A Year In Review

Looking back over the year in blogs…

• January: President Obama issued an executive order banning employment discrimination based on gender identity for federal jobs.
• February: The U.S. Tax Court issued a decision that treatment for gender identity disorder qualifies as medical care under the Internal Revenue Code, and is therefore deductible.
• March: Housing and Urban Development announced that they are going to be studying discrimination against LGBT people in housing.
• April: I gave a workshop at UConn School of Social Work Field Instructors Training Seminar for social workers who are supervising interns. The workshop was call “Barriers Against Transgender Individuals”
• May: President Obama declares June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.
• June: The high point of the year, my nephew’s wedding in Asheville NC and the visiting the National Air and Space museum on the way down.
• July: I attended the Transforming New Hampshire conference.
• August: U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker said California’s Proposition 8, passed by voters in November 2008, violated the federal constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to marry the partners of their choice.
• September: The big news this fall is the rise of the suicides by LGBT students. I also started my internship and fall semester.
• October: Reaching out to one person at a time. A very tender story
  
• November: We won some and we lost some. We gained big wins in San Francisco a transgender judge was elected to office, and in Ohio two ballot questions added gender identity and expression to Bowling Green anti-discrimination ordinance. However, in Iowa we lost, the judges who supported gay marriage were voted out of office.
• December: The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” ending the discharge of gays and lesbians from the military. However, transgender military personnel can still be discharged.