Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) Board Transphobia Cover up

As reported earlier by the Dallas Voice it was hoped that the largest institution of higher education in Texas, the Dallas County Community college District with about 80-thousand students and 9-thousand employees would add gender expression and identity without debate to its non discrimination policy, but it appears this will not be the case.

It has been common practice in the past that if the administration proposes something and backs it, the board almost always approves it. However this time it was different. The board in a closed door meeting decided not to add transgender protections.

In an effort to explain the boards refusal to consider adding gender identity and expression to their nondiscrimination policy their attorney sent this letter to our lead advocate Rafael McDonnell, Communications and Advocacy Manager, Resource Center Dallas:



McDonnell sent me this in response to the DCCCD letter:

"The DCCCD's decision (claiming that they are covered by the City of Dallas" nondiscrimination policy) is based on two flawed tenets:"

Number one being the City of Dallas’ nondiscrimination ordinance explicitly does not cover governmental institutions, which is interpreted to be any body that in part or whole gets money from taxes.DCCCD gets money from property taxes, so it is exempt (from the Dallas nondiscrimination policy). They would have to amend their policy to specifically include gender identity and gender expression."

"And number two, since DCCCD has several campuses outside of the city of Dallas, there is a question if those campuses would have any sort of coverage based on where they are located. The way the city of Dallas ordinance has been interpreted in the past is that the employees must physically work in the city limits, not just for an organization that is headquartered in the city limits."

Phone calls to the School Chancellor Dr. Wright Lassiter have not been returned as of this time however Ann Hatch media contact for the DCCCD returned my call. After I explained my concerns she contacted the attorneys who had sent McDonnell this letter. She later left a voice mail explaining the lawyers will send McDonnell another letter and apologize for the first letter.

However Hatch said the board of regents decision remains unchanged. The board feels that should a transgender person feel they are being discriminated against they should file a claim under sexual orientation because sexual orientation and gender identity are the same.

The premise that by association with lesbians and gays transgender people are protected in nondiscrimination polices is false. Just two months in ago September a Houston Community College teacher called transgender people “freaks” and “weirdos” and since the Houston School does not have implicit protections for transgender people that 'teacher' may get a talking to, if anything at all.

This is unacceptable, that Houston teacher should have been suspended immediately and would have been had Houston had transgender protections in place.

What would bethe outcome if a teacher at one of the DCCCD colleges were to say black people were 'lazy and smelled bad'?

The Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies recognize the need to implicitly protect gender expression and identity and call on the DCCCD to implement those protections now.

This evening, the Resource Center Dallas asked DCCCCD Chancellor Wright Lassiter to schedule a Dec. 6 board vote to add transgender nondiscrimination protections for students and employees. Please call his office at 214-378-1601 or email wlassiter@dcccd.edu. and make a similar request.

Dallas County Community College District Facebook page

On Twitter @dcccd

Holland MI Right Wing Fighting for LGBT Equality

As anyone who has traveled to Holland Michigan will confirm its one conservative town. And to the casual observer of the human rights movement the fact that many of the residents are now fighting for LGBT rights seems a oxymoron.

The conservative minister pictured to the right? That's Bill Freeman. He's not espousing anti LGBT rhetoric. He's leading the fight for our rights!

However our conservative advocate allies in Holland are not unique, but they are Americans of the finest caliber. They are the embodiment of true American family values. They join the ground swell of unanticipated advocates who have stepped out of the crowd and declared, we are all equal.

NPR All Things Considered

Transgender and Health Activists to Demonstrate at the Texas Psychiatric Convention

In conjunction with the Global International Campaign to Stop Transgender Pathologization 2012 a group of health and transgender activists will be gathering at the Texas Psychiatric Convention November 12th. We will be drawing attention to transgender demands that we not be pathologized in the revised DSM-5 scheduled to be published in 2013, irregardless of the proposed softening of dichotomy.





Since the majority of participating Psychiatrists are APA members and the conventions curlicium does not include a discussion pertaining to the social responsibilities as physicians to transgender people it is felt a protest would be appropriate.

American Psychiatrists take their cues for treatment of transgender people from the DSM which also strongly influences the World Health Organization ICD which sets the Standards of Care (SOC) for the rest of the globe.

We will be bring attention progress made in Europe. In a statement September 29, 2011 the European Parliament announced it passed a resolution demanding that the World Health Organization stop treating transgender people as mentally ill.

From the Parliaments InterGroup on LGBT Rights : "In a resolution adopted yesterday, the European Parliament has called on the World Health Organization to stop considering transgender people as mentally ill. Gender dysphoria is currently classified as a ‘mental and behavioural disorder’ in the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases. (ICD F-64 Gender identity disorders)"

The text adopted yesterday “calls on the Commission and the World Health Organization to withdraw gender identity disorders from the list of mental and behavioural disorders, and ensure a non-pathologising reclassification in the negotiations on the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases. (to be release shortly after the revised DSM) ”

Finally, we are directly speaking to all politicians. Our demands are clear:

We demand the removal of transexuality from the mental disorders’ manuals (DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10). To bring the treatments on intersex babies to an end.

We demand our right to change our name and sex in the official documents without having to go through any medical or psychological monitoring. We also think that the State should have no jurisdiction over our names, bodies and our identities.

We take here the words from the feminist movement in their fight for the right to abortion, and the right to your own body: we demand our right to freely decide whether if we want or not to modify our bodies. Our rights to be able to carry on with our decision, with no bureaucratic, political or economical impediments, nor any other type of medical coercion. We want the sanitary systems to take positions regarding the Gender Identity Disorder, for them to recognise the transphobia that this classification implies, and for them to rethink their healthcare programs regarding transexuality, making the psychiatric monitoring an unnecessary step, and the psychotherapeutic monitoring a voluntary option.

We demand also that the surgeries on intersex newborns stop.

We denounce the extreme vulnerability and the difficulties, when accessing the labor market, of the trans community. We demand granted access to the labor market and that specific politics are engaged to end marginalization and discrimination of our community. We also demand health and security conditions for sex workers and the end of the police’s besieging to these persons, as well as sexual traffic.

Vulnerability situations are stressed in cases of immigrant trans persons, who reach our country fleeing from extreme violence situations. We demand the immediate concession of political asylum in these cases, and at the same time we claim that the rights of migrant people are brought to the same level. We denounce the effects of the actual politics on foreign nationals over the most vulnerable social sectors.

While we shout that we are no victims but active beings and with the capacity of deciding over our own identities, we want to remember too all the aggressions, murders, and suicides of trans people due to transphobia. We signal the system guilty of this violence. Silence is complicity.


We finish showing the extreme rigidity with which the male/female binomial is imposed as the solely and exclusive option. Binomial that is built and therefore can be questioned. Our solely existence proves its falseness and points to a plural and diverse reality. Diversity that we dignify today.

When medicine and State define us as disordered, they are proving that our identities, our lifes, deeply disturb their system. That’s why we say that the illness is not in us but within gender binarism.

We make public that the International Network for Trans Depathologization is born to consolidate a worldwide coordination of our first goal: the removal of transexuality from the DSM-IV-TR in 2013. A first step for diversity, a first knock to transphobia.

For the diversity of our bodies and identities!

Transphobia makes us ill!

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

FOR

TRANS

DEPATHOLOGIZATION

Watch Domaine Javier on MTV True Life Transgender Cross Road

We all know by now that Domaine Javier was expelled from a Southern Baptist nursing school for revealing her transexuality on this MTV "True Life" episode. But this is an amazing show. What about you? Where do you feel you are in the honesty curve?

True Life - MTV Shows - Full Episodes

"I can snag a guy anytime I want, I go out on a lot of dates.
As long as I'm passing as a woman I never tell them I'm really a guy. As long as I'm
passing I can never allow myself to be in love. I can't allow myself to be that close to anyone. Inside my heart I am sad to be honest. People are admiring me for the fake me. It will be a huge weight off my shoulders when I can be honest."

This is a huge issue for all transgender people especially during early transition for gorgeous people like Domaine Javier. Her transition brought her to a crossroads we all are familiar with. Honesty verse deception. The emptiness of physicality. What would you do? What are you doing? How dangerous is your life?

LONESTAR 92.5 BO AND JIM TRANSGENDER CHILDREN like BOBBY ARE PEOPLE TOO!

Open letter reminding two grown Texas men, Bo and Jim to respect the dignity of children.

This letter should never have been needed to be written and probably would not have been had Bo and Jim Morning DJs at 92.5 Lonestar taken me up on my offer a number of weeks ago. I offered to help them understand a little more about transgender people after inadvertently listening to there show one morning and becoming upset about there obvious ignorance about gender diversity.

But the Bo and Jim show is one of those that even a radical transgender activist like myself finds hard to get overly upset about. Normally that is. Usually one of the DJ's plays bad boy approaching the line of decency in a lovable good ole southern boy style and at some point stepping over it just to be dragged back by his counter part. Its a tired old schtick but no harm no foul, right?

But this time the brunt of there humor that morning was a 7 year old transgender girl. A girl who they were already aware was in tears because a local Girl Scout leader had refused her membership and Tammye Nash editor of the Dallas Voice heard you. Tammye's natural maternal instincts kicked in and she sent a you a email.

But unlike my effort weeks ago when you ignored my outreach you acknowledged her, even apologising to her.

Bo and Jim you acted despicably and your apology needs to be made on the air to Bobby the girl you 'jokingly' said would have to endure a life of broken noses and missing teeth because of her gender expression.


Bo and Jim I can tell you as a transgender woman who has been left unconscious a number of times after being beaten for my gender expression Its No Joke. I can also tell you its been four years since I legally changed my gender marker and up until three months ago I subsisted on under 9k a year. And my new full time job? I have had to endure incredible hatred during the first few weeks and that Bo and Jim IS NO JOKE.

Anyways, an apology isn't even whats really needed here. You would do well to become personally acquainted with us and when you do you will probably feel more paternal towards our community's children as well. Its only natural for two Texas men. I will let stand my offer to talk to you too on the air. I hope this time you will take me up on it.

Kelli Anne Busey

kellibusey@yahoo.com

Administrator/Founder

Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies


As Tammye wrote you can be a positive force for change. "...if you want to make your opinions known, you can contact Lone Star 92.5 by phone at 214-866-8000. Lone Star’s program director is Don Davis. Email him at dondavis@clearchannel.com or call him directly at 214-866-8610. And you can email Jim at jim@lonestar925.com, and Bo at bo@lonestar925.com."

Cross posted from the Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies

Charles McVety STOP CORRUPTING The Bible to Instill Fear

Pseudo Christian Charles McVety is at it again. Previously a print version of this video now being aired on Canadian TV was pulled with the publisher apologizing and promising to apply any earnings made from it to queer endeavours.



Now it appears this hate monger is at it again and according to Canadian blogger Mercedes Allen there's much more to it and we need to remain vigilant.

Setting FOX News Right! Ablow Stop Attacking Transgender Children

Yes Keith Ablow, homophobic transphobe and Fox News go to psychiatrist, a lesbian couple is giving hormone blockers to a prepubescent MTF transgender child.

Fox News once again needlesly attacks transgender people and in doing so panders to its right wing neocon religious demagogues ignoring the scientific community instead relying on its in house "experts" and hand picked transphobes.

But this time they have stepped over the line targeting the totally unprotected and vulnerable of the gender diverse, our children.

Fox News writer Perry Chiaramonte would have done well to read the the newly revised WPATH Standard of Care for gender variant children if he had any intention of authoring a article in the child's best interest, which obviously he did not.

From the beginning Chiaramonte needless did harm intentionally misgendering the child and as this article will be available to her as she grows older it will undoubtedly cause her great distress.

Chiaramonte seeks to somehow justify the articles assertion some wrongdoing is being committed by the parents. He interviews a author who wrote a book about unsecessfully transitioning even though Chiaramonte admits that these instances are nearly non existent the author offers this as some sort of evidence of parental wrong doing.

Finally the last two paragraphs get to the real reason this article was written.

A lesbian couple is raising a gender variant child consistent with HER innate sense of gender and not her biological gender.

That evidently was too much for discredited psychiatrist Keith Ablow, a Fox News contributor to stand by and wittiness but since he was blown up by his own anchor Megyn Kelly not long ago about transgender people, he needed a ghost writer to validate him.

Congratulations Abdow we can now add Perry Chiaramonte to the growing list of discredited humiliated Faux contributors. And congratulations Ablow for your apparent demotion from 'FOX Staff psychiatrist' to 'contributor'. Maybe next you will just stop hurting people?

Urgent UK FTM Asylum Seeker In Need of Safe House

***URGENT*** FTM Asylum Seeker; Room in Safe House Needed or donations.

Press for Change supporting an FTM asylum seeker, who has left
transphobic violence at home to seek safety. Early 40's, Indian, FTM,
ex-Lawyer, Social Worker & MBA educated. He has waited 5 months for UK
Border Agency, but they are refusing all asylum interviews, meaning he
(and many, many others) are not allowed to work or get benefits. Now he
has no money left at all.

Samir is Birmingham based but will travel for safety. He has a red cross
food parcel for 1 week, and no money.

Was thrown out of last room 3 weeks ago, by landlord in horrible violent
sexual attack, so he is currently between floors and most nights are
spent walking the streets at great risk. Homeless shelter for men only
so refused him on grounds of safety.

He has asked to be put into detention – as he would be housed and
fed, but has been refused.

Please Offer a room by mail: stephen@pfc.org.uk or by leaving message on 0161 432 1915,
or if no room, please consider making donation at http://transequality.co.uk/Donations.aspx

This time your charity really will make a difference to one person who
you can all get to know.

Any surplus money will be placed into a dedicated fund to help other
Asylum and Refugee trans people in the UK.

Many, many thanks

Stephen

Vice-President and Head of Legal Services, Press for Change, http://www.pfc.org.uk/


***The UK's Leading Advisors on Transgender Law***

Need Legal advice & Support, visit the TransEquality Project,
www.transequality.co.uk

PFC's free legal advice service for trans people, funded by PFC &
the EHRC.

Office tel: 0161 432 1915, Office email: office@pfc.org.uk
, Direct mail: stephen@pfc.org.uk


Please write to Press for Change, Yew Bank House, 24 Mauldeth Rd,
Stockport, SK4 3NE

Please note: In providing this service, Press for Change and its
associated TransEquality Project employees and voluntary advice workers
do their best to ensure that the information and advice we provide is
accurate. We will notify you immediately if we believe that you urgently
need the services of a solicitor. You should always consider whether you
might need to take further advice, or a second opinion, from the
Citizens Advice Bureau or a local solicitor.

God and Christ Loves you my Transgender Family!

In biblical times there were men who would exclude Transgender people (Eunuchs). This belief still exists among some men now. I just received this tweet from one of such men.

As promised I will now lead him to three places in the Bible where transgender people are specifically welcomed.

In the Old Testament.....

Enter the prophet of Isaiah 56. Speaking for God, he announced: "Do not let the foreigner joined to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and do not let the eunuch say, ‘I am just a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths . . . I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who. . . hold fast my covenant -- these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. . .for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (56:1-7).

Contrasting Isaiah verses can be found here which "Conservative" Christians use to validate their hate of all that's different. In the book of Deuteronomy, "No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord" (23:1). A similar passage in Leviticus declares that "no one who has a blemish shall draw near" the sanctuary, including one with "crushed testicles" (21:18-20).

What is clear is the there are a number of men who presumed to speak on god and Christianity's behalf. Some were exclusionary going as far as to exclude a person with a blemish but in my opinion the vast majority of Christians welcome all who have "Blemishes" and most understand our diversity as gods blessing.

Jesus teaches welcomes and acknowledges the difficulties cisgender people would have in understanding transgender people. In Mathew 19:11 and 12 He said to his followers, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given 12: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

I believe that passage was a 'post-it-note' from Christ just before he began his accession and not as many have come to believe a clarification on marriage. There is no reference to marriage contained within it, only a effort to help his more Conservative followers understand transgender people.

After Christ was crucified true to his promise God made his will be known thru the holy spirit by saving a transgender man after he had been rejected by the Conservative Christians after trying to be baptised in Jerlusem. Acts 8:26-40 Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch God commands a Philip a successful pastor to travel down the road leading to Gaza. This road was a desert road rift with criminals, without a doubt a road less traveled.

I believe this was the original occurrence of what has become universally understood within the transgender community as our road less travelled. Our path is one less taken but one that we share. We have community with each other. Its what keeps us together when sometimes hate surrounds us. When we see our family slain. When we share joy.

Taking this one step further I believe when Philip and the Eunuch were brought together it was for more than just their benefit, it was for every transgender person who followed.

Know this my transgender family. You are beloved by God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Post Op Transgender Woman Megan Stabler becomes Man Again to Marry

Megan Stabler Switchs from Ms to Mr to Marry Steals Keisling's Quisling Crown.

Megan Stabler, HRC Shill, just sold out the transgender community in the finest of HRC fashion. Stabler just provided the haters proof positive to their claims our gender is simply a lifestyle choice we can simply want.

Megan Stabler please read this!

Transgender people in Texas love our Lone Star but we have a burden, it’s called the right wing and along with that weight we have a responsibility. We must remain faithful to our brothers and sisters living our lives in truth, dignity and authentically. We are all more than aware of the spotlight we live under and how tenuous our lives are. Obviously Stabler never got that memo even though she profesed to being aware of those obligations in this youtube of the San Fransico 2008 Black Tie.

You know, in 2008 when the rest of us were outside protesting
HRC's betrayal of transgender people Stabler was yucking it up with them inside.

She ?temporarily? Changed her gender so she could marry a woman. OMG! Mr. or is it Mrs. Stabler? The right wing will delight in the coming decades reminding us of our apparent switch- ability.

I have met Stabler years ago one day in Austin along with the great Benedict Mara Keisling. She is condescending, arrogant dismissive and a twit. Now she proves her merit by abandoning her own gender to 'prove her love'?

Stabler no matter what you do you cannot rationalize this to the haters and their ilk regardless.

Even if you truly felt it was an act of love.

And here's why. Not all of us are privliaged like you.

I just started a full time job, the first since I went full time in 2007. I Have risen like a phoenix from homelessness to couch surfer, to a two year stint PROVING MY AUTHENTICITY at a part time job finally landing a full time job.

Haters blindsided me the very first day on my full time job starting a rumor that I was using the men’s room. The management 'overheard' the conversation and the next thing I know on my second day of my life saving job I was in the Human Relations office having the core of my gender being put into a spotlight, my very existence questioned.

My right to life was in the balance.

They wanted to know if I was a man or woman? Were they wrong when they hired me, was not my transition complete? Was I really in the men’s room? OMG!

Satbler this was not just a disservice. Not just an unkind word. This will go down in infamy and haunt us forever.

More at LGBT Weekly

Chilean Transgender Houses Burnt to the Ground Demand a Investigation!

Four separate houses temporally being used after a earthquake destroyed the permanent structures were burnt to the ground on September 19, 2011. The investigating official declared it a accident caused by a space heater even though he never visited the site.

Ironically, or perhaps intentionally the fire occur ed as the occupants were celebrating independence day.

Source: Front Line Defenders.org "Ms Soraya Sánchez, President of Transgéneras por el Cambio, (Transgender for Change) and Mr Andrés Rivera Duarte of the Organización por la Dignidad de la Diversidad – OTD (Organisation for Dignity of Diversity), have publicly denounced the fires as a hate crime, specifically targeting the transgender community and organisations working to promote and protect the rights of that community. As a result of their public statements both Transgéneras por el Cambio and the OTD fear that there could be further attacks carried out against them or their members."

Front Line Human Rights Defenders Take Action

Thank You AFA for Providing the Email Platform to Contact DWTS

The AFA hiding behind the facade of a mothers organization has undertaken a email campaign targeting the sponsors of Dancing With The Stars. The proxy organization "One Million Moms.com is asking sponsors of the DWTS to withdraw there support now that Chaz Bono is sashaying on their show.

I emailed the sponsors using their form. (Click forms for a readable version)



I think its a wonderful idea made even better since I was able to insert a title and edit the note! So now instead of a letter attacking us it thanks and encourages the sponsors to do more for DWTS!



Just seconds later I received this email from Kohl's thanking me for contacting them and asking that they continue to support transgender people in entertainment.

I like this so much I will put a link on the AFA Facebook page thanking them personally!

London's Calling (AGAIN?): Transphobic Julie Bindel on Shortlist For a Diversity Award!

In 2008 I wrote the article London Calling : Transphobic Julie Bindel Nominated Writer of the year by Stonewall UK about this rad-fem transphobic woman who unbelievably was up for a journalistic award by London's gay advocacy group "Stonewall".

She did not receive that award due to the transgender and queer outrage. Stonewall decided at the last moment to avoid the negativity and condemnation that undoubtedly would have followed.

Now just a few years latter Julie Bindel is up for another award this one unbelievably is for diversity! !!OF ALL THINGS!!

Once again queers and trans people will be forced to take to the streets but this time Bindel has made another enemy, Muslim people.

You can get the details at


Picketing the European “Diversity” Awards
at Andy's Miscellany.

If you are on Facebook you can join the "Picket the European Diversity Awards" for all the latest updates.

Slain DC Transgender Woman Lashai McLean's Memorial Teddy Bear Burned By Haters

The hatred goes on as this memorial just placed for Lashai McLean was burned and left in the street as she was as silent testimony to peoples capacity for cruelty.

.