Friday Fill In #71

Janet’s Friday Fill-ins



And...here we go!

1. I'm _tired_, I'm _cranky_, I _’m ready for bed__.

2. Why do I have _to do all the work_ and not _get any of the glory_.

3. How does this _freging thing _ work, anyway?

4. Every morning, I put _my robe_ on my _way to the kitchen_.

5. I consider myself lucky because _I have a loving family_.

6. One day we’ll see _the truth_.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _going to church, no not “To Church” but to church, we are giving a talk on the Anti-Discrimination bill to some church elders_, tomorrow my plans include _facilitating a support group _ and Sunday, I want to _kick my shoes off and relax_!

Why We Have The Standards of Care.

Most of you have never heard of the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care (SOC), but the trans-community knows the Standards of Care all too well. They are the medical procedures that govern our transition. The SOC tells us when we can start taking hormones and when we can have surgery, one of the rules is that we have to live in our correct gender continuously for at least one year (called the real-life experience or RLE). Many trans-people hate the SOC, they see it as gatekeeper rules (It is also why when the opponents of the gender inclusive Anti-Discrimination law talk about teachers switching genders back and forth they do not know what they are talking about, because the SOC prohibits a transsexual from doing that.). The SOC says,

“The act of fully adopting a new or evolving gender role or gender presentation in everyday life is known as the real-life experience. The real-life experience is essential to the transition to the gender role that is congruent with the patient’s gender identity. Since changing one's gender presentation has immediate profound personal and social consequences, the decision to do so should be preceded by an awareness of what the familial, vocational, interpersonal, educational, economic, and legal consequences are likely to be.”

The reason I am writing this is because a LA Times sportswriter who transitioned in 2007, just detransitioned and the press and the right wing conservatives are making a big “brew ha” about it. However, the SOC worked the way it was supposed to work. We will not know the reason why he detransitioned, nor should we know, but it is important to realize that just because he transitioned back does not mean that he is not transsexual. There are numerous reason why people transition back, unable to make a living in their preferred gender, family pressures, religious pressures and societal pressure. Of all the reasons why people detransition, I feel the biggest is reason is societal pressure.
In the USA Today’s article “For some, shadow of regret cast over gender switch“ Steve Friess wrote…

"It's unfortunate and it's relatively uncommon but certainly not unheard of," says Denise Leclair, executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education, a Waltham, Mass.-based transgender advocacy group. "The simplest way to think about it is being trans is something that never goes away. ... There's just a fairly constant social pressure to just go back. You don't have to be a genius to understand that society doesn't really accept this."

I face this pressure daily, the constant giggles and stares, and the occasional being “damn and going to hell” wears on you. For one of my classes I had to read Aronson's book "The Social Animal" (2004) and what hit home for me was,

"People have a powerful need to belong. Acceptance and rejection are among the most potent rewards and punishments for social animals, because in our evolutionary history, social exclusion could have disastrous consequences..."

Why I Have Not Been Bloging Much Lately

I have been working on a short paper for one of my classes and the assignment has been driving me nuts. The assignment was too broad and vague with no clear instructions, this is what was written in the syllabus,
Assignment 1: Using the CT General Assembly website, research the legislative history (between 2003 and 2006) of the sentencing disparity between powder cocaine and crack (or freebase) cocaine. Paper should be between 3-4 pages and consist of three sections:

a. A narrative of the legislative history
b. An analysis of the connection between the fate of the legislation and electoral politics, including the electoral cycle, implementation costs and the effect of class and race on the bill’s package.
c. An appendix page the includes:

• Title and bill number of all bills including LCO numbers
• Sponsors of all bills and amendments
• Committees of cognizance that all bills and amendments were considered by or referred to including the names and political parties of committee(s) co-chairs
• Comparisons of draft language and final language of all relevant bills and amendments
• Dates of public hearings, committee(s) votes and votes in the House and Senate, as well as any other applicable dates, including bill signing and “effective” date
• Voting totals of all committees and chambers

The paper itself wasn’t long, it was the appendix that was driving me crazy. Did she want the party affiliation of all the legislators on the committees? Many of them are not still legislators and trying to find their party affiliation is almost impossible. How much detail does the professor want? I asked some other classmates and they all had a different answers, one student researched newspapers to find out the history of the bill.
In addition, the professor is not following the class syllabus, this is our fifth week and we have not covered one item in the syllabus. For last weeks class the syllabus said,
Understanding the state legislative process – How bills really become laws; how to prepare and deliver effective testimony; the role of lobbying and the advantages and disadvantages of using lobbyists
What did we talk about? We talked about decision making, the professor talked about how to argu. For the class today we are suppose the reconcile two different policy statements, but the syllabus said we are to,
The municipal arena for political advocacy: local city councils/ boards of alderman/selectman and their powers; effective political advocacy at the local level.
What does our assignment has to do with that?
She is the worst professor I have had so far.

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #156



What's one of the simple pleasures in your life?
Eating. I love food and that is my downfall.

What do you like to snack on when you watch a movie?
I try not to eat while watching a movie or TV, but if I would snack during a movie it would be on popcorn.

If you were a Survivor contestant, what would be your luxury item?
I never watched Survivor, and I have no idea what you could bring. I think I would choose one of those hand cranked laptops.

I Hit A Wall - Part 2

My trip north with my brother, sister-in-law and cousins was canceled due to weather (they are suppose to get a foot of snow on Sunday) and reschedule for next week.
At least I will be able to work some on homework and maybe catch up.

I Hit A Wall

I am operating on overload; I am have been working so hard on school, my internship and the legislation that when I get home I am having a hard time getting motivated.

I should be reading or writing a paper or emailing about Thursday’s Trans Health and Law Conference planning meeting or…

But I am not, I am eating, watching TV and surfing the internet aimlessly. I pick up a book to read and I only read a paragraph or two. I look at the blank screen in Word and I can think of what to write.

I am going out tonight to a focus group on trans-health that a grad student is working on, and I just don’t feel like going.

Tomorrow I am driving up to New Hampshire for the weekend to go to dinner with my brother, sister-in-law and cousins. Maybe a change in location might break me out of this blue funk.

North Dakota House Passes Bill Giving Rights to Fertilized Eggs

I found this on Feministe blog

This is down right crazy…

ND House Passes Bill Giving Rights to Fertilized Eggs
By DALE WETZEL
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A measure approved by the North Dakota House gives a fertilized human egg the legal rights of a human being, a step that would essentially ban abortion in the state.
…
The bill declares that "any organism with the genome of homo sapiens" is a person protected by rights granted by the North Dakota Constitution and state laws.

The measure's sponsor, Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot, said the legislation did not automatically ban abortion. Ruby has introduced bills in previous sessions of the Legislature to prohibit abortion in North Dakota.

This is totally off the wall! Besides flying in the face of the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, it will also ban abortions if the mother’s life was in danger.

Would it mean that if a mother had a miscarriage that she could be charged with involuntary manslaughter? Or if the mother was in a car accident and the accident caused a miscarriage could the drive at fault be charged with murder?

What would happen if a couple decided to have their fertilized eggs frozen, how would the law deal with that. With In Vitro Fertilization they usually fertilize more eggs then needed, would it then be murder is they destroyed the extra fertilized eggs?

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #155



Of all your favorite foods, which one would you find the most difficult to give up for the rest of your life?
My favorite food is lobster and it wouldn’t be hard to give it up because I only eat it four or five times a year.

Which month of the year do you thing best describes your personality?
I would have to say May, because it is a symbol in my mind of a new beginning. Winter is over and the world is turning green again with the fragrant smell of all the new blossoms in the air.


If you could be a contestant on any game show, past or present, which show would you pick?
Hmm… That is a hard question to answers because I am not that big of a fan of game shows, but I would pick “What in the World” (a locally produced quiz show in the 1960’s where the panelist had to guess the location from a list of clues) followed by Jeopardy.

HRC Comes Out Again With Their Joke That They Call “The Corporate Equality Index”

I call it a joke because that is what it is. The Human Rights Campaign assign a company a100% CEI if the company has only one of the five categories. The HRC Corporate Equality Index Guidelines state...

“At least one: Counseling by a mental health professional; pharmacy benefits covering hormone therapy; medical visits to monitor the effects of hormone therapy and other associated lab procedures; medically necessary surgical procedures such as hysterectomy; or short-term disability leave for surgical procedures”

So that means that an employer can offer mental health care to all of its employees and get a 100% CEI and still not pay for hormones, doctor office visits, lab work or surgery.

Kelley Winters writes on “The Bilerico Project,”

“Despite years of objection by health advocates for the trans-community, the HRC continues to omit medically necessary transition care as a requirement for a perfect 100% CEI score. Employees who suffer distress with their physical sex characteristics or ascribed gender role (often termed gender dysphoria) are singled out by many employers for exclusion from coverage for corrective procedures that are not excluded for other employees. By rewarding these employers with 100% scores, the HRC perpetuates this discrimination.”
…
“Where is the commitment to trans-employees who are denied access to medically necessary care as a consequence of these broken criteria? Corporations who never deserved perfect CEI scores in prior years certainly do not deserve a free pass for another fraudulent perfect score in 2010. It seems unconscionable for the HRC to prolong the suffering of gender dysphoric employees and dependents for the purpose of rewarding health care discrimination.”

Why does HRC continue to rate the Corporate Equality Index like this? I can think of two reasons, first the HRC would only qualify for a 95% CEI because they do not offer full coverage to their trans-employees and second, money, I think that they probably receive large corporate donations from companies who have a 100% rating and the HRC wants to keep them happy.

Saturday Six - Episode 253

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 253

1. Do you usually feel as though you get more sleep than you need, less sleep than you need or just enough?
No, I feel that I don’t get enough sleep

2. What was the last movie you fell asleep while watching out of sheer boredom?
I usually don’t fall asleep during a movie, however, I will turn the TV on to fall asleep.

3. Did you try watching a second time to make it all the way through? If so, was it worth the extra screening?
No, I usually stay awake during a movie.

4. Does exercise tend to make you feel like you have more energy or less?
I have less energy after I exercise

5. Take the quiz: What’s Your Energy Level?

Your Energy Level is Low

Although you may have enough energy to survive, you probably wish you had more energy. You feel tired throughout the day, and you wish you had the physical resources to do more. You may just be a person with naturally low energy. Pushing yourself just makes things worse. Make sure to eat well, avoid stress, and get plenty of rest. Taking care of yourself will make the most of the energy you've got.

What's Your Energy Level?

6. What’s the latest in the day that you can drink a caffeinated drink without it affecting your sleep?
I don’t drink any caffeinated beverages at all, it affects my heart arrhythmia.

Saturday 9: Be My Valentine

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Be My Valentine

1. Do you have Valentine’s Day plans?
Nope, none

2. Do you buy a Valentine’s Day gift for someone special?
I bought my aunt chocolates.

3. What, so far, was the happiest event of your life?
There were so many that it is so hard to pick just one, but high on the list is that day I transitioned.

4. What is the best job that you ever have had?
What I am doing right now, I feel that it gives meaning to my life. The thirty-five years that I worked in manufacturing, pale when I compare it to the work I am doing now.

5. What would be your fantasy job?
I think I am living it now. I am lucky enough to have a mid-life career change, from engineering/management to social justice

6. What would you think would be the worst job?
A summer job that I had, moving a electrical wholesale store to a new location

7. What foreign countries have you visited?
The only foreign country that I have visited is Canada.

8. What foreign country would be your fantasy trip?
Europe. Mexico and the Caribbean are out of bounds, I want to live. There are many counties that it is not safe to visit if you are transsexual.

9. Since leaving your home growing up, how many places have you lived?
Three. Until I was seven, I lived in Milford CT when we moved to the town where I live and when I moved out of their house, I moved to a house in the same town.

Friday Fill-ins #111

Janet’s Friday Fill-ins #111




1. It seems like _spring is just around the corner _.

2. _Clean-up_ when you're done, please?

3. If I thought you _will leave _ I'd _packed your bags_!

4. _The money that you owe me_ is what I think of most when I think of you.

5. To me, Valentine's Day means _just another day_.

6. _Walking_ gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _doing homework (I don’t know if I am looking forward to it, but that is what I will be doing)_, tomorrow my plans include _moderating a support group_ and Sunday, I want to _visit some friends if I have my homework done_!

Gender Inclusive Anti-Discrimination Bill Raised

Yesterday the gender inclusive Anti-Discrimination bill was raised in the House that will add gender identity and expression to Connecticut’s Non-Discrimination statues.

HB 6452 AN ACT CONCERNING DISCRIMINATION.
To prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression.
Introduced by: Judiciary Committee

(21) "Gender identity or expression" means a person's gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's assigned sex at birth.

This will be the forth year that this bill has been brought up. In 2007, the bill made it through four committees and the Senate before it was filibustered in the House. In the Senate it passed by a vote of 30 to 4. This year with marriage equality now a reality, we can now focus all of our energy on this bill. however, this also means that the opposition can now focus all of their attention on this bill with their dire predictions of doom and gloom.

The opposition dire forecast to the Anti-Discrimination bills around the country has not happened. 39% of the U.S. population is covered by gender inclusive Non-Discrimination statues and there has been no excessive law suites, no assaults in bathroom by trans-people and has not had harmful affect on schoolchildren as opposition has claimed it would happen.

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #154



What is your favorite candy?
I am not a big candy person, I like chocolates.

Name one thing that you'd want to receive as a gift for Valentine's day.
A kiss.

Can we truly love someone who loves another?
I think that you can always have a crush on some one. Is that love?

Saturday Six - Episode 252

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 252

1. Were you in the same location five years ago that you are today? Would you have expected to be?
I still live on the same town that I grew up in. I have been here since 1955 and I have never really thought about moving out of town.

2. Are you driving the same car you drove five years ago? Were you driving the same car five years before that?
I drive a ’07 Toyota Prius and before that, I had a ’04 Prius

3. What percentage of the clothes in your closet are clothes you were wearing five years ago?
Probability 75% of my clothes are new, but I claim special circumstances. I transitioned in June ‘07 and I gave away all my old clothes, therefore I had to buy a completely new wardrobe.

4. In what way is your life most improved over the last five years? In what way is it least improved over the last five years?
I am now finally living my life and not hiding. My financial situation has taking a nosedive since I retired, my “nest egg” to a substantial hit.

5. Take the quiz: Do You Live in the Past, Present or Future?

You Live in the Present

You take things one day at a time. And it turns out, that's a pretty great way to live. You aren't consumed by the past, and you're aren't obsessed with the future. You live in the now, and you enjoy each moment. While most people don't live in the present enough, make sure you don't live in it too much. It would be a mistake to forget your past or neglect to plan for the future.

Do You Live in the Past, Present, or Future?

6. Consider the thing you most hoped for five years ago: has that come true, yet?
Yes. Need I same more?

New Hampshire Held A Hearing For The Gender Inclusive Anti-Discrimination Bill

Transgender people plead for law change
By KAREN LOVETT Staff Writer

Blanchette [a computer programmer who was fired when she transitioned] was one of a number of people who testified in favor of the bill at Thursday's hearing in Concord. Nobody testified against the proposal.

"There is a real and persistent threat against the transgender community," said Allyson Robinson, associate director of diversity at the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C.

Added Jason Wu, an attorney with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, "The transgender community is the most vulnerable in the state."

There were comments from the usual people who call this “special rights,” but there were two comments that I found interesting…

To be very honest, while I always find transgenderism a bit repulsive on a personal level, they should be protected against such blatant discrimination.

We are not asking to be liked or for your approval, just protected from discrimination as he said in the above comment.

I live in a state where this "rights" law is already enacted. New Jersey made it law two years ago. It has become a huge "ho Hum" The dire warnings of some religious "leaders" did not come to pass…

The opposition paints doom and gloom if the Anti-Discrimination bill is passed here in Connecitcut, but that just doesn’t happen. 39% of the U.S. population is covered by gender inclusive Non-Discrimination statues and there has been no excessive law suites, no assaults in bathroom by trans-people and not harmful affect on schoolchildren. As the right wing conservatives clams would happen.

In addition, notice there was not one person who spoke against the bill. Why? Is it because the opposition does not want their hate, bigotry and lies in the public record for everyone to see? Is it because they would rather have a whispering campaign where they can hide their lies from the public?

Saturday 9: Time Has Come Today

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Time Has Come Today



1. What time of day do you usually play Saturday 9?
10:00PM Friday night.

2. At 9AM on a weekday, what are you doing?
Starting work at my internship, except for Wednesdays when I am driving to school for my ten o’clock class.

3. At 9PM on any given night, what would you most like to be doing?
Homework

4. What is your most frequent activity online?
Reading blogs to keep up to date with the news

5. Is there one day of the week that seems to fly by? If yes, why?
No, they all move by at a slow pace until I have to be somewhere and then I am rushing wondering where the time went.

6. Do you agree that the older you get, the faster time seems to go by?
Time is relative. The days creep by and the years fly by. I look at it this way, when you are 12 the year is one twelfth of you life. But when you are 60, the year is one sixtieth of your life.

7. What is your favorite thing to do with free time?
Photography, time goes by so slow when I am shooting.

8. How much time do you spend alone? Would you like it to be more? Less?
Since I am single, when I am home, I am alone. I would like to be home alone less often.

9. If you could spend one hour doing something what would it be?
Anything but homework.

Friday Fill-Ins #110

Janet’s Friday’s Fill-in #110




1. Please don't tell _I took a second helping of cookies_.

2. Can you _wake up without any caffeine_ in the morning?

3. The color _green_ makes me want to _go hiking_! (Hey, what do you want? That was the first thing that pooped into my hesd.)

4. I have a craving for _pickles_. (No, I’m not! For some reason I have been having a craving for half sour pickles.)

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it _so I would have more time to write my papers_.

6. Eyes are the _gateway to the mind_.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _going out to dinner with some friends for a friends birthday and then to the coffee house for some folk music_, tomorrow my plans include _doing homework_ and Sunday, I want to _go to Norwich to give a training class on the Anti-Discrimination bill_!

I Am On The Radio Tonight

Tonight I am going to be on a local college radio station to talk about the Gender Inclusive Anti-Discrimination bill. I am looking forward to being interviewed but at the same time a little nervous about being live on the radio. The program is “Gay Sprite” from 8:30 – 9:00 PM and program is on the University of Hartford FM radio station WWUH, 91.3 and their podcast link is http://wwuh.org/real.htm

Update:10:10

It was a blast doing the show. My techno mind was taking in all the electronics in the studio. A lot has changed since I worked in a college radio station.

Wow! And They Wanted The Ballot Initiative Here?

This is unbelievable! In California, $83 million was spent on Proposition 8!

Donors spent over $83M in Prop. 8 Race
The Monterey County Herald

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Donors gave more than $83 million to support or oppose the ballot initiative that abolished same-sex marriage in California, according to campaign disclosure reports made public Monday.

The new filings cover the weeks immediately before and after the Nov. 4 election. They show that elected officials, businesses, churches and individuals poured more than $28 million into the race during the contest's closing days.

The final tallies show that opponents of Proposition 8 raised $43.3 million in 2008 and had a little more than $730,000 left on hand at year's end. The measure's sponsors raised $39.9 million and had $983,000 left over.

I wish there was a break down of how much of that $83 million came from out of state donations. It would have been interesting see just what the percentage of out-of-state donations was.

On last November ballot here in Connecticut was a ballot question about holding a Constitutional Convention and one of the arguments in favor of amending the state Constitution was to add a ballot initiative to the Constitution. I am glad that it was defeated; I do not think that we want a ballot by pocketbook here in Connecticut.

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #153



What's the most embarrassing song on your iPod (or music collection)?
I do not think that I have an embarrassing song on my mp3 player. Most of the songs that I on it are from the sixties and seventies.

How much time do you spend each day in your commute? (Or if you don't work outside the house, how much time do you spend in your car or other preferred mode of transportation?)
Well before I got laid off, it was a ten minute commute if I hit all the traffic lights. Now for my internship in Hartford, it is about 40 minutes.

What's your favorite wardrobe item and why?
It is my pocketbook, it was my mother’s, it is all leather and it expands to hold vast quantity stuff. I wish I could find another pocketbook like it because it is wearing out, but the only pocketbooks that I find have a fabric interior.

Homework and My Internship

Hi All

Because of the masses amount of reading, writing papers, and because of my internship work with the legislature; I am cutting back on my bloging and Facebook entries. I will still do memes and write political entries on my blog. On Facebook I will continue playing Lil' Green Patches (or other games that just require a click or minimal time) and "What I am doing now" updates.

For class each week I have to read about 100 pages a week, write a 3 - 4 page summery of the class discussion, in addition to my work at my internship and I am at or near saturation level. I will try to still leave a comments on blog of everyone who leaves a comment on my memes, but I might be a little delayed.

Saturday Six - Episode 251

Patrick's Place Saturday Six - Episode 251


1. What is more important to you: your relationship with yourself or your relationship with those who are close to you?
My relationship with those that are close to me.

2. Which of the above do you tend to have the least problem cultivating?
Relationship with myself, it took a while to accept myself. But with relationships with other you have to cultivate.

3. Something goes wrong in your life. Of the people you are most likely to turn to, are they the same gender as you or the opposite?
Good question! :)
I do not think gender is a component of who I turn to for help, but family is the factor.

4. Something goes wrong in a close friend’s life and you’re the person that friend chooses to call first. Is that person likely to be the same gender as you or the opposite?
The same, transgendered.

5. Take the quiz: What Makes You a Good Friend?

You Are a Good Friend Because You're Supportive

You are almost like a life coach for your best friends. You give them help when they need it... but you also know when to give them a push. People tend to rely on you for moral support and advice. You've probably always been mature for your age, so this is a role that's you're comfortable with. A friend like you is one of the rarest kinds. You are both a good mentor and companion. Your friends need you most when: They are confused or worried. You really can't be friends with: Someone who only wants to complain. Your friendship quote: "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

What Makes You a Good Friend?

6. What single trait listed in the response to question #5 would your closest friend most agree with?
“People tend to rely on you for moral support and advice.”

Saturday 9: Going to Pot

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Going to Pot



1. When was the last time you smoked pot?
Spring of ’99 when I thought I was having a heart attack

2. What do you think is your biggest weakness?
My shyness, yes I am shy. I am the quite one in the corner at a party

3. What is your biggest fear?
Of rejection.

4. Is there a particular goal that you’d like accomplish this year?
To continue my “A” average in college

5. What do you miss most from your youth?
Not to have to worry about money.

6. What is your best physical feature?
Well it is definitely not my voice; I would have to say my eyes.

7. Are you very confident?
Yes. A lot more so now then before I transitioned

8. Tell us about the last time you were drunk.
Super Bowl X, after that I stopped partying at Super Bowls

9. Have you ever cheated on a lover?
No. I believe in commitments.

Friday Fill-Ins #109

Janet’s Friday Fill-Ins #109



1. I'd really like _winter to be over_ right now.

2. _F@#K_ is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is _better than wishing_.

4. _A really cool dude is_ Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like _cheese in a fondue_.

6. _Winter seems like it is going_ on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _going down to New London to visit some friends_, tomorrow my plans include _studying_ and Sunday, I want to _attend a party_!

Two More States Have Raised Gender Non-Discrimination Bill

In New Hampshire and North Dakota there have been gender non-discrimination bills raised in their state legislature. In New Hampshire, it is House Bill 0415, “AN ACT adding certain terms regarding non-discrimination to the laws” and in North Dakota the bill is Senate bill SB 2278. They will have a hard battle ahead to pass the bills because they will be facing strong opposition from the conservative right wing. The opposition will use every dirty trick in the book to defeat these bills.
If they use the same tactics, the conservative far right will use fear of “men in dresses” in bathrooms to scare the voters. The so-called Family Institutes will use the fear of a teacher coming one day dressed as an man and the next dressed as a woman to scare parents.
These things just don’t happen. In states that have gender inclusive non-discrimination laws, there has not been any rapes caused by transgender people, not one! But, that does not stop them from their lies. There are many transgender teachers in the United States and it has not been a problem for them to transition in school. If a school board has a good policy on how a teacher can transition at work, it does not become an issue.
When I was watching the movie “Milk,” I was struck by the fact that back in the late 1970’s the Christian ring wing conservatives used the same fear campaign against lesbians and gays using the bathroom and the teachers issues, with Anita Bryant leading the smear campaign (“in 1978, when California voters rejected Proposition 6, which would have barred gay and lesbians from working in the schools.”[1]). Why are they still using the same tactics, because it works. Back then most people didn’t know anyone who was lesbian or gay, so they were afraid of the unknown.
In the end, these bills will be passed, because people know that it is simple a matter of fairness and equality.

[1] “Harvey Milk, Anita Bryant, and religion”, Posted by Michael Paulson November 25, 2008 10:57 AM

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #152



What gives you hope?
I don’t know, right now I am down in the dumps. Maybe the movie that they just shown on Lifetime channel, “Prayers for Bobby” or the movie “Milk” may give hope. Hope that their lies are shown for what they are, bigotry. (I am sorry to be so negative on a meme, I try to keep them light but this has been a down couple of days. Besides watching “Milk” this afternoon and “Prayers for Bobby” this evening, I had a heated discussion with someone close to me yesterday. He didn’t understand why I was upset that Rick Warren spoke at the Inauguration. I will end my rant here.)

How often do you get your haircut? Describe your worst haircut.
Not often enough, about every three months. My worst haircut was when I went to the local barber shop with my father before I transitioned. I told the barber that I wanted my hair cut to collar length, it was about an inch over the collar and barber cut it a 1/4 inch long.

What's your most treasured piece of jewelry? Why?
A necklace that I got from my mother, it a brass necklace with a brass pyramid hanging off the chain with about three inches of brass necklace material hanging off of the pyramid. You can see it here in one of my blog entries.

Saturday Six - Episode 250

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 250

1. If you could recycle only one of the following, would you be most likely to choose paper, aluminum cans or plastic containers?
Plastic, you can grow more trees to replace the ones cut down, aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth, but plastic comes from oil and cannot be replaced.

2. Check out your bathroom: what color are the metal fixtures: silver, gold, bronze, or pewter? (If you know the actual material rather than just the color, name it too.)
Chrome

3. When cooking, do you prefer non-stick surfaces or traditional surfaces? Do you have more copper-bottomed pots or stainless steel?
Non-stick, aluminum pans

4. Take the quiz: What’s Metal Are You?

You Are Copper

You are provocative and challenging. You help people realize who they really are. You live a very balanced life. You always take time for love and art. You are both a powerful and generous person. You always have time to give back. People find you to be incredibly ethical and loyal.

What Metal Are You?

5. Consider the jewelry you wear most often: is it gold, silver, platinum or something else?
Gold plated or costume jewelry

6. Have you ever had a piece of jewelry turn your skin a different color? Did anyone else notice before you did?
No, I never had any jewelry turn my skin a different color.

Saturday 9: What's Cooking?

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: What's Cooking?



1. Which meal is the one you cook best?
Pork Loin, Rice Pilaf and a salad (lettuce, walnuts, dried cranberries and feta cheese with a raspberry vinaigrette)

2. Tell us what you would never eat.
Mushrooms

3. Is your hometown famous for anything or anybody?
Bricks

4. Can you play a musical instrument?
Nope, I am tone deaf

5. Tell us about your second ever lover.
Nope, I will pass this up.

6. What is your favorite restaurant?
I really do not have one favorite restaurant, I have a number of them that I like. However, a current favorite restaurant is in Kennebunkport ME, Arundel Wharf Restaurant.

7. If it were your call, how often would you make love?
It is not the quantity, but the quality that is important.

8. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
President Obama, I would like to talk to him about human rights

9. Tell us about your job.
Well technically I am retired, but I am a full time graduate student and I am interning at a women’s rights organization lobbying for gender equality.

>Friday Fill-ins #108

Janet’s Friday Fill-ins #108



1. Oh, I am so _sick of being sick_!

2. _In my life right now I am going through_ changes, big and little.

3. During _the Inauguration_, I _tried watching it on the internet at work_.

4. _The Supreme Court Justice got the oath wrong_; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be _healthy_.

6. _Mp3 player_ is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _ resting up due to my cold and studying _, tomorrow my plans include _ resting up due to my cold and studying _ and Sunday, I want to _ recuperating from my cold and study _!

Rev. Lowery's Inauguration Benediction

Rev. Lowery was a good counterpoint to Rick Warren. I think that Rev. Lowery got it right…

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

Full text here

The New Whitehouse Web Site

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
• Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
• Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
• Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
• Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

The New Digital Television Rip-off

As many of you who follow my blog know, my family has a cottage in New Hampshire and we and many other people are going to lose free TV reception. A power grab by the telecom companies at our expense is going to cause millions of people to lose free TV. They will have to either get cable or a dish or not be able to receive any television.
Why?
Because they are in rural areas where there is no coverage. I went to the official government web site to find what channels are available for our cottage in New Hampshire and I found out that there were not any channels listed. I enter our address and I got this message “There are no stations predicted to serve this location.” GREAT. The nearest cable is ten miles away! That leaves us with the only option to get a satellite dish. We will now have to pay for something that we were getting for free.
Here is what one web site had to say about the transition…

Digital TV Time Bomb--Hiding the Whole Picture from the American Public.
There's a deep, dark secret that no one is talking about. On February 17, 2009, the country's estimated 13 million over-the-air TV viewers will no longer receive the current analog picture because stations across the country will convert their signal to digital. Consumers who have a regular, working television that is not connected to a satellite or cable company, ---i.e.; free TV, will have to go out and get a converter box that can change the over-the-air signals to the newer digital format.
…
"According to the Consumer Electronics Association, there are currently about 13.5 million analog OTA [Over The Air] households in the United States. Non-English speaking/minority, rural/tribal, senior, disabled and low-income populations represent, on average, a higher proportion of OTA households."
…
Finally, if you are now getting just an OK signal now with 'some snow' - you will now get pixilations, drop-outs in sound quality, or just a blank screen - making some channels unwatchable.

Here is what the telecommunication companies had to say…

TO: SPIRIT Team, Government Affairs Committee and State Association Executives
FROM: _______ ______, NTCA PAC and Grassroots Coordinator
SUBJECT: ACTION ALERT - Rapid Conclusion of DTV & 700 MHz Spectrum For Wireless Broadband Services

We urge you to immediately contact your members of Congress, both House and Senate, to request that they support legislation that will ensure the rapid conclusion of the transition to digital television (DTV) and the freeing of 700 MHz spectrum for wireless broadband services.

This high quality spectrum is vital to providing rural consumers widespread access to affordable broadband alternatives and all the economic and public interest benefits that they bring.

Remember, that it is best to e-mail or fax your communications to your congressional contacts, as the restrictions on mail coming into the Capitol complex will delay delivery.

At this time, no specific bill number needs to be referred to in the letter.

Thanks for your prompt action, and please let us know of your actions and any responses you receive!

If you have any questions regarding this action please contact government affairs at --@----.org
…
Broadband access is essential to economic development in rural communities in the United States. The hundreds of locally owned telecommunications providers, who serve millions of customers across rural America, have taken a leading role in providing service to high-cost rural areas that otherwise would lack service provider alternatives. Broadband services deployed over wireless spectrum can often be a desirable solution for reaching remote and underserved communities, where cable modem and digital subscriber line (DSL) service alternatives may not be viable options. For this reason, I ask you to support legislation that will ensure the rapid conclusion of the transition to digital television (DTV) and the freeing of 700 MHz spectrum for wireless broadband services.

Translated: we want to screw the people by taking away their free television so that we can sell them wireless internet services.

Love Makes A Family - Town Hall Forum

Last Thursday I took part in a town hall forum at the University Of Connecticut School Of Law. The forum was sponsored by Love Makes a Family and it was about the future of LMF now that Connecticut has marriage equality. They asked me to speak about the gender identity anti-discrimination legislation.Here I am giving my talk. The photo was taken by Glenn Koetzner.

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #151



What do you do to make yourself feel better when you are sick?
Sleep, drink orange juice or lemonade and sleep.

What is the most amazing weather you've ever seen?
It was while I was at college, a squaw line moved through and there was a micro down burst. The winds reached 100 knots (115 mph). It was amazing and later I drove by the Rochester airport, the small private aircrafts were piled up on the chain link fence like leaves.

Do you listen to music or talk radio in the car?
When I commute to work, I listen to talk radio but when I travel I have my mp3 player that I listen to while I drive.

Saturday 9: The First Apartment

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: The First Apartment



1. Where had you moved from?
I moved from Milford CT to my present town in 1955 and when I moved out of my parent’s house, I moved two miles away.

2. Describe your first apartment.
It was on Avenue A in Rochester NY and it was the bottom floor of a two family house. On the second floor were two lesbians and they sold pot out of their apartment, their boyfriends were in Attica prison. (I know it complicated, but it is a city.) Across the street was a family that had a shrine of Jesus on their front lawn and at least once a week the police was over there for domestic violence. Ah…the joys of living in a city.

3. How old were you when you had your apartment?
I was in college.

4. Did you have roommates? If yes, tell us more.
Yes, there were seven of us living in a three-bedroom apartment. Two girls and five guys (it was not a “love nest” (my father's term) we all had single beds.), one guy slept in the pantry. (it was converted into a bedroom.)

5. What was your place of employment then?
We were all in college at the time.

6. How were you finances at the time?
Our finances were slim to none. However, the rent was right, $75 each.

7. Tell us about a lover who spent a night there.
There was no privacy there.

8. Tell us about a band you listen to then. (You can cheat. Look it up.)
The Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult, Jimmy Hendrix, Cream, Steppenwolf, Credence Clearwater Revival, etc. We use to sit around in the living room with black lights, black light posters on the wall, incense burning, and smoking weed. And saying real heavy things like “Far Out Man,” “Oh Wow” and “Dynamite” (Hmmm… do you think that might have had anything to do with me being on academic probation for three semesters?)

9. How long did you live there and why did you move from there?
I graduated, got a job back in Connecticut and went back to the real world to become a electrical engineer. I lived there for one semester during the summer to make up the courses that I flunked.

Saturday Six - Episode 249

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 249

1. What commonly-used word in speech annoys you the most? When did you hear it last used?
"You know", I hear it so much it doesn’t register any more.

2. Which commonly-used word annoys you the most when you hear it mispronounced? What’s the most common mispronunciation you hear for this word?
I am not going to comment on this question, because I do it all the time and it is one of the symptoms of dyslexia.

3. Which word(s) do you wish people would use more often?
Thank you and please.

4. Take the quiz: What’s Your Word?

Your Word is "Peace"

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of. Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you. While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life. You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's Your Word?

5. Which internet expression or abbreviation do you use most often?
I usually do not use internet shorthand. But I do use emoticon a lot.

6. Which internet expression or abbreviation would you most like to see disappear forever?
YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary

Friday Fill-ins #107

Janet’s Friday Fill-ins #107



1. Enough with the _sub-zero weather_.

2. _Gender_ causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving _for a pizza with sausage peppers and onions_.

4. _A good joke_ makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to _Vermont_ next week.

6. _Going back to classes_ has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _relaxing_, tomorrow my plans include _driving up to Peabody MA to a conference_ and Sunday, I want to _recuperate_!

Same Lies, Different Town

A month ago, I wrote about the passage of the Kalamazoo MI anti-discrimination ordinance, well a handful of vocal bigots got the City Council to repeal the law by spreading lies. They used fear and innuendos to scare the people, they said no one will be safe in the public bathrooms but the truth is there has NOT been any attacks by trans-people in bathrooms.

They are using the same tactic in Gainesville Florida, they put a vile ad on television claiming that no one is safe in bathroom. The television ad has a grubby man follow a young girl into the women’s bathroom.

Cain Davis, chairman of Citizens for Good Public Policy, said the issue is about regulating a "government gone wild" and ensuring public safety, charging that sexual predators could now simply enter a women's restroom claiming to be a transgender individual.

"We know when men go into women's restrooms, bad things can happen," Davis said.

This is just fear mongering, the truth is…

Since the ordinance took effect [one yeaar ago], police have reported no problems in public restrooms stemming from the law.

I am not a big fan of Al Sharpton but read what he had to say at the Human Rights Ecumenical Service held at Atlanta's Tabernacle Baptist Church last Sunday about this crusade against anything LGBT…

"There is something immoral and sick about using all of that power to not end brutality and poverty, but to break into people's bedrooms and claim that God sent you," Sharpton told a full house on Sunday.

"It amazes me," he said, "when I looked at California and saw churches that had nothing to say about police brutality, nothing to say when a young black boy was shot while he was wearing police handcuffs, nothing to say when they overturned affirmative action, nothing to say when people were being [relegated] into poverty, yet they were organizing and mobilizing to stop consenting adults from choosing their life partners."

"I am tired," he went on, "of seeing ministers who will preach homophobia by day, and then after they're preaching, when the lights are off they go cruising for trade...We know you're not preaching the Bible, because if you were preaching the Bible we would have heard from you. We would have heard from you when people were starving in California--when they deregulated the economy and crashed Wall Street you had nothing to say. When [accused Ponzi scammer] Madoff made off with the money, you had nothing to say. When Bush took us to war chasing weapons of mass destruction that weren't there you had nothing to say.

… "This is an issue of human rights," he said. "And I think it is dangerous to give states the right to deal with human rights questions. That's how we ended up with slavery and segregation going forward a long time...Whatever my personal feelings may be about gay and lesbian marriages, unless you are prepared to say gays and lesbians are not human beings, they should have the same constitutional right of any other human being."

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #150



If you were to name the most creative outlet that you have, what would it be?
My photograph, I can get lost when I get in the “zone” taking photos. The concept of time just disappears.

What spot in your body would you say is the center of your emotional being?
The brain. I believe that the brain is the center of our ‘self.”

What do you think is the secret to a tranquil soul?
Being at peace with yourself, accepting who you are.

When Police Break The Law…

it can cause irrevocable harm.

Here in Connecticut, a crossdresser was changing in her van in front of her apartment and a neighbor saw her and thought she was being assaulted or abducted and called the police.

The neighbor blocked the crossdresser's van with his car to prevent escape and the crossdresser panicked, drove over a snow bank and fled with the neighbor following her.

The police gave chase and eventually appended her after running over spike sticks and she was charged with interfering with police, engaging police in pursuit and driving with a suspended license.

The local newspaper covered the story, publishing her name and address.

Was the neighbor right to call the police and follow her? Yes.
Was the police right in giving chase? Yes.
Was the police right in arresting her? Yes.
Was the police right in reveling how she was dressed? No.

In Connecticut, it is AGAINST the law to enter in a police report how a person was dressed unless it had a direct bearing on the case, which this did not.

The original call was about a women being abducted or assaulted and the police could have just said, “That she mistook him for a woman.” The other charges had nothing to do with the way she was dressed.

Because of the police misconduct this person may lose their job and from now on whenever you google her name you will find about this. In addition, this would have been just another traffic offense and not something that would have been sensationalized in the media.

Saturday Six - Episode 248

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 248

1. Which of the following methods of travel do you most prefer: plane, train or automobile?
Automobile, I like to see the country side and see new sights as I travel

2. What is the furthest distance you have travelled by each method listed above?
From Connecticut to Colorado the summer I graduated from college.

3. When flying, do you prefer to fly during the daytime or during the night?
Daytime, I like to look out the window and try to figure out where we are flying.

4. Take the quiz: What’s Your Travel Personality?

Your Travel Personality Is: The Adventurer

For you, travel is how you learn about the world. And you like to learn the stuff that's not in guidebooks. You truly have wanderlust. When you're not traveling, you're dreaming about where you'll go next. And your travels are truly legendary - they leave you with stories you'll be telling for the rest of your life!

What's Your Travel Personality?

Boy, are they ever off the mark, I am not a wanderlust. I like to travel but my travels are not something that “I would be telling for the rest of my life.”

5. If you had the chance to take a one-year vacation and spend that time traveling anywhere in the country you wanted by motor home, would you do it, and if so, where would you most likely wind up?
The good ol’ USA and visit all of the national parks.

6. Do you have any superstitions or rituals you rely on before or during a big trip?
No, only when I get there… I bang my head against the wall remembering all the things I forgot to bring like the battery charger for my camera or cell phone.

Saturday 9: The Phone is For You

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: The Phone is For You



1. Your phone rings. Who is the most likely caller?
My brother, I very rarely get a call other than my brother.

2. How long to you chat on the phone each day?
Zero minutes, I usually talk to my brother about a half hour a week. I am from a different generation. We didn’t go around with a phone plugged into our ear.

3. Who do you speak to the most?
My brother

4. Do you often not answer if a certain person comes up on your caller id?
I do not have caller ID. I told you I am from a different generation.

5. Do you phone friends at work?
Kind of, but it is business other than work business. She is the director of Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition so we discuss CTAC business, but that is not her work.

6. Do you make personal calls at work?
Very rarely.

7. Who do you always say “I love you” at the end of the call?
No one.

8. Do you use a landline or cell more often?
Both about the same amount of time, rarely.

9. Who in the blogosphere that you haven’t chatted with but would like to?
No comment.

Friday Fill-Ins #106

Janet’s Friday Fill-in #106



1. It's January _and the snow is coming down_.

2. _A hot fudge Sunday_ is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like _lid and a jar_.

4. _A salad_ is so nourishing.

5. Let us dare to _dream about summer_.

6. _My castle is _ my home.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _going to the same ‘ol coffee shop to hear some folk music_, tomorrow my plans include _going to a support group_ and Sunday, I want to _catch up on some reading_!

Why Can’t We Be Like Europe With Transgender Rights

All we are asking is to live our lives in peace, to earn a living to support our families, to have a roof over our heads to shelter our families and to be able to sit down at a luncheon counter to eat. Is that asking for too much?
In Europe they understand what we are asking, the Council of Europe just released a statement today…

“Discrimination against transgender persons must no longer be tolerated”
[05/01/09] During missions to member states of the Council of Europe, I have been reminded of the on-going discrimination many face on account of their gender identity[1]. Transgender persons encounter severe problems in their daily lives as their identity is met with insensitivity, prejudice or outright rejection.
…
Some people seem to have a problem with the mere existence of human beings whose outer expression of their inner gender identity is not the same as their gender determined at birth. Aggression against transgender persons cannot however be excused as resulting from ignorance or lack of education. These attitudes cause serious harm to innocent and vulnerable people and must therefore be countered.
…
I have been struck by the lack of knowledge about the human rights issues at stake for transgender persons, even among political decision-makers. This is probably the reason why more has not been done to address transphobia and discrimination based on gender identity. The result is that individuals are discriminated against all over Europe, in areas such as as employment, health care and housing.
…
To require surgery as a prerequisite to enjoy legal recognition of one’s gender identity ignores the fact that such operations are not always desired, medically possible, available, and affordable (without public or other funding). It is estimated that only 10% of transgender persons in Europe actually undergo gender reassignment surgery.
…
Data presented by EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency shows that in some countries the unemployment rate of transgender persons can reach up to 50%. Some jobless transgender persons are unable to find employment, and see no other option but to work in the sex industry. A report from Human Rights Watch on Turkey called attention to the situation of transgender sex workers in that country - victimised by violence, drug addiction, sexual abuse, lack of health insurance, homelessness, police attacks, and a high risk of HIV/AIDS.
…
There is no excuse for not immediately granting this community their full and unconditional human rights. Council of Europe Member States should take all necessary concrete action to ensure that transphobia is stopped and that transgender persons are no longer discriminated against in any field.


1. Gender identity is understood to refer to each person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms.

The full article is available at the Commissioner's website at www.commissioner.coe.int

Why can’t our legislators see that it is a matter of human rights and equality? They are hung up on bathrooms and teachers when what really is at stake are lives.
Please help us by calling you legislators and asking them to support “An Act Concerning Discrimination.” You can find your representative and senator here.

Yesterday’s Hartford Courant Article – Anti-Discrimination Legislation

There was a very good article about the anti-discrimination bill that will be raised shortly…

Connecticut To Consider Transgender Anti-Discrimination Proposal
By DANIELA ALTIMARI
The Hartford Courant
January 6, 2009
Transgender activists believe this is the year they will gain equal protection under the state's anti-discrimination laws.

"We feel good," said Jerimarie Liesegang, who leads the Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition. "We've done the groundwork, we've done the education and we know we have the votes."

A proposal, to be introduced in the legislative session that begins Wednesday, would prevent people who in any way blur gender lines from being discriminated against in the workplace or while seeking housing or obtaining credit. More than a dozen states, including California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon and Rhode Island, have enacted similar laws.

Bills that bar discrimination based on gender identity or expression have come up several times over the past few years, but failed to win passage. In 2007, both the judiciary committee and the Senate approved such a bill, but it died in the House of Representatives.
…
Activists say the new proposal would extend those protections to people whose appearance doesn't mesh with gender stereotypes, such as women who favor traditionally "masculine" clothing or hairstyles, or men who appear effeminate.Such individuals would be protected even if they don't view themselves as transgendered.
…
"How many times do we discriminate against someone based on how they look?" Liesegang asked. "If a woman is a little more masculine, that doesn't mean she has a right to be fired. ... This isn't about special rights, it's about basic human rights and making people comfortable with difference."

Of course, the opposition has to bring up the bathroom and teacher issues…

The measure has its critics. Kevin Witkos spoke out against the bill in 2007, while he served in the House. Witkos, a Republican from Canton, was recently elected to the Senate and continues to have reservations.

In particular, Witkos expressed concerns about the ramifications of the measure on the state's public schools. "It impacts the learning environment," he said. Witkos and other critics would also like to see a "restroom except" to prevent men from using a public women's bathroom, for instance.

"There are a lot of perverse people, I see it as a policeman," said Witkos, a Canton police sergeant. "They could use the provisions in this bill to try and go into the opposite sex's bathroom. That would have to be addressed in the legislation or it will not get my support."

As a police officer, he should know that there is already laws on the books in Connecticut mandating sex segregated facilities. This law would not in any way change those laws. In addition, he should also know that in Connecticut the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities has already ruled that gender discrimination is sex discrimination.
He should also know that there are Anti-Bullying laws covering students here in Connecticut. When a teacher transitions, it can be a positive learning experience. It can teach the students about diversity and accepting people who are different. On the other hand, by banding teachers from transitioning it teaches students that it is all right to discriminate against people who are different. Which lesson do you want to teach you children?

See also my blog on Kalamazoo Equal Rights Ordinance Suspended

Kalamazoo Equal Rights Ordinance Suspended

Last month I wrote about the Kalamazoo City Council passing an Anti-Discrimination ordinance, well the Christian Conservative Right managed by spreading lie and fear to suspend the ordinance. The American Family Association of Michigan on other petition that they circulated used the title "IS THERE A MAN IN YOUR DAUGHTER'S BATHROOM?" The American Family Association of Michigan also claimed that “as well as possibly violate the privacy of women and children.” This is fear mongering!

The National Organization of Women (NOW) in Massachusetts wrote in testimony of the Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination bill that “…It does not alter individuals’ privacy nor expectations of safety in restrooms. CMF’s [Coalition for Marriage and Family] claim that this bill will "threaten bathroom and locker room safety" for women is a deliberate scare tactic. An individual who enters a women’s bathroom to harass or attack women would emphatically not be protected by this law.”

How can these so-called “Family” organizations that say they are protecting the American family lie? Is lying one of their family values?

Manic Monday

Lisa’s Manic Monday #149



Do you have any idiosyncrasies or unusual quirks when it comes to food and/or eating?
I hate mushrooms and I am very picky when it comes to vegetables

Have you ever written love letters? If so, do you still have any of them?
No.

How easy or difficult is it for you to say you're sorry?
It is very easy, you should owe up to your mistakes.

Saturday Six - Episode 247

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six - Episode 247

1. Have you ever been asked to speak in front of an audience? If so, what was the occasion and how do you feel you did?
Yes, many of times, once was before an audience of about 200 people. I have also been interviewed by a TV crew (out of a 5-minute interview the used one sentence) and I have been on a cable access program (you know the ones that nobody watches).
I do outreach (educational training) at colleges, universities and I lobby legoslators about gender discrimination and when I am talking I don’t have time to be nervous, I am too busy think about what I am going to say.

2. If you were asked to appear on David Letterman’s show, do you have a “Stupid Human Trick” you could perform?
I can wiggle my nose and ears at the same time.

3. If you were asked to be in a circus, would you be more comfortable as a clown, a trapeze artist, a tightrope walker, a juggler, an animal trainer, or the ringmaster?
A juggler, I am not clownish, I do not like heights, I don’t like to torture animals and I don’t like the center stage.

4. Take the quiz: What Circus Act Should You Perform?

You Should Juggle

You've got the talent to go far in life, but you don't really like to take risks. You rather practice your well honed skills than put your life in danger. You are agile and coordinated. You can work magic with your hands. You truly mesmerize people. You don't have to resort to cheap tricks and gimmicks.

What Circus Act Should You Perform?

5. How old were you the first time you visited a circus? How did you like it?
Somewhere around 7 – 10 years old, I thought it was fantastic.

6. How often would you describe your real job as a “circus?” Do you think it seems to be getting more or less like a circus?
Before I retired, I thought that work was a circus everyday. The last company that bought us out, had no idea how to run a manufacturing company.

Milk Is Excellent!!!

I just came from watching “Milk” and by the end of the movie, I was in tears.

We have come so far, yet at the same time we haven’t progressed at all. The same issues are still being brought up today as they were back in the seventies. The religious right is still telling us the world will end if we have equality. They are still using the same fear tactics to scare people.

Here in Connecticut last month the religious right was upset because at a school in Enfield the teachers crossedressed for a day for a fundraiser and exposing the students to “transvestite behavior.”

In Windsor Locks, a trans-women was thrown out of a bar because she made the other customers feel uncomfortable when she used the bathroom

In Memphis Tennessee, the third trans-women in six-months was murdered last week.

In Indianapolis Indiana, a trans-woman was murdered last week also.

In Richmond California, a lesbian was brutally ganged raped by four men

All we are asking is to live our lives in peace, to earn a living to support our families, to have a roof over our heads to shelter our families and to be able to sit down at a luncheon counter to eat. Is that asking for too much? The Family Institute of Connecticut thinks so, that say we are asking for “special rights.”

Speak up; we need all your help. Call your legislator and tell them to vote for the gender inclusive anti-discrimination legislation without any amendments. Tell them it is about equality and fairness.

Saturday 9: Dying to Know

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Dying to Know



1. What do you believe happens when we die?
You’re dead.

2. Do you consider yourself religious?
Some what, I believe in God

3. Do you believe in ghosts?
No.

4. Do you believe that people live on other planets?
In our solar system, no but in solar systems in our and other galaxies, yes. I also do not believe in UFO’s

5. Have you ever seen something abnormal?
Nope.

6. Do you believe in reincarnation?
Nope.

7. Have you ever witnessed a miracle?
Nope.

8. Is there a person living or dead that influences your philosophies?
Yes, Martin Luther King Jr.

9. Is there a work of fiction that closely matches your spiritual beliefs?
No, not that I know or have read.

Fill-in Friday #105

Janet’s Fill-in Friday #105



1. The world is _”Going to Hell in a Hand Basket” (I am an old Grateful Dead fan)_.

2. _Good-bye_ was the last thing I said.

3. I wonder _what the new year will bring_.

4. _Money is_ at the end of all things.

5. There's something to be said for _living your life for today_.

6. _Sunny Hawaii_ is where I want to be.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _I have no idea what I am going to do_, tomorrow my plans include _doing nothing_ and Sunday, I want to _do something_!

A Look Ahead

With the beginning of the New Year, I want to gaze into my crystal ball and look to the future. I see the economic depression getting deeper for the first half of the year with the stock market bouncing around trying to find its bottom and the recovery will not happen this year. I see unemployment steadily climbing until it peaks sometime in the fall and not declining until the fall of 2010. With raising unemployment, I see the foreclosure rate remaining high until employment picks up in late 2010. The number of bankruptcies and fraud cases will continue to climb through out the year. In addition, I see the price of gas going back up (that is a no brainer prediction) in the summer to about $2.50 a gallon. The next crisis that will happen this year is the bursting of the credit card bubble sometime during this summer. In other words, I see the depression worst than the economists forecast.

For the political front on the national level, I see the Obama presidency focusing on jobs. I see the federal government pouring billions of dollars to rebuild the infrastructure; the transportation systems, buildings, national parks, etc. I also see Congress reintroduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) but I do not think that the bill will be gender inclusive. I see the white male dominated power structure looking out for their own interests first and passing a non-inclusive bill. They will tell us not to worry because they will still push for an inclusive bill and then they will focus their energies to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) instead of the inclusive ENDA.

In Connecticut, I see the passage of the gender inclusive Anti-Discrimination legislation. It will be a battle to get the bill passed but I think it is doable this year. Now that marriage equality has been achieved, the legislature can focus on the gender inclusive Anti-Discrimination bill. Our allies can now give us their full support. It also means that our opposition, the Christian right wing conservatives, can also focus all of their attention on us, they have much deeper pocket than we do and they can preach from their pulpits to thousands people the dangers of equality. However, I do think that we can win this year and pass the legislation.

What do you see for the future this year?