Target Stands With Us- Stand With Them This Holiday Season

As Dr. King once said,  the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he sands in times of conflict and controversy

Corporations and their leaders can also be judged by that same standard, and so far Target is passing with flying colors in standing with the trans community.

Since the unjust HB 2 passed in North Carolina and Republican controlled legislatures started proposing bills to oppress trans people, Target has been standing firm on its policy for employees and shoppers that you use the restroom in its stores based on your gender presentation.

When questioned about it in a CNBC Squawk Box interview in the face of threats from the American Fascist Family Association of a boycott, Target CEO Brian Cornell stood with our community




The AFA boycott they launched back in April has failed, but the professional TBLGQ community haters have made renewed calls to boycott Target and other companies during this holiday season.  

We trans peeps need to be there in support of a company that supports us.   So whenever possible, spend your holiday T-bills with a company that respects your humanity.   Show corporate America that supporting trans people is good for their fiscal bottom line

Target stands with the trans community.  Let's stand with them this holiday season.

Unjust Injunction Granted In Texas vs United States Trans Rights Case

The transphobic oppressors won a round in federal district court as US District Judge Reed O'Connor, a known anti-LGBT rights oppressor and GW Bush judicial appointee issued a preliminary nationwide injunction Sunday against the federal government's DOE/DOJ guidance to public schools regarding their legal responsibility to allow transgender students to use the same restrooms as other cisgender students.

Translation: the current jacked up status quo is in place until the lawsuit flied by my indicted attorney general works its way through the federal court system.  The federal government can appeal the injunction and request a stay of it if they wish to the appellate court or the SCOTUS.

All elections at every level of government matter.  Presidential elections matter because they get to select SCOTUS and federal judges.  If you're pissed off about this ruling, keep that in mind on November 8.

Lambda Legal, the ACLU of Texas, the Transgender Law Center, the GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) had submitted a joint friend of the court amicus brief in the lawsuit by Texas and 10 other Republican controlled states subsequently joined by two others against the United States, the Departments of Education, Justice and Labor and several federal officials

Those organizations issued a joint statement shortly after Judge O'Connor's unjust ruling.:

A ruling by a single judge in one circuit cannot and does not undo the years of clear legal precedent nationwide establishing that transgender students have the right to go to school without being singled out for discrimination. This unfortunate and premature ruling may, however, confuse school districts that are simply trying to support their students, including their transgender students.

 So let us make it clear to those districts: your obligations under the law have not changed, and you are still not only allowed but required to treat transgender students fairly.

The scope of this injunction has no effect on the ability of other courts or lawyers representing transgender people to continue to rely on the federal government’s interpretations of Title IX or on prior decisions that have reached similar conclusions about the scope of federal sex discrimination laws. 

The court’s misguided decision targets a small, vulnerable group of young people – transgender elementary and high school students – for potential continued harassment, stigma and abuse.

Those five civil rights organizations pointed out that Judge O'Connor failed to consider the interests of the transgender students the federal laws sought to protect,  and pledged "We will continue to file lawsuits representing transgender students and litigate them to the fullest extent of the law-regardless of what happens with this particular federal guidance."

Chuck Smith, the CEO of Equality Texas also expressed his organization's disappointed over the unjust ruling.

We are disappointed by the ruling, but despite this setback, we are hopeful and know that the civil rights of all students will ultimately prevail. 

Transgender Texans, and in particular transgender kids, must be afforded the most basic dignity to use the restroom. Paxton’s actions seek to punish and harm transgender students who have done nothing wrong. 

We will continue to fight with the parents of these children until “ALL” children do not face discrimination and are treated equally under the law.
An injunction doesn't change what existing law is. It would only apply to the DOJ's issuance of its interpretation. So schools still need to comply with the law. Title IX and VII still prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.

This decision does nothing to prevent school districts to work with parents on an individual basis to ensure they are protected in school and do not face bullying, alienation or discrimination.

In the ruling, Judge O’Conner said, “the difficult policy issue is not a subject of his order.” We believe this civil rights issue will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The band of trans oppressor states joining together to gleefully oppress trans students in addition to my home state of Texas, includes Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky (through its GOP Gov. Matt Bevin) Louisiana, Mississippi, (through its GOP Gov. Phil Bryant ), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.   Other plaintiffs seeking to oppress trans students are the  Arizona Department of Education, the Heber-Overgaard Unified School District in Arizona, Harrold ISD in Texas and Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R)

The good news is that many of these plaintiffs are in the Fourth, Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits which have already issued binding appellate rulings that are consistent with the guidance of the federal agencies.

This is just the opening rounds of this court battle.  I'm positive there is going to be a day coming soon that I will have good news to report when it comes to this Texas v United States case and common sense and justice will prevail.

Vietnamese Trans People Celebrate Legal Recognition Gain

Our trans cousins in Vietnam are celebrating a new law recently passed by their National Assembly that will recognize the rights of transpeople in that nation.

The Amended Civil Code is set to take effect in 2017 and will allow people who have undergone gender reassignment to change their identity documents to reflect who they are now.

Vietnamese trans people have been getting increased exposure and recognition there over the last few years like singer Cindy Thai Tai and writer Nguyen Ngoc Thach, but like everywhere else in the world, the 'T' was told to wait their turn as the L and G moved forward to gain rights coverage there.

"Registering for a new ID card with my true gender identity is no longer just a dream." said Gia Ky."I will no longer be embarrassed when applying for a job or other papers.".   

It is hoped by Vietnamese trans people that it will help mitigate much of the anti-trans discrimination they face in that nation.

It's also hope by trans people in Vietnam that this is their tipping point moment toward having their human rights recognized and respected.

Atherton HS Gender Identity Inclusive Nondiscrimination Policy Still Stands

Back in May Atherton High School's site Based Decision Making Committee added gender identity to the school's non discrimination policy.

Because the policy allows trans students to use the restroom based on their gender identity and presentation, predictably the local haters in Da Ville went to work trying to overturn it.

After failing at the Atherton SBDM Committee level to do so it went to a JCPS  appeal board hearing.

The SBDM Appeal Board was comprised of four teachers selected by the union, two parents selected by the PTSA and one principal selected by the Administrators Association.

There's good news to report.  By a 6-1 vote the appeal to rescind Atherton's addition of gender identity to their non-discrimination policy was defeated!  

As for the breakdown on the vote, the four teachers and the two parents voted to deny the appeal with the principal from Central High School voting for it.

So happy to hear that.   It's a big win not only for the gender variant students that attend Atherton but all students on the campus..

Okay JCPS School Board, now it's time for you to handle the business you should have handled back in 2007 and pass a district wide addition to your non-discrimination policy that includes gender identity