Maine Supreme Court rules school violated transgender student Nicole Maines rights

In a landmark decision the state's highest court ruled that transgender student Nicole Maines rights were violated after her school denied her access to the rest room that corresponded to her gender expression. Ms. Maines had been using the correct restroom but that simple right turned into a legal battle after a male student followed her into the girls room at the prodding of his grandfather.

Hey y'all, I wanted to let everyone know that after a long struggle(5 years o_O) we finally have received the ruling: WE WON THE CASE!!!!!!!
— Nicole Maines (@NicoleAMaines) January 30, 2014

Source: Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD):

The 5-1 decision by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court reversed a lower court's ruling from November 2012 and stated that the school was in violation of Maine's Human Rights Act when it denied Nicole Maines (referred to in the ruling as Susan Doe) access to the appropriate bathroom when she was a fifth-grade student at Asa Adams Elementary School in 2007.

According to the ruling, "it has been clearly established that a student's psychological well-being and educational success depend upon being permitted to use the communal bathroom consistent with her gender identity, denying access to the appropriate bathroom constitutes sexual orientation discrimination in violation of the [Maine Human Rights Act]."

While Maines was originally granted access to the girls' bathroom, the school later barred Maines from doing so following media attention when a male student followed her into the girls' bathroom at the instruction of his grandfather, who was opposed to the policy.

"Based upon its determination that Susan is a girl, and in keeping with the information provided to the school by Susan's family, her therapists, and experts in the field of transgender children, the school determined that Susan should use the girls' bathroom. In so doing, the school provided her with the same access to public facilities that it provided other girls," the ruling states.

GLAD and Jodi L. Nofsinger of Berman & Simmons, P.A. represented Susan in the lawsuit.

Learn more about the case and read previous case documents here.

Read the full decision here: http://glad.org/uploads/docs/cases/doe-v-clenchy/doe-v-clenchy-decision-1-30-14.pdf

HUGE VICTORY FOR TRANS RIGHTS IN MAINE!

monstergagaholic:

Hey everyone!

My best friend, Nikki (animainsupport) has won a very important trial today in the fight for Trans rights. The full article is here. She was denied her rightful bathroom in middle school, and was harassed by students and teachers all through school. Luckily, she’s happy and healthy and in a GREAT place right now. She’s been fighting for five years on this case, and she finally won. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED.

WW2 Vet Transgender widow Robina Asti, 92, is fighting for her SS survivor benefits

Lambda Legal is representing Robina Asti, a 92-year-old transgender woman who was denied survivor benefits by the Social Security Administration (SSA) after her husband’s death. The agency denied her benefits after it determined that she was “legally male” at the time of their marriage despite all the legal documents to the contrary.

"I hope Lambda succeeds not for the money but for the act of humanity that is absolute necessary here." ~ Ms.Robina

Dru Levasseur, Transgender Rights Project Director, said:

Robina’s husband passed away over a year-and-a-half ago, and at 92 years old, she should not have to wait another day for the benefits to which she is entitled. The government has recognized Robina as a woman for over thirty years, including on her passport, FAA pilot’s license and her driver’s license. For the federal government to deny her survivor benefits now is inexplicable. This remarkable woman should not have had the grief of losing the love of her life compounded by the insult of having her gender and marriage disrespected.



In a 2004 ceremony in an airplane hangar in Orange County, NY, Robina, a World War II veteran and pilot, married her longtime sweetheart, Norwood Patton. In June 2012, Norwood passed away at 97 years old. On July 27, 2012, Robina applied in person for survivor benefits through the SSA. Though Robina already receives Social Security benefits, being able to claim survivor benefits would increase her monthly check by about $500. On April 24, 2013, the SSA notified Robina that her survivor benefits under Norwood’s Social Security record were denied because “her marriage does not meet the requirements under Federal law for payment of Social Security widow’s benefits,” stating that her marriage was not valid because she was “legally male” at the time of their wedding.

In June 2013, Lambda Legal filed a request for reconsideration on Robina’s behalf. After more than six months, there is still no word from the Social Security Administration.

Said Robina:

I am so insulted that the Social Security Administration refused to recognize me as a woman and treated my marriage to Norwood in such a disrespectful way. I have lived a very private life, but the SSA is forcing me to speak out. I don’t want other people to have to experience this.

Also at sdgln.com

Zimbabwe trans woman arrested, stripped by police for using the ladies room

Source The Huffington postsRicky Nathanson,(pictured left) has been detained by Zimbabwe's police, forced to strip naked and charged with "criminal nuisance" for using a female toilet at a city hotel.

48 year-old modeling agency director, Nathanson, from Bulawayo, was seized at the Palace Hotel on Thursday last week, by ZANU PF party youth leader Farai Mteliso who later handed her over to the police.

The reports which only emerged late last week, indicate she was then humiliated at the police station, forced to strip naked, without a court order, so that police officers "could confirm" her gender.

She was then sent to a hospital for "further physical examinations" which determined she was transgender and spent two nights in a police cell before appearing in court Saturday, when a magistrate remanded out of custody and reprimanded the police for their mistreatment.

Farai Mteliso did not attend the court session and a warrant of arrest was issued against the youth with the magistrate warning him in absentia not to interfere with Nathanson.

The Zimbabwe Heald headline "Gay shemale causes stir in court" is just a preview of the transphobic content:

In court, Nathanson’s lawyer Tanaka Muganyi told magistrate Abednico Ndebele that the charges laid against his client were non-existent according to law.

“There’s no crime here. If nothing is done by the State on the next remand date, we will apply for refusal of remand,” said Muganyi.

“The State had indicated that it would further investigate or decline to prosecute because the charge is non-existent but nothing has been done.”

Muganyi claimed that Nathanson had also left his place of residence in Barham Green to an unnamed house because “he was threatened with unspecified action by the complainant within the court premises.”

A warrant of arrest was issued against Farai Mteliso, who effected a citizen’s arrest, for defaulting and Ndebele also warned his friends not to interfere with the trial.

Nathanson, will return to court on February 4 and is out of custody.

Protest Thursday One Police Plaza demanding NYCPD account for negligent Islan Nettles murder investigation

Transgender woman Islan Nettles was savagely beaten on August 17th, 2013 in Harlem and died from her injuries five days later. The case has gained national notice but justice is, yet again, elusive, for another trans* woman of color.

Let's change that.

Protest to demand that Police Chief William Bratton and the NYPD explain failures to fully question witnesses, gather evidence, check the victim's condition, and retain surveillance footage for FIVE DAYS!!!

Protest to demand the NYPD explain why the mother of the assailant seen attacking Nettles was not charged with obstruction of justice, even after she coerced a falsified confession from another inebriated individual!!!

Protest to demand that D.A. Cyrus Vance update the community fully on its 2-month homicide investigation!!!

Protest to demand that Bratton and the NYPD audit all precincts for their capacity to conduct unbiased investigations of all transphobic crimes!!!

This protest was organized by a coalition of social justice groups, including:

The Transgender/Cisgender Coalition
ACT UP NY
Luz's Daughter Cares
TWOCC: Trans Women of Color Collective of Greater NY
STARR: Strategic Trans Allliance for Radical Reform
LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent

BRING YOUR SIGNAGE, CHANTS, AND VOICES:

Thursday, January 30th 2014, 4 p.m.
One Police Plaza, Manhattan MAP

Take the 4,5,6, J, Z trains to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall, walk on Chambers St. straight through the
One Centre Street building, past the large red sculpture, to the front entrance of One Police Plaza.

NYC Human Rights Coalition Demands Transparent Investigation of Brutal Transphobic Murder of Islan Nettles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2014 Luzs daughter cares

CONTACT: E. NARIKO WRIGHT

EMAIL:  Luzs.Daughter.Cares@gmail.com

On Thursday, January 30th, 2014 at 4 p.m., a coalition of representatives from New York City human rights organizations (including transgender and cisgender [non-transgender] activists) will protest the NYPD’s negligence in the immediate aftermath of the brutal beating death of transgender woman, Islan Nettles. The protest at One Police Plaza demands an explanation by incoming NYC Police Commissioner William Bratton and the NYPD for its initial malfeasance and demands a report on the current status of the felony investigation by NY County District Attorney Cyrus R.Vance, Jr. Members of The Transgender/Cisgender Coalition, ACT UP NY, Luz’s Daughter Cares, Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC), LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent, Harlem Pride, Strategic Trans Alliance for Radical Reform (STARR), Jamaica Anti-Homophobia Stand, Ali Forney Center, Lambda Legal, Everything Transgender New York City (ETNYC), VOCAL and Make the Road have all endorsed the action.

Several glaringly obvious breaches of procedure stand out about this case. At midnight, August 17, 2013, Paris Wilson, accompanied by friends, flirted with Islan Nettles in Harlem, directly across the street from Police Service Area 6 at 2770 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, between West 147th and West 148th Street. (Public Service Area 6 covers the 24th, 26th, and 32nd Precincts.) Upon realizing Nettles was transgender, Wilson became enraged and began to harass Nettles and her transgender companions with transphobic slurs. Wilson began punching Nettles vigorously in the face until she fell to the pavement, slamming her head on concrete, according to the NYPD. Notified by one of Nettles’ friends, police officers arrived at the scene and pulled Wilson off of Nettles, according to DNAinfo.com. Nettles was then transported to Harlem Hospital and admitted with severe head trauma. Officers at Police Service Area 6 did not question Nettles’ companions thoroughly and never checked on Nettles’ condition after her admittance to Harlem Hospital, law enforcement sources have confirmed. Officers at the scene never obtained DNA evidence from Paris Wilson’s hands. Investigations were halted until August 23rd, when the D.A.’s office learned that Nettles was declared brain dead and removed from life support. When asked about crucial footage from the ten surveillance cameras located on the PSA 6 edifice and on surrounding structures, the D.A.’s office said all cameras were broken and no footage existed.

After the assault, Simone Wilson, mother of Paris Wilson, coerced an inebriated friend of her son to confess to the crime but he later denied the allegations, according to the NYPD. Shockingly, Simone Wilson was never held accountable for falsifying evidence or for hindering the investigation. Nettles’ friends and family also report that Simone Wilson aggressively photographed them at Harlem Hospital, as if threatening them if they filed charges. Following a misdemeanor charge of third degree assault, Paris Wilson was immediately released from jail on a mere $2,000 bail and on November 19th even that charge was dropped due to “lack of evidence.” The D.A.’s office has since said it is “aggressively investigating the crime as a homicide,” but no suspect or statement on the progress of the investigation have been presented in the two months since the investigation began.

The Jan. 30 protest calls for the NYPD to explain its failure to immediately and adequately investigate the crime scene, question witnesses, retain DNA samples and surveillance footage, and check on Nettles’ condition, even if the crime was initially misperceived as merely an assault. We call for the NYPD to explain why Simone Wilson has never been charged with obstruction of justice. We demand that D.A. Vance provide a status report on the investigation. Finally, we call for the NYPD to audit the 24th, 26th, and 32nd Precincts and all city precincts for their capacity to conduct timely and unbiased investigations of this and all transphobic violent crimes.

“The transgender and cisgender communities together call on William Bratton and the NYPD to set an example with the Islan Nettles case by committing to seeing justice served, for Islan Nettles and all victims of transphobic violence in New York City,” said Brooke Cerda Guzman.
PROTEST: Thursday, January 30th 2014, 4 p.m., One Police Plaza, Manhattan

Who murdered Trans woman Kyra Cordova?

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) - December 1, 2012 -- Dawn Maher says her daughter, Kyra Cordova, was trying to make a difference in her community.

Being both transgender and biracial, Krya - who also went by Krya Kruz - did not want other young people to suffer the same indignities she had.

"Racism, discrimination, not being able to get a job, a whole gamut of things," Dawn said.

Source Crime Commission.org Philadephia:

$25,000 Reward

For information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the murder of Kyra Kruz Cordova

On Monday, September 3, 2012 at approximately 5:00 am, 15th District police responded to a call in the 1100 block of Adams Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered the body of Kyra Cordova in a wooded area off of Adams Avenue with a fatal gun shot wound.

The Citizens Crime Commission is administering a $5,000 reward posted by the Justice4Kyra Coalition and the City of Philadelphia is posting up to a $20,000 reward for any information that would lead to individual(s) responsible for Kyra's murder.



Anyone with information is urged to call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS (8477) H/T "Unsolved Transgender Murders" facebook

Kuwait police arrest of yet another transgender woman makes seven in two weeks

Alwatan.kuwait reports that Kuwait police are continuing there persecution of transgender citizens. Last week an unnamed transgender woman who had been frequenting a Kuwait city hair salon was arrested after another patron reported her to the police.

The Huffington Post is reporting that there were six other transgender woman arrested the previous week and charged with "imitating the opposite sex".

Transgender people in Kuwait are tortured and sexually abused by police according to a 2012 Human Rights Watch (HRW)report "They hunt us down for fun" as reported by ahram.org.

Source: alwatan.kuwait [google translate] what seems to be a celebratory post:

"Wrote Abdullah joyful: referred Men Investigation fovea citizen Michbha women to the public prosecution yesterday after it revealed a citizen of the salon lady area around a fully decorated and found that the frequency on the saloon times and did not recognize him one. in details: Submit salon owner feminine area around a complaint to the police station fovea said it that working in the salon told him that there Michbh women inside the salon that I have met one of the customers, and it gave the Director of Investigation Hawally Colonel Abdulrahman neighing instructed the men Detectives fovea to adjust the perpetrator and take legal action against him and formed a task force for this purpose led submitted Ammar Al-Muhanna and Lt. Hamad Al-Kandari and headed accompanied salon owner to adjust the accused and when they enter the salon were surprised by the full Onotth b «Mickey August», hair and at the request of demonstrable sure as a man and not a girl, and it was referred to the competent authority. security source said: it shows in the investigations that imitating frequency at the salon several times not detected by one and that He used to come and work Milesmh of things cosmetic, adding that operating the saloon said that he accepted and their customers more than once as a girl. , and it was a necessary right and recording «cocktail» of the cases against him, including indecent assault and entering a place dedicated to women and is similar to other sex and referred to the prosecution General to take legal action against him."

Top Cop transitions to Laura in the most deadly of countries for transgender people, Brazil

Deputy General Delegate of the Civil Police, Daniel Felipe Diniz Adorni told Globo.com To colleagues, Laura de Costa Teixeira is brave. "We see it as a personal act, hard to do, but we understand as courage. For us, the problem is corrupt, missing police. The case of Laura's no problem, "said Adorni.
He points out that her work has always been valued within the force and that it should not change. "From now on, Laura will continue with the same character of service. Her functional life remains the same, so we did not change anything."

The Trans respect update shows reports of murdered trans people in 26 countries in the last 12 months, with the majority from Brazil (95), Mexico (40), the USA (16), and Venezuela (15), followed by Honduras (12), Colombia (12), and El Salvador (5). While Brazil, Mexico, and the USA have the highest absolute numbers, the relative numbers show even more worrisome results for some countries with smaller population sizes. Honduras, for instance, has a rate of 1.5 reported trans killings per million inhabitants, for El Salvador the rate is 0.71, while for Brazil the rate is 0.49, for Mexico the rate is 0.36, and for the USA the rate is 0.05. In Asia most reported cases have been found in India (8), and in Europe in Turkey (5) and Italy (5).

Why is New Mexico State University using the Trans bathroom meme to advocate for single occupancy restrooms?

Is New Mexico State University Las Cruces student's push for single occupancy rest rooms for transgender people inadvertently using the transpanic meme?

The cover picture the article features two people, of opposite genders, in a public restroom with the female looking surprised maybe terrified, and the male looking agast but well, interested.

The second picture, posted left, plays right into the foes of trans equality suggesting that transgender equality means wild orgies as sexualy active young people of opposite genders become intermixed in the restroom.

While this picture is the best argument for single occupancy restrooms, it's the worst image for those seeking real tran safety. It wouldn't have been surprising to see it on the website of the foes of the California student fairness act, but on the New Mexico University student newspaper?

The picture insinuates that current University transgender students who use the correct restroom according to their gender expression are in fact, presenting as the opposite gender. That image is very harmful to your students, no matter how much fun it was for the cis people pictured.

Further more, it's not 'gender neutral' its single occupancy that the University is pressing for.

Denying transgender people equal access to public accommodations at any level, be it grade school, university or the workplace only serves to other them. This leads to further ostracization and stress as the idea that they are different is pointy made evident, daily not just to them but to all those around them as well.

Single occupancy rest rooms are not an answer. Mutually shared spaces by cisgender and transgender alike builds bonds of social confidence and friendship.

NMS has a trans inclusive policy since 2006 they should take the bold step in including public accommodations.

Why is looking terrified the objective?

@xoxoTatiana and me lookin nice and uncomfortable on the cover of today's @NMSUroundup 😂👍 pic.twitter.com/UVPuGicWnp
— Zak Baeza (@ZakTheVillain) January 23, 2014

Transgender woman arrested for shooting and killing a man on a light rail train

In a breaking story, a woman identified by the Sacbee as transgender has been booked by Sacramento police on suspicion of murder.

The video of the shooting which occurred Thursday night has no sound but somehow the police have already determined the shooting was not in retaliation to hate speech.

Source SacBee:

Sacramento police detectives booked 32-year-old Lynnsey Evakarla Braun into the county jail on suspicion of murder.

She is accused of opening fire on a man in his 50s inside an outbound Gold Line train as it came into the Archives Plaza station at 11th and O streets.

The man, who suffered gunshot wounds, exited the train before falling to the sidewalk, according to Regional Transit officials. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Braun is being held in segregation in a male jail reportedly because of her transgender status.

Read the full story here.



Note: planetransgender does not normally use just one source for stories such as this, especially since the trans woman is not self identifying, but will in this instance as Sacbee is a historically a very reliable source.

Former SC GOP head who wants the internment of transgender people call's Wendy Davis a "Whore"

Tod Kincannon, the former head of the SC GOP said in October 2013 that his final solution for transgender people would be a Nazi internment camp has gone on the war path again. This time he's attacking the hope of Texas, Wendy Davis calling her and anyone else who would defend her a "Whore" on Twitter.

Why would Kincannon call Davis a whore? Apparently, Davis's second husband had enough money to help pay for Wendy's college education.

I hope this serves a reminder to everyone, myself included how important the upcoming elections are.

Via Americans against the TEA Party

Tea Party Republican spews vile, sexist Twitter attacks at Wendy Davis (via Raw Story )

Former head of the South Carolina Republican Party, Tea Party activist Todd Kincannon has unleashed a vile parade of hateful, sexist insults aimed at Texas Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis. According to Americans Against the Tea Party, the attacks…

Ms. V's partner places most of the blame of her suicide on the Grantland article outing her

The impending publication of "Dr. V's Magical Putter" which exposed Essay Anne Vanderbilt pre transition life to the scrutiny of the world was the final straw according to Gerri Jordan, her former romantic interest and business partner at the time of her death.

Please consider signing the petition asking Grantland to take down "Dr. V's Magical Putter"
AZ Central reports:

"The two had started a business to sell a golf club Vanderbilt had designed — the Yar Golf putter, which they billed as a revolution in the science of the game. While their big break remained elusive, the putter had been mentioned on TV by a prominent golf announcer, and a reporter from a national sports and pop culture website was doing a story."

"But Vanderbilt had grown nervous about the story. She feared the reporter was focusing on intensely personal elements of her past that he had discovered, despite her request that he write only about “the science, not the scientist.”

Despite being evident that the timing of Ms.V's suicide corresponded with her outing  Grantland editor Bill Simmons explicitly denied all culpability publishing a lengthy faux Mea culpa 'lawyers apology.'

She blames the reporting of the story for “90 percent” of the timing of Vanderbilt’s suicide — but not for the suicide itself. Vanderbilt had attempted to take her own life in 2007 and in 2008, Jordan said, and she lived believing that her friend might try again.

“I don’t hold any grudge, really, since she’s tried it before,” Jordan said as her eyes filled with tears that did not spill over. “So how can I say it’s all his fault, when it’s not really all his fault?”

She paused for a long breath before telling The Republic, “I mean, eventually she would have anyway. ... It just so happened to be the timing with the article".

Grantland author Caleb Hannan was vigorously defended by Simmons in his 'appology" saying..."Ultimately, it was my call. So if you want to rip anyone involved in this process, please, direct your anger and your invective at me. Don’t blame Caleb or anyone that works for me"... asking that not be vilified asserting that in his innocence he had been unfairly targeted for hate even receiving death threats.

It has been since learned that Caleb Hannan is getting sued for a previous " [ ]..article contained innumerable inaccuracies and untruths concerning the testimony and evidence in the trial of Liysa Northon and also included various unfounded personal attacks ..[ ]"

It's unconscionable that Simmons chose to publish this article knowing Miss V had a history of attempted suicidal history. I also REJECT Simmons's assertion that he has been completely ignorant of transsexualism during the nearly year-long period of writing and decision-making process, whether to publish or not.

Simmons wrote:

Caleb’s biggest mistake? Outing Dr. V to one of her investors while she was still alive. I don’t think he understood the moral consequences of that decision, and frankly, neither did anyone working for Grantland. That misstep never occurred to me until I discussed it with Christina Kahrl yesterday. But that speaks to our collective ignorance about the issues facing the transgender community in general, as well as our biggest mistake: not educating ourselves on that front before seriously considering whether to run the piece.

You can not tell me with all of the investigation, all of the 'trained eyes' not one person googled 'transgender'. NOT ONCE?

Simmons says the article which has garnered worldwide criticism and attention won't be taken down despite claiming

For 32 months and counting, we haven’t made any effort whatsoever to chase page views or embarrass people for rubberneck traffic.

Simmons take down that monument to capitalistic cooperate transphobia. The only ones benefiting by it's remaining online is Grantland and your parent ESPN.

Please consider signing the petition asking Grantland to take down Dr. V's Magical Putter"

Chaz Bono cleaned up nicely for his part in the new suspense thriller "Dirty".

From the "Dirty" facebook page..
In this modern day thriller two very dirty cops find themselves relieved of over two million dollars in stolen drugs and money, forcing them into a bizarre and mysterious investigation to recover it.

Description

Narcotics detectives Berg and Jackson are two of the dirtiest cops around and they spend most of their free time robbing the drug dealers they are paid to lock up. As a matter of fact business has been so good over the past few years these civil servants have accumulated quite the nestegg of stolen drugs and money. All seems to be going according to plan for these two partners until a strange case call leads them to discover their two and a half million dollars worth of stockpiled Dirty money has vanished into thin air.

Post by Chaz Bono.

NYPD says Neptune dinner attack on transgender woman possible hate crime

Pictured right, the three suspects still on the loose in NYC for assaulting a transgender woman and her male companion.

Source DNA Info

The violence unfolded on Jan. 8, at 5 a.m., when a 30-year-old transgender woman and her friend, a 32-year-old man, were assaulted and hit with a plate inside the Neptune Diner at 31-05 Astoria Blvd.

The attack was sparked by a dispute with two women who made derogatory statements toward the transgender woman, according to the commanding officer of the 114th Precinct, Deputy Inspector Kevin Maloney.

Both victims where treated at Mount Sinai Queens. The male needed stitches, police said.

Police are looking for the two women, thought to be in their 20s or 30s, as well as a man they were with. They left the location before police arrived.

The NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident, Maloney said.

Anyone with information in regards to this assault is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

Is HRC President Chad Griffin going to the Russian winter Olympics in Sochi?

Perhaps not, but wouldn't it be amazing if Griffin showed up wearing one of his organizations love conquers hate Tee shirt? And wouldn't it be amazing if Chad Griffin stood with the worlds LGBT people visibly, risking arrest at the 2014 Russian winter olympics?

Michael Petrelis thought about this first posting on the Petrelis files:

Let's connect the visible dots. HRC and its funders are staging actions on a monthly basis involving gay Russians and my gut says that in February we will see HRC and friends staging attention-grabbing events in Sochi at the Olympics or at last in Moscow or St. Petersburg.

I wanted to give HRC leaders a chance to address my hunch about where they may be headed next month, or maybe right after Davos, after all Griffin is already so close to Russia, and sent this note twice to them:

I am curious to learn if you have plans to organize any events, such as press conferences or vigils etc, in Russia leading up to or during the Olympic. Will you have any HRC folks from America on the ground at Sochi or in Moscow? Given all the advocacy and money-raising you are doing for gay Russians, including heading to the Davos economic summit to participate in panels, it seems very much within the realm of potential that HRC would have a presence in Russia in February. If you're inclined to respond, please do so by noon, SF time, on Thursday.

The response from HRC? A big silence. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see what HRC gets out of Davos, and what PR events they stage as we more closer to the opening of the Olympics. Questions must be raised about HRC getting in bed with Singer and Loeb, attending Davos, the concerns I raised recently regarding their grants to Russians, and what their plans are during the games.

Starkville passes LGBT resolution becoming the first city in Mississippi to do so

Starkville a small town nestled in the breast of Mississippi would be the last place that you might expect a revolution to begin, but after realizing the town was named after a revolutionary war general it starts to make sense.

That and the University of Mississippi is located there with l20,424 students, more than 4,000 graduate students. Progressive deeds often originate in places such as this and Starkville is no exception.

Source Gulflive,comThis is the text of the resolution from the board's agenda:

WHEREAS, the City of Starkville believes that diversity is a critical component of a thriving, successful city and that a commitment to diversity strengthens communities, deepens bonds between neighbors, and underlies the welcoming environment that makes Starkville a wonderful place to live and work;

WHEREAS, the City of Starkville believes that diversity supports economic competitiveness and facilitates job growth;

WHEREAS, the City of Starkville believes that discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, veteran's status, disability, and source of income continues to occur in our world today;

WE HEREBY RESOLVE:

RESOLVED: The City of Starkville declares it the public policy of the City to respect the inherent worth of every person, without regard to a person's race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, veteran's status, disability, or source of income; and

RESOLVED: the City of Starkville further resolves that discrimination against a person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, veteran's status, disability, or source of income to be anathema to the public policy of the City.

Two Transgender woman arrested at the 2004 NYC RNC turn down share of 18M for a shot at real justice

Arrested protesting at the 2004 RNC in NYC two trans woman are standing up for what they believe even if doing that costs them a share of the largest protest settlement on record.

Two transgender women, Kaitlyn Tikkun and Kate Freitag, say that police groped them to determine whether place them in men or women's lockups, under a systemic policy that took the NYPD eight more years to reform.

A Jane Doe corrections officer told Tikkun that she would be searched to determine if she was "a boy or a girl," according to the complaint. 

"As Ms. Tikkun begged the officers not to forcibly search her because she had experienced rape in the past, she was shoved up against a wall and her arms were restrained" by three female corrections officers, the complaint states.
Ignoring Tikkun's protests, the officers allegedly said that they were "just following orders," and touched her breasts and her genitals.
After Tikkun had been placed in a cell, a male officer who was not in the room at the time of the search old her, "oh, you're the one," according to the complaint.
Another male officer later chimed in, "oh, you're the one trying to find out if you're a boy or a girl." 

Weber, who also represents Frietag, said in a phone interview that this client's experiences were similar to those of Tikkun, with a few important distinctions. Frietag had been searched at the pier rather than Central Booking, and male officers conducted the search, Weber said.
The male officers' confusion about what to do was like a Marx Brother's routine, except that it "wasn't funny," Weber added. 

Tikkun's lawyer Andrea Ritchie said that she was involved in the negotiations that the led the NYPD to reform their policies toward transgender prisoners in an October 2012 memo titled "Department Policy Regarding Gender Identity."
It instructed corrections officers to address transgender prisoners by their preferred names and sexual identities.
Speaking of these changes, Ritchie said: "In our case, the policy objective has now been achieved and now it's really a question about compensating our client for her injuries, which were not insignificant." ~ Court House News

Source Court House News On Nov. 22, 2004, 24 protesters sued New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and dozens of other NYPD cops and officials for false arrest, punitive detention, abuse of process and other constitutional violations. They said the city had an indiscriminate mass arrest policy that called for the use of mesh netting and lines of police officers to barricade and corral large groups of protesters, reporters, legal observers, and bystanders, without giving audible dispersal orders.

In their original complaint, the plaintiffs said they received "cruel and inhumane" treatment in cold, loud, chemical-strewn, makeshift cells in Pier 57, along the Hudson River.
"Guantanamo-on-the-Hudson" was a nickname given to the pier by more than one attorney speaking Wednesday at a press conference outside New York City Hall.

"On information and belief, the floors of the cages in Pier 57 were covered with numerous highly toxic chemicals and substances, including, on information and belief, those known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, hepatogenic, and immunotoxic ... The floors of the cages in Pier 57 were also covered in other dirt and grime," the original complaint stated.

The protesters said in their complaint that city police taunted them and said they would be held "until George Bush left town.

The following video was discovered by the NYCLU during the trial. The video recorded by police shows what was described as "the most quite protest ever" by a witness.



The 2004 RNC protest as documented by one of the journalists who spent time in NYC's gitmo.

On Grantland editor Bill Simmons faux Mea culpa for outing and subsequent suicide of a transgender woman

Grantland editor in chief Bill Simmons wrote an article describing the events that led to the publishing of Caleb Hannan's Dr. V’s Magical Putter in which he outed a transgender woman during the course of writing.

Lengthy and reading more like an excuse at times, most have taken it as an apology, but somehow Simmons denies any curability with causing Mrs. V's suicide.


Simmons wrote: Caleb’s biggest mistake? Outing Dr. V to one of her investors while she was still alive.

That's the crux of our outrage Mr. Simmons

From Caleb Hannan's article "Dr. V’s Magical Putter"

Caleb wrote:.....I asked if she could help me confirm a few facts about her past life. When I heard back, the patient woman I had spoken to on the phone had been replaced by an angry, mocking scientist. She wrote:

"As I clearly stated at the onset of your unsolicited probing, your focus must be on the benefits of the Science for the Golfer not the scientist, however, at this juncture you are in reversal of your word,"

Then Caleb contacted an investor about what he learned about her being trans and wrote"

"Maybe the most surprising thing about my conversation with Kinney was how calmly he took the news that the woman he thought was an aerospace engineer had once been a man, and a mechanic."

Evidently Kinney contacted Mrs. V. with the information Caleb had given him.

Caleb then wrote:

"The last time I heard from Dr. V she warned me that I was about to commit a hate crime."

So please, do not tell me Caleb wasn't responsible in some way for her committing suicide.

As far as the revelation that editors being responsible for that article being published, it wouldn't have been, in its present form, unless the author had supplied Grantland with information that broke all rules of confidentiality, which he did.

Any journalist worth a grain of salt does not break a promise of confidentiality, regardless if the the persons cis or trans unless it has to do with a major crime, which her being transgender isn't.

Grantland is leaving the offensive post up as some sort of monument to their transphobic ignorance. They surely aren't doing that as a favor to us. Mr. Simmons, our lives are surrounded by ignorance based hatred everyday. We really don't need another monument. Please take that post down if you really care about transgender people.

Theirs an excellent piece on this at the Washington post Grantland offers two sides on divisive article about transgender inventor who killed herself.

Gender swap machine, Experience another gender.

How would it 'feel' if your eyes told you the body you were caressing was of the opposite gender? Ok, how would that feel if your fingers told you that was what you were feeling was of the opposite gender?

What if one day there was a machine that could do all that and make you hear yourself as the opposite gender? Besides the obvious sexual implications what impact could this have on society?



Gender Swap - Experiment with The Machine to Be Another from BeAnotherLab on Vimeo.

Cece McDonald tells MHP "Jail wanted me to hate myself as a trans woman"

In her first interview after being released from prison for defending herself in a transphobic and racial attack Cece talks about what it was like to be incarcerated in a male prison.

Sports page "Grantland" outing of a trans woman results in her killing herself

GRANTLAND lurker Caleb Hannan's article about a revolutionary putter seemed at first,a good job of investigative reporting. Hannan a self described golfing enthusiast received one of DR. V's Oracle putters as a gift. Despite realizing statistically his putting didn't improve he was still enthusiastic about the Oracle.

I then went to a public course to try the Oracle on some actual greens. I didn’t make every putt — far from it. But I did seem to sink more than usual. And like McCord, the more I used the putter the more I became its unofficial pitchman. I began to look forward to the “oohs” and “ahhs” from strangers when they would first see me use the club to pick the ball out of the hole. I enjoyed telling the wild story behind the putter’s invention. It turned a normal round of golf into an act of seduction. And it was all because Dr. V’s club had me putting with a lot more confidence.

I was ready to proclaim her an unknown genius with an idea that could revolutionize golf. All that was left to do was make sure the stories about engineering accolades and top-secret defense projects were legit. It was, I thought, just a formality.

Perhaps in hopes of cashing in on a new golfing craze Hannan became a advocate for its new design until...he discovered DR. V was transgender and not a MIT scientist who worked on stealth fighters as she had claimed..



Caleb, apparently in a fit of transphobic rage forgot his promises of confidentiality, the cornerstone of investigative reporting, and outed Ms.V a transgender woman which resulted in her committing suicide. The story would have barely made a ripple without outing her, a fact Grantland was well aware of.

Hannan reveling in the attention tweeted

Not sure what to say other than this is the strangest story I've ever worked on. http://t.co/3x9FXS2dy1
— Caleb Hannan (@calebhannan) January 15, 2014

How about if you said you are sorry for purposely inflicting such unnecessary pain on a fellow human? It would be appropriate if Grantland editors fired you, then you could say, got a job for a lurker? But no, Grantland posted this horrific picture of the Oracle putter in a trash can the same as Hannan did with Mrs. V's life.

Post by Grantland.

Grantland posted this picture to facebook making sure all who read it know how they feel about trans people. In the trash.

The top two comments on the Grantland facebook page sum it up pretty well.

• 

  James Saliba Words fail the callousness and lack of ethics that Hannan displays in the writing and pursuit of this story. A disgusting dismissal of a trans person's personal struggle that the author exploited for cheap hits. And to treat her suicide as a result of his bullying as an oddity? A "weird story?" Positively disgusting.

  Like · Reply · 45 · January 17 at 5:40pm
• 

  Reuben Poling A journalist's fidelity to the truth should not come before a human's responsibility to respect another human. An article on Dr. V could have been written that discussed her dodgy business practices and falsified credentials WITHOUT ONCE mentioning her sexuality and trans* background. It was irrelevant to the story. Instead, Hannan broke his promise to " focus on the science and not the scientist," engaged in bigoted rubbernecking and hounded a mentally-ill woman from an at-risk population to suicide.
  
  But hey, HELLA PAGE VIEWS. You got mine this time, just like every day for a while. You won't be getting them anymore.

  Like · Reply · 31 · January 17 at 7:57pm

You can still go to DR. V's YAR website  and customize a putter with a inscription if you wish..

 R.I.P. Dr. V.