A Challenge to @GallusMag Editor of GenderTrender

By Cristain Williams cross posted with permission in full from Ehipassiko. I felt it was important to cross post this to make sure the TERFs were aware of this challenge. Given that one of them hijacked this blogs .com address and misdirected people to GenderTrender back a bit I'm sure they will read this challenge here, if they haven't already. No excuses GallusMag. I know you have seen this.

Cristain Williams writes:

Apparently I’ve made the big time. I discovered that GallusMag, self-identified RadFem (TERF), RadFem opinion leader and co-founder of RadFemHub, has attempted to troll me on her infamous TERF blog, GenderTrender. According to GallusMag, I have huge sweaty balls, I’m a man, I hate lesbians and gays, I hate feminists most of all, I have a sexualized image of myself as a woman, that I’m known for my advocacy for men’s rights, that my greatest desire is to be a sexy lady, that I’ve spent years blogging about how women, gay people and feminists deprive me of an entitlement to womanhood, that I’m a sexual fetishist and that I’m mean-spirited. She goes on to make up quotes to attribute to me. She claims that I assert that the definition of a woman is “a person who embodies sexualized porn stereotypes of females.“

GallusMag’s MO is to rely upon insults while making ad hominem attacks as a puerile substitution for actual debate. Instead of thoughtfully responding to specific criticism I’ve made of TERF ideology she, of course, held true to her demonstrable abilities.

According to GallusMag I, in addition to my actual Reddit account, troll reddit under various names including GroovemasterGeneral and I’mNotanMRAbut. Does she cite any evidence to support her fact assertion? Nope. All the world is apparently expected to accept her fact assertion of on faith alone.

For the record, my Reddit account is Two- and it’s not like I’ve made that a secret. Are the other two accounts mine? Nope. Can I prove that they’re not? Nope. I could suggest that rational folks look up the accounts and compare writing styles, but is that enough to definitively disprove her fact assertion? Nope. I could point out that I have a long history of being direct about my opinions while having the courage to own them without hiding behind a fake identity GallusMag-style. However, that’s not enough to definitively disprove her fact assertion either, is it? Nope – and I’m sure that she knows it.

the ol’ disproving a negative routine

That GallusMag’s evidence-free fact assertions can’t be disproven is useful to her narrative. Should someone on Reddit say something about TERFs, GallusMag can simply attribute those posts to me and never have to deal with any criticism I actually make. Not only does she get to pretend that she has awesome investigative skills which exposed me with laser-like precision, she gets to do it in such a way that can never be definitively disproved.

It came out of GM’s head so it must be true!

GallusMag seems to think that strawman arguments, misrepresentations of fact and strongly made assertions makes her right. If I had to guess, I’d bet that GallusMag thinks that’s how normal people behave. I’d also guess that GallusMag thinks that making baseless accusations is the way reasonable adults support their debate positions in the marketplace of ideas.

Personally, I think it’s cowardly and dishonest. I think it’s what simple people do when they don’t possess the ability to rationally respond. Moreover, I think this is probably why GallusMag’s opinions don’t get to count to anyone of consequence – not even to the likes of TERF-extraordinaire, Cathy Brennan:

Recently, in a fit of whatever rageful demons motivate her, the pseudoanonymous blogger Gallus Mag ad hominemed me relentlessly on Twitter (“coincidentally” after my lawyer sent her a letter telling her never to contact me again)… Haters hate, trollers troll, Gallus galls… So thanks Gallus! You are a bona fide lunatic, but you have inspired hours of LOLs. - Cathy Brennan

As for me and MRAs, I’ve made my thoughts about them clear and MRAs don’t seem to like what I have to say about them.

My Challenge to GallusMag:

If you actually possesses the courage of your convictions, I’ll gladly public debate you live on a Google Hangout so that everyone can enjoy watching you display your own special view of reality. Let’s debate the criticisms that you’ve failed to actually address. If you feel that you need to advantage yourself by publicly hiding during the debate, you could always use an avatar on camera while I own my public words with my real identity. Debate me live so that all your supporters can watch you articulate your points in that very special way you’re known for. Be their champion, GallusMag.

Let us be free to debate transgenderism without being accused of ‘hate speech’ - GallusMag’s Blog in 2012

So far, GallusMag has been ducking an honest debate about transgenderism for 2 days 18 hours 34 minutes 6 seconds.

Yes, let us be free to debate transgenderism. I’ll agree to not refer to your debate rhetoric as hate speech, you’ll get to continue to hide while spewing whatever foulness you like and I will debate you honestly and openly. I know that you must be really busy, so I’ll be happy to move my schedule around to accommodate yours.

Will you fail to live up to your supposed convictions and if so, I wonder what excuse you’ll use that will be most pleasing to your audience. Will you pretend that rejecting my challenge is the radically feminist to do because debates are somehow male-centric? Maybe you’ll say that you’re too offended by my open challenge. Maybe you’ll pretend that the reason you’re backing out is a lack of trust, logistics or any other reason you can think of that will allow you to save face while you abandon your supposed convictions. Maybe you’ll just pretend to ignore this debate challenge.

My debate invitation will remain open to you. If at some point you work up the courage to stand firm upon your convictions and face me live (even if you have to hide behind an avatar to do it), I’ll be happy to allow you to prove just how clever you believe yourself to be. Think of it. You’ll get to hide behind a fake face and fake identity while publicly putting me in my place in front of a live audience – all while I’m forced to own my words, actions and views by publicly debating you live.

What have you got to lose, GallusMag? So, how about it?

A Challenge to @gallusmag Editor of GenderTrender planetransgender.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-chal… #TERF #RadFem2013
— planetransgender (@kellibusey) May 28, 2013

A couple hours ago GullusMag finally responded saying she'd debate for money

@autumnsandeen @transgriot @cristanwilliams Show me the money! Yah big weirdos
— Gallus Mag (@GallusMag) May 28, 2013

As expected GullusMag won't be a participant in a debate. But still, it's hard to tell if she's serious about demanding cash in return for honesty, but in any case that's something that would be morally wrong to do.

@autumnsandeen @transgriot @cristanwilliamsIt appears @gallusmag expects cash to be forthcoming! Nope, that would be prostitution.

— planetransgender (@kellibusey) May 28, 2013

Is Miss Universe Contestant Jaclyn Schultz Under The Transgender Umbrella?

Some folks are rushing to proclaim that with Miss Michigan competing we have someone under the trans umbrella in the Miss Universe pageant. This could be true, but it depends on whom you ask.

Most importantly, how does Jaclyn Schultz identify?

She hasn't to my knowledge identified as intersex, but thats OK too. This still gives us a wonderful opportunity to learn about her unique condition and the historic intersectionality that exists between MRKH and Intersex identified people.

Jaclyn Schultz a spokesperson for Beautiful You MRKH Foundation is courageously making headlines helping to educate people about this unique congenital condition, demystifying it and humanizing those with it. Much the same as we who identify as trans endeavour to do. This brave woman needs our help moving her to the semi finals. We can do that by voting for her here.

According to MRKH.org "MRKH is a congenital condition (which means it is present at birth) that results from the incomplete development of the female reproductive tract. Women with MRKH have fully functional ovaries that can be located in unusual places in the body cavity. They are genetically female, as they have two X chromosomes and a normal chromosome analysis (i.e. 46, XX). The primary symptoms are failure to menstruate. Typically, women with MRKH lack a fully functional uterus, cervix and upper vaginal canal. They have normal external genitalia and breast development, and often have a small external vaginal opening, called a ‘dimple’ that looks like a hymen. Although women with MRKH are incapable of carrying children, it is possible for most to have biological children through the use of assisted reproductive therapies and gestational surrogacy."



Medicine.net defines Intersex as:
A group of conditions sometimes referred to as disorders of sexual development (DSDs) in which there is a discrepancy between the appearance of the external genitalia and the type of internal (testes and ovaries) genitalia. The condition was formerly termed hermaphroditism or pseudohermaphroditism. One example of intersex is androgen insensitivity syndrome, in which the body's receptors to male hormones do not function properly. In this case, individuals have a male genetic makeup (XY) and testicular tissue but have incompletely formed or female external genitalia. In some cases, known as true gonadal intersex, a person has both ovarian and testicular tissue

I'm not a doctor or claim to be an authority on ether condition but I noticed a few differences between the diagnosis most notably the development of external organs and the absence or presence of prevalent chromosomes. I fully appreciate I am standing on thin ice here with the Intersex community but please give your allied neophyte sister a little latitude.

Leaving science and dichotomy behind for moment we can examine what is arguably the most important aspect of intersex and MRKH afflicted people, social acceptance. That factor plays a huge role in how a person would identify their condition and subsequently treat it, or not, both medically and physiologically. There is a common thread between people that identify as intersex and those who identify as having MRKH. A sense of being 'less than', a sense of being isolated from 'normal' people and fear of social stigma should their condition become public knowledge.

I found a fascinating dissertation "Intersex and Community" by Esther Morris MRKHorg Newsletter Feb 2002 thats still relevant and even more so because of it's historical context. I have cross posted it in full here:

"A number of people have asked me about my involvement with the Intersex Community. There are many syndromes that are considered intersex, and activists have done a great deal to link us together. We have so much to learn from each other."

"I polled my on line support groups about intersex last summer and I found the groups to be evenly split. Some women replied that they thought they were intersex, but were afraid to admit it. Other women were uncomfortable with the idea of including MRKH as an intersex condition. Identity is purely personal." "In the past year and a-half I have nurtured an insatiable passion for researching gender and sexual anomalies. I get a great sense of belonging that draws me back for more. Researching MRKH has led me down many other paths. I read about other conditions with an understanding of the issues that feels almost too clear."

"My hardest personal challenge with MRKH is the loneliness. Even with a support network there are days I dread being with people because they represent gender; -normal gender. It reminds me that my own sense of gender feels so bare. The emptiness is not from the lack of feeling my gender, but more for where it belongs. Even those who experience gender in different ways still experience their own gender." "I see gender as a civil rights movement still in the stage of breaking the silence. We are bombarded by judgment based on ignorance; painfully impacting the rest of our lives. I keep getting lost in the haze around medicine and its power over basic civil rights. I ache for a distinct focus for my anger knowing it was a collective ignorance that imposed its view. My embarrassment comes not from myself- but from the shock of others. It's reassuring to hear other MRKH women speak of not 'fitting in' because I know I'm not alone out there. But it is infuriating that we are cast to define ourselves as not 'fitting in' rather than offered the place where we can belong." "I would like to think that we have learned through earlier civil rights movements but the minute you mention gender variation everyone scurries off. Even those who have always shown wisdom begin to shudder. WHY DO WE DO THAT? It took me back to the seventies….."

"Ah the seventies. Those of us who remember those years and survived without permanent embarrassment, may remember a time of extremes. I had a paid job at a Women's Center and feminism consumed my life. We worked hard together. We played hard together. Some of us even slept together. It was exciting to watch the world change while being a part of making that happen. It was the start of Women's Shelters, Women's Health, and breaking into non-traditional jobs. It was the birth of Consciousness Raising and Feminist Therapy. We crossed milestone after milestone." "I also remember the 70's as a time to flounder; tripping over our differences in such a way that we often lost sight of our common goals. Even with a common purpose many women were at odds with each other. Lesbians challenged non-lesbians for sleeping with the enemy. Working-class women judged middle-class women for not seeing past their privilege. Women of color demanded recognition. Heterosexual women resented lesbians for being too exclusive. Separatists judged women with male children or pets for their involvement with male energy. There were fights over Christmas trees, Music Festivals, and whose politics were more pure. (We may laugh about it now, but this was serious stuff!). We worked really hard to muddle through all that and I won't lose sight of that lesson now. I found peace in this community and felt very much at home.

And then my secret got out….

"A group of women attacked me because they thought I was transsexual after one of them heard about my vaginal surgery. I was very active at the Women's Center and they wanted me out. They followed me home one night taunting me with slurs such as intruder and freak. They stoned me as they shouted about male privilege I never knew. Knowing feminist rage all too well I was scared, and kept on walking. Eventually they surrounded me; and after a scuffle, I was on the ground. I still remember what was running through my mind as I looked up at them. I choked on thoughts like: "But I AM a woman. I have test results". (To say I was insecure about my gender identity is an understatement.) I wanted to wave my XX credentials in their faces like a shield because I was not "like that". But the stronger part of me held silent, almost ashamed by my need to create this boundary for my own protection. They slapped me around a little and then they walked away. I didn't tell anyone about this assault until I wrote the Missing Vagina Monologue 20 years later.



But the questions it raised have never left me."

"I now open my identity to include a collection of variation. Although the details of our diagnosis may differ; AIS, CAH, MRKH, MURCS, XO, XXY;

I am coming to realize that these acronyms are just my sibling's initials. I see a similar struggle and approach it with a similar view. I have had my personal sense of gender challenged. I have had my body normalized to make other people comfortable. All of the above was motivated by presumption which became white-coat violence the moment I lost my choice. These issues/concerns certainly cross the diagnosis borders and confront all of us at some time or other."

"So am I intersex? I believe that I am. As I grow with my MRKH identity, intersex is a large part of that. Whether it is because my body was born a shameful variety, altered so that it wouldn't be; or the emotional journey that experience has been I don't yet know. I believe I am Intersex because I was never considered normal enough to be left untreated. Intersex can be a community for all of us. It’s a lot less lonely that way. It does give folks something to think about….."

"Let her make her choice – MRKH: intersex or not? You decide."Via MRKH Canada

"I have no wish to get political but it was recently brought to my attention that some of the articles/links that I have been sharing with you may suggest that MRKH is an intersex condition. In reviewing the literature, sometimes MRKH may be mentioned as part of a document on intersex conditions but it itself is not considered an intersex condition. MRKH is classified more as a syndrome of congenital anomalies (structural abnormalities occuring during fetal development). My job here is to present the literature, educate you and allow you to decide what you identify yourselves as. We are all 100% women, always remember that!"

"This being said, I do not want to discriminate against those who choose to identify themselves as intersex. It is all a matter of choice. Some MRKH women who identify as intersex are met with considerable resistance by the rest of the MRKH community. I think we should all respect the choices and opinions of others. The controversy can cause younger MRKH women some confusion and it is not up to anyone to decide what she identifies with. Without fear, we should be providing all the options without the baggage of our own personal beliefs. So please respect our sisters and accept her regardless! There is enough prejudice without harbouring it in our own community."

Thank you ladies!

Fox News claims "Perverted" Bard College Student's "Middle School Anti-Bullying Lesson Includes Lesbian Role Play"

Jezebel reports "When Bard College students recently held anti-bullying workshops at a middle school on topics like gender identity and consent, instructors split boys and girls into two groups to practice "saying no" in a comfortable setting.

Then enter Fox News which totally distorts and lies about the intent of the anti bullying class using homophobic and transphobic memes. Fox commentators then said the Bard instructors who presented the class were idiots and perverted bullies.

Starnes wrote "Young girls at a New York middle school were instructed to ask one another for a lesbian kiss and boys were given guidance on how to tell if women are sluts during an anti-bullying presentation on gender identity and sexual orientation, angry parents allege."

Bard students respond off the cuff....



How do these Fox news types live with themslves knowing full well their lies cost lives?

Underage and Older Woman's Steamy Lesbian Romance "Blue is the Warmest Color" Takes Cannes

Abdellatif Kechiche's controversial film "Blue is the Warmest Colour" has premiered at Cannes, featuring non-simulated sex scenes that were described by critics as "show-stopping" and "the most explosively graphic lesbian sex in recent memory".

This proved true even for actresses Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydouxnwatched when they viewed the movie for the first time in its entirety during it's Cannes premiere.



"....when the sex scene was over, after what felt like it must have been 15 minutes of writhing, moaning erotic hunger, people in the audience burst into whoops of approval and applause — something I have never in my life seen happen after a sex scene. It’s not so much that the audience was being cute, attempting to acknowledge that the scene was “hot” (although yes, it seriously was). What they were applauding was the authenticity: the fact that the heat was real, and thus the heat had become the drama. Very Last Tango, except minus the perversity." ~ Inside Movies

Adèle reacts emotionally to a bully accusing her crassly of being a lesbian in front of her high school classmates.



Synopsis:

15-year-old Adèle knows two things: she's a girl, and a girl goes out with boys. The day she glimpses the blue streaks in Emma's hair on the main square, she feels that her life is going to change. Alone with her teenage questions, she transforms the way she looks at herself and the way that others look at her. In her intensely close relationship with Emma, she is fulfilled as a woman and as an adult. But Adèle doesn't know how to make peace, neither with her parents, nor with this world full of absurd morals, nor with herself.

Facebook Ignores Rape Pictures So WAM is Shaming Companys To Stop Adverts Supporting #FBrape

Facebook has refused to listen hundreds of complaints about pictures like these two screen shots glorifying and enabling violence against woman.


Facebook's subjective decisions based on immoral misogynistic greed is not news to the transgender people. In 2010 We fought and succeeded in forcing Facebook to allow transman Dominic Scaia's post SRS profile picture.

To the larger feminism community and allies facebook irresponsibility was also a call to action. Laura Bates, founder of "Everyday Sexism" one of the leaders of the action told XO Jane she had seen a lot but was especially horrified by the....

•Images with captions like “Next time don’t get pregnant” and “Now walk it off and get back into the kitchen."
•Groups with names like “Raping a pregnant bitch and telling your friends you had a threesome.”
•Images of children, little girls, with black eyes or semen on their faces and jokes about raping or beating them.

•Images of disabled girls, with men underneath and the caption “No arms, no legs? No Problem."
•Images of women’s faces contorted in pain, pictures of girls screaming.
•I have seen photographs purporting to show actual rape.
•Videos of women actually having their heads hacked off with a short knife as you look into their eyes less than a metre from the camera. After that one, I couldn't eat, work or concentrate for several days. A week later, when I tried to watch a film that included an unexpected beheading scene, I found myself suddenly shaking, in floods of tears again.

The problem being that most of the pictures were being posted by individuals using easily accessible meme generators. Since Facebook refused to take responsibility they took it twitter with @EverydaySexism using the #FBrape hashtag in conjunction with Woman, Action, Media (WAM) they have had considerable success shaming the advertisers to pull there adds until such a time as Facebook follows there own guidelines.

Via AlJezeera stream:

Personally I think facebook is disgustingly greedy and uncaring. Please take a moment and take action with Woman, Action, Media (WAM). Let these advertisers know we are aware that they are supporting violence against woman. Demand they remove their support of Facebook too.

Tippecanoe "Gender Bender Day" Flipped Some Neocons Canoes

Filed under news thats not new. Gender bender day, spirit day or whatever they called back when I was a student was a day during homecoming when football players dressed in really bad drag and spent a miserable day being gawked at. It didn't make any sense to most of us and made me feel unforgettable as well. I mean it was really pretty pitiful drag. But hey I figured what ever floats your boat.

Times have sure have changed.

Well, spirit day didn't float some people canoes this year in Tippecanoe. Milwaukee mother Deidri Hernandez told the right wing rag eag news it was 'creepy' and she wasn't going to send her child to 'transgender day'.

The Fox reporter said she didn't see 'many' kids that were cross dressed. And she knew that they were gender bending how? And they didn't show those kids, why?? It even appears the teachers were giving Fox a special show and they weren't even appreciative. Now that was a chorus line I'd do drag in!



I could offer this to those who's gender blinders sit so tight. Loosen up momma. Loosen up pops. There is no harm in gender bending for a day. It sure won't make your kids trans or gay just maybe a little more accepting.

MMA Fight Video: Fallon Fox Trans Empowering Win Over Allanna Jones.

Fallon Fox toughest battle to date moves her to 3-0 and one step closer to the UFC. But there was much more to this win than just another clean fight. Jones made this a dirty fight when she stepped into the ring.

I lost respect for Jones when entering the ring her corner played "Dude Looks Like a Lady". Was no blow was too low for Jones? That was a intentional transphobic hate mongering move pandering to those in the crowd who believe Fox shouldn't fight in the women's division, and there were plenty of them judging by the reactions to this video on You Tube. Or was she just making excuses for the forthcoming lose to a superior fighter?

Some of the You Tube comments were so bad they were most likely posted by TERFs who true to their cowardly modus operandi wouldn't miss an opportunity like that to anonymously ferment hate.

Undoubtedly Fox heard Jones's entrance theme too because during the fight the two seemed to dispense with customary good will glove touches a number of times. But in the Tap Out, much to Fox's credit, she only exerted enough pressure to let Jones know it was over.

Fox, a mother of one, is putting herself and her family out there in a way no other transgender woman would have dared before. She has made herself the symbol of transgender empowerment directly confronting misogynism, cisgenderism and transphobia in their last patriarchal sanctuary, the fight cage.

And for the record it's not 'gender reassignment' it's 'SEXUAL reassignment surgery'. You can not reassign gender, its hard wired, innate. I wish American men like the AXS TV announcers would be fearlessness enough to say sex. Sex sex, sex.

Fallon Fox won and is one step closer to the UFC. But its not for the money, yet anyways. She's also doing this, however inadvertently, for all transgender people because most MMA fighters only make enough of the sales from promoters to pay bills and many have regular day jobs.

Fallon Fox: "I'm at a Disadvantage Tonight Against Jones"

The Inside MMA host asks Fallon Fox "Being born male doesn't give you a physical advantage?

Fox: "No not at all. ..(you)lose that ability to create large amounts of testosterone. I'm actually at a disadvantage......my testosterone levels are drastically lower than theirs (cis females), it’s almost nothing.”

Fallon Fox is on a level field fighting cisgender woman say the The Association of Boxing Commissions.

The IOC issued this press release IOC addresses eligibility of female athletes with hyperandrogenism a condition that produces abnormally high levels of testosterone in a cisgender woman resulting in what could be construed as 'unfair advantages". This condition is also associated with a transgender woman who has not undergone medical surgery and/or hormone replacement therapy(HRT).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) published the Stockholm Consensus Statement in 2003 (Appendix B) produced by a ad hoc (unbiased) committee. The requirement for transgender athletes to participate in the Olympics is that they have had "surgical anatomical change and hormone treatment for two years" as Fallon Fox has done.

The NCAA policy supporting trans inclusive athletics.

Many individual high schools are already allowing trans students to play and the list continues to grow.

AB 1266 just passed the California state assembly and is now on the way to the Senate. This bill would require that a pupil be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school according to their gender presentation. HRT and surgery would not be required.

To watch Fallon Fox live tonight find the cable provider in your area that carries AXS TV.

On a personal level. I was in the Army ten years three of those in the infantry and even qualifying for air assault. Those days pre transition I easily trained up to and well beyond Army standards.

Now as a older athlete post transition what came easily with a burst of testosterone fired adrenaline in the past now must find a new home in my physiology. I am finding this will but it's emanating from a totally different place. It seems more innate, a drive I have always had but never accessed.

With my reduced muscle mass, larger breasts and firm but rounder butt the miles come much harder these days. It's been a grueling albeit rewarding uphill battle to get to a 1/4 of what I was able to accomplish in the past.

So is Fallon Fox a underdog tonight? I don't think so.

She may very well have nearly zero testosterone as I do, but I think she will demolish Jones in the first few moments of the fight. Not because she's transgender but because of her skill and training. I've seen that look in her eys in many of my soldiers. The smallest females. The one who at 90 lbs passed one of the army's most grueling mental and physical tests, Escape and Evasion. The test that one of my biggest roughest and toughest soldiers failed at, twice.

It's not the gender or size of the dog its the fight in the dog that matters.

Transgender Womans Avcılar, Istanbul Apt Shot at twice and and set on Fire

Transgender woman Sanem Karaman's life is in serious jeopardy and the police have been reluctant to help.

Karaman told Bianet.org  that she believes the person who shot at her at the Meis Residence on the 20th and again on the 21st was the same one set it on fire five days ago.

Karaman said she believes this criminal was also involved with other attacks against transgender people at the residence and possibly was with the ones who murdered transgender woman Seda at the residence in March 2013. Seda was beaten so badly she died three days later after being taken to the hospital.

The police have made only token efforts to find the perpetrator and in fact, might be enabling them by all but ignoring threats being leveled against the transgender residents.

Karaman told Bianet "They burnt down my entrance hall three days ago. We had no running water because the pipes had burst [as a result of the fire]. As soon as the pipes were fixed, I began cleaning. At that moment, four shots were fired at my window. I was wounded because of a piece of glass that hit my eye; I have a medical report from the hospital.”

“Today, I opened the window to my bedroom to air the house. They fired shots again right then. The bullets seemed to come from the building right across. As far as I know, there’s a pilgrim staying at the apartment right across from mine. I don’t know him, we’ve never talked before.”

Pressing charges of “intentional injury and threat” , Sanem Karaman, said that the police came after the events today and that they are currently waiting for the crime scene investigation unit [One of the other transgender women living in the same building, Michelle Demishevic, a reporter on İMC TV tweeted that the csi unit never showed up and instead Sanem Karaman was called to report to the police station]. “I’m staying at my friends’ house right now. As soon as the csi unit complete their investigation, I’ll go back home. I’m scared but I have no other choice,” she said. (I was unable to locate that tweet).

It couldn't be too hard for the police to ascertain who shot at her window given the floor she lives on. The rounds must have been fired from a window across from her. If the police then found out who has had acesss starting March of 2013 they probably could locate the criminal and put a stop to the violence.

If they wanted to that is. According to the local LGBT group SPOD.org the police have not made any significant effort at the Meis Residence to bring the perpetrators to justice.

This article's source is in Turkish on Bianet.org and was translated by Typing Animal on Wordpress.

Damian Garcia Opts Out Of St. Pius Ceremony: Will Be Keynote Speaker At 1st Lavender Graduation May 30th

When you get lemons you make lemonade and it'll be a sweet drink for Damien because his friends are sugar. Damian spent the day with friends instead of attending graduation ceremonies after his Catholic high School refused to allow him to wear a man's black robe despite his legal name change. The school based that decision on the fact Damien's birth certificate has female annotated on it. For Damian to change that in New Mexico he would had to have sexual reassignment surgery, a costly and sometimes unneeded medical operation for transgender people.

Damian wrote about his decision on facebook “I’m fully respecting this and myself by not walking and/or attending the ceremony at all."

Damian's friend Kayla Cano commented on the ABQ Journal article "I just want everyone to know...and Damian, his seat was left empty, his classmates wanted him there and made that known..."

And indeed we do care.

The University of New Mexico’s LGBTQ Resource Center will host a graduation ceremony for Garcia on May 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. in a courtyard next to Scholes Hall on main campus.

UNM LGBTQ Resource Center presents:

1st NM Lavender High School Graduation Reception Facebook page
May 30th, 2013
5pm-7pm
...
Keynote Address:
Damian Garcia
St. Pius X Graduate 2013

The LGBTQ Resource Center at the University of New Mexico honors all LGBTQ & Ally High School Graduates for their academic achievements and graduating as their whole selves.

We invite all family, friends and advocates to join us in celebrating NM's LGBTQ & Ally High School Graduates.

The reception will be located near the LGBTQ Resource Center courtyard on University main campus next to Scholes Hall. If you have questions please feel free to call 505-277-LGBT (5428).

All High School LGBTQ & Ally graduates, please RSVP by calling 505-277-LGBT (5428) or email  lgbtqrc@unm.edu  with the following information:

subject line- HS Lavender Graduate
Name:
email:
address:
High School:
Awards/Achievements/Activities or Student Groups:
Who would you like to thank:

Reception Location:

LGBTQ Resource Center
608 Buena Vista NE
ABQ, NM 87131
(UNM main campus, enter at Las Lomas & University)
Google map

Indian Trans Woman Rejected by Mother Commits Suicide. R.I.P. Aparna

Aparna at 27 years of age returned home after Sexual Reassignment Surgery and hanged herself in the town of Anamalai, Tamil Nadu, India after her mother refused to accept her.


I know, it's sad, but it's not much of a story. Here's why I have written about her suicide. The only other memorial to her is an atrocious article by the Times of India which is so bad even given latitude for the differences in social perceptions and languages is still nothing more than a transphobic attack on her.

So who was Aparna? We know little other than what the Times published except that Aparna took her name from a goddess in the Hindu Religion Uma, also known as Parvati, daughter of the mountains.

It seems Parvati came by her name Aparna for fasting in the forest seeking to earn the admiration and respect of someone she loved. Parvati went into the forest and performed rigorous Tapas, wearing nothing to protect her tender body from the harsh weather, eating nothing, not even a leaf, earning the admiration of the forest ascetics, Sadhus and Sages, who named her Aparna – the leafless one.

Eventually the goddess was successful and had a rich and full life but not so for our Aparna. She died without the love she so desperately needed degraded in death by the Times of India.

But her memory will live on, in these pages a small tribute to a brave and lovely woman, Aparna.

R.I.P. Aparna

Free Kate: Florida Family's HS Daughter Facing Felony Sex Offender Charges For Consensual Same Sex Relationship

The outpouring of support from social media has astonished and almost overwhelmed Kaitlyn Hunt's family and even crashed the Change.org petition site's server for a while!

Kate's family and friends started the facebook group Free Kate because they were at he wits end and didn't know where else to turn.  Kate, a cheerleader and varsity basketball player was 17 when she became romantically involved her team mate, a freshman at Indian River High School, apparently with the knowledge of her girlfriends parents.

When Kate turned 18 her world was turned upside down. Her girlfriends parents had her arrested on felony charges for her consensual relationship with their daughter and she was subsequently expelled from her school. This was done without them contacting Kate's parents or pursuing other far less damaging legal actions, like a restraining order.

Kate's mother doesn't understand why her girlfriend's parents couldn't talk to her telling WPTV "You get with me, and say, hey, as a mom, this is going on and I don't like this, let's talk about this," said Smith. "I would have sat down with her, I would have sat down with our children, and I would have nipped it in the bud, and I would have respected her."

The police recorded a conversation between Kate and her girlfriend, which led to Kate's arrest. Kate was interrogated extensively without a lawyer present and was eventually charged with two counts of felony lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12-16. The prosecutor later offered a plea deal of felony child abuse, with two years house arrest followed by one year probation. If Kate turns down the plea she will be tried  by jury and could be sentenced to 7 to 15 years. In ether case she would be branded a sex offender ruining her life.

Kate has offered to permanently cease contact and leave the state if charges are dropped, but that offer has been rejected by the prosecutor and the girlfriend's parents.  Kate's girlfriend has taken no part in her prosecution and denies she is a victim, but the law grants her no rights in this matter.

 Kaitlyn's mother posted this plea on Facebook: "We have until (this) Friday to either agree with an outrageous plea offer, or start trial. The state offered a plea of two years house arrest and one year probation. Kate wont be able to get a job, start her life, ever leave the house for an entire two years, then another year on probation. That is absolutely ludicrous. We need justice in this situation, not to feed into these parents hates and insanity. Will you help support Kate? Will you write a letter to the state attorney, will you come sit in the court room and show your support, will you wear Kate's bracelet in support of her? Will you pray, will you speak your mind to these other parents in regards to their actions? Will you help our family?"

How many of us as young people fell heads over heals in love with someone a few years different in age? Why does this consensual relationship have to ruin Kate's life?
.
Please sign the petition: Free Kate....

Visit Free Kate.net to learn more...

And if you would like to help the family cope with their considerable legal fees, you can do so here.

Sheriff Press Conference May 20th

Let Damian Walk X2: Two Events Planned In Support Of Transgender Senior Damian Garcia

There will be two rallies in support of Damian Garcia the male transgender student from Albuquerque NM.

Damian may not attend his own graduation on May 22nd because the school's refusal to allow him to wear a black robe, the color traditionally worn by male students. The school so far has rejected Damian's offer that he wear no robe and have stuck with their demand that he wear a white robe, the color worn by female graduates.

The first rally is on Sunday May 19th where you can meet two of youngest LGBT allies I have have ever had the pleasure of writing about, William and Phynn Moorman their parents and of course, Damian Garcia.

MEDIA ADVISORY [via moveon.org]

Torrey Moorman:  letdamianwalk@gmail.com

*** Event held at Sombra Del Monte Elementary School on May 19 at 3 pm***

Albuquerque Residents Stand Up in Support of Transgender St. Pius X High School Student Student Damian Garcia

Over 7000 people sign petition of support for Damian to be able to wear male graduation robes

Local residents will gather to deliver a petition to Damian Garcia requesting Principal Barbara Rothweil, PhD and the Diocese to allow Damian to wear black cap and gown for graduation.

Forcing Damian to wear the girl’s white cap and gown is demoralizing, and many question the legality of such a demand. Allowing Damian to graduate in black cap and gown will show support for Damian as a student of a respectable and nurturing school environment.

Participants in the event will include William and Phynn Moorman, who created the petition, and Damian Garcia.

WHAT: Official delivery of petition to Damian Garcia, and Principal Barbara Rothweil, PhD if she will please join us.

WHO: Local Albuquerque residents and St. Pius X students and alumni

WHERE: Sombra del Monte Elementary School, corner of Candelaria and Moon, Albuquerque, NM. Google map

WHEN: 3pm on May 19, 2013

Please bring signs and posters with "Let Damian Walk"

To read the petition Click Here.

Facebook link: Click Here

Link to Archdiocese: Click Here

Update 5/20/13 Video from this event:




********

The second event is scheduled for Monday May 20th

From the Facebook event "Let Damian Walk In Black"

When: May 20th 7:00am until 1:00pm. The Organizers say 5 minutes or the whole day, all support is welcome.

Where: St. Pius X High School Albuquerque, NM Google Map

From the event facebook event

Members and supporters of the LGBT community,

We come to you not only as friends but as FAMILY to help a brother in need. Damian Garcia our transgender brother attends St. Pius X High School here in Albuquerque. While attending St. Pius. teachers, staff and friends including his own family members refer to Damian as a male student. As we all know, graduation is just around the corner, which is to most a time of celebrating ones academic and extracurricular achievements. However, for Damian this moment of academic excellence hangs in the balance between embarrassment and joyous celebration. According to St. Pius' standards, Damian must wear a white robe, which is traditionally worn by female graduates. Now my question to you is this: What's more important? The gender wriiten on a birth certificate or who that person is during HIS everyday life? We say let the kid WALK IN BLACK... It's HIS day to sparkle.

P.s: Please no parking in St.Pius parking lot we can not guarantee that you will be allowed to stay parked there.

Damian commented on the facebook event page:

Transgender Senior Damian Garcia Would Walk Graduation Without A robe If Allowed

“I just want to walk in my black robe, nice and proud and have that memory to look back on with my family and friends,” said Damian Garcia. “I would rather not walk than to embarrass myself by wearing a female robe.”

Damian will not be allowed to walk in a males black robe May 22nd even though he has legally changed his name. Saint Pius High School is demanding that he wear in a female white robe because he has not had medical surgery altering his chest to present a male appearance, the prerequisite to changing the gender on his birth certificate in New Mexico.

Some state still demand unnecessary medial intervention for physiological issues before allowing their citizens to pursue a life guaranteed by the constitution.

New Mexico will produce a new birth certificate, with both name and sex changed, and seal the old birth certificate. However, a letter from a surgeon documenting Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) is necessary, prohibiting those who cannot afford or do not desire SRS from amending their birth certificates. Female to Male SRS can cost between $12,000 and $20,000 in addition to years of costly therapy and hormone replacement therapy(HRT)before SRS can be considered.

Two unrelated children, Will 8 and sibling Phynn 12, were so upset after viewing the KRQE news report about the way Saint Pius High School is treating Damian they "refused to go to bed until our mom agreed to help us fix this". So together with mom they began a facebook page "Let Damian Walk and started the Move on petition "Let Damian walk for graduation in male cap and gown" which had 9,000 signatures as of this posting.

Note to school administrators. Will and Phynn are your future students or not, in the case of private institutions like Saint Pius High School with open bias against LGBT minorities.

Principal Barbara M. Rothweiler's welcoming letter states her school is geared towards furthering students education and that 98% of her students go on to university. Her selling point is substituted by pointing out that "Some of our recent graduates can be found at Harvard, NYU, Stanford, Notre Dame, and Brown."

Out of all of those schools Principal Rothweiler so proudly listed only Notre Dame does not include LGBT inclusive clauses. The other top 20 universities do. When students and parents shop for preparatory schools like Saint Pius High School, LGBT inclusiveness is a major indicator of the quality of education they will receive their regardless is they are LGBT or not. Discrimination against any minority is not acceptable.

Graduation gown a problem for transgender student

President Obama's it gets better message:

Video: Issak Wolf Addresses The Red Lion School Board Meeting

Transgender senior Issak Wolfe stood up in front of the the Red Lion School Board June 16th reminding them "You are dealing with a flesh and blood human being not just a story in the paper, not just a thorn in your side."
Issak knows from experience how painful it is to be bullied by people in authority. His high school principal changed his campaign from prom king to queen without telling. If that wasn't bad enough the school board is persisting in lying to Issak and his supporters saying it would be against the the law for them to read his male name at graduation.

Issak drives the point home "Reading my male name at graduation wouldn't hurt anyone but reading my female name serves no purpose other than to hurt me more. Is it more important to push around a teenager than to make the school a safer place for all students?

PA Title 22 Education Code does not require schools to read a students legal name at graduation and the Red Lion School District has nothing in writing making that a requirement.

Issak isn't asking them to put his male name on his diploma or alter the official records. He's simply asking to be recognized on graduation for who he is.

CLICK HERE for video in new window

You can help take the sting out of Isaak's graduation by signing his Graduation card.

Kudos to WPMT FOX43. Every story this station has published about Issak has been presented in the highest tradition of journalism and amazingly they just keep getting better with each report. Thank you.

Read more at Red Lion transgender student wants male name read at graduation

Transgender Woman and Two Men Arrested For Norwalk CT Robbery and Beating

 

 

A trans woman and her boyfriend from Bridgeport CT were arrested for a February robbery according to the "Hour's" problematic headline "Warrant: Transvestite and boyfriend beat man until he was blind in one eye". It is not clear how the Hour ascertained with any degree of certainty that Karma is a 'transvestite'. The HOUR is the only news source I could find that is reporting on the arrests.

The Hour reports:

"Milton "Mel" Hudson, 53, of 36 Kossuth St., and Lucinda Karma, 35, of 554 Soundview Ave., Bridgeport, both face charges of first-degree assault, second-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery. Juan "Cody" Jimenez, 37, of 21 Taylor Ave., is charged with second-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery."

"Hudson and Karma were arrested Sunday, and Jimenez was arrested Saturday. All three suspects were unable to make their bonds after their arraignment Monday at Norwalk Superior Court and are being held at the Bridgeport Correctional Center, a prison for men. Their next court date is June 6."

"Hudson told police that he assaulted the victim, because he was defending the honor of his transvestite girlfriend Karma, police said."

"Hudson claimed that the victim had touched Karma's buttocks, police said. Karma admitted to telling Hudson to assault the victim, stating that the victim had touched Karma inappropriately, according to police."

"Both Hudson and Karma said Jimenez went through the victim's pockets after Hudson knocked out the victim, police said. Court documents show that Karma positively identified Jimenez as the third suspect."

Read more at The Hour.

Why not just let a sleeping dog lie, after all the Hour mug shots of Karma doesn't portray her as female? There has already been confessions made and some degree of culpability established and as a community we have to confront the good, the bad and the ugly fearlessly or faux and others will do it for us.

South Carolina Sued over failed sex assignment surgery on 16 Month old Intersex Infant

A South Carolina Couple who's adopted intersex infant was operated on without their knowledge just three months before they took custody to 'correct' ambiguous genital are suing saying the gender that was assigned was wrong.

Pam and Mark Crawford's first of a kind lawsuit alleges the doctors couldn't have known which gender the 16 month old known only as "M.C.", would identify as later in life when they modified his genitalia to appear female. Now that M.C. is 8 years old and identifies as male his female genitalia is causing him great distress.

South Carolina does not change gender on Birth Certificates but it is not clear if that will be affected by this lawsuit.

The Crawford began raising M.C. as a female after adoption but as time went on they begun to notice he gravitated towards typically male toys and behaved as boy would be expected to. After consulting with a pediatrician and discovering M.C. had been operated on the couple facilitated their child's transition to male. The couple is pursing legal action in hopes of preventing this happening in the future.

"We feel very strongly that these decisions to permanently alter somebody's genitalia and their reproductive ability for no medical reason whatsoever is an abhorrent practice and can't be continued," Pam Crawford told Reuters in a phone interview.

"It is too late for our son," she added. "The damage has been done to him." “This case is about ensuring the safety of all children who do not have a voice,” said Alesdair H. Ittelson, SPLC staff attorney. “No one advocated for M.C.’s right to be free from unnecessary medical intervention at a time when the state was entrusted with his safety and well-being. It is high time all involved answer for the needless injury they inflicted on M.C.”

“By performing this needless surgery, the state and the doctors told M.C. that he was not acceptable or loveable the way he was born,” said Pam Crawford, M.C.’s adoptive mother. “They disfigured him because they could not accept him for who he was – not because he needed any surgery. M.C. is a charming, enchanting and resilient kid. We will not stop until we get justice for our son.”



Advocates for Informed Choice has partnered with the SPLC in this case and has initiated Project Integrity and invites you to add your name in support of M.C..

The lawsuit, M.C. v. Medical University of South Carolina, was filed in County of Richland Court of Common Pleas. M.C. v. Aaronson was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Defendants include the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Greenville Hospital System, Medical University of South Carolina and individual employees.

SPLC co-counsel include Advocates for Informed Choice and pro bono counsel for the private law firms of Janet, Jenner & Suggs and Steptoe & Johnson LLP.