AZ Rep. John Kavanagh's Bathroom Bill Flushed Until Next Year

The Arizona transgender community is sighing in relief as they can continue using the bathroom peacefully until such a time that Rep. John Kavanagh should reintroduce a bill making these ongoing bodily functions illegal. Pee in Peace Arizona. (or at least until the next legislative session anyways)

(AP) The sponsor of an Arizona bill targeting transgender people who want to use bathrooms of the gender they identify with says he's giving up on the issue this Legislative session.

Republican Rep. John Kavanagh said Wednesday there's concern in his caucus about some of his proposal's definitions, so it will have to be shelved until next year.

Kavanagh caused a national uproar in March when he proposed the bathroom privacy language.

The original bill would have made it a crime for a transgendered person to use a bathroom other than the one designated for his or her birth sex

After an outcry from advocacy groups, Kavanagh changed the measure to instead shield businesses from civil or criminal liability if they ban people from restrooms that don't match their birth sex.

Over Half of LGBT homicide victims in 2012 were transgender woman: NCAVP Reports

The National Coaltion on Anti Violence Programs report on hate violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and HIV-Affected Communities was released today.

The 2012 report found that 73.1% of all anti-LGBTQ homicide victims in 2012 were people of color. Of the 25 known homicide victims in 2012 whose race/ethnicity was disclosed, 54% were Black/African American, 15% Latin@, 12% White and 4% Native American.

The report also found that 53.8% of anti-LGBTQ homicide victims in 2012 were transgender women. This is a considerable increase from 2011 (40%) and continues a three-year trend toward disproportionate and severe violence experienced by transgender women.

Anyone who reads planetransgender with any regularity has seen the seemingly endless cascade of posts about the horrific violence being suffered by transgender woman of color, like the preceding article.

Nearly all of these murdered transgender woman worldwide were 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' meaning at a place of risk because of the prevalence of crime in that particular area. I am not victim blaming but I am skating on the proverbial controversial thin ice, being white and having the good fortune of being employed and having decent housing.

Socio economic conditions have forced our sisters and brothers into these situations, enforced by overwhelming daily stigmatization. They are told ever day by people outside the LGBT community they are 'less than', with glances, stares, shouts and violence. What can we do as a community to raise up the most marginalized of our community?

Be creative. This is a project for myself too. Think about this. What can I do. Myself. Personally? Then take action. I'm a poor blogger, but even that feels like a cop out sometimes. I cry every time I post another heart wrenching tale, but my tears won't solve anything. I need to do more. Now.