Nikki Araguz Update 24- She's Back In Court

Yesterday Nikki Araguz was back in Republican Judge Randy Clapp's 329th District court in Wharton yesterday with a revamped legal dream team in tow comprised of Phyllis' Frye and Associates firm and Katine and Nechmann, the firm that argued the successful Lawrence v. Texas case that killed sodomy laws in the United States. 

Of course GOP Judge Clapp denied vacating his own jacked up unjust order, so it will now head to the Texas 13th District Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi and Edinburg, TX, a Corpus Christi suburb and DEMOCRATIC stronghold. 

At least she'll get a fairer hearing that we could reasonably expect from a GOP dominated court.


Cristan weighs in on the issue again and points out why marriage equality, GL style doesn't work for the trans community who is not gay, bi or lesbian.  We need to be recognized in our transitioned gender as well..

GENDA Dies For Fourth Time In NY Senate

Lost in all of the hoopla over the New York Senate finally passing on a 33-29 vote gay marriage and the bill being signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) was the fact that GENDA, a trans civil rights bill which has advanced by lopsided margins in now four  consecutive sessions only to die in the New York Senate did so once again.

While I'm happy for my gay brothers and sisters and you transpeople who also happen to be gay and lesbian as well that you will be able to get married starting in July, I still have mixed emotions about it when I consider that those same gay peeps who were celebrating in front of the Stonewall Inn have had civil rights coverage in New York State courtesy of SONDA since 2002.

A SONDA bill that transpeople were cut out of 

I'm also thinking about the irony as I see the pics and videos of the celebrations in the wake of this happening is that it is occurring on the eve of the celebrations of an event that POC transpeople helped kick off, the Stonewall Riots

Hey, happy for you GL peeps.  But I will say it once again, your ability to get married doesn't do jack for the fact that transpeople in New York state can still be legally discriminated against unless they live in certain urban areas.  GENDA was supposed to remedy that, but once again it died in the NY Senate.without getting to the floor for a vote.

I'll be interested in seeing if during the 2012 NY legislative session GENDA is pushed for passage as hard as gay marriage was in this one by ESPA, Gov. Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg, and former President Bill Clinton

But I'm not holding my breath on that, especially since 2012 is an election year..  

Joanne Cassar Taking Trans Marriage Fight To ECHR

Malta's Joanne Cassar recently lost a round in her fight for her marriage rights, but is going to continue that battle by taking her case to the European Court of Human Rights.

“I’m not inferior to other women… They can invent a million type of partnerships. I want the right to marry... I am a woman and want the rights that come with it.”

The 29 year old Cassar has been fighting this protracted legal battle over her marriage rights since September 2006.   Having exhausted all of her legal options in Malta to resolve the case, Cassar and her attorneys David Camilleri and Jose Herrera will open a case in the European Court of Human Rights.  Malta is a signatory to the treaty that established the ECHR, and whatever decision it makes in this case is binding.

She admitted in a May 25 Times of Malta interview that she was initially disappointed by the adverse ruling. "I was in a bad state at first but then I picked myself up as I realised I had always been willing to take the case to Europe. I always knew it would end there."   

“Like any other woman I feel the best thing in life is getting married and having a family. And don’t bring children into the argument... For me marriage is not only about having children. You marry a man because you love him,” she said adding that hopefully, one day, she would get to wear a white dress."

She is a woman who has human rights that were violated, and hopefully the European Court of Human Rights judges will be far wiser than the ones in her homeland in seeing that.

Beautiful Trans Brides

June is considered the traditional start of wedding season, and thought I would post some pictures of some beautiful brides who are trans.    The lead picture of this post is of Diana and Mario in Mexico City, who are BOTH transpeople who got married to each other. 

Coccinelle on her wedding day in 1960 with her first husband

A Chinese couple 

Christie Lee Littleton and her late husband Mark

Nikki Araguz and her late husband Thomas.   Her marriage was recently jacked with by money grubbing in laws, a GOP judge, and a right wing org who is openly boasting about it.

Harisu kissing her husband Micky Jung

Kimah Nelson and Jason Stenson holding their New York state marriage license.  Their marriage was annulled by a New York City clerk because Kimah is trans.

 

Another trans bride in China getting married