Minication

Last weekend I went up to my brother’s and sister-in-law’s condo in southern Maine and then on Monday we went up to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay and timing was perfect. Most of the flowers were in bloom and the weather was picture-perfect, around 80 degrees and low humidity with a light breeze. But on the way home we hit some very strong thunderstorms, so we were lucky that we left when we did.

I put together this three and half minute video of the gardens and I set it to an instrumental by Kevin MacLeod called Windswept…



If you like this video please leave a comment.

Do You Remember A Couple Of Months Ago…

...When the Republicans said that they wanted to be more inclusive of minorities and gays, lesbians, bi and trans people? Well get a load of what these Republicans want to do,

Idaho GOPer fears gay employees will come “into work in a tutu”
The Idaho GOP is pushing to overturn local ordinances that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation
Salon
By Jillian Rayfield
June 18, 2013

As Idaho Republicans push resolutions to get the state Legislature to overturn city ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, one local GOP official argued that though he would hire a gay man as an employee, he shouldn’t have to keep him on if he comes “into work in a tutu.”

“I’d hire a gay guy if I thought he was a good worker. But if he comes into work in a tutu … he’s not producing what I want in my office,” said Cornel Rasor, the current chairman of the resolutions committee of the Idaho GOP, according to the Spokesman-Review. “If a guy has a particular predilection and keeps it to himself, that’s fine,” Rasor continued. “But if he wants to use my business as a platform for his lifestyle, why should I have to subsidize that? And that’s what these anti-discrimination laws do.”
[…]
“Resolved, that the Idaho Republican State Central Committee recommends that our legislators support Idaho’s current anti-discrimination laws and policies and enact a law that would make unenforceable any municipal ordinances that would seek to expand categories of prohibited discrimination beyond current state anti-discrimination laws and policies,” the resolution states.

Six cities in Idaho have passed ordinances banning discrimination and this guy feels he should be able to discriminate against.

In another article a Republican in Congress has proposed another stupid law…

Congressman Wants Public Schools To Teach Gender Stereotypes ‘At A Very Early Age’
Think Progress
By Josh Israel
June 19, 2013

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) wants American youths to be taught gender stereotypes in grade school classes, so they understand the roles of mothers and fathers — and the importance of allowing only opposite-sex couples to marry.

In a speech Monday on the House floor, Gingrey stressed his continued support for the Defense of Marriage Act — which defines marriage as only union between a man and a woman — and suggested that children need to be carefully taught about the traditional roles of their genders:
GINGREY: You know, maybe part of the problem is we need to go back into the schools at a very early age, maybe at the grade school level, and have a class for the young girls and have a class for the young boys and say, you know, this is what’s important. This is what a father does that is maybe a little different, maybe a little bit better than the talents that a mom has in a certain area. And the same thing for the young girls, that, you know, this is what a mom does, and this is what is important from the standpoint of that union which we call marriage.”

Yup, these Republicans sure know how to appeal to the voters.

Number Seventeen!

There are seventeen states, one territory and the District of Columbia that have protection for gender identity and expression, Delaware is number seventeen.

Delaware gender identity bill clears final vote
Opponents fear men will lurk in women's locker rooms
Delmarvanow.com
Written by Randall Chase AP
Jun. 19, 2013

DOVER — Transgender people in Delaware will soon join the list of protected classes under the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

The Senate voted 11-to-9 Wednesday to give final approval to a bill adding gender identity to the list of protected nondiscrimination categories, including race, age, religion and sexual orientation. The legislation also allows for enhanced penalties under Delaware’s hate crimes law for targeting someone based on his or her gender identity.

Gov. Jack Markell planned to sign the bill into law Wednesday evening.

Supporters say the law is needed because transgender people can be straight or gay and are thus not protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Opponents argued the bill is unnecessary and will lead to disturbances by men lurking in girls’ restrooms and locker rooms, then claiming to be transgender.

It seems like each state has to add a little something to the language of the bill to satisfy legislators who were sitting on the fence. Connecticut added,

…which gender-related identity can be shown by providing evidence including, but not limited to, medical history, care or treatment of the gender-related identity, consistent and uniform assertion of the gender-related identity or any other evidence that the gender-related identity is sincerely held, part of a person's core identity or not being asserted for an improper purpose.

Delaware added this to appease the fence sitters,

In an effort to address such concerns, the House amended the bill this week with language stating that gender identity may be demonstrated by “consistent and uniform assertion of the gender identity or any other evidence that the gender identity is sincerely held as part of a person’s core identity,” and that gender identity cannot be asserted “for any improper purpose.”

I do not know if the bill also contains wording for gender expression protection. I think that it is vital to include gender expression because an employer could say that they have no problem with you being trans, just don’t show it at work.

The bill prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, public works, contracting, and insurance. 

Meanwhile, in neighboring Maryland the bill are still hung-up in the legislature because of religious fanatics and their frenzy over bathrooms. Even through there has never been any case where a person used the anti-discrimination laws to commit a crime since the first law that was passed in 1975.

Updated: 9:36AM

File This Under “I Would Have Never Guessed!”

I think this is no surprise to anyone…

Experts: Fox News' Coverage Contributes To Violence, Discrimination Against Transgender Community
Media Matters
Carlos Maza

Fox News Routinely Promotes Inaccurate And Defamatory Depictions Of The Transgender Community. Fox News' transgender coverage consistently includes derogatory and harmful misinformation - including name-calling and transphobic pseudoscience - including:

• Joking About "The One Part Of Chaz [Bono] That Hasn't Been Operated On [Fox & Friends, 9/27/11]
• Referring To A Transgender Woman As A "Burly Man In A Dress" [Fox News Radio Reporter Todd Starnes, 6/3/13]
• Asking If Trans-Supportive Parents Are Guilty Of "Child Abuse" [O'Reilly Factor, 5/23/12]

The article goes on to report on what various LGBT or Trans organization had to say about Fox New. The quotes are from…

• National Center For Transgender Equality: Fox's Coverage "Permits Disrespectful And Sometimes Violent Treatment Of Trans People."
• GLAAD: Fox's Coverage "Gives License For Continued Violence And Discrimination" Against Transgender People.
• New York City Anti-Violence Project: Fox's "Vitriolic Hate Speech" Contributes To Violence Against Transgender People.
• People For The American Way: Fox's Coverage Does "Real Harm To Real People."
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation: Fox's Coverage Is "Propaganda That Further Stigmatizes" Transgender People.

I don’t think anyone is surprised the Fox News is biased; however, some of the local affiliates are LGBT friendly. The local affiliate here in Connecticut has covered local LGBT and even one of their news personalities has MCed the Hartford Pride for a number of years. They also have covered the Hartford Transgender Day of Remembrance.

SSA Changes

There have been some questions arising from the recent announcement by the Social Security Administration about what happens to you spouse if you change your gender marker. The NTCE has tried to answer some of those questions…

Will changing my gender with SSA affect my health benefits?
Changing your gender marker with Social Security will typically not affect your health insurance at all if you have private insurance. While some insurance plans may automatically refuse coverage of services that appear inconsistent with a gender marker in the plan’s records, insurance plans generally do not base their gender data on, or match it with, Social Security records, but instead use data from enrollment forms.

An exception is that if a person is enrolled in Medicare, or is enrolled in both the Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, their insurance record will be based Social Security data. In that case, they may experience automatic refusals for coverage of services that appear inconsistent with a gender marker in Social Security records. These automatic rules were developed as a means to prevent erroneous or fraudulent billing, with the unintended consequence of sometimes affecting trans people. (This can happen with private insurance too, but that will be based on the gender in plan records, not Social Security records.) These types of denials can usually be resolved by having your provider’s office either add a specific billing code, contact the plan, or help you request a formal coverage determination. For more information, see NCTE’s health care and Medicare rights below.
[…]
What does “Appropriate Clinical Treatment” mean?
The new policy recognizes that people’s medical needs vary, and that treatment options must be decided by health care professionals on an individual basis. You are entitled to an updated gender marker if you have had the clinical treatment determined by your health care providers to be appropriate, in your individual case, to facilitate gender transition.No specific type of treatment is required, and details of your treatment should not be included in the letter from your physician to SSA.

NCTE encourages you and your doctor to only state in the letter that you have had the clinical treatment determined by your health care providers to be appropriate. Details about surgery, hormone treatment, or other treatments are unnecessary and not help
[…]
How does Social Security treat marriages involving transgender people?
Social Security recognizes as valid any marriage that was recognized under state law as being a valid, different-sex marriage when it was entered into. Any marriage that was valid when it was entered continues to be valid regardless of a spouse’s transition.

Social Security looks to state law and government-issued documents (such as birth certificates and court orders) to determine marital status – it is not based on the gender marker in your Social Security record. For this reason, changing your gender marker with Social Security will not affect your or your spouse’s right to Social Security benefits.

A complete list of questions and a list of resources is here.

Are You Better Off?

That was the question that was asked by PEW researchers last week, here are some of their results…

A Survey of LGBT Americans
Attitudes, Experiences and Values in Changing Times
June 13, 2013

An overwhelming share of America’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults (92%) say society has become more accepting of them in the past decade and an equal number expect it to grow even more accepting in the decade ahead. They attribute the changes to a variety of factors, from people knowing and interacting with someone who is LGBT, to advocacy on their behalf by high-profile public figures, to LGBT adults raising families.
[…]
The survey finds that 12 is the median age at which lesbian, gay and bisexual adults first felt they might be something other than heterosexual or straight. For those who say they now know for sure that they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, that realization came at a median age of 17.

Hmmm… I wonder what it was for trans-people? Was it younger? But wait! When you look at the data it turns out that the survey was mostly LGB… surprise! Only 5% of those surveyed identified as transgender.

This report is based primarily on a Pew Research Center survey of the LGBT population conducted April 11-29, 2013, among a nationally representative sample of 1,197 self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults 18 years of age or older. The sample comprised 398 gay men, 277 lesbians, 479 bisexuals and 43 transgender adults.

Woopie! Imagine that they interview a whopping 43 trans-people! About 9/10s of the survey was about lesbians, gays and bisexuals and you have to go way down to the bottom of the article to find anything about trans,

Because of the small number of transgender respondents in this survey (n=43), it is not possible to generate statistically significant findings about the views of this subgroup. However, their survey responses are represented in the findings about the full LGBT population throughout the survey.

Yup, once again the lesbians, gays and bisexuals speak for us.

To answer my first question about coming out at an earlier age, from the limited amount a data they did find the trans-people did come out at an earlier age. Usually before puberty, which make sense because you form your gender identity at a younger age, your “Id,” a sense of who you are before you form your sexual identity.

Even through the survey had a small trans population it did have some interesting comparisons and the survey is worth reading, there is a lot of interesting data in it. One of the ones I thought interesting was the question on “Social Acceptance” where,

Respondents were also asked to assess the level of social acceptance for specific LGBT groups: gay men, lesbians, bisexual men, bisexual women and transgender people. Across the LGBT population, bisexual women and lesbians are viewed as being more accepted by society than gay men, bisexual men or transgender people. There is a significant gap in perceptions about the extent to which society accepts gay men and lesbians. One-in-four LGBT adults say there is a lot of social acceptance of lesbians, while only 15% say there is a lot of acceptance of gay men.

Similarly there is a gap in views about social acceptance of bisexual women and men. One-third of all LGBT adults say there is a lot of social acceptance for bisexual women; only 8% say the same about bisexual men.

LGBT adults see relatively little social acceptance for transgender people. Fully eight-in-ten say there is only a little (59%) or no (21%) social acceptance of this group. Only 3% say there is a lot of acceptance, and 15% say there is some.

Yup, we are the black sheep of the family.


Here is another non-surprise…

Among both gay men (52%) and lesbians (47%), fewer say they have a lot or some common concerns and identity with transgender people.
[…]
Only about a quarter of bisexual men (24%) and about four-in-ten bisexual women (38%) say they have a lot or some in common with transgender people; pluralities of both bisexual men (51%) and bisexual women (39%) say that they feel they do not have any common concerns and identity with transgender people.
[…]
… while 47% of lesbians feel a sense of commonality with transgender people, that share rises to 58% among those who say being lesbian is extremely or very important to their overall identity.

Another non-surprise, 57% of the LGB people survey said marriage was important while only 29% said that health insurance for trans-people was important.

One more section that I found interesting was about why the change in attitude has happened.

Respondents were asked about the various factors that may have contributed to increased acceptance of people who are LGBT. Individual relationships and the role of well-known public figures are viewed as being the most helpful things in terms of fostering acceptance. Fully seven-in-ten LGBT adults say people knowing someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender helps a lot, and 24% say this helps a little.

I think this is the main reason why the change in attitudes. We are no longer the anonymous, we are your neighbors, we are your fellow workers, we are family, we shop where you shop and we are your customers.

I came out the closet in 2001 and a lot has changed since then and I think that in another ten year we (the trans-community) will not be discriminate against openly but behind our backs, we still won’t have true equality.

The Wheel Turns In Mysterious Ways

Last Wednesday I walking over at Pistol Creek which is an abandon golf course with a friend and her mother. A couple of years ago I met her on Facebook, she is from town. When she posted on Facebook that her parents sell antiques and they were looking stuff to sell on consignment, I contacted her since I was looking to sell the stuff that we cleared out from my parent’s house that was taking up space in my basement. I had them over to look through what I had and they took some on consignment.

Fast forward to today, the town is thinking about turning the abandon golf course in to sports fields which I’m against because the area has reverted back to its natural state. The golf cart paths make excellent walking trails that are used by many town residents. There are mother’s pushing baby carriage and seniors being pushed in wheelchairs, so I guess you can say it is used from cradle to grave.

When I went to a town Conservation Commission meeting where there was a hearing on the plan I meet some of the people who are organizing the opposition to sports fields. She mentioned that there were some historic foundations along the creek where they want to put in the fields. I knew my Facebook friend knew a lot about the town history so I contacted her and we decided to photograph the old foundation. When we met there, her mother who also knew a lot about the town history was with her. As we were walking around the park taking pictures they were telling me the history of the site. (Above is the foundation of the Jacob Wilcox's house. It was overgrown and was partially destroyed when the built the golf course.) One of the first gun companies in the U.S. was located there in the 1700s. Simon North made pistols there in 1799 (Hence Pistol Creek).

When we walking I mentioned my age and her mother said that she was only a year younger. She said where she lived when she was little and I said I lived a couple of blocks away... What school did you go to? It was the same school! I asked what is your maiden name, she said her name and it rang a bell with me.

Later when I got home I dug out my 5^th grade photo and there she was! We were classmates in elementary school! Not only that but we use to play together. It a small world after all!

Here is a photo of one of my birthday parties and she is one of the girls in the picture.

Trans-Equality For New Yorkers

There was an editorial in the New York Times saying it was time for the New York State Senate to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)

Civil Rights for Transgender People
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Published: June 12, 2013

New York stood for equality by approving same-sex marriage two years ago. It is time now for state lawmakers to extend basic civil rights protections to transgender people. The 2002 state statute that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, education, credit and public accommodations does not explicitly cover transgender people.
[…]
A measure to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity or expression — the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or Genda, sponsored by Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and Senator Daniel Squadron — passed the Democratic-led Assembly in April for the sixth time. There is a good chance it would also pass the Senate, with nearly all Democrats and some Republicans voting in favor. The challenge is getting the bill to the floor for an up-or-down vote before the end of the legislative session, scheduled on June 20.

Here in Connecticut we had the same problem, the senate sat on the bill and it took a strong commitment by the governor to get the bill to come to a vote in both the House and the Senate.

Birth Certificates

In Oregon State they just pass a law that will allow you to change your birth certificate with having surgery. The ACLU said in a press release that,

Oregon Legislature Repeals Surgery Requirement for Gender Change on Birth Certificate
By Becky Straus, Legislative Director, ACLU of Oregon & Kevin Díaz, Legal Director, ACLU of Oregon & Amanda Goad, LGBT Project
6/14/13

With Gov. Kitzhaber's approval of HB 2093 yesterday, transgender people in Oregon will no longer have to show proof of surgery in order to change their birth certificates to accurately reflect their gender. Previously, Oregon law required surgery in order to update a birth certificate gender marker, even for those transgender people who did not need or want it, or were unable to access surgery for financial, medical, or other reasons. The ACLU supported the great work of agency and advocate partners to reach this victory. We are glad to see Oregon's legislature and governor sign off on this important change and advance the rights of transgender Oregonians.
[...]
Long overdue, HB 2093 aligns Oregon law with well-established medical standards. It promotes fairness and equality and makes life easier for transgender people born in Oregon.

This is ground breaking! Oregon is now the second state that allows you to change your birth certificate without surgery. The first state to allow you to do that was Illinois when last October a court ordered the Department of Public Health to allow trans-people to change their birth certificate without having to undergo genital reconstruction surgery.

Saturday Six #479

Patrick’s place Saturday Six #479

1. Would you have ever dated someone you knew was in a committed relationship with someone else, even if you knew that the other person was okay with the idea?
No, if they were in a committed relationship and they were still playing the field I wouldn’t trust them in a relationship with me.

2. If you were in a longterm relationship and your significant other gained weight because of a medical issue, would you think less of him/her as a person?
No, I was in that situation where I was gaining weight because of an illness.

3. When dating someone, how important is it that you’d communicate with that person every day?
Wow, that is something that I have debated with myself for a long time. you don’t want to be a pest but on the other hand you don’t want the person to think you are not interested.

4. If you had to choose one or the other, which is more important in a relationship: dedication or passion?
Neither is the most important thing in a relationship. I think caring is the most important.

5. Is jealousy healthy or unhealthy in a relationship?
Unhealthy. You have to give the other person their own space.

6. Would you have a problem with your significant other spending a good deal of time with his/her exes if you knew it was completely platonic?
I don’t know, it would have to do with the circumstance.

Saturday 9: Daddy's Back

Crazy Sam's Saturday 9: Daddy's Back


If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) Crazy Sam's dad often traveled for business, and always remembered to bring her the little complimentary soaps or body lotions he got from the hotel. When you travel, do you bring back souvenirs? Send post cards?
I take nothing but pictures, everything else just collects dust. When I was little we traveled to just about all the states this side of the Mississippi and we posted the bumper stickers from the tour traps that we stopped at on a wall in the basement.

2) When you fly, do you prefer window or aisle? Or doesn't it matter?
I prefer a window seat, but I won’t pay extra for it.

3) According to Askmen.com, Jim Anderson (Robert Young) of Father Knows Best is the best TV dad ever. Who is your favorite TV (or movie) dad?
Archie. He’s the best!

4) Sam's father was the family disciplinarian. What about you? Do you consider yourself a rule maker, a rule follower, or a rule breaker?
A rule follower, I get very nervous when I break the law. I have a guilty face, one look and you know I was up to no go.

5) Sam's father was the one who gave her driving lessons. Think back to your first few times behind the wheel. Were you a naturally good driver?
My brother taught me to drive a standard on his MGB

6) This week's featured artist, Kenny Loggins, was born in Washington State. Have you ever lived in, or traveled to, any of our northern border states? (For those of you not as well versed in geography as Crazy Sam, that's AK, WA, MT, ND, MN, WI, MI PA, NY, VT, and ME.)
Sam, you missed some states… NH, OH, IN, IL, WY & ID.
I have been to ME, NH, NY, PA OH, IN, IL, MN, WI, ND & WA.

7) As part of the duo Loggins and Messina, Loggins performed the song "House at Pooh Corner." Do you have a favorite character from the Winnie the Pooh books/movies?
I was never a big fan of Winnie the Pooh.

8) The mercury is going to start rising. How hot is too hot for you? 85º? 95º? Or are you one of those “the hotter the better" people?
Well it is not so much the temperature but more about the humidity. I like a dry 75º.

9) To celebrate Father's Day, Sam is giving away her father's favorite candy: LifeSavers. Would you prefer a roll of Wild Cherry, or Butter Rum, or Winter Green or Peppermint?
None of the them, there is way too much sugar, besides I’m not a dad.

News Flash....... SSA Nolonger Requires Surgery!

The Social Security Administration no longer requires surgery to change your gender marker!!!!!

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE AND THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
NTCE Press Release
June 13, 2013

In June 2013, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a new policy to for updating Social
Security records to reflect a person’s gender identity. Under the new policy, a transgender person
can change their gender on their Social Security records by submitting either government-issued
documentation reflecting a change, or a certification from a physician confirming that they have had
appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition. This policy replaces SSA’s old policy, which required
documentation of sex reassignment surgery.

You can read the rest of the press release here.

Update 3:06PM
RM 10212.200 Changing Numident Data for Reasons other than Name Change

C. Exhibit – Sample Letter from Licensed Physician Certifying to the Individual’s Gender Change
(Physician’s Address and Telephone Number)

I, (physician’s full name), (physician’s medical license or certificate number), (issuing U.S. State/Foreign Country of medical license/certificate), am the physician of (name of patient), with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whom I have treated (or with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship and whose medical history I have reviewed and evaluated).

(Name of patient) has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to the new gender (specify new gender, male or female).

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the forgoing is true and correct.

Signature of Physician

Typed Name of Physician

Date

One Of My Worries As I Get Older…

…Is elder care. How will I be treated in a nursing home or in a senior living center? They is a number of studies about gays and lesbians but there are very few on trans-people*.

We have different needs then senior gays and lesbians, will we still need our hormones and if so at what dosage? Our biology might not match our identity. Some of us might be hair challenged, will we still have access to our wigs? These are just some of the questions that still have to be answered.

There is an article in GeriPal (A Geriatric and Palliative Care Blog) by Robert Killeen MD about this,

Hospice and the Transgendered

Hospice is beset by many societal obstacles in its care of the transgendered patient.  I saw a most recent example of this in our local community hospice.  An elderly female (MTF) transgendered patient had developed metastatic cancer.  Chemotherapy had failed and had left her profoundly weak and infirmed.  Estranged from her family, she had only a few friends to rely on but then only intermittently so.  Hospice admitted her to their IPU and, with supportive care, her overall status did improve.  However, now she was in a dilemma.  She was well enough to leave the unit but not well enough to go home.  Too poor to afford a single room, the patient was unable to be placed.  Chronic care facilities viewed her as if she were both male AND female.  This prohibited her placement with a roommate.  As she was physically female she wished to have a female roommate; the facilities saw her as originally 'male' and either could not or would not comply.  In the end, she remained at the hospice center for the remainder of her life.  While the hospice provided her with exemplary care, the obstacle of society's views on gender prevented her from ever leaving the unit.

When the Connecticut Transadvoacy Coalition (CTAC), the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO), Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the Connecticut Women Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) held a workshop in 2011 on the new gender inclusive anti-discrimination law one of the questions that was asked was from a lawyer at a hospital. His questions were “how do we place a trans-patient?” and “what happens if we put a trans-woman in the women’s ward and someone complains?” The CHRO and GLAD lawyers responded that you place the trans-patient in the ward of their gender identity and for the second question they asked a question to the hospital doctor, what would you do if there was a patient that complained about a Muslim in the room? The hospital lawyer replied that they would remove the patient who complained and the CHRO lawyer responded that person who complained about a trans-patient should also be moved and not to isolate a trans-patient in their own room.

Dr. Robert Killeen goes on to say…

The transgendered population confronts a myriad of difficulties which hospice must also address.  Socially, transgendered folk, gentle folk, find themselves relegated to a near-netherworld existence.  Forced to society's fringes they feel isolated, even abandoned, by family and friends.  They may find their friendships restricted to a "gay-friendly" environment or to other 'T-girls'. … In an era when patients can be nudists, "fuzzies", or carry tattoos of violent causes (eg. Nazis), why must the transgendered have fear of disfavor from a medical staff corrupted by society?  Their only supposed crime is gender.

In a national survey of trans-people it was reported that 20% of trans-people surveyed we denied treatment in a doctor’s office or a hospital and 25% reported that they were harassed in a doctor’s office or hospital. What is even worse is that the report found that 28% postponed medical care due to discrimination. I was one of those who postponed treatment because of a fear of being discriminated against.

In Dr. Robert Killeen blog he said…

The transgendered population is often helpless to find support for their health care.  Transgendered people are a 'minority of minorities', "society's most vulnerable population" as per the Reverend Stan Sloan of Chicago House, creator of the TransLife Center.

Many of us say that they are not activists or that they don’t want to be an advocate. But we all must be pro-active when it comes to our own health-care.

*In a report titled “The Aging and Health Report Disparities and Resilience among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults” they say it is a LGBT survey but in reality it is only a LGB survey. Their report mainly talks about Lesbian, Gays and Bisexuals and of the more than 2500 participants only 174 were trans.

What we need is our own study of elder care for trans-people.

Sad News...

TGF Founder JoAnn Roberts has passed away
TG Forum
Angela Gardner
Jun 10, 2013

JoAnn was 65-years-old. She is survived by her wife Jaini, daughter Brie and sister Donna.

JoAnn was diagnosed with lung cancer in February of this year. She went through a round of chemotherapy treatments and they appeared to be successful in stopping the cancer in her lungs and liver. Radiation treatments were begun last month to eradicate a tumor on her spine but were halted last week when it was determined that the cancer had spread again. JoAnn opted to go into hospice care and she passed away peacefully on Friday evening, June 7, 2013.

JoAnn, like many of us, had been attracted to women’s clothing since she was a young boy in the Philadelphia, Pa. area. She was living in California in the 1970s when she saw Virginia Prince on a television talk show discussing her organization for heterosexual crossdressers, the Society for the Second Self (Tri-Ess). JoAnn was shocked, amazed and delighted to learn that there were other men who felt the way she did about dressing up.
[…]
In 1987 JoAnn proposed to our circle of CD friends that we start an organization to raise awareness, provide support and educate about transgender issues. It would be a legitimate organization with a 501 [c] 3 nonprofit status. Alison Laing, Trudy Henry, Melanie Bryant and I were among the group she got together to discuss and then create The Renaissance Education Association, Inc.. (Later renamed The Renaissance Transgender Association, Inc..)

Many of our pioneers are passing away, those that had lead the quest for equality back in the 60s and 70s are in ill health. Leslie Feinberg is in a hospice, from Leslie’s blog,

I suffered with tick-borne diseases for 35 years without treatment. In the five plus years since I have been in treatment, I have been diagnosed with late-stage Lyme along with serious coinfections including Babesiosis, Protomyxzoa Rheumatica, and Bartonella. My 20-year pattern of periodic immuno-suppression has become chronic for quite some time.

My body is failing so fast that I can’t undergo more diagnostic and treatment attempts. It is difficult for me to swallow, walk, breathe, talk and write. This sharp decline, evidenced in labs and in life, has forced me to set up home hospice care quickly.

Leslie is an activist and author, ze is best known for zer book “Stone Butch Blues” which was a ground breaking book in 1993. I saw Leslie once when ze gave a talk at Post University in Waterbury, ze reminded me of the great oracles in history. Ze was passionate when it came to equality.

Another activist who is in ill health is Kate Bornstein, she has lung cancer, Huffington Post said last year,

She is a groundbreaking author, performer and "advocate for teens, freaks and other outlaws" whose books, like My Gender Workbook and Gender Outlaw, have been critical to furthering gender theory over the last 20 years.

Sadly, the self-described "queer and pleasant danger" was diagnosed with lung cancer in August. Doctors thought Bornstein had been cured after surgery, but in February they discovered that the disease had returned. The good news is that the cancer appears to be curable. The bad news is that the cost of treatment is astronomical, even with Bornstein's health insurance plan.

To make matters even worse, her treatment is more complicated than most because she has suffered from another kind of cancer -- CLL, or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia -- for over fifteen years.

I saw Kate Bornstein’s monologue a couple of times up at UMass at Amherst, she gave an amazing performance talking about her life’s journey.

We are coming to the end of an era, those who gave their heart and soul so that we can walk with our head held high are in the twilight of their lives.

New York Albany County Passes Trans-Bill

On Monday the Albany County legislature passed an anti-discrimination law that protects trans-people.

Crucial human rights law passed in Albany County
Albany Timesunion
Monday, June 10, 2013
By Renate Hartman

The Albany County Legislature unanimously passed an anti-discrimination law that protects transgender people on June 10, 2013. Yes, all the Democrats and Republicans.

Meanwhile, the state Senate is split right down party lines over GENDA (Gender Equality Non-Discrimination Act).

The article goes on to say,

The legislators were attentive and polite, but more importantly, respectful to all of us. As time passed, more and more legislators came up to us before and after the public forum expressing support for this anti-discrimination legislation.  The minority leader, Christine M. Benedict, advocated for the bill with her caucus.

The unanimous support shows that transgender anti-discrimination legislation is not a partisan issue – it is a Civil Rights/Human Rights issue.

For the last six years GENDA has died in the Senate, the Republican controlled Senate has refused to even bring the bill up for a vote and it looks like it is going meet the same fate again this year because the session ends this month..

The Buffalo News said in an editorial that,

 It’s been a decade since GENDA was first introduced. Then-Sen. Thomas Duane attempted to amend the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act to include the transgender community. His measure failed to win approval, and GENDA was created to correct that error. Yet, it still awaits legislative approval.

I hope that this year will be the year that our neighbors will achieve equality.

What Box Would You Check Off On Your Passport

Here in the U.S. we can have our passport in the gender that we identify with, not our birth gender. In Nepal they added a third gender, Raw Story reports…

Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to alter passports so that transgenders no longer have to describe themselves as male or female, a court spokesman said, a move welcomed by rights activists.

The court made the decision on Monday following a petition from a transgender who wanted a third category introduced on passports for people who identify themselves neither as male nor female, the spokesman said.
[…]
Early this year, Nepal introduced a transgender category for people obtaining their citizenship certificates. People can register as a “third gender” when completing the certificates, which serve as national identity cards required to open bank accounts, sell and buy property and get a passport.

I think it is a good idea, but… will it stigmatize people who chose to identify as “Third Gender?” That is what I would think about before marking down “Third Gender.”

It is kind of like what I wrote about on Sunday about your medical records, but this would be public for all to see. Would it be like wearing a lavender triangle?

Back when we were trying to pass Connecticut gender inclusive anti-discrimination law one of the senators introduced an amendment requiring trans-people to register at the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a notation on their driver license indicating their transgender status. I nicknamed it the Scarlet Letter amendment.

I don’t know the climate in Nepal for trans-people; maybe they are all open and accepting but I know that I wouldn’t want to be labeled “Third Gender.”

Trans-Student Rights

There is a case going to the Maine Supreme Court on Wednesday about trans-students, you may remember a case last year in Maine where a trans-girl in a school in Maine was forced to use the staff bathroom. Maine’s commission on Human Rights ruled in favor of the student but that was overturned by a court and the judge said that the school had no obligation to let the trans-girl use the girl’s bathroom. Now the Maine Supreme Court will hear the case on the judge’s ruling.

High court to hear arguments in transgender bathroom case Wednesday
Bangor Daily News
By Judy Harrison
June 10, 2013

BANGOR, Maine — The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Wednesday will consider the appeal of a transgender girl and her family, who sued Orono school officials over her access to the girls bathroom.

Justices will convene Tuesday and Wednesday in Bangor to hear oral arguments in a dozen cases, including the one known as Doe v. Clenchy.

The incident that sparked the court case began in 2007 when a child, who was born male but identifies as female, was forced to stop using the girls bathroom at the Asa Adams Elementary School in Orono. She was told to use a staff bathroom after the grandfather of a male student complained.

The girl’s parents and the Maine Human Rights Commission sued the Orono School District, now called Riverside RSU 26, and then Superintendent Kelly Clenchy after the commission ruled in the girl’s favor.

The case was heard by Justice William Anderson who back in November ruled that, “The law casts a broad stroke where one more delicate and refined is needed.” However, the legislature did not choose to write a narrowly defined law and chose an all-encompassing law and also the legislature early in 2011 voted down a bill to exempt bathrooms from the anti-discrimination law. The Bangor Daily News wrote,

The state Senate voted Wednesday to kill legislation addressing the use of public restrooms by transgender individuals, a bill that supporters said was meant to help businesses and schools in an untenable situation but that opponents said was fueled by bigotry and hatred.
[…]
Newport Republican Rep. Ken Fredette’s defeated bill stemmed from a pair of cases that are being decided in Superior Court. In Orono, a boy who identifies as a girl wasn’t allowed to use the girls bathroom in a middle school. In Auburn, a restaurant barred a transgender woman from using the ladies room.

In spite of this Judge Anderson ruled on his narrow interpretation so most legal advocates believe the judge’s ruling will be overturned.

What Box Do You Check Off In The Doctor’s Office

As the medical profession starts to switch over to “Electronic Medical Records” (EMR) there is a discussion going on with healthcare providers about trans-clients, they want to make sure we are not thrown under the bus.

‘Male,’ ‘female’ are not enough for trans patients seeking health care
by JR Tungol
Nov 23, 2011

If you’ve ever filled out a form online, it’s likely you’ve encountered the problem of needing to provide an answer for which no space is provided. Think, even, about the Y2K problem, when there was no option for any year beyond 1999.

As electronic medical records become more prevalent in hospitals and clinics, groups advocating for transgender people have looked for ways for forms to recognize that ‘male’ and ‘female’ are not adequate options in identifying people by gender.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health formed a task force this fall to explore recommendations on how the systems that produce and manage medical records can be “trans-friendly.”

Registering trans patients in an electronic medical record – specifically identifying their sex – is a primary concern. No EMR vendors have a “trans” selection other than male or female, task force members said.

The problem was recognized back then and now it is starting to come to the forefront. In a recent Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association they wrote about the EMR and the trans-patient.

Meeting the Needs of Transgender Patients: Medical Informaticists Work through the EHR Challenges
Healthcare Informatics
May 30, 2013
By Mark Hagland

On April 30, 2013, JAMIA, the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, published online an article titled “Electronic medical records and the transgender patient: recommendations from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health EMR Working Group,” authored by Madeline B. Deutsch, M.D., Jamison Green, Ph.D., JoAnne Keatley, M.S.W.., Gal Mayer, M.D., Jennifer Hastings, M.D., and Alexandra M. Hall, M.D.

As the article’s abstract notes, “Transgender patients have particular needs with respect to demographic information and health records; specifically, transgender patients may have a chosen name and gender identity that differs from their current legally designated name and sex. Additionally,” the authors note, “sex-specific health information, for example, a man with a cervix or a woman with a prostate, requires special attention electronic health record (EHR) systems. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is an international multidisciplinary professional association that publishes recognized standards for the care of transgender and gender-variant persons.”

The article points out that,

Historically, in the paper-based environment, someone would just have put a post-it note on a record saying something like, “This patient prefers ‘Jennifer.’” So there are immediate issues such as that. Second, there is a set of issues around properly documenting that a patient is transgender, and provides the appropriate clinicians and caregivers with information to support that patient’s care.

What the worry is that we will be left out, that we will be the square peg of data that has to go into a round hole of data. How will we be recorded in the database, will it go under our birth gender? It is a problem not only for trans-people but intersex people, how will they be recorded?

In a blog by Ted Eytan, MD, he writes…

This just published paper (unfortunately behind a paywall, but you can access a summarized version at the transhealth.ucsf.edu website) explodes an inaccurate tenet within electronic health record systems – that a person’s sex and gender are tied together, and in turn fully inform a person’s medical destiny. This is not the case for a small percentage of patients.

    It is recognized that the overwhelming majority of patients are not transgender, which has led to implementation of a binary male/female oriented system across multiple platforms such as EHR systems, billing and coding systems, and laboratory systems; however, this structure inhibits the collection of accurate medical information, and therefore such systems should be modified.

What I do not want is to have,
Male
Female
Other

I don’t know about you but I’m not an “other.” In the website that Dr. Eytan cites suggestions on how the personal data should be recorded as a two-step process,

    What is your sex or current gender? (Check all that apply)

•     Male
•     Female
•     TransMale/Transman
•     TransFemale/Transwoman
•     Genderqueer
•     Additional Category (Please Specify): ______________
•     Decline to State

    What sex were you assigned at birth?

•     Male
•     Female
•     Decline to State

I think that they should also include “Intersex” because they might have medical problems related to either sex.

A word on why this is important to the trans-community; EMR is an electronic file of your medical history. I go to my primary care physician for my annual physical and when he accesses my medical file not only does it contain his medical records on me but it also contains all the medical records on me from the specialists that I have seen. And if I am ever need medical help out of state and I am rushed to a hospital they can access my medical records.

Therefore, it is vitally important that these records be accurate. My life might depend on my medical records.

If you are trans, which box would you check off?

Saturday Six #478

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six #478

1. Would you rather have your doughnuts hot, room temperature or chilled?
I liked warm donuts, but usually they were at room temperature sitting in the conference room for an hour.

2. Do you prefer Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts or a different restaurant when you have the doughnut craving?
Dunkin Donuts, the Krispy Kreme store was mobbed when it opened and they had to have police there for traffic control. But after awhile the novelty wore off and people noticed that their donuts were smaller than Dunkin Donuts

3. How often do you buy doughnuts?
-0- They are now literally poison to me since I was diagnosed with diabetes. Do you know how hard it is to go to a meeting where there is a box of donuts sitting in front of you for an hour?

4. Your favorite doughnut: plain, filled or iced?
Chocolate cream donuts, yum…

5. If you were in a doughnut frame of mind but your only choice was iced doughnuts, which flavor of icing would you most be likely to choose?
Chocolate

6. The new trend is putting bacon on everything: what do you think about doughnuts topped with bacon?
Yuck!

Saturday 9: Sweet Caroline

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Sweet Caroline



The idea for this came from Harriet, who suggested the baseball theme.

1) "Sweet Caroline" has been sung during every Boston Red Sox home game since the 1990s. (Click here to watch Neil Diamond lead the fans in the first game after April's bombing.) Do you know the words well enough to sing along?
Nope, I’m not a big Neil Diamond fan although I do listen to him occasionally.

2) Do you have a favorite major league baseball team?
Nope, I don’t follow sports but my brother’s family are big Red Socks and Patriots fans

3) Budweiser is the "official beer of major league baseball." Do you reach for a cold beer on a hot summer day?
Nope, too many carbs and I cut way back on my consumption of alcohol and I don't drink any soda any more.
 
4) Every season, more than a million Vienna Beef Hot Dogs are consumed by baseball fans at Chicago's Wrigley Field. When you get a hot dog, what do you put on it?
Cheese, onions, ketchup, and mustard, and sometimes pickle relish in place of the onions.

5) The odds of a fan in the stands being hit by a baseball are 300,000 to 1. The odds of winning the lottery are (approximately) 1 in 12,000,000. Do you play the lottery?
Only when it gets up in the mega-millions. I figure the odds are greater than getting hit by lighting but people do get hit every day.

6) Though his song has been adopted by faithful Boston Red Sox fans, Neil Diamond was born and raised in New York City. Have you ever visited The Big Apple?
Yes, the last time was for the Pride parade in 2009… it’s a long story. (New York City Pride Parade – To Hell and Back)

7) Baseball players are notoriously superstitious. For example, the Cubs' Matt Garza eats Popeye's fried chicken every day that he pitches. Joltin' Joe DiMaggio touched second base with his foot every time he ran on or off the field. Do you have any superstitions?
Nope, I don't believe in that stuff

8) A ball signed by Babe Ruth can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction. Have you ever asked a celebrity for his/her autograph?
Yes. Gabby Hayes and that was a long, long time ago. But I have asked authors that I know to autograph their books for me (Now with Kindles, the author’s autograph is the thing of the past… but I wonder is someone can create an App for that?)

9) Baseball means summer and summer means sun. Are you working on a tan, or do you slather on the sunscreen?
Both, I tan only for about 20 minutes when I’m outside and then I slobber on the lotion, usually a SPF of 50.

SiriusXM Update

The Transadvoacte announce that SiriusXM has dropped the Lex & Terry show...

[UPDATED] Anti-Trans Radio Show Dropped From SiriusXM!
By Cristan
June 7, 2013

Today, I was notified by the SiriusXM Senior Vice President of Communications, Patrick Reilly that Lex and Terry show had been pulled from the  SiriusXM network. “As you may already be aware, the Lex and Terry show is no longer on XM. The show was dropped yesterday, Thursday, from the Extreme Talk channel on XM. That’s the channel under the control of Clear Channel.”

I contacted GLAAD and requested their assistance in dealing with this issue. Moments ago, GLAAD  published the following statement:

    Syndicated radio hosts Lex and Terry say they will make a formal apology and have promised to work with GLAAD and transgender advocates to address the issue of anti-trans violence on the air, following an anti-transgender incident that occurred on their program earlier this week.

    We thank SiriusXM for its swift and decisive action on this matter.  Clear Channel, which carries the show on its IHeartRadio network (and the show is produced at a Clear Channel station in Dallas) has yet to make a public statement about these comments, and they must do so. A petition asking Clear Channel to stand up for the transgender community and denounce the comments made on the air by Lex and Terry can be found here.

    On Friday, GLAAD spoke with an agent for the show, who said that the hosts now understood the severity of the incident and the harm that statements like this can (and do) cause, and that a formal apology from the hosts would be forthcoming. Lex and Terry will also work with GLAAD and members of the transgender advocacy community on a way to meaningfully address the issue of anti-transgender violence on the air. We do not yet know the contents of the apology.

The Transadvocate went on to say in another update that...

Statement from Clear Channel:

    Clear Channel Media and Entertainment does not condone the comment independently made by Lex & Terry regarding transgender individuals.  United Stations Radio Networks, which produces and syndicates the Lex & Terry Show, has been notified.  The comment was thoughtless and unacceptable and we sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by their remarks.

    - Angel Aristone, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Clear Channel Radio

You can read what I wrote about the show here "There Is No Excuse".

This And That In The News – Trans Issues (Bathroom Police & Birth Certificates)

"This And That In The News" is about articles in the news that have caught my eye and I want to share or comment about. These are the articles that caught my attention last week.

After much national negative press Arizona Rep. John Kavanagh, has withdrawn his bill on bathroom police.

Arizona transgender bathroom bill won’t move
By Dustin Gardiner
The Republic | azcentral.com
Wed Jun 5, 2013

The fight over Arizona’s so-called “bathroom bill” has been flushed, at least for the time being.

Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, announced Wednesday that he will drop the bill aimed at transgender people who use public restrooms, showers and locker rooms. Kavanagh, who sponsored the bill, said he would introduce it again next year.

His proposal drew national media attention and outraged gay-rights activists.

Senate Bill 1045 would have prohibited local governments from passing ordinances that could subject businesses to lawsuits or criminal penalties if they forbid a transgender person from using a restroom.

His original bill would have allowed businesses to deny trans-people or someone who they thought was transgender from using the bathroom. When there was a large amount of flack nationally about the bill he changed the bill to exempt businesses from lawsuits or arrest if they deny a person the use of the bathroom.

The next article is from Washington DC where they join Illinois in allowing birth certificates to be changed without surgery.

D.C. Council Moves Toward New Birth Certificates for Transgender People
Ch 4 NBC Washington
By Tom Sherwood
Thursday, Jun 6, 2013

The D.C. Council is preparing to pass legislation that would make it easier for transgender people to obtain new birth certificates reflecting their change in sexual identity.

The new law would ease a costly and bureaucratic system now in effect.

“D.C.’s law as it currently exists makes it really hard for trans people to get their vital records in line with who they really are,” said Andy Bowen, an activist with the DC Trans Coalition who helps fight discrimination in housing and jobs.
[…]
The D.C. Council Judiciary Committee voted to wipe away a lot of those restrictions on sex identity changes, approving a proposal that would require only a certified statement from a medical doctor and would eliminate the publicity and surgery requirements.

This is a great step forward, as the article said it can cost tens of thousands of dollars for surgery and for some there also maybe medical reasons why they cannot have surgery. I hope other states follow their lead.

There Is No Excuse!

Friday on Clear Channel’s Lex and Terry show they said that it is OK to shoot “trannies,” according to the TransAdvocate they said,

On Friday (06/03/2013), the Lex and Terry show began discussing this issue saying, There’s a teen that shot a tranny after finding out that it was a man after they had a little sexual encounter. A co-host responded, I don’t blame him. I would have shot his ass too.

This is totally unacceptable, promoting violence against anyone never right and it should not be a joke. So far there has been no response on their Facebook page or on Clear Channel’s website, while on the Sirius XM Facebook page their response was “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We do apologize & we'll share your post with our programming managers. –Jess”

TransAdvocate also said that Sirius XM issued a statement…

We apologize for this programming and don’t in any way condone it. The Extreme Talk channel and the Lex and Terry show are programming providing to us by Clear Channel. The channel and all the shows on it are under the control of Clear Channel. We are required to carry the channel based on pre-existing agreement with Clear Channel. We have made Clear Channel aware of this issue and the complaints from listeners.

Patrick Reilly
Senior Vice President, Communications

Clear Channel and the disk jockeys cannot claim naivety because numerous talk show hosts have been fired for saying the same thing and that should be their fate also.

Here are the contact information for Clear Channel…
Twitter: @clearchannel
Clear Channel Facebook
The Lex and Terry Show (Contact us page)
iHeart Radio (Contact Us page - They carry the show)
Sirius XM Facebook page (They carry the show)
Update (6/7/13): There is an online petition Clear Channel: Issue Formal Apology For Radio Hosts Who Advocated Murdering Trans People.

Does anyone know who the sponsors of the show are and the sponsors contact information? Please post them in the comments.


What even made this who episode even worst was it happened on the same day that the American Bar Association made a statement denouncing “gay panic” defenses.

June 3, 2013—The National LGBT Bar Association applauds the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section for taking up a resolution to protect victims of so called gay and trans “panic” legal defenses. The resolution supports the LGBT community by no longer allowing defense attorneys to use victims’ identities or their sexual orientation against them in court.

“This resolution puts an end to a longstanding injustice in our legal system and gives a voice to countless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims of violence, a voice we never hear because they are no longer here to speak for themselves,” said D’Arcy Kemnitz, executive director of the LGBT Bar.

Condoning violence against anyone is wrong and should never be tolerated.

Stop the Hate!

I Can Support This…

I am all for the gender inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) but I have always said that it didn’t go far enough, a link to this site was posted on CTAC’s Facebook page... “The Pledge for Full LGBT Equality” and I think that they are right on the money,

WE, the undersigned, pledge our support for the passage of omnibus LGBT equality legislation that grants full non-discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity equal to those accorded other statuses under existing civil rights laws and Supreme Court jurisprudence, specifically including:

•     Public Accommodations (Title II, 1964 Civil Rights Act)(e.g., restaurants, hotels, theaters)
•     Public Facilities (Title III, 1964 Civil Rights Act) (e.g., courthouses, jails, hospitals, parks)
•     Federally-Funded Programs (Title VI, 1964 Civil Rights Act) (e.g., adoption, police, schools, homeless youth, health care)
•     Employment (Title VII, 1964 Civil Rights Act; 1978 Civil Service Reform Act; 1991 Government Employee Rights Act; 1995 Congressional Accountability Act; 10 U.S.C. Ch. 37) (e.g., civilian and military government, private sector)
•     Housing (Title VIII, 1968 Civil Rights Act, aka the Fair Housing Act) (e.g., rental, purchase, finance)
•     Education (Title IX, 1972 Education Amendments Act) (e.g., schools, bullying)
•     Credit (1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act) (e.g., credit cards)
•     Federal Marriage Equality (based on gender, SO) (e.g., 1967 Supreme Court Decision, Loving v. Virginia)
•     Immigration, Disability, and Family Leave (Uniting American Families Act (proposed), the American With Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act)

I would like to go one step further and add “sex” to Title II, III & VIII, as far as I know “sex” is only included in Title VII and IX.

I believe marriage equality is important but that I should not the #1 goal

A Tale Of Two Militaries.

One is Great Britain’s and the other is our military. One is open and affirming and the other still discriminates, can you guess which one discriminates?

If the RAF can accept my gender transition, why can't the media?
Ayla Holdom is a search and rescue pilot in the Royal Air Force. When she began her gender transition, she was supported by friends and family and by her employer. Yet she, like teacher Lucy Meadows, who killed herself in March, has had to endure articles full of hurt and spite. She argues for all transgender people to be treated with the dignity they deserve
By Ayla Holdom
The Observer
Saturday 1 June 2013

People are often surprised when I tell them that I transitioned in the RAF, imagining days past when people such as myself would have been discharged. Today, that couldn't be further from reality and, following the brave work and example shown by many before me, being transgender (as with being gay or bisexual) is simply not an issue. Importantly, I witness this shift not just in policy, but in culture and ethos as well. I genuinely hold the RAF up as a benchmark in this regard. My transition barely caused a raised eyebrow. I had support when I needed it but was rightly expected to do my job and I was assessed professionally, not on the basis of my gender or my sexuality.

Now let’s look at how the U.S. military handles trans service members…

SEAL Team 6 veteran comes out as transgender
The military currently bans trans service members, but a new memoir could open the policy to scrutiny
Salon
By Katie Mcdonough
Monday, Jun 3, 2013

The 2011 repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” ended the military’s official policy of discriminating against gays and lesbians in the armed services, but a ban on transgender service members remains in place, meaning that trans men and women are still barred from serving.

But some advocates say that may change, or may come closer than ever before to changing, with the release of a new memoir from a former Navy SEAL. Kristen Beck (formerly Chris Beck) was a SEAL for 20 years — and a member of SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama bin Laden — before retiring, coming out as transgender and beginning her transition from male to female in 2011.

They have served with honor and bravery but because of bigotry and bias trans service members are forced out of the military. There is no logical reason for trans-people to be kicked out of the service.

There is a call for proposals to study what effect trans service members will have on the military but I don’t see the need for the study except to provide paper pusher to have a stack of papers on their desk. All they have to do is look to the north to Canada and the other NATO members to see what effect trans service members had on their military.

It was until a couple a months ago that the Defense Department recognized a retired trans-persons true gender.

Trans Activists Highlight Military's Step Forward
This could be the first time the Department of Defense has ever recognized the existence of trans veterans.
The Advocate
BY Lucas Grindley
May 16 2013

After a long series of paperwork was filed, the Department of Defense has finally recognized a veteran as a transgender woman.
[…]
Sandeen also points out that despite this change, still she can't get an updated DD214, which is a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

You Don't Know How It Feels To Be Me.

You don't know how it feels
You don't know how it feels to be me*

Can you imagine a white person teaching a course on black culture trying to explain what it is like to be black in America?

Than why do people who are not trans-people think it is OK for them to give a workshop on trans culture?

In April I taught a workshop on Trans Culture to social workers and some of the comments that they wrote down on the evaluation forms for the question “The most helpful/useful part of this training was” were…

“Learning from someone knows from experience”
“I never had any exposure on this topic and I really admire the courage and the frankness”
“First person experience”
“Explaining her experience”

Teaching about therapy for trans-clients is one thing, but teaching about the culture is totally different and I think that the best way to do that is to have a qualified trans-person teach the workshop. We know what it is like, we know what it is like to walk in public for the first time and we know where the pitfalls are located.

I know some highly qualified non-trans-people who can do a very good job on trans-culture, but it is not the best because they do not have as one of my workshop attendees wrote “first person experience”

Here is an excerpt from my workshop (The original has 48 slides and I cut out most of the technical presentation). The "Five Faces of Oppression" by Iris Marion Young is from an article that we had to read for one of my graduate classes. It is about the five common traits of an oppressed community.

*Tom Petty

Saturday Six #477

Patrick’s Place Saturday Six #477
 
1. What’s the last television show you watched?
The local CBS affiliate morning news

2. Since we’re in the time of year that most network series air season finales, which show’s cliffhanger are you most looking forward to?
I hate cliffhangers! I want to know the outcome now, not five months from now.

3. If you could go behind the scenes on any TV show you watch or have ever watched, which would you choose and why?
Dr. Who, because they seem to have a lot of fun making the show.

4. Of the people who perform on the show you selected in Q3, which one would you most like to meet one-on-one?
Karen Gillan who played Amy Pond.

5. If it were up to you, which show would you most like to see go off the air?
All the reality shows.

6. Which genre of show (i.e., sitcom, drama, reality, etc.) would you most like to see more of each week?
Drama, bring back Star Trek!

Saturday 9: (Amazing) Just the Way You Are

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: (Amazing) Just the Way You Are



 1) This song is about a girl who can't accept how pretty she is. How do you respond to compliments? Do you accept them graciously, or do you get embarrassed?
I get embarrassed; I’m not good at receiving compliments.

2) Bruno says he takes inspiration from a variety of musical styles -- everything from rock to reggae to hip hop. What kind of music do you listen to most often?
Classic vinyl and the Sixties are two stations that I listen to on Sirius XM

3) Bruno's uncle was a professional Elvis impersonator, and as a little boy Bruno also performed on stage as the King. When you picture Elvis, do you think of early rock'n'roll Elvis from the 1950s, Technicolor Hollywood Elvis of the 1960s, or the rhinestone jumpsuit Elvis who performed in Las Vegas?
I never was an Elvis fan, I liked his songs but not him.

4) Bruno plays several instruments onstage, including piano, guitar and congas. What instruments can you play?
I don’t play any instruments; when I tried to learn to play the trumpet, well let’s just say everyone was glad when I gave it up.

5) Bruno is touring all over the country this summer. What's the last concert you attended?
Wow, I have to go back some forty years. It probably was a Grateful Dead concert

6) Unlike some other stars, Bruno doesn't demand a lot of luxuries on the road, but he did admit to TMZ that he insists Wet Wipes be provided for his dressing room. If you could ask your boss for anything, anything at all, to make your workplace more comfortable, what would you request?
A Zero Gravity chair and a quiet room to take naps in.

7) Rumors are flying that Bruno might become a judge on American Idol. Are you an Idol fan? Do you watch any of the other "talent search" shows -- The Voice, America's Got Talent, The X Factor, etc.?
Nope, never watched any of the those

8) Bruno is an unapologetic cigarette smoker. Do you smoke? Have you quit? Or did you never start?
I smoked when I was about eleven and then my father caught me and I couldn’t sit down for a week… best thing he ever did for me.

9) Billy Joel also had a hit with the title "Just the Way You Are." If we were going to do karaoke, which version would you sing -- Billy's or Bruno's?
Billy’s. But you don’t really want me to sing, it will drive everyone out of the room.

Here is one of my favorite Billy Joel videos; did you know that this was filmed on the Connecticut River and around Connecticut?
If you take a cruise down the Connecticut River you will see many of the locations where it was filmed and also it was filmed on the tobacco farms around the state. Here is the bridge that the steam train went over in the video…

And here is the engine…

The bridge that they are singing on is the railroad bridge in Middletown and the ferry is the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry one of the oldest continuous operating ferries in the nation (Since 1769).

Stop The Hate

When I watched this video I saw a cute video, but the video had generated so many racist comments that General Mills had to disable the comments. BuzzFeed said this about the commerical…

Time to have your faith in this country destroyed again.

Cheerios posted this heartwarming commercial to their YouTube page Tuesday. It has already surpassed 250,000 views, but not because of its heartwarming-ness.

Yesterday, Cheerios disabled the comments because the section was turning into a vitriolic white supremacist message board straight out of American History X…

Let’s Stop The Hate

Once Again, Human Rights v. Religious Freedom

Last month I wrote about Human Rights and Religious Freedom and now over in Europe their high court has ruled on a case of religious freedom to discriminate…

European Court Rejects Religious 'Right to Discriminate'
The European court of human rights on Tuesday rejected an appeal brought by three British Christians, two of whom say they were punished at work for not wanting to serve same-sex couples.
Advocate
By Sunnivie Brydum
May 29 2013

The European court of human rights flatly rejected an appeal Tuesday requested by a trio of British Christians, two of whom were hoping to receive a religious exemption from the county's nondiscrimination law because they did not want to counsel or serve same-sex couples.
[…]
The executive director of Britain's National Secular Society lauded Tuesday's ruling as affirming the United Kingdom's stringent antidiscrimination laws, noting that the court rejected the argument that "religious freedom" trumps individual liberty and equality.

We have a number of similar cases here in the U.S. which I wrote about it in “Trans Rights v. Religious Freedom” including the case in 2007 where a lesbian couple wanted to rent a pavilion on the boardwalk in Ocean Grove NJ that was owned by a Methodist organization.

But that doesn’t stop from claiming rights that they do not have, in the National Catholic Register they wrote…

“The policy also attempts to create what is essentially a speech code in schools, that if any student stands up for biblical truth that recognizes that God created man and woman in his image and that your anatomy actually matters, then those students from Christian families will be disciplined by the schools for speaking the biblical truth, not in a hateful way, but for refusing to deny a biological and spiritual reality,” Beckwith [attorney and executive vice president of the Massachusetts Family Institute.] added.

If they want to teach their religious doctrine they can open up a religious school and teach it, but they cannot force public school to adherer to their religious beliefs. However, if they open a religious school and they accept any public funding they have to accept all students, including those of other religious beliefs and LGBT students. They can teach their doctrine, but it has to be open to all students.
 

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 share or comment about.

I came across two articles today that I want to share; the first article comes from across the pond…

Coroner: ‘Shame on press’ who hounded dead trans teacher Lucy Meadows
Lucy Meadows committed suicide in her home. Coroner says press should be ashamed of their bigotry after they reported her transition
GayStarNews
28 May 2013
By Tris Reid-Smith

A coroner investigating the suicide of transgender British teacher Lucy Meadows has slammed the media for their ‘ill informed bigotry’.

Meadows killed herself on 19 March, aged 32 – and the hearing today confirmed it was of carbon monoxide poisoning.

She had been the subject of media reports, particularly in national newspaper the Daily Mail, where columnist Richard Littlejohn had criticized her for transition while still working in at St Mary Magdalen’s Primary School, in Accrington, Lancashire, north west England.

The press doesn’t care; all they are interesting in is selling papers. They don’t care if they tear a person life apart. We have seen this over and over again; do you remember sportswriter Mike Penner? When the news media sinks their teeth in a story they will just shred them to pieces.

The other article is in the Huffington Post, Gay Voices,

Increasing Transgender Acceptance One Family at a Time
Crystal Cheatham
Posted: 05/28/2013

All over the world, trans identity is perceived and accepted differently. From Hong Kong to Pakistan and down to Texas, transgender individuals are granted a range of treatment, from first-class citizenship to street murders where police label the body bags "possible hate crimes."

You never know what you will pull out of the transgender news bucket on a daily basis. Last week, Hong Kong was a favorite. After long battles in court, a trans woman known as W. was allowed to marry her boyfriend. W. stated, "I'm very glad that I can finally get married to my beloved boyfriend in Hong Kong."

A second favorite was the news about a trans politician in Pakistan running for office. Pakistan is already pretty far along in its evolution toward accepting gender-nonconforming people. Thanks to a 2009 vote, individuals can select "third-gender" on their personal identity cards.

Yes, but with more visibility comes more discrimination. Are the attacks in New York City against gays the result of all the rights that the LGBT won or are still lobbying for in New York State? As more states pass gender inclusive anti-discrimination laws the opposition gets stronger. They find what buttons to push that are most effected and the opposition get more entrench when their backs are to the wall.

Gender Inclusive Anti-Discrimination Bill Passes

In Puerto Rico last Friday, the House passed a non-discrimination bill that protects gender identity and expression and also sexual orientation. The Washington Blade reported this week…

Puerto Rico House approves non-discrimination bill
May 24, 2013
By Michael K. Lavers

The Puerto Rico House of Representatives on Friday approved two bills that would ban anti-LGBT discrimination in the U.S. territory and add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the island’s domestic violence laws.

The voice votes on the two measures that each passed by a 29-22 vote margin took place at the end of a nearly three hour debate. Lawmakers had been scheduled to consider the bills on Thursday, but they adjourned after a marathon session that ended well after midnight.

The Puerto Rico Senate on May 16 approved the non-discrimination measure by a 15-11 vote margin.

This will make 16 states, 1 territory and the District of Columbia that offers protection for trans-people in employment, housing and public accommodations (Massachusetts does provide protection for public accommodations).

The governor said that he will sign the bill in to law.