Unjust Florida HB 583 Is Dead!

While I was at BTAC, the Florida legislative session ended.   What that means is that is filed bills didn't pass either chamber and make it to the governor's desk to become law, they are dead for this session.

I'm doing the happy dance because the end of Florida's legislative session means the unjust HB 583 filed by transphobic GOP legislator Frank Artiles (R-Miami) is dead for 2015!

The unjust bill that sought to  criminalize trans people's lives and its senate counterpart didn't clear either chamber before the end of the Florida legislative session on April 30.   I and the trans people planning to visit Florida in the near or distant future are thankful we don't have to worry about a nouveau Jim Crow law forcing us to show our papers to pee or risk jail time to do so.

It's probably a huge relief to the just moved to Florida Southern Comfort Conference and its board, who were strangely silent as the human rights of transpeople in the Sunshine State were under attack by an unjust anti-trans bill that could have done fatal damage to SCC.

I'm happy for my trans homies and homettes living in Florida that Artiles' attempt to legislate transphobia failed. 

And yeah, Frank Artiles, you can peddle that 'this was a public safety issue' lie all you wish on FOX Noise, but let's be real, you are a vanillacentric privileged trans oppressor who gleefully filed this bill to attack and dehumanize trans Floridians because you were pissed Miami-Dade was doing the right thing for its trans citizens and protecting them from people who wish to discriminate against them like you.

And I hope the trans community and their allies punish you at the polls for being a trans oppressor.

Great job Florida trans community being agents of your own trans liberation and doing what it took to kill that unjust bill along with your allies.
.

South Carolina Transteen Dissed By DMV Reaches Settlement

TransGriot Note:  At the time Chase was discriminated against and I wrote about it last September, Chase identified as gender nonconforming.  Now she identifies as trans.

South Carolina trans teen Chase Culpepper took and passed her driving test at a DMV location in Anderson, SC in March 2014.

Instead of allowing the now 17 year old trans feminine teen to take her picture in the makeup she wore on a regular basis, she was told by the DMV employee to 'look male' and remove her makeup because of an alleged policy that bans license photos when someone is purposefully altering his or her appearance and refused to take her photo and provide her the license she'd earned until she did so.

After several attempts, Culpepper's makeup was removed to the DMV employees satisfaction in a process that was called degrading and humiliating.

In September 2014 Culpepper filed a federal lawsuit with the help of the New York based Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF).   The suit asked the court to rule that denying Chase the freedom to wear her everyday makeup in her license photo constituted sex discrimination and violated her right to free speech and expression under the United States Constitution. It also sought a ruling under the U.S. and South Carolina Constitutions that the DMV’s former photo policy was unconstitutionally vague, too broad, and allowed DMV employees to arbitrarily decide how a driver's license applicant should look, including based on unconstitutional gender stereotypes. 


Under the terms of the settlement announced today, the South Carolina DMV will (1) change its photo policy to allow license applicants to be photographed the way they appear regularly, even when their hair, makeup or clothing doesn’t match the DMV’s expectations of how a man or a woman should look; (2) implement training for DMV employees that addresses the new policy and the professional treatment of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals; (3) allow Chase to return to the DMV to get her license photograph taken wearing makeup; and (4) apologize to Chase for how she was treated at the DMV.

“I am thrilled with the outcome of my lawsuit,” said Culpepper. “My clothing and makeup reflect who I am. From day one, all I wanted was to get a driver’s license that looks like me. Now I will be able to do that. It was hurtful to be singled out for being transgender and made to feel that somehow I wasn’t good enough. With this settlement, the DMV can no longer force transgender people to look like someone they’re not. I’m so glad that I stood up for what’s right and helped make positive change for transgender and gender nonconforming people.”

“This settlement agreement sends a strong message about equal rights,” said TLDEF Staff Attorney Ethan Rice. “Transgender and gender nonconforming people are entitled to be themselves without interference from the DMV. It is not the role of the DMV or its employees to decide how men and women should look. People should be able to get a driver’s license without being subjected to sex discrimination. The policy changes and training that the DMV will implement in response to Chase’s lawsuit will help all transgender and gender nonconforming South Carolina residents in the future.”

Forever 21 Hit With Trans Discrimination Lawsuit

Another retail outlet is hopefully about to find out that discrimination aimed at trans people is unacceptable and costs you money.

Former Forever 21 employee Alexia Daskalakis filed a discrimination lawsuit Wednesday after enduring transphobic commentary that she was a “hot mess” and “disgusting,” that she looked “offensive,” and that “in my eyes and in the company’s eyes, you’re still a male.”

Daskalakis was hired by Forever 21 in May 2011 as a sales associate at their Brooklyn store and was quickly promoted to visual merchandiser, a job that made her responsible for setting up the store's visual displays.

In January 2014 she began her transition, and that's when she alleges in the lawsuit that the harassment and discrimination began.

In August 2014 she began taking hormones, and the transphobic  insults from male supervisors escalated.   Over the next few months, male supervisors insulted her and subjected her to bias because of her transgender identity, the lawsuit says. In one instance, a store manager told Daskalakis that her clothing choice of jeans, a crop top, and leather jacket was inappropriate and that she needed to change even though other female employees were wearing the same thing.

She was also told according to the lawsuit, “The male dress code is different from the female dress code and you’re still a male until you change your birth certificate,” the manager said, before sending Daskalakis home for the remainder of the workday, according to the complaint. In another instance, the same manager told Daskalakis, “You used to be a hard worker when you were a guy, but not anymore.” The store fired Daskalakis in January.

“[Forever 21] has discriminated against [Daskalakis] on the basis of her gender, gender expression, gender identity and/or failure to conform to gender stereotypes in violation of the [New York State Human Rights Law] by denying [her] the same terms and conditions of employment available to other employees, up to and including the termination of her employment,” the lawsuit says.

This also comes in the wake of Saks & Company last month settling a discrimination lawsuit filed by Leyth Jamal after she was discriminated against at a Houston Saks store in December 2012. 

It also follows a recent announcement by US Attorney General Eric Holder that the Department of Justice will interpret the sex prohibition of Title VII in the 1964 Civil Rights Act as applicable to transgender people.

This also glaringly points out why GENDA needs to be passed without delay in New York State.

The Kentucky Anti-Trans Bill Is FINALLY Dead!

It took a little longer than expected, but Sen. CB Embry anti-trans Bathroom Bounty Bill is finally dead with the end of the 2015 Kentucky General Assembly session at midnight EDT.

You'll recall that back in February the Kentucky senate Republicans shadily passed the bill out of committee, then passed the unjust bill it in the GOP controlled Senate on a 27-9 vote.

But SB 76 was DOA in the Democratically controlled House, and it was parked in a committee with no intention to let it out to the House floor much less bring it up for a committee vote.  

With the clock ticking toward the end of the session, Embry decided to tack his unjust bill to HB 236, a bill that overwhelmingly passed the House that would allow for a student representative to be appointed to school superintendent search committees. 

Dismayed Kentucky students from across the commonwealth not only saw the bill they had worked so hard to pass being hijacked by Embry, but also being altered Tuesday after two student rallies in Frankfort and news coverage about the impasse.

HB 236 was altered by the Kentucky senate to allow the student to sit on the search committee,  but the student would not be able to vote on who is recommended for the job.    The 'Student Religious Speech' amendment was also attached to HB 236  by Sen. Albert Robinson (R) to permit students to voluntarily express religious viewpoints in schools.  Senator Alice Forgy Kerr (R-Lexington) successfully attached another amendment that would make HB 236 immediately come into force after it became law with Governor Steve Beshear's (D) signature. 

Sen. Embry withdrew his 'Bathroom Bounty Bill' amendment and the altered  HB 236 passed 27-9. But the damage was done, and the amended HB 236..has no support in the Democratically controlled House when they voted overwhelmingly for the original bill.

While I'm sad that a great bill that would have empowered Kentucky students fell victim to GOP political shenanigans, the bigger picture is that the unjust anti-trans bill is FINALLY dead. 

Saks Settles Trans Discrimination Lawsuit With Leyth Jamal

Saks, y'all need to admit you were wrong, pay the trans lady and move on.
-TransGriot, January 9, 2015

After Saks Fifth Avenue tried to disgustingly claim while defending itself from a discrimination lawsuit filed by trans woman Leyth Jamal they had a 'right to discriminate ' against trans people, tried to use their HRC Corporate Equality Index score to try to justify it, they finally settled out of court for an undisclosed amount after taking a PR and legal beating.

Jamal filed the lawsuit after she was harassed, discriminated against and fired from the Houston Galleria Saks location in December 2012 after filing an EEOC complaint.

Jamal’s lawsuit claimed that her coworkers at the store  referred to her as a man and forced her to use the men’s bathroom. A manager suggested that she make her appearance more masculine and “separate her home life from work life.”

After Saks initially tried to assert that trans people weren't covered under Title VII (yeah, we are)  and getting pushback from legal briefs filed by New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center For Lesbian Rights and the Department of Justice on that point, they relented 

Jamal's lawyers Jillian Weiss and Mitchell Katine filed a stipulation of dismissal of the case with prejudice, and announced the case had been amicably settled.

Discrimination costs you money, business people.  

And FYI to our HERO haters here in H-town, once again, here's a documented example of anti-trans discrimination occurring in our city limits, and it's why the HERO needs to be implemented without delay.

Calling Out The US Conference Of Catholic Bishops Transphobia

TransGriot Note: Another guest post from Fallon Fox.  She had a lot to say about the US Conference of Catholic Bishops letting their transphobia flow while hating on President Obama's recent TBLG rights protective executive orders.


"The executive order prohibits “gender identity” discrimination, a prohibition that is previously unknown at the federal level, and that is predicated on the false idea that “gender” is nothing more than a social construct or psychological reality that can be chosen at variance from one’s biological sex.".

Thus saith the willfully ignorant (A.K.A. - stupid as hell ) United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. What they are saying is that they are butt hurt over their slipping grip on discrimination of transgender people.

"In the name of forbidding discrimination, this order implements discrimination.", they say. I could have sworn that we have a separation of church and state. A simple Wikipedia search, or fifth grade text book, could easily inform the USCCB of the contents of the US Constitution.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.   What's messed up is that they willfully recognize that what they want is discrimination.

The USCCB says, "The executive order prohibits “gender identity” discrimination, a prohibition that is previously unknown at the federal level..." and, "With the stroke of a pen, it lends the economic power of the federal government to a deeply flawed understanding of human sexuality, to which faithful Catholics and many other people of faith will not assent. As a result, the order will exclude federal contractors precisely on the basis of their religious beliefs."

So, basically what they are saying is that they recognize their particular brand of Catholicism is discriminatory against a certain minority group. They admit that and their religion demands that discrimination.

I am in no way religious. But, if I were to feel froggy enough to dabble in a belief system that ignores the peer reviewed evidence of scientist and doctors, because I felt that I needed to hold on to something for whatever reason, I certainly wouldn't pick the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops brand of Catholicism. Because, that would be an asshole-ish thing to do to other human beings, no? Subscribe to a religious view that seeks to implement, or keep in place, hateful governmental policies in order to bolster the belief system that makes me comfortable as a navigate my way in this world? All of these restraints on fellow humans lives in minority groups, and supposed self defined 'government protections' for myself, when I would have absolutely positively not one single solitary shed of evidence for the religion I am basing all of this discrimination on.

It only took a second for the words "What kind of insanity is this?" to fly out of my mouth and for my fist to slam my desk when I read the USCCB website today.   See, there is clear scientific peer reviewed evidence that transgender women have differences in their brains than cisgender males. That is a fact. One can argue if it is a matter of nature, nurture, or a combination of the two before toddler age or such that leads to the neurological configuration of transgender women's brains. But, what they have found is that transgender women's neurology is different. There is no denying that even for the USCCB. The scientific and medical communities know this and the government knows this.

On the flip side, when science attempts to find evidence for a god, neither the scientific, medical, or governmental entities can find absolutely no concrete evidence that points to the god of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, or any other god that has been written into religious text. And if any scientist, doctor, or politician were to ever find such evidence, they would be the most popular person on planet Earth. The Vatican would love to see such hard evidence of their claims pushed to the forefront. It would be a worldwide game changer. It would most certainly cause enough of a stir to cover up the child molestation problem that is rampant within their institution. Yet, silence abounds in the halls of hard scientific evidence when questions of God are concerned.

Now, I'm not here to preach to you that there is or is not a god. That's just not my thing. I personally have no religious belief. But, as long as a religion doesn't try to harm anyone, or hinder someone else's life, it's not really an issue for me. I'll say again for those who are sensitive about the issue of religion. As long as religion doesn't seek to put roadblocks in the way of my well being and freedoms that all humans should have, then I'm pretty much live and let live in that regards. That's pretty much the mindset of most non believers. But, let's think about what's going on here in this particular situation with the USCCB and transgender rights. Because this is where a conflict can and does arise constantly when some (but not all) religions try to impose their belief system on others lives.

It's well known within medicine and science that transgender women are women in their brains regardless of surgeries or hormone replacement therapy. There is clear evidence of this fact. On the flip side, there is zero scientific evidence of the god of the USCCB. Yet, we don't hear transgender atheist complaining about sharing restrooms with members of the USCCB. We don't even hear transgender Catholics complaining about sharing restrooms with members of the USCCB. As a matter of fact, I haven't heard of any group complaining or suggesting that members of the USCCB be segregated from male restrooms. One would think that would be an issue that someone should bring up. Given the documented rapes by Catholic priests time and time again on young boys, everyone knows that Catholics have a problem in this area. Yet, transgender folks, and most rational people, realize that Catholic rape tends to happen often, you can't paint one entire group of people with one broad brush and be hyper paranoid about sharing spaces like restrooms with them.

Let's flip that coin again. You will rarely, if ever, find transgender women molesting children or raping anybody in a restroom. Not that it could not happen. There are crazies in every group I am sure. But, it's just not a reoccurring thing, and it is not pervasive by any stretch of the imagination. I've never heard of a transgender person in a restroom raping anyone ever in my life. You don't hear about repeated cases of rapes dished out by transgender women. And transgender women have been using women's restrooms since restrooms were invented. No, it's actually the opposite way round. You actually find repeated cases of transgender women raped by the hands of others. That has also been happening since the invention of the restroom.

One thing for certain is this. If transgender women, or any other group were to even hint at the possibly, if they were even to whisper the idea that Catholics should be banned from restrooms because - well, you know - some Catholics are known for raping kids, Catholics would have a fit. They would no doubt scream, "This is hateful discrimination! Not all Catholics rape kids!" from the mountain tops.   And they would have good reason to, as that would certainly be hateful discrimination based on the evil deeds of a few.

What would happen if transgender women who were not Catholic said this?  "Prohibiting 'religious discrimination', a prohibition that should be known at the federal level, and that is predicated on the false idea that the "USCCG's god" is a real being that interacts with humans on earth - is wrong. We need to have religious discrimination! Their lifestyle and desires conflict with our own. We actually feel quite uncomfortable sharing restrooms with Catholics. So, we would like 'religious discrimination' implemented in the case of Catholic restroom usage. We don't mind if Catholics use the restroom of course. We know they need to go potty when they need to. We just don't want them doing it anywhere near us. We propose a restroom separated from non-Catholics for those special Catholic needs. The restrooms we have in mind are clearly marked with a lower cased "t" so that they will be easily recognizable by Catholic restroom usage. Look how merciful we are! We even propose a place for Catholics to go number one and two! Just keep them far far way from us please."

The above scenario would never happen. Every secularly minded non believer that I know of has no problem simply sharing a restroom with someone of a different belief system as themselves, or disagrees with them on an issue. It's just not a thing that is rampant among rational empathetic humans. If a non-believer were to hold such a hateful bigoted position and paint every single believer with such a broad brush they would be wrong. And this progressive atheist transgender lesbian would go to task in fighting them on that harmful suggestion. I don't have to though, because as I said, it doesn't happen. Yet, the USCCB, and some other far right religious institutions are drunk with unnecessary irrational fears of their fellow humans.

Fortunately, there are more empathetic and progressive Catholics and Christians on this planet that I can respect. And even though we may disagree on the concept of a divine creator, we realize that we can judge each individual on an individual basis. We don't have to unnecessarily fear or judge whole minority groups, or each other for the acts of a few individuals. We can respect each other, live in peace, and be friends actually.

Fortunately, the younger generation is more understanding than their elders and won't stand for their elders insensitivity in the long run and most certainly will throw the bums out in the future. And that my friends gives me much hope for humanity.

Don't Buy Where You Aren't Hired

One of the things we have been trying to grapple with in the African-American trans community is what is the best way to deal with the crushing 26% unemployment rate that ails our community .

While passing non discrimination ordinances is one way of doing it, there are just some areas of the country that isn't going to happen for them until a federal ENDA is passed or businesses start feeling the sting of adverse EEOC rulings or federal lawsuits for their anti-trans bigotry.

So what can we trans peeps do in the interim to get companies to do the right thing and hire trans workers? 

Borrow a page from the tried and true tactics of the Civil Rights movement.   Hit 'em in the wallet.

There is this false belief in the trans community that we don't have much economic power.   Not true.   If we use it collectively and efficiently target it, we do have economic leverage.   

If you don't think the over $12K the trans community donated to the 2008 Obama campaign didn't get their attention or isn't one of the reasons the Obama Administration has been the most trans friendly presidency in US history, you are naive or haven't been paying attention.

Money talks.  Businesses who value our community know that diversity is good for their bottom line.  But there are some for whatever reason don't want us in our establishment of discriminate against our people who simply want to be hired and get a decent paycheck.

So it's time to bring back a tactic from the Civil Rights Movement era and remix it for the 2k10's.on behalf of the trans community. 

Don't spend our T-bills where they won't hire us or treat us with respect and dignity.

We not only use economic boycotts to get companies to hire us, we also partner with organizations to have transpeople run undercover stings.   We do so to test these companies and ensure they are hiring our people.  And if they aren't, publicly embarrass them as was done in New York a few years ago to J. Crew. 

They got busted in 2008 for not hiring transpeople despite having gender identity and expression language in their non-discrimination policy.   We can also use that discrimination data collected in these stings to press the case for adding trans people to non-discrimination laws in those areas without those protections.

So let's consider implementing this policy as soon as possible.   Don't buy or spend your money where they won't hire or respect you.

Tired Of Black TBLG Women Getting Harassed For Going To The Bathroom

Had a nice conversation with Andraya Williams Saturday in which she reminded me we'd met when I was in Charlotte in 2012 to deliver the keynote speech for the TransFaith In Color conference. 

The subject then turned to the battle she and her attorney Sarah Demarest are currently fighting with Central Piedmont Community College.

Appears as though the CPCC peeps seem to think that if they keep stonewalling instead of coming to grips with the fact they have seriously screwed up by disrespecting Andraya and resolving the matter, this will all go away.

Umm hmm, keep thinking that.   The more you stonewall, the more you piss people off to where this will escalate into you having to deal with your transphobic sins in federal court and probably paying for them.





The well attended protest that occurred Friday should have been a wake up call, so CPCC, I would urge you to expeditiously apologize to Ms.Williams,discipline the security officers involved, get busy enacting non discrimination policies that cover sexual orientation and gender identity, and create some clearly marked and designated gender neutral bathrooms.

You can either do that now or pay Ms. Williams much more in cash later.
 
One of the things I told Andraya was she isn't the first transwoman to face anti-trans harassment over the bathroom, and sadly won't be the last one. I pointed out this crap happened to Tyjanae Moore in 2010 at the Houston Public Library downtown location instigated just like in her case, by a transphobic security guard.   Another incident happened to a transgender UHD student last year that led to gender neutral bathrooms being established on their campus.. 

But there have been far too many of these incidents aimed at Black trans, SGL and gender variant women.  There was Khadijah Farmer's 2007 case in New York against the Caliente Cab restaurant.   
No sooner had the ink dried on the settlement agreement in the Farmer case we were hearing about producer Tanya White being thrown out of the posh Beverly Hills Hotel and disrespectfully being called 'it' in September 2007 for using the ladies room while attending a party at the hotel for actress LisaRaye McCoy.

In Arkansas Kaye Bowens was fired from her job because somebody had a problem with her using the ladies room. 

Bottom line is we transwomen of all ethnic backgrounds are beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of being harassed and in some cases violently confronted by cis people just for going to the damn bathroom. 

We've got to poop and piss too, so let my trans people do that in peace, will you?  Or is your need to bully and oppress somebody that deep seated?  

Y'all also need to stop believing the 'bathroom predator' woof tickets the right wing is selling you peeps because they have no logic and reason based argument to justify their opposition to trans human rights laws.        

All that I or any transwoman does when we go potty is the same thing you do.  Poop, piss and wash our hands when we're done.   We don't need your harassment aimed at us because you have insecurities you haven't dealt with yet and you want to feel like Mr. Big Cis Man or Ms. Big Cis Woman by messing with us. 
  

Mexican Trans Woman Being Denied Opportunity To Play Soccer

Soccer (or football to the rest of the world) is the world's most popular sport and is called 'the beautiful game' by its fans. 

But what is happening to 44 year old Mexican transwoman Miranda Itzayana is anything but beautiful.

Prior to transition, she played for the first division Mexican League team Pumas and others from 1985-1992.   She wanted to play the sport again and in June 2012 after showing documentation verifying her feminine identity, Itzayana joined the Mexican Women's League team Jaguars Aldana.  

Initially she was told there was no problem with her playing in the league, but pressure mounted as opposing teams wanted her thrown out of the league for 'playing like a man'.  Itzayana was also subjected to homophobic and transphobic slurs while playing matches.  

In February during a Mexican Women's League meeting the league and her team bowed to pressure and baseless accusations from opposing teams by not allowing Itzayana to play.  The league after that meeting subsequently enacted a 'women born women' policy to keep her out in violation of the IOC Stockholm Accords that FIFA and national soccer federations follow that allow trans athletes to compete.  

Jaguars Aldana, fearing being barred from the Mexican Women's League, threatened to expel Itzayana from the team if she complained publicly about her unjust treatment.    Upset about the discriminatory treatment she was receiving, she decided to take her case to the Council for the Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination in Mexico City (COPRED).

The COPRED commissioner ruled in her favor and ordered that Itzayana be reinstated, allowed to play in the next tounament and the discriminatory league rule be changed to allow her participation. 

FIFA has had an ongoing 'Say No To Racism' campaign in which we see the banner held up by players of both teams during every World Cup Men's and Women's tournament and other major confederation tournaments in international soccer.  We'll see it again later this summer in Brazil. 

But as I wrote back in 2011 and Jazz, Aeris Houlihan and Miranda Itzayana can tell you from painful experience, FIFA needs to immediately embark upon a campaign to eradicate transphobia and homophobia
from the sport, too.

Hiding From Transphobic Bigotry Won't Make It Go Away

I got involved in a discussion today on a friend's Facebook page about the transphobic bigotry Yanel Valenzuela was exposed to at a California LA Fitness location back in October


When one of the participants in that FB discussion stated that these type of incidents are why transwomen who pass go stealth, I responded that this is exactly why transpeople need to be out and proud about who they are.

Being in stealth doesn't help the trans community.  It only helps the individual that is in stealth.

Hiding from the transphobic bigotry and hate doesn't and will never make it go away.  The only thing that will make it go away is increased visibility of trans people, increased education about our lives and the issues we face, and getting laws passed to protect our human rights.

I say that because light skinned people in the African-American community that tried to erase their connections to their Black heritage to acquire pseudo White privilege saw it all come crashing down once their Black heritage was discovered.    

The salient point I'm making here is that you cannot fight for your human rights in hiding.   We have tried that in the trans community at the behest of the medical gatekeepers for the first 30 years post Christine Jorgensen's arrival from Denmark 60 years ago.   It didn't work then and it won't work now.

And yes, the Religious Right is now coming for us, and we better be tough minded enough to stand up to them and punch them in the nose when necessary, not cowering in the shadows hoping they'll go away because they won't.   . 

It's no accident that since more transpeople have come out, are openly living their lives and are being ambassadors for our community, we have made tremendous trans human rights progress. 

But our trans human rights job is not yet complete. We still have much work left to do to eradicate anti-trans bigotry and hatred.   The journey to full acceptance of our community with codified human rights is not done and we have many miles to go before it is finished.  
  

La Feria ISD Trans Student Will Have Pic In Yearbook

"But based on what happened in 2013 and previous school years over the life of this blog, I'm betting I'll be writing a few posts during the 2013-14 school year chronicling your attempts to fight the power, express your trans selves and live your lives."
  
--TransGriot  Trans Class of 2014, Start Planning Now To Beat Your Trans Oppressors  June 8, 2013

It's not even Thanksgiving Day yet and I've already been busy writing up on this blog drama already happening across the country with trans students fighting against their trans oppressors to be themselves as they navigate this school year. 

And you can bet that prom season and graduation days will bring even more resistance, transphobic ignorance and anti-trans bigotry from school administrators. 

Have been keeping my eye on along with other trans Texans the unnecessary drama going on in the Rio Grande Valley with La Feria High School trans teen Jeydon Loredo.

The La Feria High senior received some transphobic resistance from newly installed La Feria ISD superintendent Rey Villarreal concerning his picture that is slated to appear in the school yearbook.  

Villarreal has only been in the LFISD supenintendent's chair for four months andl stated that due to nebulous 'community standards'  Jeydon's yearbook picture of him in a tuxedo would not be allowed to be placed in the yearbook unless he wore traditional feminine attire.





That got the Southern Poverty Law Center involved.   They threatened to file a federal lawsuit on Jeydon's behalf if the anti-trans bigotry didn't cease and desist.  It set the stage for a November 11 LaFeria ISD board meeting in which Jeydon addressed the board along with his SPLC attorney Alesdair Ittelson.

“As school board members, you don’t get to decide whether transgender students receive the same rights as students who are not transgender, ” Ittelson told the LFISD board. “You must treat Jeydon equally and with the respect he deserves. The fact is, you must allow the tuxedo photo in the yearbook in order to remain in compliance with the law.” 

“Please allow my community to remember me, and to remember me the way I truly am, in the clothes that reflect me: Jeydon Loredo,” he asked the board.

The La Feria ISD school board subsequently went into closed session but made no decision on the photo.  They also closed ranks, refusing to comment on the issue or make a final decision probably in a vain attempt to stonewall and hope the story and the negative attention it was focusing on the town and school district near the Mexican border would fade away.

The SPLC wasn't amused.  They threatened to file the promised legal action if the LFISD didn't make a decision in Jeydon's case by November 21.  After a November 15 meeting between the interested parties, the La Feria ISD reversed itself. 

Jeydon's photo will now be included in the yearbook (as it should have been in the first place).  The La Feria ISD agreed to follow its own policies for cases of gender discrimination and provide training for the persons involved.

They also agreed to do a comprehensive education program for the La Feria school community in addition to adding gender identity and expression language in its district anti-discrimination policies.  

“We are very pleased that the school district has recognized Jeydon for who he is and will allow his photo in the yearbook along with all his classmates,” said Ittelson.

"This is a signal to other school districts that transgender students should be recognized as important members of their communities rather than ostracized and subjected to discrimination. We applaud Jeydon’s courage in standing up for his rights.” he continued.

And Jeydon's Lone Star State trans brothers and trans sisters second that sentiment.  

Another Reason Why Non Discrimination Laws To Protect Trans People MUST Have Public Accomodations Language In Them

Those of you who have read this blog know that I will go straight the hell off if I hear any hint of a suggestion that in order to pass a non-discrimination law that protects trans people, we trans folks must drop public accommodations language from them.  

Bull feces.  You gay and lesbian peeps didn't drop public accommodations language from the local and state non-discrimination laws that cover sexual orientation only, so not no, but hell no will I even entertain that thought or publicly support a trans rights bill with no public accommodations language.   

If you want to know why I'm so militant about that point, ask the folks in Massachusetts who are honest enough to do so about the problems they are having adding that missing public accommodations language into their no prize winning public accommodations language free trans rights law elements of their community  trumpeted as a win back in 2011.

Hate to say I told you so, but ....

The reason why public accommodations language is a must for any trans human rights law and I'm so insistent upon it was demonstrated once again in this videotape of a November 8 incident outside an ATL Latino bar.

Alissah Brooks was denied entrance because of her trans status, and the manager ignorantly asserting that since it was a private club they had the right to do so. 

FYI, the City of Atlanta's non-discrimination ordinance passed in 2000 and updated by a unanimous vote back in July covers trans people.  But you'll find that out soon enough Don Pollo when y'all either get hauled into municipal court or in front of the Atlanta Human Rights Commission.

In the meantime, this video is evidence why public accommodations language is necessary in non-discrimination laws with this disturbing video taken by Alissah Brooks of Don Pollo personnel engaging in anti-trans discrimination.

Report On The Human Rights Situation Of Afro-Brazilian Trans Women

While Brazil's trans models have been ripping the runways around the world since the 1980s, SRS is free courtesy of the Brazilian national health plans and with a trans beauty pageant that sends its winner to Thailand all expenses paid to Thailand to compete in Miss International Queen it seems on the surface to be a friendly haven for trans people.

But for those of us who have been attending the TDOR's over the last few years, it's been fairly obvious that my Brazilian trans sisters are catching hell.

If you are of Afro-Brazilian descent and trans, it's even worse as this latest TDOR on November 20 and perusing Eduarda Santos' Transfofa em Blog posts documenting what's happening there will sadly attest to. 

Global Rights.org recently released a report documenting what's happening to my Afro-Brazilian trans sisters, and it's not a pretty picture.  

An annual report by Grupo Gay de Bahia (Gay Group of Bahia) or GGB, a leading national organization in Brazil combating anti-TBLG violence against LGBTI Brazilians noted that there was a 21% increase in murders directed at BTLG Brazilians between 2011 and 2012.    

There was also a 5.6% increase between 2002 and 2010 in the number of homicides of Afro-Brazilians as they declined 24.8% amongst white Brazilians during the same period

The lack of Brazilian federal legislation to prevent violent acts based on sexual orientation or gender identity also has been a factor in fueling the anti-trans murders aimed at trans Afro-Brazilians.  

You may wish to read this sobering Global Rights.org 'Report On The Human Rights Situation Of Afro-Brazilian Trans Women' by clicking on the link.

Transpeople of Color Don't Get The Luxury of Ignoring Race And Class

Sigh.  Once again, Moni's gonna have to break it down for the wallowing in white privilege clueless. 

And this clueless youngling had the nerve to claim in the subsequent comment thread that she's 'anti-racist'.

Peep this comment posted by Jocelynn Veleta on the mixed company Facebook Transgender Alliance FB page.

It was posted on a comment from Black Transmen Resources ironically posted to promote their upcoming BTAC 2014 conference in Dallas April-May 2014.

At first I was going to be nice and not embarrass her in cyberspace until she deleted her initial comments before I had a chance to copy them, ran, called me 'stupid', said I was 'playing the victim'  and cried the usual 'white women's tears' before I got tired of her mouth and unleashed the 50 megatons of knowledge on her azz.  

im offended when ppl add race, ethnicity, or gender restrictions to anything, Trans in itself is enough of a minority i personally don't feel we need to break up anymore... hey maybe its just me; im not trying to be rude.

No, you weren't rude, you were white privileged clueless.

As I've said on multiple posts here on this blog and on countless discussion threads inside and outside the trans community for over a decade in various ways, race matters, even in the trans community..

We transpeople of color do not have the luxury of separating our race and ethnicity from our trans status. They are inextricably part of us.   And as part of the Black community, we still get whacked by the microaggressive and macroaggressive ways whiteness and white supremacy deleteriously affects us.

Your lived experience as a solitary white trans person doesn't trump (and never will) the lived experience of someone who has taken the brunt of the white supremacist attitudes since birth, much less her people's 400 year history of living in the Americas.

Jocelynn, you may not like the fact that we have Black, Latina and Asian trans groups, organizations and conventions, but they didn't come out of a vacuum.

As Kwame Ture said, 'in order to become a part of the greater society, you must first close ranks.'

People of color face anti POC hatred whether we are trans or not and being trans only magnifies that. And some of the worst manifestations of that anti-POC hatred are in our own TBLG ranks.

What we do have, if the trans community will seize that opportunity, is to lead by example in eradicating racism in its subset of society.

Our little subset of society is infected by the same isms and ills of the parent society, and just because you transitioned doesn't mean you nor transpeople of color are free of that baggage.  Race and ethnicity add to our trans status as bigotry multipliers in terms of the anti-trans hate directed at us inside and outside the TBLG community.   Black trans women have to deal with the same 'ugly black woman' meme and destruction of our images that our cis sisters have had to grapple with for four centuries.  Black trans men when they transition step into being just as hated by society as their cis Black masculine counterparts do and the transmasculine discussion being disproportionately centered on white trans men. 

And when the Teapublicans seek to block the vote of the Black community at the polls, I don't get a pass from that because I'm trans.    

Jocelynn, you aren't even close to being anti-racist if you can't openly acknowledge the point that racist attitudes permeates American society, still affects POC's in the second decade of the 21st century, can't see past your own unacknowledged white privilege and how it has shaped your thinking (as the playing the victim conservacomment demonstrates) and that racism= prejudice plus systemic power.

And before you even part your lips to ever try to bring up the word 'anti-racist' in a conversation, better hit Google and learn the word 'intersectionality'. 

I'm offended Jocelynn when you make such a knee jerk reactive clueless statement on the comment of a Black trans group promoting their upcoming Dallas trans conference open to all, you failing to see how problematic that statement of yours was, and then running when you get called on it.

And you getting your vanillacentric privileged back up, accusing me of 'attacking you' for schooling your barely out of zygote stage behind and you running from the truth isn't going to change one syllable of what I posted about race still mattering in the trans community.     

We do have the opportunity in the trans community to build a society better than the one we left behind but it's going to take honest communication about race relations in our community to do so. 

Honest communications that obviously you're not even close to being ready for or intelligently discuss.
 

Persian Gulf States Seek To Bar Trans Workers

Remember the post I wrote in July asking where in the world I could travel on a US passport?   

Scratch the Persian Gulf States from that list if a proposed policy is approved to bar trans people from obtaining visas to work in the Persian Gulf States. 

The Gulf Cooperation Council according to the Saudi based Arab News is pondering a proposal by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health tightening genetic tests for immigrant workers in order to prevent transgender migrants from entering the GCC job market.

Tawfiq Khojah, director-general of the Executive Office at the GCC Health Council, said, “The health checklist for migrant workers now contains a mandatory examination to determine gender.”

These constrictions are necessary to 'preserve Islamic principles', he added and will be made in a meeting for the Central Committee for Foreign Workers’ at the Health Council to be held on November 11, Khojah told Arab News.

I don't doubt that part of what's motivating this Kuwaiti proposed policy is a reaction to the flood of trans sex workers entering the conservative leaning Gulf States combined with transphobic attitudes in that country leading to the persecution of Kuwaiti transpeople.

“Undergoing the test will become mandatory for an estimated 289 health centers across the GCC if the Health Council approves the proposal of tighter controls on gender tests for migrant workers. More than 2 million expatriate workers underwent the new gender tests in 2012,” Khojah said.

Youssef Mendkar, director of the Public Health Department at the Kuwait Ministry of Health, confirmed that the proposal aims to prevent transgender migrants from working in GCC countries. The tests determine the gender at birth.

The Kuwaiti backed anti-trans proposal before the GCC is a violation of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Yogyakarta Principles.

The transphobic proposal is getting denounced by LGBT human rights advocates such as London based Peter Tatchell and is only adding to the pressure FIFA is getting to pull the 2022 World Cup tournament from Qatar.

"Excluding expat workers because of their gender identity is immoral and doesn't make economic sense," said Tatchell to The Guardian. "People should be employed solely on the basis of their personal integrity and their ability to do the job. Trans people make perfectly good, reliable employees."

The new proposal would also violate FIFA's non-discrimination values and prompts questions about Qatar's hosting of the 2022 tournament, Tatchell said.

"The proposals to test and ban foreign trans employees from the Gulf Co-operation countries will include Qatar and will penalize World Cup construction and hospitality staff from overseas who are trans," he said.

"If these plans get the go-ahead, FIFA should cancel the 2022 World Cup contract on the grounds that Qatar has violated FIFA's non-discrimination values. It should find a new host city for the 2022 tournament. Discrimination against trans people is incompatible with FIFA's commitment to equality for all."

Indeed.  If the Kuwaitis insist on pushing this transphobic policy,, then FIFA needs to yank the 2022 World Cup from Qatar in order to stay true to their anti-discrimination policies.   Good luck on that happening. 

We'll find out what transpires at that November 11 meeting and see if transphobia prevails.. 

LA Fitness Hates On A Transwoman

One of my not so fond memories of one of my frequent non-rev trips to Los Angeles in the late 90's was when I flew out there as soon as my gate shift was over at 9 PM on Wednesday to spend two of my three consecutive off days hanging out with my homegirl Seni.

But unfortunately on that particular trip my flight got delayed due to a cold front passing through the Houston area.  It not only cooled the temps off in the IAH area, it created dense fog that dropped visibility enough to create lengthy ATC delays into and out of IAH because at that time it only had four runways  

By the time we finally took off  to do the 3 plus hour flight to Los Angeles my 12 AM Pacific time arrival in LAX became a 2 AM one.   Me thinking I'd be able to make up that sleep I lost on the trip to the Left Coast was cruelly shattered when Seni woke my peacefully slumbering butt up to accompany her to her nearby LA Fitness gym for a workout.  

I was so pissed off that when I hit the Stairmaster in that near Beverly Hills area location I was stomping my pissivity out on it for 20 minutes before I realized it was set to be much harder than I normally liked and my legs reminded me of it a few minutes later when they cramped up. 

That trip down Moni Memory Lane was generated because of the story that TransGriot reader Jazmine Brockington sent me concerning transwoman Yanel Valenzuela.  

She was allegedly told after she revealed her trans status to an LA Fitness employee in an effort to get workout advice specific to her situation she could no longer use the women's locker room.  

The cis female manager at the Montclair, CA location  (located at 9385 Monte Vista Ave in case anybody in the LA area wants to organize a picket of it)  told a stunned Valenzuela she could no longer use the women's locker room.   The manager was also unmoved when Valenzuela produced her carry letter from her gender therapist and herCalifornia DL with the F in the gender code area. 



“It gave me emotional stress,” Valenzuela told reporters. “I don’t think it was fair... I felt hurt because I don’t understand why she did it. She had no reason. She had no complaints from anyone."

According to news reports in the area LA Fitness is aware of the situation but has no comment   And note to that transphobic cis female manager:  In California trans people are a protected class under the state's anti-discrimination laws.

"I hope this never happens to anybody again because it’s not fair for me to be disrespected in front of clients and members that come here,” Valenzuela said. 

So do I Ms. Valenzuela.  And hope you give Lambda Legal's LA office a call while you're at it. 

And it is because of situations like this why I go straight the hell off when some cis person, especially from the GLB community tries to suggest we pass half-assed trans human rights laws (Massachusetts) that don't have public accommodations language in them. 
 

Smith College, Don't Assume The Trans Community Forgot About What Happened To Calliope

With the 2013-14 academic school year about to commence either this month or in September on many college campuses, I not only wanted to take a moment to give an early salute to the transpeople in the Class of 2014 that will be beginning their senior years on many campuses, but salute the class of 2017 that will be starting their freshman year on campuses across the nation.

I also wanted to make sure that as the summer vacation season winds down and fall approaches in several weeks, that we don't forget about a college freshman named Calliope Wong that will not be walking the campus of Smith College where she wanted to go.  She is matriculating elsewhere on another college campus due to hypocritical transphobia in their application process. 

In the wake of the drama that Smith College's rejection of Wong caused including this Change.org petition that has accumulated almost 5,000 signatures, the Northampton, MA based college stated they would put together a panel in the Fall 2013 semester to look at the issue.   

Smith's dean of admissions, Debra Shaver, announced a committee would form to address the needs of prospective trans students at Smith. The committee will begin meeting in September, and in the interim, Smith will stop denying admissions to trans girls and women listed as male on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms, which is what happened to Wong.

Well, the start of the Fall 2013 semester classes on September 3 is rapidly approaching, and don't think for a moment the trans community, Smith students, Smith alums who support trans feminine inclusion, transpeople in Western Mass and our allies forgot what happened to Calliope or what was said back in May. .

Our eyes will definitely be upon you starting September 3, and do not doubt for a moment we won't be paying attention to what does (or doesn't) happen on your campus on the issue of trans feminine inclusion on your campus.

The trans community is deadly serious in wanting this issue affirmatively resolved.  We will be paying attention to whether the committee Dean of Admissions Debra Shaver alluded to in May will actually be formed and do the hard solid thinking and work to solve the problem.

Or is it as we suspect you were simply engaged in selling woof tickets in order to ratchet down the increasing negative publicity Smith College was getting at the time concerning the issue. 

We trans bloggers will be paying attention, too to see which scenario plays out this fall. 


TransGriot Note: This post is also up at Original Plumbing.

27,072 People (And Counting) Say Let Damian Walk In Black Robes

The pressure is mounting on Archbishop Michael Sheehan and Superintendent Murphy in this now viral story of Albuquerque, NM St. Pius High School senior Damian Garcia's simple request to walk in his graduation in a black cap and gown being denied. 

Received an e-mail from Torrey Moorman who spearheaded the MoveOn.org petition on Damian's behalf that has now garnered as of the moment I'm compiling this post 27,072 signatures toward their new goal of 30,000 signatures. 

Monica;

We have called Superintendent Murphy's phone and said: "We want you to know that we hold you and the entire Archdiocese in the Light. We are fully aware of how difficult this must be for Archbishop Sheehan who grew up being taught if you have a penis you are a boy, and if you have a vagina you are a girl."

"Unfortunately, just as the human genome project has proven unequivocally that there is no genetic variation between the races, science is proving gender and sexuality are not so simply defined. We fully appreciate that growth is uncomfortable and extremely difficult."

"William posted a photo stating: If you want to change, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable. All growth is uncomfortable, whether it is the growing pains of bones growing faster than muscle, or the pain of accepting a new definition of human sexuality. We respect your difficulties and hold you in love and Light as you go through this difficult time. We have faith that Archbishop Sheehan will make the right decision in Christ's love: To allow Damian to walk with his graduating class in black robes."

We encourage everyone to give Archbishop Sheehan and Superintendent Murphy this message. The message that decisions made out of love, instead of fear, pave the way to a loving and peaceful planet.

Sincerely,
The Moorman family, Cat Provost, and the Garcia family

All the school and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe had to do was simply let Damian walk.  To prevent such drama in the future they need to consider the possibility of having every future graduate of St. Pius High wear the same color cap and gowns.

But nope, since the Roman Catholic Church has been conducting a decade long holy war aimed at trans people and the transphobia injected into the Vatican by Paul McHugh has now filtered down the chain of command from Rome, they now have a PR mess on their hands. 

It also makes them look like bigoted and petty faith based trans oppressors to Albuquerque and the rest of the world and reinforces the disturbing decade long pattern of the Roman Catholic Church being hostile to trans people.

As I said in the comment I posted when I signed the petition: 

This is a no brainer situation.   Damian identifies as a male, has been presenting as one for over a year, and his classmates, faculty and family recognize him as one.

You only graduate from high school once, so why not let Damian walk in the black male gown?

You still have time to change that negative perception by letting Damian walk in a black cap and gown.

But the clock's ticking..

Anti-Trans SB 1218 Is DEAD!

We TBLG Texans just keep finding ways to kill these anti-trans and anti-LGB bills in the Lone Star State despite the best efforts of our conservafools and Teapublican legislative members to pass them.  

I received the good news about SB 1218 being on life support on Saturday morning, but just to be sure I wanted to wait until the midnight deadline passed until I started doing the happy dance about its demise.  

Last year it was SB 723, and this year it was SB 1218.   While I was concerned after hearing this unjust bill passed out of the Texas Senate, I knew one thing in the Texas trans community's favor was this bill may not have enough time to go through the legislative process in the Texas House.

I was also hoping that the great karma we've lately had concerning international trans marriage wins in Malta and Hong Kong would rub off on us here, too

The unjust bill had to get passed out the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee on which we had several powerful allies.   It's a nine member committee, so they need six members to constitute a quorum to conduct official business.  SB1218 also had the hurdle of if it had passed out of committee it had to do so yesterday and be placed on the House calendar by midnight May 21 or it died for the session.

So ding dong, that anti-trans bill is dead.  We get to exhale, celebrate for a minute, and then prepare for the Teahadists to come after trans Texans ability to marry again in the 2015 session unless they lose control of one or both chambers in the 2014 election cycle, the governor's chair or all of the above.

I suggest y'all get busy registering people to vote in the 2014 election cycle now so we can take the Texas legislature back and pass some progressive legislation in the 84th Texas legislature when it's gaveled into session in January 2015. 

Clock Ticking Toward Major 2013 Texas Lege Deadline

The 83rd session of the Texas legislature ends on May 27 and we are rapidly approaching a major legislative deadline at midnight.   All bills that passed the House or Senate and made it to the opposite chamber committees must be voted out of them and be placed on the House or Senate legislative calendars before midnight or they die for this session. 

So yep, the clock is ticking on the unjust SB 1218 bill.    It's still stuck in the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee and showing In Committee status.  

As a reminder of why I'm calling it an unjust bill, it attempts to strip trans people of their ability to marry by prohibiting anyone from obtaining a marriage license with a document that lacks a photo.  One of the approved documents we can use to get a marriage license in Texas is an affidavit of sex change.

It must be voted out today and placed on the House calendar or else it dies for this session.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.   

Die, SB 1218 Die!