Trans Texans Talk About SB 6

As many of you TransGriot readers are quite aware of, been in the fight to make sure that SB 6 and any other anti-trans discriminatory bills die.

SB 6 has gotten much of the attention, and while I was at the Capitol building back on March 20, I ran into on the south lawn the GLAAD film crew that had just come from the nearby University of Texas to talk to trans Longhorns about the unjust bill and heir thoughts about it.

The video is finally up, so check it out.

Indonesian Trans Festival Shut Down By Islamic Defenders Front

There are some areas of our planet in which it's a struggle for our trans brothers and transsisters to openly live their lives in peace.  Unfortunately for the seven million transpeople who live there Indonesia is becoming one of them no thanks in large part to the Islamic Defenders Front and neglect of their human rights.

That neglect of trans human rights is particularly galling since Indonesia was where the Yogyakarta Principles were created.

A 2010 ILGA regional conference was disrupted by these so called 'defenders of the faith' and earlier this month the IDF was back on the reprehensible job of hatin' on the local transwomen by disrupting a trans festival in Jakarta planned to dispel myths and lies being spread about the local trans community.

IDF thugs showed up with sticks and helmets to break up the event, claiming the organizers didn't have a police permit and the neighborhood didn't want them having a trans pageant there.   The festival and its pageant portion was moved to the Legal Aid Foundation in central Jakarta

Merlyn Sofyan, the initiator of the festival, denied the event was only just a trans pageant.

“It’s called Festival Waria Berbudaya [Cultural Transgender Festival], not a pageant where contestants are judged by their looks,” Sofyan told the Jakarta Globe. “Festival Waria Berbudaya is an attempt to answer the wrong perceptions in our community by producing decent human resources of waria. It’s not going to be instant, but we’re trying to nurture them.”

But Salim Alatas, the head of the Jakarta chapter of faith based transphobes the IDF insisted that such an event would not be tolerated, whatever the reason was.

Sofyan, who herself was a winner of the Miss Waria 2006 pageant, said in that interview it was not the role of the IDF to say who was right or wrong.  "If we’re talking about religion, who has the right to judge other people?” said Sofyan, who had hoped the festival would counter negative sentiments toward the transgender community in Indonesia.

Indeed, since when did the Islamic Defenders Front get the right to judge other people in Indonesia, much less use thuggish tactics to break up and disrupt events they don't like?  

That's not defending your faith, that's expressing to the world how little faith you actually have if you can't live up to the principles of it and let others live their lives in peace.

East Aurora, IL School Board Caves To Hate Group

On Monday the East Aurora, IL  Board of Education unanimously adopted a groundbreaking policy hat would benefit the trans and gender non-conforming students in their district

The new policy specifically states that transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right use the restroom that corresponds to their gender-related identity that is consistently asserted at school. The student has the right to be addressed by the name they want to be called, too.
“A court-ordered name or gender change is not required, and the student needs not change his or her official records.” it's stated in the policy
…
“In no case shall a transgender student be required to use a locker room that conflicts with the student’s gender-related identity,” the policy reads.

Didn't take long for the transphobes of the Illinois Family Association, a Southern Poverty Law Center  certified hate group to jump in and start stirring up opposition to the policy. to the point in which the East Aurora school board started wavering on doing what was right.   The pushback from groups supporting the policy was just as swift.

The Trevor Project issued a statement in support of the policy. 

“The Trevor Project is fully in support of maintaining the policy adopted unanimously by the East Aurora School Board on Monday,” stated Abbe Land, executive director and CEO of The Trevor Project. “Since 2010, more than 3,000 teens from Illinois have called the Trevor Lifeline in crisis, and among their top presenting problems were bullying and harassment at school. This policy will help protect the highly vulnerable transgender student population from discrimination, fear and hate that leads to bullying, increased anxiety, and elevated safety concerns on East Aurora’s campuses, and is a step that can help save lives.”

Last night the East Aurora board held another meeting.  By a 4-0 vote with three board members absent, they caved to the chrisotfascists at the Illinois Family Association and rescinded the policy the board passed on Monday to boos and cries of "Shame" and "Cowards".

The policy had support from the overflow crowd in attendance for the meeting.   Out of the twenty people that spoke at the emergency meeting, 17 were in favor of keeping the passed policy.    One of those persons in favor of it, Victoria Beltran, who has three children in the District's schools had this to say.

“If you go against it, there’s no reason to support you guys,” she told the board. “We need to hear everyone in our district and not people outside our district.”   Ms.Beltran was referring to the haters at the IFA, who like the cowards they are didn't send anyone to speak at that meeting.  

Parents who are in favor of the policy are considering in conjunction with several organizations lawsuits to restore the policy, and I wouldn't be surprised if those board members find themselves challenged in the next election cycle for caving in the face of bigotry and hatred.

The bigots and bullies of the IFA won this round because the East Aurora, IL school board was too cowardly to stand up for what they passed Monday.   If they did so out of fear they were going to lose their seats, their actions last night to rescind the policy may be what actually costs them their seats, not supporting the trans and gender variant kids of the district .  

And speaking of those trans and gender variant kids, you rescinded the policy on Spirit Day.   It's bitterly ironic that on a day in which millions of people and allies around the country show support to trans and gender variant kids against bullying aimed at them, you East Aurora school board members caved in to the bigots and bullies of the Illinois Family Association.

That's fracked up East Aurora school board, and shame on y'all for not being tough minded enough to stand up for the trans and gender variant kids in your district.

A Cristan History Minute- RadFems And Trans Folks

As I've pointed out along with other trans people, after 40 years, ain't no love lost between trans women and rad fems and that war has been going on since the early 70's.

They also hate the fact that their ability to just lie like Republicans  about us without being confronted about it is over thanks to the Net and legions of trans bloggers who ain't 'scurred' to call their butts out.

Cristan has come up with another interesting post shedding more light on our trans history light at Ehipassiko that deserves signal boosting and your attention. entitled 1974: Rad Fems and Trans Folks

Now If Julie Only Called Out Their Racism, Too

Julie Bindel isn't exactly one of my fave people since she is part of the trans oppressor clan, but had to chuckle when even the Radfem Hub KKKrowd was too much for her.

Seems like some drama has built up between her and the Whyte Radfem Womyn Gone Wild

Break out the popcorn.

Sheena Monnin's Faith Based Sour Grapes

Been following the twists and turns of former Miss Pennsylvania USA Sheena Monnin flapping her gums in the wake of her June 4 resignation over so far unsubstantiated allegations that the 2012 Miss USA pageant was 'fixed'.  She also claimed her resignation was based on her right wing 'moral fiber' belief that trans contestants should not be permitted to compete in the pageant.

Yeah, right  Miss Thang.   . 

The Donald is suing her for defamation on that pageant fixing claim and Miss USA officials released the text of the resignation e-mail they received from her.the day after the pageant was held in Las Vegas on June 3.

Can you say transphobia?   Thought you could.

“I refuse to be part of a pageant system that has so far and so completely removed itself from its foundational principles as to allow and support natural born males to compete in it. This goes against ever (sic) moral fiber of my being.”

Yo, Sheena, what the hell is a 'natural born male'?  Never heard of that.

However, bigotry and discrimination goes against my moral fiber. It disgusts me even more when I see people like you who sanctimoniously express transphobic bigotry try to hide behind the Bible while doing so. 

I wonder if your 27 year old hypocritical azz would have resigned if you'd won the Miss USA title instead of Olivia Culpo.  With the revelations coming out about you I thank God you didn't. 

I don't know why you're complaining about transwomen being allowed to compete in the Miss Universe pageant system when there were none competing in this year's USA pageant because the long needed rule change happened far too late for any transwoman to enter it.

Sheena, let's continue to tell it like it T-I-S is shall we? Seems to me you're drinking hateraid from 55 gallon drums when it comes to #girlslikeus. 

Hmm.  You were one of two of the oldest women in this year's event at age 27 and couldn't even crack the top 16 in a 51 woman pageant field consisting of all 'natural born women' while South Carolina's Erika Powell, the other 27 year old contestant did.  

And you threw catty shade at Miss South Carolina for doing so. 

Hating on Jenna Talackova because she's 24, made the Top 16 in Canada's national pageant and shared the Miss Congeniality award with three other women?  Jenna Talackova has more class in her pinky finger than you have in your entire nekulturny body

Makes me wonder what your reaction would have been if the Miss USA 2012 pageant had a open transwoman entered much less made it to the top 16.   

Oops, never mind.  Based on your previous transphobic comment I can reasonably deduce that and the transphobic crap you would have tweeted from backstage.  I submit it wouldn't have been as compassionate as you claim you are on the Miss Pennsylvania website, have exhibited on this issue or toward fellow Miss USA 2012 contestants.
.       

I'd daresay than when the Miss USA-Universe pageant system finally does have a trans contestant competing in it, I'm confident that the trans contestant in question will probably go much farther and with a lot more character, class and moral fiber than you exhibited in this 2012 edition.

Shannon, here's some career advice for you.  Why don't you apply at Fox Noise since they need fresh fembots with 'moral fiber' and jacked up conservative attitudes to stick in front of their cameras?