The Denver Wrangler threatens a drag queen with a lawsuit after denying him entrance

The Denver Wrangler has threatened Vito John Marzano with a lawsuit should he not remove all copies of the video of there staff harassing him on public property (the sidewalk) after they denied him entrance to the bar.  The video makes it very clear the Wrangler staff  bared him because of his gender expression telling him his feet were to big for him to be transgender.. It is unclear if the Denver Wrangler will likewise threaten  media sources but it would be safe to assume they will, given their history of intimidatory behaviour.

This is just the last of many attempts by the Denver Wrangler to coerce Marzano into removing all evidence of the occurrences on that August night.

The Denver Wrangler has also tried to intimidate myself and Cristan Williams who cross posted the original planetransgender article on the TransAdvocate. They have tried unsuccessfully to have blogger shut down planetransgender but they did succeed in getting facebook to censor the original article. Facebook sent me a message that the original article contained 'contaminated' links. I have published and posted most of the 2000 odd planetransgender articles on facebook, and that one, just that one post has a infected link? Not according to Norton safe site.

If the Denver Wrangler didn't discriminate against Vito John Marzano why are they so focused on removing the video evidence prior to the DORA hearing. If the Denver Wrangler is blameless as they claim, why are the so intent scouring the Internet clean of all evidence of that incident prior to the Civil rights hearing?

Wouldn't it be to there benefit if they were publicly exonerated by Colorado Civil Rights Division? Or is it that they know they are in the wrong and are attempting to get rid of the evidence?

The letter sent by a lawyer retained by the Denver Wrangler to Vito John Marzano:

"This is a clear intimidation tactic. The lawyer and I both know that I have not said anything which has not been backed up with screen shots or video. About the video, I encourage everyone to mute the sound (as to not get distracted) and look closely at the video. You will see that I am standing in front of the metal barricade, which ends right where the sidewalk begins. The video was filmed on a public sidewalk. Furthermore, my phone was up the entire time. It was quite obvious I was filming. Being as we were on a public sidewalk holding my phone up and saying things like "I cannot wait to post this on the internet" I can safely conclude there was no presumption of privacy. Moving on, if the Wrangler is so comfortable in their position, why are they trying to destroy the evidence?

There is a simple answer to all this- change your ID policy. Stop the discrimination. Treat all of your patrons equally and with dignity. Once that happens, I will gladly dismantle the website, video, and boycott. Until then, I have not done anything illegal and this will continue.

The video of the Wrangler staff denying Marzano access to public accommodations:

Source Denver post.com: Pete Meersman, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said he understands the liquor-license side of the law better than the discrimination laws but sees the conflict that businesses face.

"This was a new situation that I had not heard of before," Meersman said. "The ultimate dilemma is doing one thing to stay in compliance with the law that gets you out of compliance with another

Vito Marzano's driver's license ( | )

law."

Management at the Wrangler could not be reached for comment, but a video of the altercation posted by Marzano to YouTube — which has since been taken down — outlines the bar staff's reasoning: Gender identity must match a person's ID gender.

"The problem here is the application of a blanket rule that discriminates against a particular class of people based on their gender nonconformity," said Mari Newman, a Denver-based civil-rights attorney. "While I acknowledge the bar's legitimate interest in not running afoul of liquor licensing, this, by its term, is not a legal way to accomplish that goal."

Checking IDs is not required by law but is the only way bars and restaurants have to verify a customer's age. Subsequently, there is no standardized method for comparing a person's ID with their physical appearance — those policies are determined and set by the business owners.

The statement attached to Mr. Marzano's  DORA complaint

Trevor Ashley: Your "trAnnie" kills Trans Children

Despite of the petition, numerous complaints to the Anti Discrimination Board  answered at best with form letters, and emails to the Sydney Opera House not to show 'trAnnie' it appears they plan to go forward with this show which mocks transgender children associating  them with sexual perversity, substance abuse and pedophilia.

Why would these people make Christmas even more agonizing for trans youth by making their ridicule a yule time tradition?
Why is it conscionable to perform what is essentially black face or trans face by gay people arguably associated to transgender people by the acronym LGBT?
What rational could the Opera House, actors and the government have for helping to intensify the stigmatization of trans youth who already have an attempted suicide rate of 50%?

They all say its in good fun, we should learn to take a joke and we should stop claiming to be victims.
The plot and trailer



The lead role and co writer is Trevor Ashley, an Australian gay man who apparently spent much of his life in cabaret and garnered quite a following.

I just finished interviewing Ali, a transgender youth from Arkansas. While I was writing her article it hit me like a ton of bricks. Her narrative in the Friend Film  trailer primarily focused on the hate she endured in rural Stuttgart being forced to present as male and being called a 'faggot'.



Now that she has come out as a young trans woman, she will have to deal with being called a different pejorative one that pierces her heart, "Tranny". This youth survived her early childhood, but she and other trans girls like her, shy and unassuming, are who this production and promotion of "tRanie" puts in peril.

They are the ones we will mourn losing this Transgender Day of Remembrance  only days before this show mocks them. Mainly young woman of color, marginalized by the same stigmatization Trevor Ashly promotes with "trAnnie".

The word "Tranny" is a pejorative used almost exclusively as a weapon during beatings and murders and to describe children and adults in the pornographic industry.

Want proof?

Trevor Ashley is connecting with these predators, gay transphobes and a assortment of others on  twitter promoting his play with the hashtag "Trannie" .

A screen snip of a man responding to Trevor Ashley and few following unassociated tweets, the kind you will always find by people using the slur "trannie or tranny":

I implore you Ashley Trevor to have a change of heart. We would never know exactly how many lives would be saved by cancelling "trAnnie" but you would know you this.

 You wouldn't be contributing to the hate that kills.

Sydney Opera House "trAnnie" Trans Mockery, Pedophilia, Child Misgendering: A Rollicking Merry Christmas

"Prepare for an uproarious Christmas when Sydney Opera House presents an adults-only panto..."

Since 39AD the panto or pantomine  has used  stage fights, coarse humour and fantastic creatures to mock reversals of gender roles at great profit and the British/Australian Christmas season's tradition carries on today with the gay perversion of Annie.

It's called  trAnnie  and despite clearly being a violation of the New South Wales vilification and Discrimination Act. the producers say this show monetizing this thinly disguised adaptation of the highly demoralizing defamatory word  tranny, will go on.

The sick albeit brilliant (if not for most of the key elements) Synopsis:

A orphan transgender child abandoned by her parents is desperate for sexual reassignment surgery(SRS) and will do what ever it takes to please her convicted paedophile transgender care givers including performances for a demented older man in order to get money or SRS.

Not having seen the production and the incredible amount of maneuvering room the writers have left themselves I find these elements unconscionable:

Tranny. The single word the trans community despises, but crucial to the show "trAnnie".  The title must be changed. Gays must stop exploiting there association with transsexuals and cease excusing this gross injustice perpetrated against trans people by claiming this  absurd proprietary right to the "T" word.

Live my life 24/7 as a visable trans woman, face the injustice I face in the grocery store, in the doctors offices, with my neighbours, in my workplace on a daily basis THEN you will have equal rights to the reclamation of this defamation.

But despite and in spite of local transgender outrage  gay people continue to depend on indigent gender gifted peoples angst in the past with "Ticked off tra$$ys with knives"  and do so again for this productions promotion .

Paedophile. Years ago homosexuality and pedophilia were thought to be the same and like a tire necklace hanging around their necks gay's fought tooth and nail in a desperate battle with hate mongers of all types before they could rid themselves of that association and to escape being pathogized as child molesters by the APA in the DSM.

Now Trevor Ashley and other gay men,  supposed allies of transsexuals, writers, producers and actors of "trAnnie"  are putting this tire of hate around our necks, just for fun and a few bucks.

This trivialization of  sexual reassignment surgery especially when in context of a youth in despicable. Do these gay men have no idea of how impressionable and emotional transgender youth are or is it as I suspect, they just don't care as long as it's amusing to them.

The misgendering of the the child in the synopsis. This is reprehensible and if allowed to continue by this theatrical company will directly contribute internationally to the hardships, murders and suicides of all gender variant youth.

This places the onus of action on the international transgender and allied community. It is our obligation to speak up against this horrific travesty.

This show must not go on. For our children's sake.

Sign the petition Cancel the play "Trannie": Sydney Opera House showing from 6-22 Dec 2012

Tell the Sydney Opera House not to make transphobia a Christmas institution. Send them a message by using their in house form here  and posting on there Facebook page.

Shrek The Musical Teaching Children To Its OK to Say "Tranny"?!

Is the stage adaptation of Shrek teaching children to say words that kill? According to Robert Cushman, theatre critic for the National that's exactly whats happening. Cushman reviewed it's Toronto opening saying;

"I did, though, warm to the eviction complaint of the Three Little Pigs that “zey blew our condos down.” On the other hand having the Big Bad Wolf lament that “they tore my cotton granny dress / and called me a hot ’n’ tranny mess” suggests that this supposed kids’ show may not be quite sure of its audience, and also that it doesn’t always know what a rhyme is."

And who would think that saying the 'T' word in its most dehumanizing sense is amusing, quaint and endearing? Cushman noted earlier in his review the scenario created by the little pigs/ big bad wolf was a amusing theatrical adaptation of right wing homophobia.

But in all likelihood it's a potentially deadly example of gay transphobia.

Read Cushman's review in full and if you think wrong to teach children to say words that kill send a email to the theatrical producers of Shrek, NETworks Presentations, Inc. and post a note on their Facebook wall.

Libra Tampons Trump Transsexuality. Really?

*We win?* update at the bottom of the post.

Cisgender woman and transgender woman do not share all experiences but it's not a competition, really.


Libra Tampon spot pits a transsexual and cisgender woman in a femininity competition.

Why did the woman on the right feel she is superior to the one on the left? Is it because she waved a tampon and the one on the left became sad because she had a hysterectomy?

Or are we being singled out for our differences, again. But it's what trans and Cisgender woman share in unsaid nonverbal communication, which really says it all. Really.

Read why we're not buying it on Voxy.

****UP Date>>> Libra offers a *apology* that I found unacceptable because when it was issued the NZ Libra site still had the Drag it video on it. That video has since been removed giving this issue some sense of closure.

Royal Wedding, Censorship and Hate Crimes By the UK Police

A group of LGBT folks from Britain called the Queer Resistance - UK together with a number of other organizations planned to commemorate the Royal wedding with a ghoulish picnic in Soho.

This celebratory picnic was intended to contrast the money spent on the wedding and the inequity of the proposed spending cuts targeting the poor being considered by Parliament. At first glance this article could be a lighthearted humorous look back at the Royal wedding as narrated by someone named Chris who also shamelessly promoted his book.

However there is truly a nefarious dark side to this whole affair. Things quickly went bad. Many of the left wing publications that promoted the picnic were shut down one week prior and the organizers arrested without warrants.

The remaining queer picnickers oblivious of officialdom's anger over their audacious plan confronting classism were rounded up just before in a cafe. There smiles quickly turned to looks of worry as the seriousness of the arresting officers set in.


One cannot ignore the implications of these actions.Sure, mainstream media will have no problem ignoring a couple transgender woman groped by police in the name of bourgeois heteronormative marriage but in these times of increasing governmental Internet control and right wing's corporate stranglehold of the Internet the British response paints a worrisome portrait.





During the arrests two of the group who are transgender were intentionally misgendered and illegally searched by the police in a way that can be construed as a hate crime. This attack by the officers was done to send a clear message to a class of people that the British government would assault us in the very worst ways imaginable if we dare to participate with the larger community in confronting it.

Now lets bring this into context. I write a activism column for FROCK which is read in the UK and worldwide. This article in one form or another will appear in the July edition. It's just a matter of circumstances FROCK was not shut down also. If FROCK was published on a different schedule and if I had any inkling of the British governments heavy handed response I would have more than likely written an article about it then.

Do you know of a event in the future that will likely cause such oppressive response against queer folk? Email me at kellibusey@yahoo.com.

For additional links also posted on planetransgender and Transexual Menance.

Yes NG Blog: It can be a Ignorant Arrogant Misogynistic Gay and Lesbian world

A couple of days ago Nelson over at NG Blog inserted himself into a twitter conversation I was having. I was communicating with Queer Rising founder Natasha Dillon trying to educate her about the wrongness of their planed event using transgender expression to humiliate Senator Diaz during the NYC Aids Walk.

Well they did it anyways.

Nelson then strenuously interjected his opposition to my advocacy at a very critical junction. Its cool twitter is a free for all but......

Nelson, I was not alone objecting to this. Most of the gay, lesbian and transgender community felt it was wrong with one trans member Ashley Love, quiting Queer Rising.

It is exploitative and marginalizing of a larger minority to use a small component of its community as a tool in a debasing manner to embarrass someone.
I feel it's indicative of the gay communities elephant in the room, misogynistic behaviour towards womankind. Seriously, how many protests by cisgender men of cisgender woman entail holding up a misgendered portrait of their opponent???



Nelson writes on NG Blog trans people should feel privileged to be used like that cardboard cutout.

Nelson, drag is part of the transgender expression, or is according to gay people whenever I try and distance myself from gay men mocking womankind.

Nelson, please take a moment and educate yourself. When I first became upset with Israel Luna's infamous TO#WK and found myself wanting for a publication explaining gay and lesbian misogynist transphobia behaviour I stumbled across the publication GLBTQ Social Sciences and this paragraph:


Yes Nelson it is a mad, mad, mad, mad, world if you let your innate misogyny run wild because it knows no boundaries. Neither does racial hate. Neither does angst towards someone different from ourselves. Its naturally occurring but when confronted from the inside it can be defeated. Then its not so mad.

I'm on Twitter here:)

Maine Governor Paul LePage "You have to be insane to allow transgender children in the schools"

Another attack on transgender rights is taking place now in Maine.


Paul LePage the 75th Governor of Maine who took down the mural of Baths Ironworks Rosi the Riveter from the Department of Labor headquarters will undoubtedly sign LD1046 into law based on his campaign statements.

"You know, our children are being used as pawns," he said then. "I just don't understand how people, at least sane people, would want to allow transgender in our primary schools and our high schools."

LePage then pledged to oppose legislation for transgendered students. "If I claim I'm a woman in my philosophy and my thinking, I can play on the girls' hockey team or the girls' basketball team. I think it's absolutely insane, I think it's gone too far and we have to push back. As governor, I would never allow that to be signed into law," he said. Maine Public Broadcasting Network

The Senate will hold a hearing on a bill that could repeal the 4-0-1 MHRC ruling allowing transgender people to use the restroom which aligns with our gender expression.

If you can't attend in person the hearing on An Act To Amend the Application of the Maine Human Rights Act Regarding Public Accommodations LD1046 which is scheduled for a public hearing on Apr 12, 2011, 1:00p Room 438 State House you can also Listen Live here

Tobi Hill-Meyer answers to a "T" What's up with "Tranny"

I highly recommend Tobi Hill-Meyer's three part series on Bilerico Project. She sets the standard defining transsexuals views on the "T" word!

Part one examines Let's Talk about "Tranny" - Meanings

"To begin with, it's important to recognize that "tranny," like most slurs, is used to say more about someone than simply whether they are trans or not. Just as how "this homework is so gay" is less about identifying sexual attraction to other homework of its own gender and more about being generically bad. Similarly, being called a faggot or a dyke is often about being too feminine, a sissy, a manhater, or just being unwilling to accept sexual harassment. So what's the implication of being called a tranny?

So what does the media's role in presenting transgender as a simplified one dimensional plaything have to do with anything? Answered in part two "Let's Talk About "Tranny" Media Criticisms"

"If you are using the term over other people's objections, then be prepared for the consequences. People may think you are ignorant or insensitive to the oppression of trans women. They may more closely examine your behavior for transphobia and/or misogyny. They may find it. They might not want to be exposed to your irresponsible use of term (or other transphobia and/or misogyny) and decide to avoid your events, your writing, or your film. They might tell their friends. So if you want to cultivate an audience that includes trans women and those who care about them, or even just a reputation as trans friendly, keep that in mind.

(Tammye Nash, John Wright and the whole Dallas Voice crew should pay particular attention to this paragraph.)

Part three talks about the effects of using "tranny" has on transgender people. It explores the rational cisgender people us in defending there cavalier use of the word.

"Similarly, I've heard people suggest that because of the overlap in the trans feminine spectrum between trans women, drag queens, and sissy faggots, that gay men should therefore be free to toss the slur around without being criticized. I can understand the point if you're a gay man who walks the streets in drag, facing harassment, being called a tranny, and getting profiled by police for walking while trans. However, that doesn't give all normatively gendered gay men carte blanche to rebuke any criticism for using the term just because they went to a few drag shows. That doesn't give all gay men carte blanche. It certainly is no excuse for OUT magazine the justification to claim that the term is powerful and liberating just because they (predominantly cis men) are the ones saying it."

It is my belief that that Tobi's three part dissertation correctly articulates the current transgender sensitivities regarding the word "tranny". These three articles should be used as a guide post for cisgender media regardless if it is a gay or hetreosexual publication.

Mercedes has a wonderfully insightful commentary on Tobi's article over at Dented Blue Mercedes

Kicked off "Outcast Island" Transman Reality

Gay people, this is reality and it's not new or a show.

Transmen experence unique, extremly stressful personal issues especially early in transition. Unexpected and sometimes fatal is to be accepted by family, religion and cisgender heterosexual society only to suffer attacks on the essence of our morality and the rational for transition questioned and perverted by the people we once considered our dearest friends and confidants!

Gay Transphobia for trans people is being cast adrift from 'OutCast Island' is as a leper is to the "clean".