This And That In The News

"This And That In The News" is about articles in the news that have caught my eye and I want to comment about. The first story is about a trans-woman who was arrested and convicted of grand thelf when her story went bankrupt.

A small victory for the TransCommunity
Kay’s overturned grand theft conviction finally officially closed
Rainbow Times
November 28, 2011

On Wednesday, November 23, 2011, historical transgender personality and activist Erica Kay was scheduled to make an appearance in the Panama City courtroom of the Honorable Elijah Smiley to have her case of grand theft officially close; one year and a day after it was overturned by the Appellate Court due to failure to prove criminal intent. Hoping to avoid the press the State Attorney hand delivered the motion to close the case, eliminating the need for a hearing. In spite of the cancelation and in the face of repeated and credible death threats, Ms. Kay was present as her five-year battle against Florida’s law enforcement community finally came to a close to hold a press conference on the steps of the courthouse. During which she outlined the facts in her case and the discrimination she faced while in the custody of law enforcement.
[…]
According to court documents, Erica Kay’s conviction was overturned by the court of appeals on November 22, 2010 due to failing to prove criminal intent necessary to secure a conviction. According to the law, grand theft would have required actual money to be stolen or embezzled not work, which was incomplete. So directly from the beginning, there were never grounds for arrest, a trial, or conviction. The law is very clear on the limitations of this law. If in this case it has been allowed to stand then every business, which folded during the economic downturn, could have been prosecuted. The law was not created for that purpose, it was created after the hurricane devastation to prosecute those who went door to door taking money and never completing a job. In her press conference, Ms. Kay asks why did the state not only wait one year and a day after the conviction was overturned to finally close the case, but why was a warrant issued by Detective Aaron Wilson allowed to stand until approximately one month ago when it was finally withdrawn?

How many businesses in Panama City went bankrupt that year and how many were prosecuted? I don’t know the answer, but I bet I can could them on one hand and I bet you those that were prosecuted embezzled money.

Barney Frank Will Not Seek Reelection In 2012
AP/Huffington Post
November 28, 2011

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will not seek reelection in 2012, according to WBZ News Radio.

CNN has confirmed the news with the Democratic congressman's office. Frank addressed his decision to forgo running for another term at a press conference at a press conference in his hometown of Newton, Mass.

Frank said he originally intended to run for one more term, but that his decision was partially due to the fact that the state's new redistricting map will include many people he has never represented before.

Frank said he has had a "busy and stressful" four years dealing with financial reform after the recession.

Rep. Frank passed many laws that help the LGBT community; however, he is no friend of mine. He also stabbed the trans-community in the back over ENDA when he withdrew the ENDA inclusive bill and substituted a non-trans inclusive ENDA bill. He said on "The Agenda" - Dec. 17, 2007 “ICK” factor and how the Gays and Lesbians went through it 35 years ago and that the trans-community is just now going through it. He also said,

We’d make even more progress if the transgender community was willing to do the hard political work. And not, frankly, think they can just talk a few leaders into handing this to them.”

Totally oblivious to the lobbying that the trans-community for the past 50 years when the gay and lesbian tried to keep us in the closet.

As the LGBT community struggles to for equality we face an uphill battle for employment. The far right sees the battle for equality as an agenda.

Homosexuals Aggressively Push Agenda in Federal Government
New American
Written by Dave Bohon
November 28, 2011

The death of longtime homosexual activist Frank Kameny offered an opportunity for “LGBT” professionals to gather and celebrate their increasing presence in the federal government, as well as to insist that more be done to advance their interests.

On a mid-November evening, a group of D.C. bureaucrats gathered at the Cannon House Office Building to remember the “gay rights pioneer,” who, reported the Associated Press, “is credited with staging the first gay rights protests in front of the White House and Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. He had been fired from his job as a government astronomer for being gay. Kameny took that case to the Supreme Court 50 years ago.”
[…]
While such obstacles as the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” have hindered homosexual federal employees full access to the benefits afforded traditional married couples, the Obama administration has conducted a high-profile campaign to change that. Besides leading the campaign that repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and gave homosexuals nearly unfettered access to even the most sensitive military positions, Obama officials have been hard at work chipping away “at one of the biggest obstacles to equality for same-sex partners: the lack of access to more than 1,100 benefits that come with marriage,” reported the Washington Post. “LGBT civil servants can now take leave to care for sick partners and visit them in the hospital; gay couples can get relocation benefits and child-care services. Transgender federal employees are protected by anti-discrimination laws.”

Nonetheless, DOMA, which defines marriage in federal business as only between a man and a woman, blocks “gay” employees from receiving full benefits for their homosexual partners. This is particularly galling as they witness private corporations bending over backward to offer spousal benefits to their homosexual employees.

Yup, the oppressor never see the injustice that they force upon the oppressed. So when we demand our human rights we are being uppity in their eyes, we threw them our table scraps why are they so ungrateful?

And I’ll end this on a positive note…

HUD secretary first cabinet member to address transgender event
Keen News Service
By Dana Rudolph
November 28, 2011

U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan became the first United States cabinet secretary to address a transgender event when he gave the keynote speech November 15 at the eighth anniversary celebration of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE).

Mara Keisling, executive director of NCTE, told Keen News Service, “Having Secretary Donovan keynote our event is an important symbolic and historic advance for transgender Americans.”
[…]
He said the administration is the first to view the fight for transgender equality “not as an issue—but as a priority.”
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He cited the administration’s “record number of LGBT appointments,” including openly transgender appointees; the Office of Personnel Management’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender identity in federal employment; the Veterans Administration’s directive for non-discriminatory care for transgender veterans; the State Department’s efforts “to ensure greater dignity and privacy” for transgender passport applicants; and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention law.