HCC Board Unanimously Passes Trans Protections

The Houston Community College Board of Trustees according to a report in Houstini.com unanimously voted to add gender identity and expression to the college's system wide non-discrimination policy

The trans protections were considered as part of a package of non-controversial policy proposals voted on during last week's HCC Board of Trustees meeting.

HCC joins the San Jacinto Community College System as the second Houston area community college system that amended its non discrimination policy to protect its trans students

The Dallas County Community College District is scheduling a meeting in January to vote on an amendment to its non discrimination policy.  
 

Minnesota Anti Gay Marriage Senator In Hypocritical Situation

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you can count on a right wing homophobe to be caught in an embarrassing or hypocritical situation.


Former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch (R), who pimped the anti-same gender marriage ban that will go up for a sure to be contentious vote in eleven months has a glass house of her own.  

The state's first female Senate majority leader was caught in an 'inappropriate relationship' and resigned from her leadership position.  

And oh yeah, Minnesota just happens to be one of the states in which adultery is punishable by a year in jail and a $3000 fine.  

So, what say ye, Kat?  I know you have an opinion about this.

Hmm.  Wonder if the Minnesota culture warriors who pushed this hate on gay marriage amendment will now rush to 'defend marriage' and call for the prosecution of Senator Koch?

Somehow I doubt it..

The Faith Based Transphobes Strike Back-Louisiana Girl Scout Troops Disband Over Trans Inclusive Policy

The trans community applauded when 7 year old transkid Bobbi Montoya was allowed to join a Colorado Girl Scout troop last fall after initially being rejected for having 'boy parts'.

Well, some adults and conservabigots are tripping, and the latest group of people having a problem with little Bobbi's membership in the Girl Scouts hail from the state of Louisiana.

Three Girl Scout leaders who head troops based at the Northlake Christian Church in Covington, LA resigned, disbanded their troops and are exploring joining the right wing Christian conservative American Heritage Hate Girls.

AHG was ostensibly founded in 1995 because of the Girl Scouts' inclusive decision to allow scouts to substitute another word or phrase for “God” in their promise.   It's more like the conservative movement failed in their attempt to take over the Girl Scouts like they successfully did with the Boy Scouts and have been hatin' on them every chance they get..

And oh yeah, there are Girl Scouts who call the Creator by another name like Allah.

One of the Covington Three leaders, Susan Bryant-Snure told The Baptist Press that the Girl Scouts' action is "extremely confusing" and an "almost dangerous situation" for children. "This goes against what we [Northlake Christian School] believe,"

Susan, there no 'confusion' or 'almost dangerous situation', as you falsely claimed.  The position of the Girl Scouts of Colorado is quite clear on the matter of trans kids in Girl Scouts.

If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.

Susan, the only one who is confused here is you and the people of Northlake 'Christian' Church if you believe that your transphobia and bigotry trump the human rights of trans children  

And I feel sorry for the girls who are stuck with you as a troop leader.

By the way, you need Jesus, and not that conservafool version either.

I can't wait for the 2012 Girl Scout cookie drive to start because I'm tripling my usual order this year. 

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke Statement To End Bias Against Black Trans People

I missed this one when it originally was posted on the NBJC website during the TDOR, but it needs to be seen especially with us in the holiday season and less than two weeks from starting a new year.  

I'm not surprised to hear that it came from Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY).   Back in 2007 she was one of the group of liberal progressive Democrats who voted NO against Barney's unjust trans free ENDA bill..

She also released this statement in reaction to the Injustice At Every Turn survey that documents just how much hell African-American transpeople are catching.

“I applaud the National Black Justice Coalition and its partners The National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for this groundbreaking survey. We have always had anecdotal information regarding the tremendous hurdles that Black transgender people face, but this survey provides us with cold, hard facts - facts that we as policy makers must act on!
 
“One of the most important findings in this survey was that anti-transgender bias, coupled with structural and individual racism, resulted in transgender people of color experiencing devastatingly high levels of discrimination. Specifically, Black respondents reported the highest levels of discrimination, including a 26% unemployment rate, which is two times the rate of the overall transgender sample and four times the rate of the general population; a 32% job lost due to anti-transgender bias; and, of those who are employed, 15% report being physically assaulted at work and 13% report being sexually assaulted at work simply because they are transgender.

“We are in the 21^st century, and most enlightened people would have expected that issues of discrimination – especially in education and employment – would have been eradicated by now.  Discrimination in any form and against any individual or group is not acceptable. Therefore, in the coming months, I will work with the National Black Justice Coalition to shed light on these findings and to address the issues raised by this important survey.”