Video: Saturday Vigil For Deoni Jones Highlights The Need For Hate Crime Prosecution

Her family is upset hate crime enhancements have not been filled and are asking that the federal goverment steps in to prosecute the case. "In an interview, Bethea said the family believes that Jones’s transgender identity led to the stabbing. The family plans to call on federal officials to take over the prosecution, he said.

“We do believe the elements of a hate crime are present,” Bethea said.

It's clear her murder wasn't a random bizarre act of violence since Gary Niles Montgomery has been declared mentally competent to stand trial.

An initiative soliciting statements from the LGBT community leading to charges of hate crimes was announced Saturday by Mayor Vincent Gray at vigil.



"As part of the arrangement, the mayor's office of GLBT Affairs will solicit so-called impact statements from community members in criminal cases that were motivated by the victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. The statements are intended to factor into a judge's sentencing decision."

In one year, I got pregnant with my boyfriend and I gave birth with my trans girlfriend.

A receipt for what? Disaster? An amazing story? So what happened? Did Evan's partner freak? Did they stay together? Really? I won't spoil that for you. Read Erin Ryan Fitzgerald's article on XOJane and find out.

But what about Evan and her transition? Who is this person? Dig. Evan Greer is a radical genderqueer singer/songwriter, parent, and community organizer based in Boston. (S)he writes and performs high-energy acoustic songs that inspire hope, build community, and incite resistance! At 27 years old, Evan tours internationally as a musician and facilitates interactive workshops to support movements for justice and liberation.



"Wielding an arsenal of fiercely radical songs that vary in style from pop-punk poetry to foot-stompin’ bluegrass singalongs, Evan has been honored to collaborate, tour, and share stages with artists as musically diverse as Pete Seeger, Immortal Technique, Billy Bragg, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Pamela Means, The Coup, Anne Feeney, Oi Polloi, State Radio, Leftover Crack, People Under the Stairs, Emma's Revolution, The Mammals, Gil Scott Heron's Midnight Band, Gaslight Anthem, Holly Near, Chumbawamba, and Vicci Martinez (featured on NBC's "The Voice".)"

Beck: Pentagon's Woman In Combat puts female, Hispanic, Eskimo, dwarf cross dresser and some handicapable, transgendered breast cancer survivor as a soldier on the front line.”

Conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Thursday blasted the Pentagon’s decision to lift the ban on women serving in combat roles by warning that the enemies of the United States would not “cower in defeat because we have a female, Hispanic, Eskimo, dwarf cross dresser and some handicapable, transgendered breast cancer survivor as a soldier on the front line.”

“Nobody wants to be a pig, nobody wants to say the unpopular things, we just want to talk about the truth tonight,” Beck explained at the top of his Thursday broadcast. “If a few feathers are ruffled, oh well.”

“This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” he continued. “The military is not designed to be beacon of equality, it’s designed to defend the country in times of danger. And quite honestly, war is the act of killing each other. And to win, you have to kill people faster than the other team. That’s what war is all about.”

“The enemy is not going to cower in defeat because we have a female, Hispanic, Eskimo, dwarf cross dresser and some handicapable, transgendered breast cancer survivor as a soldier on the front line ready to unleash an attack of unparalleled diversity. Nope, that’s not going to do it. You gotta kill them. That’s how you make people cower in defeat.



This man is such a asshat. When my MOS was reclassified from combat to administrative it allowed woman into my job much to my horror. Quickly I found out that size does not determine determination and guts. I am extremely proud of the woman in my section who showed me exactly what they are made of. I would proudly go, as a transgender woman with any of those cisgender woman into combat.

Raw Story

Omaha Liberty Project Petition Fails To Gather Enough Signatures For A Referendum

A WIN For LGBT people and Omaha Churches!

A few months ago I busted Patrick Bonnett of the Omaha Liberty Project for trying to frighten the cities faith community by saying there freedom of religion was under attack.

 The people listened to us, read the bible for guidance and refused to sign Liberty project's petition to force a referendum in the spring.

Bonnett blames this groups failure on lack of time, professional signature gatherers and other factors despite having had hundreds of similarly hate motivated signature gatherers on the ground.

Omaha's faith community understood you were lying hoping to ferment hate. That's why you failed Bonnett.

The people of Omaha understood it wasn't religion Bonnett was worried about. He was and still is troubled LGBT people and especially trans people like myself could have equal opportunities in Omaha. Bonnett promises to keep  hating and will continue the fight against me.

Bring it on Bonnett.

Anna Grodzka Transgender Woman Nominated For Polish Deputy Speaker

Anna Grodzka transseksualistów nominowany do Polski Wicemarszałek!

Anna Grodzka, the first transsexual member of Parliament in European history has been nominated deputy speaker of the house according to Reuters. This will not be a easy job for Ms. Grodzka as there are extremely transphobic MPs, right wing partys and Catholics who will fight her nomination at every turn.

The job involves chairing sessions of parliament when the speaker is not available and ceremonial duties. Ms. Grodzka's nomination is another historic step for transgender rights worldwide!

Tennessee's Menace to Children Stacey Campfield Reintroduces "Don't Say Gay" Bill

Stacey Campfield has reintroduced SB 235 a watered down homo-genized version of previous years but its just as bad. 2013's version does not explicitly state homosexuality or make any reference to transsexuality. Instead the bill would require school staff who perceive 'alternative sexual' behaviour in a student grades one through eight to give reparative therapy to said student.

Then the bill would require the school to inform the students parents about there son or daughters deviant lifestyle.

This man is a menace to children. Another beaten child. Another homeless LGBT youth. Another murdered trans teen who in desperation prostituted herself. Another dead body. Fuck you Campfield.

Stacey Campfield? FCKH8 Facebook

FCKH8 Facebook
FCKH8 Twitter
FCKH8.com

This is the way it is Campfield. Today. Your hate will not defeat us.



At the presentation of senior class awards (Class Clown, Most Likely to Succeed, etc.), an LGBT teen publicly announces during his acceptance speech for Class Actor award that he is an LGBT teen and is tired of acting as someone he's not on a daily basis. His classmates clearly approve. He still has six months left of school (as of January 2013).

Read more about Campfield's latest at LGBTQ Nation

Maryland SB 449 Transgender rights bill Has A Pot To Piss In.

Sponsored by Senator Madaleno SB 449 is titled "Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2013" and is a bill with a pot to piss in....

Synopsis:

Prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity with regard to public accommodations, housing, and employment and by specified licensed or regulated persons; prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity with regard to commercial leasing; altering an exception for employers relating to standards concerning dress and grooming; providing specified immunity; requiring State personnel actions to be made without regard to gender identity or sexual orientation; defining the term "gender identity"; etc"

The bill has a long way to go and will have to compete with gun legislation and the Fracking Controversy for attention.

Last years bill, HB235 was nothing more than fodder for marriage equality which became law. The same people who are shepherding this years bill are the ones who last year blindsided the trans community by introducing HB235 without public accommodations provisions, the first Maryland bill sans public accommodations ever. Although this year there is no major gay agenda legislation to compete with it remains to be seen how much political capitol Maryland legislators will be willing to invest in our lives.

It also remains to be seen if the bill makes it through with a pot to piss in.

Pictures: Femen MEN At The Paris Marriage Equality Rally

Some pictures of the January Paris marriage rally you won't see on mainstream media:

See more of her pictures

Another Inmate Win For Tax Payer Funded Sexual Reassignment Surgery

The million dollar question:
Will taxpayers have to foot another failed million dollar legal battle to deny Ophelia Azriel her right to medical care like they did with Michelle Kosilek ?

As many of you are aware I am an outspoken advocate for our removal from the DSM-5. But in these cases it's essential we remain in the DSM to insure that the most vulnerable of our community receive adequate medical care. And thats what we are all about. Community.

DIAZ, Circuit Judge January 28 2013:

Virginia inmate Ophelia Azriel De’lonta (born Michael A.Stokes) filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claiming that prison officials denied her adequate medical treatment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The district court dismissed the complaint for failure to state a claim. Because we conclude that De’lonta’s complaint states a claim for relief that is plausible
on its face, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.

I.
On appeal from a dismissal for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, we accept as true all the factual DE’LONTA v. JOHNSON 3 allegations contained in the complaint and construe them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Flood v. New Hanover County, 125 F.3d 249, 251 (4th Cir. 1997).

A.
De’lonta has been in the custody of the Virginia Department of Corrections ("VDOC") since 1983, serving a 73-year sentence for bank robbery. She is a pre-operative transsexual suffering from a diagnosed and severe form of a rare, medically recognized illness known as gender identity disorder ("GID"). GID is characterized by a feeling of being trapped in a body of the wrong gender. This belief has caused De’lonta to suffer "constant mental anguish" and, on several occasions, has caused her to attempt to castrate herself in efforts to "perform[ ] [her] own makeshift sex reassignment surgery." App. 14, 46, 48. De’lonta has described these ongoing urges to perform self-surgery as "overwhelming." App. 31.

In 1999, De’lonta filed a § 1983 lawsuit alleging that VDOC had instituted a policy that wrongfully prevented her from receiving GID treatment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. As in the instant case, the district court dismissed De’lonta’s 1999 complaint for failure to state a claim. We reversed and remanded, holding that De’lonta’s need for protection against continued self-mutilation constituted an objectively serious medical need under the Eighth Amendment and that De’lonta had sufficiently alleged VDOC’s
deliberate indifference to that need. De’lonta v. Angelone ("De’lonta I"), 330 F.3d 630, 634 (4th Cir. 2003). The parties subsequently reached a settlement in which VDOC acknowledged De’lonta’s serious medical need and agreed to provide continuing treatment.

Read the full opinion of 4th Us Court Of Appeals: 117482.P Ophelia De'Lonta v. Gene Johnson

The barn door swung open to transgender prisoners rights with Mischell's case:

There's a lot of controversy within the trans community about our tax dollars being used to fund a convicts SRS when so many of us will never have the same opportunity? Begging the age old question, what do I have to do to get SRS?

Whats your take?

Namoli Brennet Seattle CD Release Concert Live Streaming In HD!

Facebook event "A rare and cool opportunity that I'm pretty excited about: My Seattle CD Release at Empty Sea Studios this Friday will be streaming LIVE in HD Video! Starting at 7:30 pm PST (concert starts at 8 pm). This is a great chance to catch a *super* high quality concert broadcast, and the cost is pretty darned cheap: just $6.99, and $2 of that goes to benefit Lambert House, Seattle's LGBTQ Youth Center. The quality is seriously amazing, hope you'll tune and tweet your requests and comments!"

More info and advance tickets at Empty Sea.com

Namoli invites you to tweet requests and comments to @Namoli during her show!



It's amazing music and for a great cause! I already have tickets for her fabulous show! With 50% of the profits going to the artist and two dollars of every ticket bought going to the Lambert House Seattle's LGBTQ youth center its a win win!

New Orleans PD looking For This Transgender Robbery Suspect

French Quarter Robbery Suspect Might Be a Transgender Woman.

Police are looking for the individual in the video below. They think this person might be a transgender woman but have failed to describe her as such. Instead they have desribed her as a male out of ether transphobia or just plain old ignorance. Maybe both.

But in any case misidentifying and misgendering this person makes her apprehension that much more difficult.

Source: The Times-Picayune, LA, USA "The first suspect -- featured in the above surveillance footage -- was described as a transgendered male with brown skin who's slightly under 6 feet and in his mid-20s to early 30s."



Detective Steve Nolan is in charge of the investigation.

Citizens with information that can help solve these crimes are asked to contact Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 877.903.STOP. You could receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment. You do not have to give your name or testify to receive the reward

Video: Anonymous Hacks US Gov't Websites In Retribution for Reddit co-founder Aaron Swartz's Suicide

Anonymous hackers deface the official website of U.S. Sentencing Commission website (ussc.gov) on Friday under a new campaign called "Operation Last Resort" in memory of Reddit co-founder Aaron Swartz and also threatening to release a massive WikiLeaks-style exposure of sensitive U.S. government secrets.

IKEA Apologizes To Thai Transgender Alliance For "Forgot To Deceive" Advert

The IKEA letter Apologizing to the Thai Transgender Alliance and the world's trans community for the offensive advertisement:

The universal condemnation from the world's trans community easily transcended language barriers. The momentum we created quickly propelled our concerns into mainstream media bringing this issue front and center to this massive corporation's attention.

I appreciate the apology from IKEA and I hope other corporations will also understand trans people will not abide being mocked.

The offending advertisement "Forgot to Deceive":

Huffpost Piece on Sadie's Dream Prefaced With Awesome Commentary

I loved both the video commentary and Sadie's letter to President Obama published on Huffington Post so much I posted both.

"Sadie's dream" written in response to President Obama not mentioning trans people in his 2013 Inaugural speech.

"The world would be a better place if everyone had the right to be themselves, including people who have a creative gender identity and expression. Transgender people are not allowed the freedom to do things everyone else does, like go to the doctor, go to school, get a job, and even make friends.

"Transgender kids like me are not allowed to go to most schools because the teachers think we are different from everyone else. The schools get afraid of how they will talk with the other kids' parents, and transgender kids are kept secret or told not to come there anymore. Kids are told not to be friends with transgender kids, which makes us very lonely and sad."

"When they grow up, transgender adults have a hard time getting a job because the boss thinks the customers will be scared away. Doctors are afraid of treating transgender patients because they don't know how to take care of them, and some doctors don't really want to help them. Transgender patients like me travel to other states to see a good doctor."

"It would be a better world if everyone knew that transgender people have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else. We like to make friends and want to go to school. Transgender people want to get good jobs and go to doctors like they are exactly the same. It really isn't that hard to like transgender people because we are like everyone else."

Five Charged In Connection With Gang Murder of Transgender Rapper Evon (Yung LT) Young

The criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee county charges Devin Lattrez Seaberry and Allen Ron Joseph with first degree criminal homicide punishable with life imprisonment.

CBS 58 Reports That three others, Victor L. Stewart, Ashanti M. Mcalister and Young's roommate Billy R. Griffin are all charged with substantial battery as party to a crime, and face up to three years in prison.

The criminal complaint goes on to say that Stewart believed Young assisted in the burglary of his and Griffin's residence. The complaint alleges all men in the apartment, Griffin included, began to beat Young in the kitchen. They allegedly got Young to confess to playing a part in the burglary of their apartment.

Stewart told police the group moved Young to the basement before killing him. We're told the gang members used bleach in an attempt to get of DNA evidence in the basement.

"The criminal complaint refers to Evon Young as Ebony Young, his given name. Evon was a woman living his life as a man. It does not appear that Young's sexuality gender expression played any part in the homicide."

IKEA Transphobic ไทยโฆษณาคือก้าวร้าว Trans ชุมชนโลก

The "Forget to Deceive" advertisement features a normal appearing couple strolling into a IKEA store. When the female spots a sale so spectacular she forgets to deceive and shouts out in her male voice much to the astonishment of her partner.

The advertisement goes down hill from there as she is then seen lifting up the sale items weighing perhaps much more than a cisgender woman could carry as her male companion obviously realizing she is "really a man" runs in the other direction.

The Thai Transgender Alliance has publicly denounced the advertisement that ran in sky trains saying in a open letter that 'The transgender content of the advertisement is negative and stereotypical in nature, perpetuating misunderstanding transgenderism as human sexuality for "deceitful and deviant lifestyle".'

Source - Thai Transgender Alliance: "A marketing official at IKEA Thailand, which opened its first store in the country in November 2011, said on Thursday it had talked with the group in response to its January 9 complaint."

"IKEA has spoken to the group over the telephone and the conversation went very smoothly. We are now drafting a letter in response," the official said, declining to be identified.



My personal reaction.

This nasty advertisement is so disgusting I don't know where to begin.

I work in a warehouse. When I began there I was scorned by my co workers because I was a over weight and out of shape trans woman.

In the year since I have seriously undertaken a work out regiment and have been able to maintain my HRT resulting in substantial changes.

Now when I lift heavy objects and work with gusto I am scorned for the differences that I DO NOT Hide. I am not deceiving. I am making the fullest use of this transgender body.

This advertisement invites cisgender people to hate us for who we are and whom we might become.

Read more at Gay Star News

Parkland Sidesteps Trans Bathroom Use OPENING the door To Further Arrests

Rafael McDonnell a LGBT advocate from Dallas Texas confirmed to me that as expected Parkland Hospital amended their personal policy to include gender expression and identity. What I didn't expect though was that those provisions are not extended to non employees i.e. you and me. Sick people. Visitors etc.

Trans Crow in the Dallas County Hospital.

Should we have a medical emergency or a need to visit Parkland trans people may find themselves being directed by police to a single stall bathroom or even arrested if your driver licence is not corrected to your proper gender. It all depends on whether someone complains.

The controversy began after a cisgender woman complained to the police about a transgender woman, Paula Witherspoon using the ladies room. Parkland police then gave Witherspoon a ticket for 'disorderly conduct' despite her presenting a 'carry letter".

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Dallas Morning News Reports: " Parkland’s new rules, however, do not protect transgender patients and visitors from certain discriminating behaviors. Top officials said Parkland would strive to become a “more welcoming” institution." "The hospital recently set up a task force to find ways to avoid confrontations with transgender patients or visitors. The task force may recommend that such visitors use designated “unisex” bathrooms on each floor of the hospital.

" “The main issue with transgender people is they don’t know which bathroom to use,” said Dr. Roberto DE la Cruz, a hospital board member. “Somebody might be upset in the bathroom with them and wondering, why you are there.”

" Dr. Roberto DE la Cruz's statement is so insulting! Transgender people KNOW which bathroom to use Dr DE la Cruz. What is problem is there are people who will use the opportunity you just created to complain about my using the bathroom. Although myself and many trans people 'pass' well there will always be tells that differentiate me from cisgender woman. " Dr. DE la Cruz an openly gay board member dismissed the trans issue saying he had been employed by Parkland for many years and "never had a problem there." " YOU ARE GAY Dr. DE la Cruz! You can put your sexual orientation into your pocket when you use the bathroom and seamless merge with the heteronormative world!"  " We are TRANSGENDER NOT GAY. Everywhere we go its obvious to some extent that we ARE TRANSGENDER including the bathroom and from MY PERSONAL experience at Parkland we are unwelcome, even despised by the staff and police."  " Parkland's new employee policy change is basically meaningless as transgender people will continue to avoid medical treatment for fear of being humiliated or even worst, arrest."  " Seems to me its just a feather in the cap for gay advocates and a disaster for trans people." 

#Catfish : When A Cis Lesbian Pretends To Be Like Me To Get a Date

So this cisgender woman, Ebony pretends to be a transsexual, sends pictures of someone else to a man and they meet. Was the man pissed? Yes! He thinks he's gay and thought he was going to meet a transgender woman!

Wait!! Didn't he know the transgender person he was going to meet said she was a Male to female (MTF) trans woman? We aren't men! We are woman!

When Rod says in the end that he maybe gay courious, was he saving face by not admiting he's a 'chaser'. Its a set up for murder.

Uma transgênero irmã assassinada perto Clube Parque das Águas Brasil

Trans woman Fernanda Carrico da Silva was shot dead January 9th in broad daylight while riding her bicycle on ERS-118 near the Parque das Águas, (pictured left) Viamão, Brazil.

The police saw this happen yet the murderers still managed to escape.

Source Homofobia Mata (Grupo Gay da Bahia), Brazil: [Bing translate]

"The death of a parent heterosexual family gives news. If the death of a rich guy, gives up rally. If the dead person is gay, but has money or is the "high society", do demonstration, reporting on homophobia, no noise, posters, weeping and gnashing of teeth."

"But the death of a transvestite, a hustler, it seems that it is notmore important than the death of a cockroach."

"The event happened in daylight in a busy place, and there was just some media coverage. Alias, no, no. Had yes: I want to compliment, really compliment and congratulate, Radio Guaiba, who did a story about the crime. The mainstream press, only Guaíba did it. The rest gave no note, nor how peal."

Read more at homofobia mata.