Open letter to Andrea James and Calpernia Addams.

Calpernia Addams waited three months  to announce her advisory role after Dallas Buyers Club premier  as the trans community speculated on whom or if anyone has advised Jared Leto for "Rayon". Then, after announcing her involvement in the movie she slammed those who posted opinions about his problematic role as "elitist hypocrisy."

Op-ed written by Marti Abernathey and kelli anne Busey

It started with Addams March 5th Advocate Op-ed: In Defense of Jared Leto followed by Parker Marie Molloy March 10th Advocate post, critical of Addams, titled "Op-ed: What People Don't Get About Dismay Over Jared Leto. Everything was civil up to that point, but that civility came to an end with Calpernia Addams dismissive April 2nd Huffington Post article "Parker Marie Molloy's Transphobic and Homophobic Slurs Don't Matter, but Our Response Does".  Addams inexplicably attempts to invalidate Parkers transgender identity because of her youth and  attacks her style of journalism and advocacy writing:

“A few weeks ago newcomer to transition and lesbian/trans issues Parker Marie Molloy purposefully misgendered me and called into question my identity as female in an op-ed piece for Advocate.com by calling me a ‘drag queen’ and saying that I ‘[refer] to [myself] as 'a transsexual.’ Apparently she's expressed similar sentiments about Carmen Carrera and others. I was freshly returned from speaking at Oxford University and recording my acoustic LP in London, so I filed the incident under ‘See If This Still Matters to You in a Few Days" and resumed my busy life here in Los Angeles.’”

“I wasn't sure who Molloy was, but I assumed that she was another one of the nutty trans hacktivists who had been ‘triggered’ by the buzz generated when Jared Leto thanked me in his Oscars acceptance speech.”

Blatant ableism of Addam’s “nutty trans hacktivist” aside, the dismissive and elitist tone of her piece is evident. If you disagree with her, you’re wrong and a “nutty trans hacktivist.”.

Addams and James have stated Molloy slurred her by calling her a drag queen and a transsexual. One look at Addams’ website and you’ll see that she brands herself as “America’s Transsexual Sweetheart.” As far as being called a drag queen, since when is that a slur? Self identification should be respected, but the implication here is that being a transsexual is at odds with being a drag queen. Drag is performance art, drag queens are performers, and they perform at drag establishments such as Hamburger Marys. If you perform at a Vegas show club, you're a showgirl. If you dance and sing at a drag bar for money, it’s not a slur to call you a drag queen regardless of your gender. How different is “drag queens are men, drag kings are women” than “trans women are men, trans men are women”? Is Monica Beverly Hills not  trans because she identifies herself as a drag queen? From LOGO’s Mark Blankenship on why Hills was not cheating while being trans on RuPaul’s Drag Race:

“Because ‘drag’ isn’t just about dressing up like someone of the opposite sex. It’s about donning a persona. It’s about an artist using his or her talent to create a larger-than-life performance that somehow captures, critiques, celebrates, or enhances our typical understanding of identity. Think about RuPaul’s Drag U, which focuses on turning biological women into “drag queens” for a day, just so they can feel fabulous. When they dress outrageously and take on stage names, those women ARE drag queens.

I know where this argument leads: By my logic, you could say that anyone dressing up in any kind of costume or notable outfit is putting on drag.

And… yes. That’s exactly what I mean.

Drag is everywhere. In this history of drag balls, for instance, there have always been categories like “executive realness,” in which gay men dress as heightened versions of heterosexual business men. In those cases, those queens aren’t rocking girl drag, but they were still in drag. When I put on a suit and tie for a work event, I’m rocking executive drag. And so is Donald Trump.

The point is, we’re always putting on identities. We’re always performing a self for the world. We’re always in drag. All of us.

---------------------------

While Addams can choose what to call herself when she performs at a drag establishment, implying that drag queen is a gender identity is a form of internalized transphobia. There’s a difference between a performer’s gender identity and their performance. Being called a drag queen isn’t a misgendering slur.

On April 5th Andrea James chimed in with her vitriolic screed “I F*cking Hate @RuPaul”. She began by slamming Molloy for a tweet, since deleted, in which Molloy expressed her frustration over RuPauls unrepentant transphobia. This tweet made its way to the pages of TERF central 'Gender Trender'. Cathy Brennan, a virulently transphobic woman spends much of her time examining the trans agenda using every opportunity to insert hate hoping to drive a wedge between trans people and the feminist movement.

This image has since been deleted from Gender Trender but its important to note, if Brennan agrees with your sentiments, its time to check yourself.

A  quick synopsis of James’ post on Boing Boing:

• Parker Molloy is a newbie trans person, an unethical journalist, who has an unhealthy addiction to Twitter.
• The Advocate isn't the same as it used to be, and Molloy is just trafficking outrage for linkbait.
• Molloy is a heckler, not a journalist because she isn't polite.
• RuPaul is a drag queen who is allowed to be transphobic because he's a boundary breaker/drag queen/entertainer.
• Molloy has disdain for drag, and is an internet shut-in who uses made up pseudo-academic jargon.
• Most vocal anti-RuPaul hecklers are trans women who are primarily attracted to women.
• She-male, tranny, he-she, shim, chicks with dicks, dolls with balls, sluts with nuts, or guys in disguise, are hilariously offensive slurs, but drag queen is a slur that must not be used.
• Twitter activists are mean and don't build bridges and don't do anything, witness #CancelCOlbert.
• I don't hate Rupaul, Rupaul has made a lot of money, sold a lot of product and donated a lot of money to LGBT charities.

Suggesting that Molloy is a pseudo-journalist “shut in” is not only ableist, it’s factually incorrect. Molloy is a well respected journalist who has contributed to Rolling Stone, The Huffington Post, The Advocate, and Salon.com. She also has a Twitter account at ParkerMolloy and a website of her own where she provides personal opinion and commentary. The meme that James is trying to promote that Molloy isn’t a journalist is simply an ad hominem. Plenty of journalists have Twitter accounts where they communicate their own personal views.. By James’ logic, Ezra Klein, Andrew Sullivan or Glenn Greenwald aren’t journalists because they have twitter accounts where they discuss their own personal opinions.

It’s also a bit odd that James complains about new/social media on Boing-Boing. Boing-Boing is definitely not part of the old media establishment. This amounts to "GET OFF MY LAWN, YOU YOUNG KIDS" while standing on someone else’s (new media) lawn.

James goes on to say “These trans folks have developed their own pseudo-academic jargon like cis-het, which means ‘cisgender heterosexual,’ which itself means ‘non-transgender straight person.’”Pseudo-academic? James might want to check with actual academics, since it’s a term used in, you know, academic papers.

James also gives RuPaul an out because he’s a drag queen and suggests that Twitter activists don’t actually accomplish anything. This simply is false. James asks "Why does Molloy, who is transgender, fucking hate RuPaul? Ru used the word “shemale” recently on RuPaul’s Drag Race and has unapologetically used a number of other taboo words over several decades, like “tranny” and what-not."

Trivializing transphobic words and phrases that are used by those who kill only serves to highlight James’ separation from the transgender reality.

RuPaul has made a living using transphobic verbiage in his show, capitalizing on the outrage from our community to rake in the dough. RuPaul shouldn’t be given any more of a pass than Kelly Osbourne was given for her “chick with a dick” comment. Calling out Osbourne did have an effect. She apologized and her millions of twitter followers were educated along with her about the Transgender Day of Remembrance. You can point to other Twitter led movements as well that had actual positive results. Even James’ example of #cancelColbert fails to prove her point. The Colbert Report has a viewership of 1.9 million people a night and the controversy made into the New Yorker, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street journal, and many well respected media outlets. The people who viewed Colbert’s show or read about the hashtag activism were informed of controversy around the Washington Redskins name. Awareness of the problem is one of the first things you need to do to fix a problem, and #cancelColbert did just that.

James also alluded to Malloy’s sexual orientation, saying “It’s noteworthy that the most vocal anti-RuPaul hecklers are trans women who are primarily attracted to women.” Why is this noteworthy? Would mentioning that Calperina “I date straight guys, dumbass” Addams spends much of her time working in gay male culture be remotely relevant to the conversation at hand?  For all of James’ comments about not bridge building and the Twitteratti simply being a “ the worst of two worlds: heckling and gotcha-style journalism”, what exactly does mentioning Molloy’s sexual orientation prove? Trying to judge someone on their intention or motivations is troublesome and doesn’t do anything to build any bridges or heal any wounds. Seems more like “gotcha-style journalism” that James complains about in her own post.

In the end, I’m not sure why either James or Addams have chosen to point their sites on Molloy, rather than on the the questions Molloy asks about RuPaul, or the industry they work work for. Does the industry need someone to speak up for it? Worse, do they need someone lobbing personal attacks in defense of the indefensible?

Those that claim to be allies or part of a larger LGBT community shouldn’t be given a break because of who they are. In fact, they should be held to a HIGHER standard than those people who do not self identify as LGBT or as an ally. No amount of personal attacks on Molloy, “shooting the messenger”,  willl change that.

Open letter to Andrea James and Calpernia Addams. http://t.co/kdwA2Cs0wN pic.twitter.com/UA4ZXIozkM

— planetransgender (@kellibusey) April 12, 2014

Maspeth High School senior told she can't take her transgender boyfriend to prom

Anais Celin and her transgender boyfriend  Nathaniel Baez.

Masbeth Queens High school student has told PIX 11 her school will not allow her to take her transgender boyfriend to prom.

The School Martin Luther High requires students to submit an evaluation from their pastor told her the reason for the denial was that her boyfriend's transition was 'unconventional'. The couple has lost hope that the school might change their minds and plan a separate celebration.

Video Trans woman takes a beat down for a hit of crack

What can I say? This is the sad reality for many trans woman. The ones who have lived through this and are here to talk about it are the ones, like myself, who kicked the addiction.

Too many times we dance around addiction in our posts and conversations about the obscenely high percentage of murders of trans woman of color in comparison to the overall murders of LGB people.

There's a reason. It's a difficult task to talk about something that we perceive as a weakness and worst yet, something that detractors and haters could use against us.

But here it is, addiction in all its glory. This person doesn't care about her mental health, or her chances of being murdered, and all for the sake of one more hit on a stem.

It's my hope that this video with its graphic triggering violence will make one trans woman think twice. I hope it will help one trans woman who is so depressed about rejection by family, joblessness and homelessness to realize you are of worth.

Getting high made everything good. It erased my discomfort with my true gender. That sense of euphoria lasts about as long as it takes to exhale.

And if you ignore this truth? One day, if you haven't already, you will be beaten, or maybe one day murdered. It happens all the time and it must stop. That's something only we can do by being honest about our addictions.

Tell YouTube to remove Remi Gaillard's "Free Sex" rape movie

A French video blogger, Remi Gaillard, has published a movie showing him having simulated sex with unsuspecting women in public places. The video, published on March 28th already has over 5 million views.

In it shows Gaillard gloating as each woman eventually discovers his activity. It is crude, abusive and promotes the idea that rape is permissible.


Youtube has placed an 'age restriction" on the video to keep prepubescent youths from emulating his feigned raping of unsuspecting woman in public places. I hope one of the husbands, boyfriends, brothers, and fathers do a simulated response in person with this pig.

Holly Knight shared this petition via her twitter Prism Direction. I hope after watching this gross, disgusting youtube movie you will first go to the Youtube site and report it and then sign the petition.

Top model Geena Rocero comes out as transgender

The world makes you something that you're not, but you know inside what you are, and that question burns in your heart: How will you become that? I may be somewhat unique in this, but I am not alone,not alone at all. So when I became a fashion model, I felt that I'd finally achieved the dream that I'd always wanted since I was a young child. My outside self finally matched my inner truth, my inner self.For complicated reasons which I'll get to later, when I look at this picture, at that time I felt like, Geena, you've done it, you've made it, you have arrived. But this past October, I realized that I'm only just beginning. All of us are put in boxes by our family, by our religion, by our society, our moment in history,even our own bodies. Some people have the courage to break free, not to accept the limitations imposed by the color of their skin or by the beliefs of those that surround them. Those people are always the threat to the status quo, to what is considered acceptable.
In my case, for the last nine years, some of my neighbors, some of my friends, colleagues, even my agent, did not know about my history. I think, in mystery, this is called the reveal. Here is mine>>.full transcript

opens in new window

Meet Drag Artist Conchita Wurst Austria's Eurovision Entry

UPDATE She WON!! Check her song out here

Ms Conchita Wurst, the female half of the individual also known as Tom Neuwirth is causing quite a stir in Austria.
Some love that a drag artist is representing their country in this years Eurovision contest, but some are so upset they have begun a Facebook page in opposition. For the most part, the only thing the Facebook page has succeeded in doing is to give bigots and small-minded people a place to vent on.

Meanwhile Ms. Conchita Wurst appeared on the RTE "Saturday Nigh Show" to spread her message of inclusion and love..

Conchita hopes to follow in heels the last and only Austrian to win, Udo Jürgens in 1966

From her website:

biography

"Two hearts beating in my chest" 

They are a team that only works in a duo. And, although they never get to face each other - and miss regularly in the mirror at moments.

Respect the owner Tom Neuwirth and the fictional character Conchita Wurst and appreciate each other wholeheartedly. They are two independent personalities with their own resumes that set a striking symbol of tolerance and against discrimination together.

Tom

• Born on 11.06.1988 in Gmunden
• grew up in the Obersteiermak
• 2007 Candidate of the ORF casting show "Star Mania"
• 2011 Final Fashion School Graz
• Since then, he lives somewhere in Vienna

Conchita

• born in the Colombian highlands
• grew up in Germany
• 2011 candidate of the ORF casting show 'The big opportunity'
• 2012 Candidate of Austrian preliminaries for the "Euro Visions Song Contest 2013 '
• 2014 Austria Fixstarterin the "Euro Visions Song Contest 2014"

Conchita owes its birth to the fact that Tom had time of his life struggling with discrimination. So he created a woman with a beard. As a striking statement. As a catalyst for discussion of terms such as "different" or "normal". As a valve with which he wants to carry his message unmistakable and unmistakably in the world. 

Appearance, gender and origin are in fact completely SAUSAGE, when it comes to the dignity and freedom of the individual. "Solely man counts," says Tom / Conchita, "everyone should be allowed to live his life as he sees fit, as long as nobody gets hurt."

Former Cop Nelson Stewart, gets probation for rape of locked-up transgender man

They called it bribery and let the 24 year veteran of the force go with probation. I call it rape when an officer of the law makes a prisoner perform sexual acts, regardless of the reason.

Source Chicago Tribune

The victim was a 30-year-old man arrested June 6 2012 in the 4500 block of West Monroe after he flagged down an undercover cop and offered to perform sex for $20, officials said. The man was taken to the Harrison District and placed in the lockup.

Stewart told the inmate that if he did him a “favor” he could be released later that day, Assistant State’s Attorney Lynn McCarthy said. Stewart told the victim he controlled the paperwork at the district, according to a police report.

Stewart performed oral sex on the man and the man performed oral sex on him, prosecutors said.

The Tribune also reported that Stewart is an active member of the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and father of two. The Trib also said the church-going man was investigated for breaking a prisoner's jaw and rib cage in 2006, flipped journalists off with both fingers when he exited the court house.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker pushes for a city ordinance to protect transgender people in public accommodations

Houston is the last large city in Texas without an ordnance protecting it's LGBT citizens from discrimination. Mayor Parker announced in her state of the city address, she intended to change that. Mayor Parker, an out lesbian signed an executive order in 2010 which extended protections to transgender city employees in city-owned buildings but the fact that there no city ordnance's protecting transgender and gay people in public buildings did not escape the community's attention.

Mayor Parker intent on getting the ordinance passed during her final two years said "A young African-American man should not be turned away from a club on Washington Avenue. A returning veteran with a service dog should not be denied service at a local restaurant. An older woman should not be denied a job on a city contract. And yet these things do happen in the friendliest, most welcoming, most diverse city in the United States. And yes, a gay or transgendered individual should have the same rights enjoyed by all other Houstonians."

According to Houston Public Media the  Houston Area Pastor Council has already begun campaigning against the proposed non discrimination ordinance presumably because it would be transgender inclusive.

Houston GLBT Political Caucus Issues Statement in Support of Proposed Houston Human Rights Ordinance

Contact: Maverick Welsh
713-306-5825
maverick@maverickwelsh.com

At its regular monthly meeting on April 2, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus membership approved a statement in support of a proposed Human Rights Ordinance for the city of Houston. The statement reads:

“The Houston GLBT Political Caucus supports the City of Houston in passing a citywide Human Rights Ordinance that will protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all persons to be free from all forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on real or perceived race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, sexual orientation, disability, marital or family status and veteran status. We support an HRO that ensures every Houstonian has equal access to employment, housing and public accommodation.”

“Houston is a world class city,” said Caucus president Maverick Welsh. “It’s past time that we updated our city ordinances to reflect our position as the economic and cultural capital of Texas. Every Houstonian deserves the right to work and provide for their family without fear of losing their job or home because of who they are or who they love.”

The Houston GLBT Political Caucus is the South's oldest civil rights organization dedicated solely to the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. Founded in 1975, it is the largest GLBT political organization in the city of Houston and Harris County.

Governor Rick Perry says Texas won't comply with the Federal Rape Prevention Act

Transgender people are at particular risk of violence and rape while incarcerated. A problem which the 2003 bill was designed to help prevent, but Perry says the regulations which are mandated for implementation by May 15th, are federal interference with state governance and are too costly.

The AP is reporting  In his letter, Perry cited a portion of the law that bars cross-gender searches and seeing inmates without clothing, saying that because 40 percent of prison guards in male units are women and complying with the law may mean the loss of job and promotion opportunities."

The state also will not raise the age — from 17 to 18 — at which it treats inmates as adults, Perry wrote. The rules, he added, do not allow for “differences among the states.”

States that do not comply could lose federal grant dollars. Three grants that totaled $23.9 million last year could be subjected to partial cuts, Perry spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said, adding that Texas has not been told how much money could be at stake.
County jails and local lockups can take measures to comply with the federal rules. Some already are, including the Harris County Jail, which revamped policies regarding the housing of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender inmates.


Source National Center Lesbian Rights

Do transgender prisoners have a right to be housed in a facility consistent with their gender identity?

Transsexual people who have not had genital surgery are generally classified according to their birth sex for purposes of prison housing, regardless of how long they may have lived as a member of the other gender, and regardless of how much other medical treatment they may have undergone[1] -- a situation which puts male-to-female transsexual women at great risk of sexual violence. Transsexual people who have had genital surgery are generally classified and housed according to their reassigned sex.

One mechanism that is sometimes used to protect transsexual women who are at risk of violence due to being housed in male prisons is to separate them from other prisoners. This is referred to as “administrative segregation.” On the positive side, placing a transgender or transsexual woman in administrative segregation may provide her with greater protection than being housed in the general population. On the negative side, however, administrative segregation also results in exclusion from recreation, educational and occupational opportunities, and associational rights.[2]

Do transsexual prisoners have a right to obtain hormone therapy while in prison?

Some transsexual prisoners are able to maintain their hormone treatment in prison.[3] The policy of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons is to provide hormones at the level that was maintained prior to incarceration. Specifically, the policy provides:

“It is the policy of the Bureau of Prisons to maintain the transsexual inmate at the level of change existing upon admission to the Bureau. Should responsible medical staff determine that either progressive or regressive treatment changes are indicated, these changes must be approved by the [Bureau of Prisons] Medical Director prior to implementation. The use of hormones to maintain secondary sexual characteristics may be continued at approximately the same levels as prior to incarceration, but such use must be approved by the Medical Director.”[4]
Even if the prison does provide hormones, however, there is no guarantee that they will be provided at the appropriate levels and with the necessary physical and psychological support services.[5] In addition, it is often difficult for transsexual prisoners to document a prior prescription for hormones, either because of the practical difficulties and limitations imposed by incarceration, or because many transsexual prisoners are indigent and do not have private physicians willing to advocate for them. Moreover, even when transsexual prisoners are able to provide sufficient documentation, prison officials may disregard or flout the policy.

The issue of whether a transsexual person is entitled to hormone therapy while in prison has been litigated extensively, based on the established constitutional principle that it is a violation of the 8th Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment for prison officials to exhibit “deliberate indifference” to a prisoner’s “serious medical needs.” Until the last several years, in almost every case, courts have ruled in favor of prison officials.[6] More recently, however, prisoners have had more success.[7]

Transgender college student Andraya Williams humiliated by Piedmont campus police says enough is enough

Subjected to discrimination, intimidation, humiliation and stonewalled by North Carolina Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), transgender student Andraya Williams tells the TransAdvocate she's had enough.

On March 19th, Ms. Williams was detained by a campus school guard while exiting the lady's room bathroom telling her that they had heard reports of a man in the restroom and asked her for her college ID.

Ms. Williams then presented her ID, which clearly identifies her as female. Despite that the guard persisted in mockingly questioning Ms.Williams gender and called reinforcement. When the other guards arrived, they surrounded Ms. Williams eventually escorting her off campus.

The next-day Ms. Williams intent on resolving the incident went to the Dean of student life, who informed her she was suspended for not presenting her ID to the guards.

Ms. Williams told the TransAdvocate the Colleges version was simply not true, and she has proof. "When the guard first approached me, I called my attorney who listened to the entire incident. She heard me present my ID to several officers. She heard me then ask if I was free to leave"

Ms. Williams begun the process of changing her legal documents say she started transition in 2010 and began living in her authentic gender in 2012 when she turned 20.

Unsafe campus

The school says she won't be 'protected' if she uses the lady's room until she complies with their demands. "The school is requiring me to show proof of my gender," says Ms Williams, "but they haven't specified what they need to see." Meanwhile, Ms. Williams says she is attending classes but her attendance is suffering. "I don't feel comfortable on campus" she says "my attendance is only so-so."

Attorney Sarah Demarest with Charlotte's LGBTQ Law Center has issued an official statement demanding that CPCC comply Title IV, apologize to Andraya Williams and in the future that she allowed to use the correct restroom without school harassment.

LGBTQ Law Center

Ms. Williams classmates, community, and even those who have never met her are outraged over her mistreatment. They are organizing a protest on Facebook scheduled for Friday April 4th at 12pm at the corner of Elizabeth and Kings. Ms. Williams said she will be attending and when asked what she would like the school to take away from the protest Ms. Williams responded "it's time for policy changes and education on trans rights. It's not OK to discriminate"

Transgender woman beaten to death in Joao Pessoa Brazil

A transgender woman, looking 29, was found dead after being beaten by several people in Guardência Street, near Hope Square in the South Downs together in Joao Pessoa , on the night of Friday (29), according to the Bureau of Homicide capital. The suspicion civilian police is that, besides being beaten, the victim was struck by blows from melee weapon due to perforations that officers found the body.

The crime occurred around 23h. The Military Police was fired after receiving a call that a woman was being beaten and dragged through the street. In the record of the occurrence made by Homicide Division stated that the identification of the victim is unknown and the only object apprehended on site was a mobile device.

Local residents said they did not recognize the victim as area resident. The body was sent to the Management of Medical and Forensic Dentistry (GEMOL), Christ in the neighborhood.

[Google Translate] Source NH Radio 87.9

Transgender woman murdered in São Paulo Brazil

The Bahian transsexual Giovana Souza Silva, 33, was gunned down in the south of São Paulo late on Thursday, 28.

According to information of the 27th Police Precinct, which registered the police report, the incident occurred at about 21:30, between Meadow Street and Avenue Indianapolis Taborda, in Jardins neighborhood.

According to police, Giovana was born in Jucuruçu but her family resides in nearby Itamaraju (distant 751 km from Salvador), in southern Bahia.

Still no information about the authorship and motivation of the crime that is being investigated by Homicide (DHPP) in São Paulo.

Info realize that Giovana be vying for a spot of prostitution when she was killed, but this has not been confirmed by police.

As the 27th Precinct, Giovana's body was taken to the Forensic Medical Institute (IML), located in the neighborhood Aclimação and then should be taken to Itamaraju, for burial.

[Translated by Google] Source http://m.atarde.uol.com

VICTORY! Glaad finally responds to transgender peoples outrage over RuPauls Transphobia

In what could be heralded as a major victory and a possible changing of the guard GLAAD has responded to the trans communities outrage regarding Rupauls Drag race 'She He' challenge.

The Internet was rife with people upset with Rupaul for using trans defamation for profit, as was I.

But my anger was primarily focused at GLAAD for their historical acquiescence to the Drag shows transphobic rhetoric and I said so here on the Transadvocate and the Daily Kos.. Using phrase 'He-She' promotes violence regardless of who says it.

Parker Marie Molloy, noted transgender journalist with the Advocate wrote about how "RuPaul Stokes Anger With Use of Transphobic Slur" and contacted GLAAD:

"When asked for comment on last night's episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, GLAAD vice president of communications Rich Ferraro responded, "While some drag queens may use the term to refer to themselves, 'she-male' is too often used by others as an offensive term to denigrate and hypersexualize transgender women. Unfortunately, most Americans are still unaware that there is a difference between gay men who perform in drag and transgender women. That's why GLAAD will continue to tell the stories of trans women like CeCe McDonald, Carmen Carrera, and CrossFit athlete Chloie Jonsson."

 Mr. Ferraro posted this comment on the original planetransgender post calling them out leading me to believe it was just business as usual.

But yesterday, the drag show's executive producers released this statement:

“We delight in celebrating every color in the LGBT rainbow. When it comes to the movement of our trans sisters and trans brothers, we are newly sensitized and more committed than ever to help spread love, acceptance and understanding,” said RuPaul Charles, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Steven Corfe and Mandy Salangsang

Logo said, “We have heard the concerns around this segment. We are committed to sharing a diverse range of trans stories across all of our screens and look forward to featuring positive and groundbreaking stories of trans people in the future.”

GLAAD's  statement was somewhat defense. They said that they contacted the show the very next morning after the show aired but said that it took time to work with the show.

Fair enough, but what of all these years where instead of calling out Rupaul for transphobic speech you awarded him and pimped his show?

To my knowledge this is the first time that GLAAD has criticised RuPaul or the drag race. That would not have happened if our the transgender community and cisgender people of good will  hadn't shouted in outrage. It wasn't gental dialouge that got GLAADS attention.

Sometimes it gets to the point where you just have to shout out loud to be heard and that's what we did. Loud and Proud.
.

Right wing "MD Petitions" tells supporter attacking Maryland's new transgender law a possibility

The day after the Maryland house of Delegates passed legislation making discrimination against transgender people illegal, one group has decided to take action against it.

The bill, SB 212 "Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2014" amends the state's law to include gender identity in work place, housing and public accommodations.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the conservative group MD Petitions emailed subscribers telling them:

""The good news is that we don't have to accept this bill as law – there is another way to defeat this terrible bill,"

"The group invented an online process in 2011 for collecting signatures, which allowed them to petition a law to referendum for the first time in two decades. By the 2012 election, MdPetitions.org successfully put three laws onto the ballot: same-sex marriage, the congressional redistricting map, and in-state tuition for certain undocumented immigrants. Voters upheld all three."

The major player in the bills passage the Maryland TransEquality issued this statement by Carrie Evans, Executive Director of Equality Maryland,

 “This is the culmination of a very long and sustained effort by Equality Maryland to ensure transgender Marylanders are included in our state’s anti-discrimination laws. Today’s win is the result of so many people and organizations – transgender individuals and their families showing up and telling their stories year after year, elected officials like Senator Rich Madaleno and Delegates Luke Clippinger, Bonnie Cullison and Joseline Peña-Melynk , many years of dedicated and committed Equality Maryland Board and staff, amazing coalition partners like the Human Rights Campaign and so many more people and organizations that we will highlight in the coming months.”

SB 212 now heads to Governor O’Malley’s desk, who stated at MCTE’s Lobby Day last month, “I am waiting to sign it.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center has
designated "PJI" a hate group
for its campaign using children in their
war against transgender people.

But not everyone is thrilled about the bills passage. House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga told Delmarva now

“We need to know whose safety comes first. We should be very concerned about the safety of women and little girls, because what this allows without striking accommodations are possible predators and pedophiles from going in our women’s restrooms,” said Szeliga R-7-Baltimore County. “I think the rights of women and little girls safety should come before that of anyone else.”

Promoting fear of transgender people using children as a weapon is a time honored tradition of hate mongers and bigots but one that has no basis in reality.

Media Matters "Debunking the big myth about transgender-inclusive bathrooms"

Middletown HR say police did not discriminate against transgender officer

Officer Francesca Quaranta, 46,  began transition in 2011 while employed by the Middletown Connecticut police. In 2013, Quaranta filed a complaint against the department saying they had created a hostile work environment.

Quaranta said the department micro managed her scrutinizing every moment she was on duty. She also said that she was unfairly targeted for her feminine accessories, the same sort that other female officers routinely wore while on duty.



"While officer Quaranta's transgender transition is a new experience for her and the Middletown Police Department, it is believed that the department is handling her transition in a professional manner," Faith Jackson, the city's human relations director, wrote in a letter to the mayor.

Mayor Daniel Drew said he and Police Chief William McKenna made it clear Quaranta was to receive equal treatment and supervising officers received training on the issue. The mayor said a sergeant also was given a 10-day unpaid suspension over a remark he made about her.

"We've taken this very seriously from day one and will continue to take it seriously," he said.
Quaranta said Thursday she disagrees with the city's findings and was not surprised, saying officials want to protect the city from liability.

"I'm hoping that the state of Connecticut is much more open minded and actually looks at documents and actually listens to what I'm saying," Quaranta said.
A Middletown police officer since 2004, she said she loves the job but isn't sure she can return to the department.
"I think the harassment will just continue," she said. "Actually I think it will be much worse this time."

Oregon woman charged with beating her 4 year-old to death because she thought he was gay

Prosecutors: Oregon woman beat 4-year-old son to death because she thought he was gay (via Raw Story )

Prosecutors said an Oregon woman beat her 4-year-old son to death because she feared he was gay. Zachary Dutro-Boggess was hospitalized Aug. 14, 2012, the day after his fourth birthday, with trauma to his abdomen that caused tears to his bowel, and…

---

Irish Transgender people are outraged over RTÉ sitcom "The Centre"

The 'transgender' character, played by a man in a dress, is the brunt of transphobic jokes
written to have the audience laugh at him according to those who have seen the
premiere. RTE inexplicably defends this saying his part is a positive role model.

Panned by numerous critics the new sitcom's "transgender" character Nuala Mooney played by cisgender male actor Gary Cooke has invoked a twitter outrage and the Irish advocacy group Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) up in arms. The show which just aired has already accumulated 24 complaints which in Ireland are not taken lightly.

@kellibusey RTÉ airs new sitcom 'The Centre' which mocks transgender people http://t.co/FeFI63XXsD
— Jani McCauley (@JaniMcCauley) March 25, 2014

From the TENI Webpage:

Among a cast of characters from minority groups, The Centre features Office Assistant Manager Nuala Mooney (played by Gary Cooke) who is described as "a 40 year old pre-op transsexual who's been living as a woman for the past 3 years."

Over the course of the 25 minute show, Nuala's gender identity is referenced and mocked on every occasion she appears on screen.

"The Centre is a throwback to the dark ages of television and RTÉ should do better. Nuala is the stock character of a 'man in a dress' played for cheap laughs. Her appearance and identity are fair game to the other characters on the show and their comments and quips re-enforce every stereotype that exists for trans people in this country," said TENI Chief Executive Broden Giambrone."Not only is she is referred to as 'king kong in a thong' but there are references made to her surgical status, her hormone levels, body hair and adam's apple. At no point is the audience laughing with Nuala, they are laughing at her."

Research shows that trans people have some of the highest rates of attempted suicide in this country with 30% having tried to take their own life at least once. In the same survey, 40% of participants reported that media representation of trans people negatively affected their emotional wellbeing or mental health.

The Centre also targets Travellers, Muslims and a host of other groups that face discrimination in Irish society.

"The Centre masquerades as edgy by poking fun at minority groups. Unfortunately, we see the very real effects of how this type of 'humour' contributes to the marginalisation of the trans community. There is no doubt that negative media representation contributes to pervasive transphobia. This has a direct and detrimental effect on trans people's sense of self-esteem and contributes to their fear of coming out."

The Centre can be seen on RTÉ player: http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10266262/

TENI encourages people to make complaints directly to RTÉ.

RTÉ is obliged under Section 39 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to ensure that:

(c) anything which may reasonably be regarded as causing harm or offence, or as likely to promote, or incite to, crime or as tending to undermine the authority of the State, is not broadcast .

Section 3.4.2 of the BCI Code of Programme Standards states that "Programme material shall not support or  condone discrimination against any person or section of the community, in particular on the basis of age, gender, marital status, membership of the Traveller community, family status, sexual orientation, disability, race or religion."

The complaint should be sent to RTÉ's complaints office:

by e-mail to complaints@rte.ie

I am unable to access the link to the offensive episode the web page responding with numerous excuses. Hopefully this show has been removed by RTE voluntarily without the government forcing them to.

This episode was found on RTE's youtube account. Its really awful.

"The ape in a thong"

Memphis radio station 103 FM Facebook Transpanic comic goes viral

Photo posted by a Memphis radio station

Transphobia sells and the purveyors of hate at this Memphis radio station know it.

The Rock 103 Facebook page has only 40,000 likes but as a quarter of a million talking about it. The radio station's web page is a mix of sexy skimpily clad women in seductive poses, rock bands, and like a cherry on top this Facebook image promoting hatred towards transgender people. Transpanic long used as a legal excuse for murder until the trial of Alan Andrade, who used it unsuccessfully in defense of his killing of Angie Zapata.

Post by ROCK 103.