10/20/13

Pacific Justice Institute makes yet another blundering attack against Florence high school's transgender student

WMD interviewed Matthew McReynolds staff attorney at the right wing "Pacific Justice Institute" (PJI) which claims to represent students at Florence High School about alleged peer objections to a transgender student's access to public accommodations.

The interviewer was eager to nail down some specifics about what legal actions the PJI was taking against the trans girl. But all he was given was the same song and dance that we read in PJI's second backpedaling press release which was published immediately following TransAdvocate's Cristan Williams interview with the District School superintendent.

McReynolds stated  "if there wasn't something to this the school wouldn't be conducting a law enforcement investigation which is what their doing"' suggesting they were looking to prosecute the transgender student.

Superintendent Rhonda Vendetti made it clear in her interview with Cristan Williams the ones who would be made being legally accountable were those who were propagating these lies targeting their transgender student.

Who is this child?  Cristan Williams at the Transadvocate speaks with her mom and gives her the space to speak as well.



Please read Cristans incredible article on the Transadvocate.

McReynolds stated that Colorado law was vague on public accommodations and that there intent was to test it. The law in Colorado states very clearly  that Places of public accommodation may not deny any person participation, entry, or services based upon the person’s sexual orientation, including transgender status.

The PJI has no evidence, no clients and no case at this time, only objecting to what they consider behaviour that is 'inherently harassing' when a transgender student uses the restroom.

In other words they are fabricating untruths and creating a condition in which a transgender high school student faces increased prejudice, discrimination and the inherent accompanying violence.

McReynolds said that we transgender activists, 'talk out of both sides of our mouths' by insisting that we have protections under Title IV and  Title VII only because of the way we 'interpret it'.  In fact courts  have recently repeatedly upheld provisions protecting transgender and gender nonconforming people under both Title IV and Title VII



We've come a long ways baby.



Featuring two-time Olympian and Yale rower, Chris Ernst, who galvanized her rowing team to protest the substandard conditions facing female athletes in the 1970s. On a cold rainy day in 1976, Ernst led her teammates to the athletic director's office, where they stripped, baring bodies emblazoned with the phrase TITLE IX in blue marker. This event rocketed around the globe, leaving an indelible imprint on the nation in terms of what gender equity really meant. Directed by Mary Mazzio.

The Center for Transgender Equality Gender non conforming and transgender students Your Rights At School


10/19/13

Philippines Viral hit "That's my Tomboy" reclaiming defamation or network profiteering?


The Association of Transgenders in the Philippines posted this comment about Yahoo OMG post "Can ‘That’s My Tomboy’ raise equal rights? Almost but not quite, says activist:
"....it's noticeable that ABS CBN have been releasing news and feature articles about transgender people with incorrect pronouns.
We just hope that the launch of That's My Tomboy was to promote the rights of people with non-conforming gender instead of making them a laughingstock while it rakes king's ransom to the network's coffer."




Being totally ignorant I found this in Wiki: about "Tomboy"

"In the Philippines, the term gay is used in reference to any LGBT person. For Filipino gays, the Tagalog phrase paglaladlad ng kapa ("unfurling the cape"), or more commonly just paglaladlad ("unfurling" or "unveiling") refers to the coming-out process. Tibo, T-Bird and tomboy are derogatory terms for butch lesbians just as bakla is for effeminate gay men. Some lesbians, both butch and femme, use the terms magic or shunggril to refer to themselves. Neutral slang terms for gay men include billy boy, badette, bading, and paminta (straight-acting gay man)."

"While many of these terms are generally considered derogatory, they are sometimes used casually or jokingly within the Filipino gay and lesbian community. For example, gay men often refer to their gay friends as bakla when talking to each other."

There was a conflagration within the US trans community about the word 'tranny' that tore at the fabric of our community. A survey albeit unscientific, showed most trans people found the word offensive. Since that debate the "T" word has been generally accepted as defamation. I am curious if "Tomboy" is the same as "tranny" in that regard.

planetransgender has a growing number of visitors from the Philippines. Please share with the planet how you feel about this.