIP Mike Penner (Christine Daniels)

2009-11-29T10:10:00.001-08:00

Mike Penner transitioned a couple of years ago and started using the name Christine Daniels only to start going by Mike Penner last year again.He was found dead in his apartment, apparently of suicide.How much does this break a person's heart? Plenty. Our love to his family and friends.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

2009-11-20T10:11:00.001-08:00

Call for ENDA

2009-11-18T08:13:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow, Congress needs to hear from us very clearly about why LGBT people need protection from the widespread discrimination that we continue to face in the workplace. In the Transgender Discrimination Survey we conducted with The Task Force, we found that 97% of the respondents had been harassed or mistreated on the job and 26% had been fired. This cannot continue. Taking action to pass the

Coming Out to Kids as Trans

2009-11-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

I was asked recently for resources for trans people with children. Honestly, there's never very much, but here's the list I sent her: COLAGE does a lot of work with LGBT parents, & coming out: http://colage.org/resources/parents.htm They have specific information on how to come out to your kids: http://colage.org/resources/coming_out.htm there's a new organization called TransFamily that might

The International Oppression Spreads

2009-10-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

It has finally happened. Gender Identity Disorder (GID) has infiltrated Thailand. GID was previously only in countries whose mental health coding was determined either by the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) or the ICD (the International Classification of Diseases, whose GID diagnosis directly based off of the DSM's language). Now GID is now making moves East.

Transgender Workplace Discrimination Stats

2009-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

I don't remember hearing anything about this study, nor that the results were in, but I thought others might want to check it out.The key findings are: Survey respondents reported twice the unemployment rate of the population at large. 97% of respondents reported harassment on the job. 47% reported an adverse job situation (firing, lack of raise/promotion, not hired). 15% of transgender people

T-HUD!

2009-10-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

It's not sexy, but it's great news from NCTE:(October 21, 2009, Washington, DC) The National Center for Transgender Equality praises the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its announcement today that it will ensure that its programs are available to all, including LGBT people. Today's announcement is historic, since HUD is the first federal agency so far to officially

Why Maddow Matters

2009-10-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

The first time I ever listened to Rachel Maddow on the radio for any length of time was when she guest-hosted for Michelangelo Signorile on his Sirius OutQ afternoon drivetime show a few years ago. It wasn't that I didn't have an interest, mind you, it was that Rachel's own show was live early in the morning, not what you'd call prime talk radio listening time for me and not on a station I could

The Four Transitions of a Transsexual

2009-10-04T16:26:00.000-07:00