Saturday 9: Hello, Dolly

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Hello, Dolly (1964)

Every Saturday I take time off from written on serious topics to have some fun…

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a woman returning to the town where she was happiest. How many towns have you lived in? 
Two and both of them are located in Connecticut

2) Crazy Sam played Ernestina in her high school production of Hello, Dolly! and still remembers one of her lines: "Hey, you with the big ears! What are you doing after the show?" Tell us something that you memorized for school that is still rattling around in your brain.
Nothing rattles around anymore from high school it is all filled with cobwebs after fifty years.

3) This week's featured artist, Louis Armstrong, got his start entertaining diners on riverboat dinner cruises. Have you ever taken a dinner cruise? 
Kind of… I was on a cruise up the Connecticut River one time and there was a buffet.

4) Armstrong took his nickname, "Satchmo," from "Satchel Mouth" -- a slang term for someone with a wide mouth, which Louis believed was his most distinguishing feature. What do you think people notice first about you?
Um… that I’m trans

5) In 1936, Louis became the first African American to get featured billing in a Hollywood movie. Have you seen any of this summer's big movies? 
Nope, I haven’t been to the theater since I saw Hope Springs

6) When "Hello, Dolly" composer Jerry was growing up, he was close to an aunt named Belle who encouraged his love of music. Tell us about one of your aunts or uncles.
It is easy to tell you about all my aunts and uncles… their dead.

7) Though famous for composing the scores of Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage Aux Folles, Jerry Herman can't read music. Can you?
Nope. It looks pretty with all those fancy lines and squiggly symbols.

8) Now retired, Mr. Herman lives in Miami. This is Miami's "wet season," which lasts into October. When did it last rain where you are?
Yesterday, and we needed it.

9) Random question: Have you suffered a sunburn this summer?
No, the sun is not my friend. We have a history of skin cancer in the family.

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 5 of 6 – The Senate)

I have been monitoring my emails and then on June 1, I received an email from our lobbyist saying we were on today’s Senate calendar, so I started monitoring CT-N Senate telecast. All day long I listen to classical music (that is what CT-N plays when the Senate is out of session). Then around 3:30 I heard the Senate called to order…RATS! I was just heading out the door to go to the local NBC station to comment on the Craitlyn Jenner Vanity Fair article.

When I got home the message light was blinking with a message from my state senator’s aide, I had called and emailed her asking her to bring the bill up for a vote in the Senate. The message said that the bill was just being heard in the Senate. I looked at the timestamp of the voice message and it was twenty minutes ago. So I turned on CT-N and another bill was now being heard.

I checked my email and there were emails from out lobbyist and the other members of the coalition all congratulating and thanking Betty Gallo. The bill had passed not ten minutes ago!

CT-N has a rewind feature so I rewound it about a half hour and watched the short debate.

Senator Gerratana (D) from the 6^th District from my district read the bill and Senator Markley (R) from the 16^th asked a question about “other treatment clinically appropriate” and what did it mean. Sen. Gerratana replied by reading from the WPATH Standard of Care . Sen. Markley then asked if there were any other New England state that have a similar law, Sen. Gerratana replied saying yes, Vermont and Rhode Island.

Sen. Witkos (R) from the 8^th District asked if we would have to go through Probate Court to change our birth certificate, Sen. Gerratana said no, only if it was for an out of state birth certificate. Sen. Witkos then asked some medical procedure questions and it was fun watching Sen. Witkos and Sen. Gerratana discussing genital on the floor of the Senate.

The bill was then voted on… Yea 32, Nay 3, and absent and not voting 1

The Hartford Courant said this about the floor debate,

Sen. Terry Gerratana, the co-chairwoman of the legislature's public health committee, said the bill is indicative of an evolving understanding of gender transformation. "Standards of care change and the bill reflects ... the best standard of care is regarding gender change,'' the New Britain Democrat said.

Sen. Joe Markley, R-Southington, was among the bipartisan majority backing the measure. "I often feel like I lack the expertise to make decisions on subjects like this," he said. "However in light of the information I've received, and the testimony that we heard at the community level, I'm prepared to support the bill as it stands."

In a Wall Street Journal article Sen. Markley is quoted,

“We are talking about making changes to things which have been established by law and custom for a long, long time,” said state Sen. Joe Markley. In an interview last week, the Republican lawmaker said he was reluctant to support the legislation but voted in favor of it Monday. “It becomes a matter of where you draw the line. I don’t know where medically, psychologically, where that line should be.”

Governor Malloy said that he will sign the bill and it will take effect on October 1^st

No one person can pass legislation, it takes a coalition and our coalition members (In alphabetical order) were…

American Civil Liberties Union of CT (ACLU)
CT TransAdvocacy Coalition (CTAC)
CT Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF)
Equality Federation
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD)
National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)
Planned Parenthood of Southern New England
True Colors

And many thanks to Rachel and also the ACLU for providing our lobbyist Betty Gallo of Gallo & Robinson LLC.

Part 6 will be on my thought on working on this legislation and it will be this Sunday.

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 6 of 6 – Thoughts)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 5 of 6 – The Senate)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 4 of 6 – The House)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 3 of 6 – Public Health Committee)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 2 of 6 – Side Tracked)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 1 of 6 – The Beginning)

We Are All Freaks

Did you see “I Am Cait” with Kate Bornstein? What did you think about where Kate Bornstein said about the freak factor?

Cait vs. Kate vs. The Kids: How Kate Bornstein is Out of Touch with Today’s Youth
On S1 E4 of I Am Cait, Kate Bornstein labels the trans community "Freaks"
Planet Transgender
By Claire-Renee Kohner
August 19, 2015

What’s not listed and seemed to be a surprise to most was the appearance of “Gender Theorist” Kate Bornstein, author of Gender Outlaw and Queer and Present Danger. The appearance of Kate was brief, and after some harmless flirtation on both sides, Cait and Kate sat down to talk what one would assume to be about gender; what happened seemed to be a co-opting of the conversation by Bornstein towards the negative.

“You and I share timelines, we go like this” Bornstein says making a crisscross sign with her arms before she says, “Well, you’ve joined the club, your mind must be fried.” Although we were never told what club Caitlyn suddenly belongs to, but if one assumes the queer or transgender community, then what are the qualifications must one meet to get in to this so-called club? Pain? Suffering? Multiple Suicide attempts?

Although Kate Bornstein’s visits was only a few minutes of the show, Kate happened to mention or refer to the transgender community as “freaks” no less than six times.

“Have you been dealing well with the freak factor? Because that’s a fact” Kate says before she continues with, “We are freaks to a lot of the world.” Jenner’s response to this sudden barrage of name-calling was on point when she said, “I really feel like what we are trying to do here is to kind of normalize this as much as we can.”

Surprisingly, Bornstein minimized Caitlyn when she verbally slapped back, “Part of the reason you want to [normalize this experience] is because you don’t want to be a freak…And who does?” Kate Bornstein continued, “The only way I’ve gotten through it is to accept the freakdom.”

Congressman Barney Frank called it the “Ick Factor.” Whatever you call it I think it is real.

For those of us who can integrate into society might not think it is real but for those who live on society’s margins it is real. If you cannot blend into society, society punishes you, the giggles, the laughter, the stares are all part of societies attempts to fit you into a neat little gender box. Those who are readily identified as trans are the ones who cannot find jobs, the ones who face violence every day, the ones who make their living off the street.

As Kate said, “Part of the reason you want to [normalize this experience] is because you don’t want to be a freak…And who does?” and the whole “I Am Cait” show is about normalizing being trans… “See we are just like everyone else!” It is a trait of all marginalized communities. The gays and lesbians did it back in the 70s they didn’t want any butch lesbians or flaming gays to be associated with them. Immigrants do it, they have a derogatory phrase they use for immigrants who just arrived here. Those who can assimilate society rewards.

In my PowerPoint presentation on Cultural Competency one of my slides says,

Visual non-conformity is a risk factor in causing anti-transgender bias and its attendant social and economic burdens

Caitlyn is still living in a bubble. She is attempting to learn, but when your whole entourage is beautiful trans women and men and you go to private events you are sheltered from what it is like getting on the bus by yourself and wondering if you are going to be harassed today.

I am not saying what Caitlyn is doing is somehow wrong, I think it is good and the show is positive role model not only for trans people but also for non-trans people. What I am saying is don’t crucify Kate for speaking the truth.

Headwig and the Angry Inch - Freaks (with Girls Against Boys)

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 4 of 6 – The House)

Now the waiting begins, when would our bill get voted on in the House, the days ticked by and I worried that it was going to be like 2009 when the bill came up for a vote on the last day of the session and the Republicans talked the bill to death. Would history repeat itself?

Then on the night of the 14^th just before I went out to a LGBT Dinner and Movie at a the Simsbury Senior Center I received an email from our lobbyist, Betty Gallo saying that our bill will to be heard that night. I was torn between going to the dinner or rushing up to the capitol but since I was one of the people who suggested the senior centers have LGBT night I figured I should go to the dinner. However, I kept on eye on my email. Then at 9:04 came this brief email... "Debate begins in the House." and I held my breath.

That was followed by this email at 9:13, “Bill passed 126-18” then came all the emails from all those who worked on the bill, we were ecstatic. The bipartisan support continued in the House.

The CT Mirror reported,

An easier path to new ID for transgender persons
By: Mark Pazniokas
May 14, 2015
With little debate, the House of Representatives voted 126 to 18 Thursday night for legislation easing the way for transgender people to legally change their sex on birth certificates, drivers’ licenses and other forms of identification in Connecticut.
[…]
“It affects a very small group of people, but it makes a huge difference in their lives,” said Betty Gallo, a long-time lobbyist on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

The Hartford Courant wrote,

"There are some individuals who cannot have the surgery,'' said Rep. Matt Ritter, co-chairman of the legislature's public health committee, which has jurisdiction over birth certificates and other vital records.

"There are medical reasons. Sometimes there are financial implications,'' Ritter said. "So we've created a new mechanism to allow one to amend their original birth certificate with conditions."

The transcripts of the House session showed that the discussion and vote lasted less than nine minutes.

Now the bill moves on to the Senate.

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 6 of 6 – Thoughts)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 5 of 6 – The Senate)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 4 of 6 – The House)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 3 of 6 – Public Health Committee)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 2 of 6 – Side Tracked)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 1 of 6 – The Beginning)

Do You Count?

Have you taken U.S. Trans Survey?

Why The New National Transgender Survey Will Be Revolutionary
ThinkProgress
By Zack Ford
August 19, 2015

August 19 marks the launch of the new U.S. Trans Survey, developed and supported by a coalition of LGBT groups and researchers, and over the next month, thousands of transgender people will complete the module, documenting their experiences in employment, housing, health care, and the criminal justice system. This will provide one of the most extensive glimpses into what it’s like to be transgender in the United States.

When we passed the non-discrimination law here in Connecticut we used the data from the 2009 survey to help convince legislators of the need for legislation.

…The data from the NTDS has been cited countless times (Keisling estimates over 15,000 times in the media), particularly its findings about the rates of trans suicide attempts, homelessness, employment discrimination, and health care discrimination. It also provided some of the first insights about the rates at which transgender people have surgery as part of their transition.

And this survey will collect even better data,

But the new survey isn’t just bigger, it’s also qualitatively better. Sandy James, NCTE’s Survey Project Manager, told ThinkProgress that many of the questions have been improved. Thanks to updated technology over what was used for the NTDS, the U.S. Trans Survey uses a skip-logic model will make sure that respondents are asked follow-up questions that reflect their experiences. More importantly, the questions have been tailored so that the results can be easily juxtaposed against other national studies. For example, questions about income will align with questions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey so that the information about trans people can be compared with national averages. Similar validated scales were added for physical and mental health measures.

It is important for us to be counted because many services are based on community needs and many times when we try to pass non-discrimination laws the legislators ask about the community.

As such, the goal of the survey is compensate for the invisibility of transgender people in other research. Jody Herman, who serves as Williams Institute Scholar of Public Policy and is also working on the survey, explained to ThinkProgress, “One of the most challenging parts about studying the trans community as a whole is that nearly all the key U.S. surveys that we use to learn about the U.S. population, like the Census, do not identify trans people. Both large and small scale studies are needed to fill vast knowledge gaps about the trans population in the U.S. The USTS is one of those large-scale efforts.”

For example if you answer that you have been to a homeless shelter, the survey then asks you questions about your experience at the shelter. I think I skewed the results because they asked if you had visited any DV shelter, police, social services agencies, homeless shelters, and etc. in the last twelve months and I have, but it was because I have done cultural competency training at all of them.

The first day of the survey was slower than molasses but they are trying to fix the problem,

In its first day open, the survey is already struggling to accommodate how many people are trying to take it. An update on the page notes, “Our servers are doing their best to keep up with the demand and we thank you for your patience. If you have trouble taking the survey now, know that it will be available to take through at least September 21st.” Results will likely be available sometime in early to mid 2016.

A drawback is who is taking the survey, there really is no control over the participants.

Some opponents of transgender equality have been critical of the survey’s methods. Elizabeth Hungerford, a radical feminist who advocates against protections for transgender people, has promised to try to sabotage the data, calling the internet survey “a direct result of the mindlessness of identity politics.” Despite not being trans, she pledged to take the survey and encouraged others to do the same. Apparently, asking transgender people exactly what they experience is “not how you INFORM public policy or UNDERSTAND trans people.”

I also have some concerns about the survey and my biggest concern is the way the survey is being advertised, on the internet. The people that need assistance the most have limited access to the internet and computers. I have been trying to think up ways to get the information about the surveys to those who line on the street. Any ideas?

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 3 of 6 – Public Health Committee)

Our strategy was basically the same as the defense against the insurance bill but in reverse. We only wanted a few people to testify on behalf of the bill, we wanted healthcare providers, a lawyer, and members of the trans community speak for the bill. We knew that the bill had the support of the governor’s office and the Democrat leadership in the legislature. What we didn’t know was what the opposition would do, we want to keep everything low key and not have a lobby day or anything like that, we figured the less talk about the bill the easier it would sail through the legislature. Because there are many ways to defeat a bill besides voting, like talking it to death like they did in the House for the gender inclusive non-discrimination bill in 2007.

We also feared some might happen like it did in Colorado, according to the Colorado Independent,

When it was Norton’s turn to testify, he explained that he was representing a group called Colorado Family Action, one of 38 family groups across the nation tied to Colorado Springs-based evangelical empire Focus on the Family.
[…]
“The testimony here today doesn’t justify a wholesale change to the law,” he said. “The members of the General Assembly [may] make it more likely that [the people of Colorado] will be subject to fraudulent activity.” He referred to an estate case in Texas in which Thomas Araguz claimed to have never been told that his wife had been born a boy. After Araguz died, his mother sued to have the marriage declared void.

The case is ongoing.

“It is not just fraudulent inducements to marry that may be more likely to occur,” he explained.

The day of the committee hearing on the bill I was at home waiting for a call to testify and when I got the call I must have set a record to drive from my home to Hartford. There were only about six of us to testify for the bill and no one testified against it and the committee received about eighteen written testimonies for the bill, all of them favorable.

The committee vote amazed me, the vote didn't go anyway I expected...

Total voting: 25, Yea: 23, Nay: 2, Abstain: 0, Absent/Not voting: 3

What that meant was that the bill has strong bipartisan support because eleven of the committee members are Republican. Before the vote we heard that the Republicans were going to introduce an amendment and to get the word out to our organizations to have people call or email the committee members to vote for the bill.

The minutes from the committee shows that there was only a positive discussion about the bill,

Senator Gerratana asked for a motion to JFS* to the Floor H.B. No. 7006 (RAISED) An Act Concerning Birth Certificate Amendments.

A motion was made by Representative Ritter and seconded by Representative Riley.

Representative Ritter explained that current law prohibits sex designation to be changed on birth certificates unless the individual undergoes a gender reassignment surgery. This bill will allow a sex designation to be changed on birth certificates with a notarized affidavit from a licensed physician, APRN, or psychologist stating that the person has undergone surgical, hormonal, or other appropriate treatment.

Representative Perillo asked if this legislation provides any advantages given to an individual.

Representative Ritter referred to testimony submitted to the committee which addressed the awkwardness for individuals who apply for employment whereas birth certificates are required for the application process.

Representative Srinivasan asked for clarification of other clinically approved treatments as written in the bill.

Representative Ritter acknowledged that there have been questions on this term from both sides of the aisle and a definition may be beneficial as the bill moves forward in the House.

Representative Srinivasan asked if this bill restricts a person who changes their gender and then decides to change back.

Representative Ritter pointed to line 40 in the bill which identifies the required written statement that an applicant's gender differs from the sex designated on the original birth certificate.
Representative Zoni asked if there are age restrictions for gender change.

Representative Ritter explained that there are no major restrictions under Title VII.

The next stop is the House.

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 6 of 6 – Thoughts)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 5 of 6 – The Senate)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 4 of 6 – The House)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 3 of 6 – Public Health Committee)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 2 of 6 – Side Tracked)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 1 of 6 – The Beginning)

Being Trans

There is a video from BuzzFeed that has been floating around on Facebook that hits the mark. The video is “Our Deepest Insecurities Being Trans”



I have to say that when I road Fastrak* I was nervous going to the Pride Rally in Hartford but coming from the rally was bad because the bus was loaded with gay, lesbian, and gender queer students from Center Connecticut State University. But going to Hartford was different because it was fill with strangers, so that were giggling, and some that stared.

I also carry all my old insecurities like being in a room full of strangers, going out on my own to new places. How I envy those who can just walk in to a strange place and strike up a conversation with a stranger, I need a security blanket around me.

For me over time I have developed coping skills, I didn’t know at the time that they were coping skill but now I realize them for what they are. I did thinks like read the headlines on the news rages in the check-out line at supermarkets or watching the floor numbers on an elevator or  or stare out the window on the bus, or looking for other distractions to take my mind off of the here and now. Some wear a rubber band on their wrist and snap it to relieve the stress.

So what are your insecurities and how do you cope with them?

*Fastrak is a bus system in the greater Hartford area

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 2 of 6 – Side Tracked)

While we were waiting for the bill to be introduced in the Public Health Committee, we received word that in the Insurance and Real Estate committee a bill was introduced to take away our insurance coverage. The bill was HB5193 was introduced by a Republican,

AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR GENDER REASSIGNMENT SURGERY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:That title 38a of the general statutes be amended to specify that health insurance policies delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this state shall not be required to provide coverage for gender reassignment surgery or related surgical expenses.

Statement of Purpose:To specify that health insurance policies delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this state shall not be required to provide coverage for gender reassignment surgery or related surgical expenses.

In his testimony Rep. Sampson R-Wolcott said in part,

I initially proposed this bill in response to bulletin IC-37 released by the State of Connecticut Insurance Department December 19, 2013 which mandated entities issuing individual and group health insurance to provide certain types of coverage for gender reassignment surgery. I find the a bold action disconcerting because it is the duty of the State of Connecticut General Assembly to make the determination of what health insurance coverage should be mandated and not the Insurance Department. It is also my sincere belief that this issue must be properly vetted through the legislative process.

Notwithstanding the concerns addresses above, this policy raises a whole host of issues that deserve to be heard and reviewed to determine is this should remain the law in our state. For instance, many respected medical professionals claim that this procedure is barbaric and that the established treatment for gender dysphoria is not gender reassignment surgery but rather some type of counseling and/or mental health treatment. We must also consider how to address the members of the medical community who find gender reassignment surgery objectionable based on their Hippocratic Oath and/or religious beliefs.

I have already posted my thoughts on the bill on my blog so I do not want to reiterate them again.

Upon hearing about the bill the coalition discussed our strategy to block the bill. We knew that there wasn’t enough votes to pass the bill out of committee but we also knew we had to put up a defense against the bill. We settled on having healthcare providers, a lawyer, and members of the trans community speak against the bill.

During the hearing there was no one who spoke in favor of the bill and we were joined by two other people who spoke against the bill, a LCSW who works with trans clients and a retired RN whose son is trans. When the committee got to the bill, the bill sponsor got up and left the room.

The JF Deadline* came and went with no vote on the bill so it died in committee but we had to be vigilant to make sure it wasn’t added as an amendment later on in the session.

*JF DEADLINE
The date by which each committee must report out bills or resolutions for further consideration by other committees or the full General Assembly. The committee deadlines are listed in the Joint Rules and all reports must be submitted to the Legislative Commissioners' Office by 5:00 p.m. on the dates listed.

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 6 of 6 – Thoughts)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 5 of 6 – The Senate)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 4 of 6 – The House)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 3 of 6 – Public Health Committee)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 2 of 6 – Side Tracked)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 1 of 6 – The Beginning)

Will They Finally Do The Right Thing

In Massachusetts when they passed the trans non-discrimination law they passed it without public accommodations and they have tried to add it every year since the passed of the law. This year they are trying again.

As Beacon Hill Prepares To Consider Transgender Rights, A Study Cites Health Risks Of Discrimination
WGBH
By Mike Deehan
August 16, 2015

Massachusetts added non-discrimination language for gender identity to its laws in 2012. The state became the 16th in the country to carve out protections for transgender people in employment, housing, public education and credit access. The hate crimes laws were also updated to include gender identity among the list of protected classes.
[…]
Left out of the 2012 law was a provision to allow transgender people access to public accommodations, things like transportation settings, medical facilities - and yes, public bathrooms and locker rooms - that are traditionally segregated by gender.
[…]
One obstacle for the bill could be a business lobby wary of government mandates or new rules that could open them up to lawsuits. Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst said that the bill needs to be clearer about what new accommodations will be necessary and what it allows regulatory boards to do beyond the initial scope of the legislation.

Left out of the 2012 law was a provision to allow transgender people access to public accommodations, things like transportation settings, medical facilities - and yes, public bathrooms and locker rooms - that are traditionally segregated by gender.
[…]
One obstacle for the bill could be a business lobby wary of government mandates or new rules that could open them up to lawsuits. Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst said that the bill needs to be clearer about what new accommodations will be necessary and what it allows regulatory boards to do beyond the initial scope of the legislation.

I really don’t hold out hope that the bill will pass and if it does then the Republican governor will probably veto the bill. And if it does pass it will probably so watered down that it most likely exclude sex segregated facilities.

So place your bets, what do you think?

panel management

PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 1 of 6 – The Beginning)

For the next six days I will be writing about the history of bill H.B.7006 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates.

For me it all started at Frist Event in Massachusetts in 2014, I was talking to Mara Keisling, the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality and the topic of birth certificates came up. We both agreed that it was worth a try in Connecticut and she said that if we decided to propose the legislation contact NCTE and they could help.

In August I posted something about needing to change the birth certificates law in Connecticut on my Facebook page and Robin from True Colors thought it was a good idea. We exchanged emails and I met with her intern in early September to hash out our thoughts. At our next meeting we contacted NCTE and talked about getting started on the bill, it was decided to bring in other organizations into the discussion.

So late in September I contacted many of the core organizations that worked on the anti-discrimination legislation back in 2011. It seems like everyone had the same idea, it was time for the legislation.

We then had our first meeting at the lobbyist office in November and at the meeting we had people from True Colors, GLAD, ACLU, Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF), Equality Federation, and I represented CTAC and on the phone were Planned Parenthood and NCTE.

At the meeting we discussed various strategies to chance the law on birth certificate; the three options that we discussed were to make the change by regulation, add an amendment to an existing bill, or have a stand along bill. Each option had its own drawbacks; the regulation was the easiest but also the easiest to change back by another governor, an amendment would also be risky because it could be dropped from a bill as easy as it can be added to a bill and the last option was to pass a new law and that would be the hardest to do.

We also discussed how to make sure that death certificates reflect the proper gender.

At the next meeting in December we were joined by a professor from Quinnipiac University School of Law who is on the Board of Directors at CWEALF. At the meeting the lawyer from GLAD provided a rough draft of the proposed law and NCTE provided a draft of the talking point for the bill. Also the lawyers from GLAD and NCTE discussed if any changes were need for making sure that the death certificates listed the correct gender and the consensus was that the death certificate should track the birth certificate. Therefore no changes need to be made.

In addition, the governor’s office was in favor of the bill. The Department of Public Health had some concerns but eventually went along with the proposed changes to the bill.

Now all we had to do was wait for the session to begin.


PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 6 of 6 – Thoughts)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 5 of 6 – The Senate)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 4 of 6 – The House)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 3 of 6 – Public Health Committee)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 2 of 6 – Side Tracked)
PA 15-132 An Act Concerning Birth Certificates (Part 1 of 6 – The Beginning)

The Policy Sucks

For trans people life is hard in so many ways.

Woman alleges transgender man treated insensitively at Doorstep clothing bank
Nonprofit says it has exceptions to policy for transgender people
The Topeka Capital-Journal
By Megan Hart
Posted: August 16, 2015

As the general public becomes more aware of gender identity issues, questions about how to work with transgender people sensitively are coming up in new places, such as nonprofits.

Kimberly Usher, who gets clothing from Doorstep, contacted The Topeka Capital-Journal after she said a transgender man in front of her at the clothing bank was told he would have to take women’s clothing. The man took the clothes and ran out, she said.

“I think that’s really wrong, because it’s donated stuff,” she said. “As a Christian myself, it was sickening.”

Well I think it was wrong to deny him the clothes! He wasn’t even trying them on in the changing room, what is wrong with buying clothes for the opposite gender? If she wasn’t transgender she could have been buying clothes for a friend.

But even more confusing was that the store has a policy for trans shoppers,

Doorstep has a policy that clients take clothes for the appropriate size and gender, Cain said, because of concerns about running out of needed items, particularly when it comes to people who prefer oversized clothing.
[…]
The policy has an exception, however, if a client tells a volunteer that he or she is transgender, Cain said.

Some of their frequent clients are transgender, and volunteers take them to the clothing room of the gender they identify with, she said.

“Had this lady even pulled our volunteer coordinator aside and said ‘I’m transgender, I dress as a male,’ we make exceptions for that,” she said.

Yes but… for many trans people there is a lot of stress in buying clothes and to having to out yourself to buy clothes isn’t right either.

While Everyone Is Talking About The Movie

There is an anniversary of another rebellion today, the Compton Rebellion

San Francisco’s Stonewall: The landmark transgender rights riot of 1966
Fusion Net
By David Matthews
August 15, 2015  

Today is International Transgender Awareness Day. It’s held on August 15 every year to commemorate an event in 1966, at Gene Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco, a popular hangout in the Tenderloin for members of the transgender community. After police raided the cafeteria and attempted to make several arrests, Compton’s regulars and allies protested and rioted, leading to greater recognition of transgender rights and the transgender community in general.
[…]
Compton’s was also scene of several police raids throughout the years. One night, as police officers entered the cafe, the patrons inside decided they’d had enough. Like a similar riot at the Stonewall in New York three years later, the Compton Cafeteria Riot was also a powder-keg moment: After a cafeteria worker called the police on some unruly customers, there was an attempt to arrest one trans woman, who threw her coffee in the officer’s face. This led to a scuffle where windows were smashed and other property was damaged. The message was clear though: Enough was enough. From Queerty:

Trans people, hustlers and disenfranchised gay locals picketed the cafeteria the following night, when the restaurant’s windows were smashed again. Unlike the Stonewall riots, the situation at Compton’s was somewhat organized—many picketers were members of militant queer groups like the Street Orphans and Vanguard.

And Compton’s was not the uprising, before them was Dewey's Lunch Counter protests in 1965 in Philadelphia, and in 1959 there was the Cooper's Donuts uprising. According to Out.com

In May of 1959, a group of drag queens and hustlers fought cops in a donut shop in downtown Los Angeles, furious that LAPD officers were arresting their friends purely for legally congregating in Cooper’s Donuts, a popular gay meeting place.

Cooper’s was located on Main Street, the Los Angeles “gay ghetto” of the 1950s and ‘60s. In his landmark novel City of Night, novelist John Rechy describes the area as teeming with hustlers and transvestites, who were routinely arrested and locked up by the LAPD just for being seen together on the street or in a raided bar.

Rechy was in fact one of three people the police tried to arrest that night in May of 1959, when the patrons of Cooper’s had had enough. A large group of transgendered women and others pelted the officers with donuts, coffee, and paper plates until they were forced to retreat and return with larger numbers. Rechy managed to escape, but when the police returned a riot ensued that shut down Main Street for an entire day.

What did all these events have in common? Police harassment and checking the drag queens for three items of male clothing, just like at the Stonewall Inn.

Renegade

Not everyone religious is against us, some are rebels in their own church; a Catholic nun is one such person.

Inside Sister Monica’s Secret Ministry To Transgender People
"She helped me realize I do not walk this journey by myself."
Huffington Religion
Religion News Service
By Renee Gadoua
Posted: 08/11/2015

(RNS) Sister Monica lives alone in a small house at the edge of a Roman Catholic college run by a community of nuns.

She doesn’t want to reveal the name of the town where she lives, the name of her Catholic order or her real name.

Sister Monica lives in hiding, so that others may live in plain sight.

Now in her early 70s and semiretired because of health problems, she remains committed to her singular calling for the past 16 years: ministering to transgender people and helping them come out of the shadows.
[…]
Although the Catholic Church has issued no clear teaching on transgender people, church teaching that homosexual relations are a sin suggests a similar view of transgender people. A Vatican document in 2000 said gender reassignment surgery does not change a person’s gender in the eyes of the church. In 2008, Pope Benedict urged Catholics to defend “the nature of man against its manipulation.”

But doesn’t see it that way, and there are also other in the church that support her.

Over the years, Sister Monica says she has received “quiet support” from two bishops and several priests. The end of two Vatican investigations that questioned American nuns’ loyalty to church teaching has also relieved some pressure on her ministry secret.

But I have to wonder what would happen if her ministry was found out by other church officials?

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Stay with Me (2014)
Every Saturday I take time off from written on serious topics to have some fun…

... because Kwizgiver recommended it

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Sam Smith explains that this song is about just not wanting to wake up alone. How about you? Are you comfortable being by yourself?
I’m an introvert so I crave solitude.

2) Last year a lawsuit filed by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, who maintained that "Stay with Me" was really just "I Won't Back Down." Petty and Lynne won. Have you ever served on a jury?
Yes, it was a civil case in federal court and it was a hoot! The plaintiff’s lawyer were like Mutt and Jeff. One was fat and had food stains on his shirt and was the friendly down home type of lawyer when he asked questions and if he didn’t get the answers they wanted the other lawyer who was thin and wiry would get up and start banging on the witness stand with his fist and attacking the witness. While the defense lawyers were big bucks $$$$! The men in three piece suits and the woman wore a suit dress. Very entertaining, much better than any TV legal drama.

3) Smith performed this on The David Letterman Show. Did you watch Dave's final episode last May? 
Nope, and I rarely watch any late night shows

4) Smith says his style was influenced by ladies with "massive voices," including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Chaka Kahn, and Whitney Houston. Of those four, which do you listen to most often?
None of them.

5) Speaking of style, Mr. Smith is a smart dressed man who looks comfortable and dapper as he walks the red carpet in a tux. Do you enjoy getting dressed up for special occasions? 
Yes, I go to several fundraising banquets a year.

6) "Occasions" is a word that makes Crazy Sam stumble because she can never remember how to spell it correctly. Are you a good speller?
I are a inguneer.

7) Sam Smith was born on May 19, which makes him a Taurus. When did you last check your horoscope?
Oh, maybe forty or fifty years ago.

8) Tauruses are supposed to be reliable, organized and ambitious. Do any of those three adjectives describe you?
Reliable, disorganized and unambitious.

9) Random question: Look at the floor. Do you see carpet, rug, hard wood or tile?
Rugs on a hardwood floor.

I got a new laptop and the files from the old one are transferred over to my new laptop. My words of advice... backup, backup, backup your files.

Here Comes The Hate

It seems like whenever we are in the news or TV it brings out the hate mongers.

New transgender reality star gets ambushed by death threats (VIDEO)
I Am Jazz reveals absolutely disgusting Internet hate for the transgender community
SheKnows
By Christina Marfice
August 13, 2015

Being an Internet celebrity comes with a definite dark side.

And for a transgender celeb, it's even darker, as shown on Wednesday's episode of I Am Jazz, a new reality show following the life of transgender teen Jazz Jennings.

In a clip from the episode, 14-year-old Jazz is showing her brothers, Sander and Griffin, some of her YouTube videos. Some of the videos have racked up nearly 200,000 views, along with hundreds of comments. The three siblings start reading through the comments left by viewers.

"I'm pretty sure everything there is to know about me has been written online, whether it's in comments or articles or anything," Jazz says to the camera. "I think some of these people know more about me than I know about myself."

The comments start off pretty harmless. One commenter tells Jazz that it isn't "natural" to have to shave her legs as often as she does. The next one is a little more harsh.

"Sad that the devil is tricking you into believing that you are meant to be a girl," Jazz reads aloud from the screen.

The comments also has death threats and the article also asks for comments about the comments, at least those comments were friendly and not hateful.

As one commenters says, “These ‘keyboard warriors’ are so brave hidden behind their computers.” I try not to read comments because anonymous comments seem to bring out the worst in humanity and I am glad that many of my TV interviews or news article do not allow comments.

Here Comes The Bride!

Okay, I’m not a fan of TV soaps but I came across this article about “The Bold and the Beautiful”

Daytime TV’s First Transgender Bride Gets Hitched On “The Bold and the Beautiful”
And she reads her father for filth at the altar!
Logo
By Matthew Tharrett
August 11, 2015

The Bold and the Beautiful actress Karla Mosley made history as the first transgender bride to be married on daytime TV yesterday when her character, Maya Avant, was married to the sexy young entrepreneur Rick Forrester (played by Jacob Young).

Avant has been a series regular since 2013, but she first came out as transgender in an episode in March. She was hailed as the first transgender character to regularly appear on a daytime soap, and CBS was quick to add a supporting role for her in Nick, a trans man played by actor Scott Turner Schofield.

Logo had another article about Ms. Avant,

“The Bold And The Beautiful” Introduces Daytime Television’s First Trans Character
By Matthew Tharrett
March 19, 2015
CBS’ long-running soap The Bold and the Beautiful became the first daytime drama to introduce a regular transgender character this week, revealing model Maya Avant was actually a trans woman.

On yesterday’s episode, Maya—who is currently dating Rick Forrester— surprised viewers by confirming that she had transitioned at a young age. The revelation was brought on by Maya’s sister, Nicole, who confronted her with a birth certificate. “You’re not my sister, Maya. You’re not Maya at all,” Nicole declared. “You’re Myron, my brother.”

Some fans claim they weren’t shocked by the revelation, pointing to Avant’s long history of having trouble with intimacy as a clue. Others are concerned about a trans character being used as a “shocking” plot twist.

Some of you might remember that there was another trans character on daytime soaps, “All My Children” had a trans character on the show. From my blog back then…

On the TV Soap All My Children they have added a transgendered character, Zoe (Played by an actor), who is going through transition on the show. Last Friday they showed a scene from a support group that they did for the show and they used actual transgendered people, not actors for the segment. Two of the people that were part of the support group I have met; Betty Crow and Jennifer Boylan. Betty’s wife is Helen Boyd the author of “My Husband Betty” and “She is not the Man I Married”. Jennifer Boylan is the author of “She is not There: a Life in Two Genders” and she has been on the Oprah Show twice and her book was one of Oprah’s picks. The TV film clip is a fairly good presentation of what goes on in a support group, it was unscripted and I think the clip is worth watching.

So now I guess we are mainstream now, we are in the soaps.

# # # # #

I finally got my new laptop and the files transferred from my old laptop. I was a little worried because all my workshops presentation were on my and I am giving one next month and I was hoping that I wouldn't have to recreate it from scratch.

“I couldn’t even tell you were born male!”

That is the opening line from an article on how cisgender people can support trans people who do not “pass.” For me I heard the line one time when I was on a panel after the movie Gen Silent and this woman came up to me after the panel discussion and told me that, I wanted to head slap her and ask her weren’t you listening for the last half hours?

5 Ways to Support Trans People Who Don’t “Pass” for Cis
Black Girl Dangerous
Posted on August 6, 2015 by editors
By Princess Harmony Rodriguez

1. Stop measuring trans people’s value as humans according to how well we “pass”…If you want to support trans people, particularly trans people who don’t pass, it’s cis people’s duty to call out those jokes and educate people on why they’re not okay. Using “passing” as a means to invalidate trans people’s experiences when they can’t pass is a form of violence. Don’t do it.

2. Recognize that a trans person’s gender is not determined by their ability to pass…First, this sort of conditional respect is violence. Whether someone is trans or not, extending them respect of who they are on an arbitrary basis and then rescinding it is emotionally abusive. Secondly, people’s physical appearance does not determine their gender. Not much more really needs to be said. Whether a person is trans or cis, how they look doesn’t determine who or what they are.

3. Stop using white patriarchal standards of beauty to measure our appearance, whether we pass or not…While there’s nothing wrong with conforming to its standards, because in a war zone camouflage can save your life, there is no benefit for trans people who don’t pass to be viewed through that lens, and it can often make things worse for them.

4. View “trans glamour” with a critical eye and acknowledge passing privilege as trans people who do passWhile trans glamour is a revolutionary act, because we are claiming our appearance for ourselves and by ourselves…

5. Boost the voices of non-passing trans people in trans dialoguesTrans community dialogues are usually dominated by (white) trans people who can pass. Trans people who can’t pass are often ignored and erased in the mad dash to have these sorts of dialogues.

I think for allies the most important thing you can do is speak up, as #1 says “call out those jokes and educate people on why they’re not okay.” When we speak up about injustice we have an axe to grind but when an ally speaks up it is because they see the injustice.

Let’s Hope This Can Get Overturned

We have it here in Connecticut and seven other states and Washington D.C., let’s hope that New Jersey will be number nine.

Christie vetoes N.J. transgender birth certificate bill
Veto override looks unlikely as Christie demands bill have more safeguards against "fraud, deception and abuse"
Metro Weekly
By John Riley
August 10, 2015

In what comes as a disappointment but not a shock to LGBT advocates, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) again vetoed a comprehensive bill that would have allowed transgender or intersex individuals to obtain new, clean copies of birth certificates reflecting their correct gender identity.

In vetoing the bill he said,

“Last year, I vetoed identical legislation noting that a birth certificate is one of the most important legal documents that a person possesses and that proposed measures to revise the standards for the issuance of amended birth certificates must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards to mitigate security-related risks,” Christie wrote in his veto message. “Birth certificates unlock access to many of our nation and State’s critical and protected benefits such as passports, driver’s licenses, and social services, as well as other important security-dependent allowances. Accordingly, I remain committed to the principle that efforts to significantly alter State law concerning the issuance of vital records that have the potential to create legal uncertainties should be closely scrutinized and sparingly approved.”

HA! What BS “…and protected benefits such as passports, driver’s licenses, and social services…” all of the documents that the governor cited can be changed with just a little from a therapist so why can’t you change your birth certificate the same way?

But there is some hope, the bill had bipartisan support,

While the Assembly and Senate could override Christie’s veto to pass the bill into law, LGBT advocates note that New Jersey Republicans have historically been unwilling to defy a governor of their own party, even in cases where the measure has significant and broad bipartisan support. An override would require 27 votes in the Senate and 54 votes in the Assembly. The birth certificate bill initially passed the Senate 30-6, with four members absent, and the Assembly 51-23, with six members absent.

Here in Connecticut the vote was 32-3 in the Senate and 126-18 in the House, so there was strong support on both sides of the aisle. I think the veto was in part to the governor’s presidential bid, he didn’t want to appear weak on LGBT to the Republican right.

NorthJersey.com reported that,

But some of the bill’s supporters wondered if his veto was prompted more by politics as Christie tries to appeal to the Republican Party’s conservative base in his campaign for the GOP nomination for president. They noted that some Republican legislators had voted for the bill in Trenton – six each in the Assembly and Senate - and said they met twice with the governor’s counsel in an effort to address his concerns.

Let’s hope that enough Republicans will change their vote to over turn the veto, so keep your fingers crossed.

Twelve!

That is the number of trans women that have been murdered so far this year.

Police Investingating After Transgender Woman Found Dead In Detroit
CBS Detroit
August 9, 2015

DETROIT (WWJ) – Police are investigating after the body of a 20-year-old black transgender woman is found in Detroit over the weekend.

Early reports claim that Amber Monroe was shot, but Detroit police are still working to get more details.

Monroe’s death puts the number of murders of a transgender women in the U.S. at 12 this year, and 10 of whom are transgender women of color

In another report it says that she has been shot 2 or 3 times before while working the streets, she was last seen getting into a car at 5 AM. For many trans women they don’t have a choice, survival sex is their only way to survive and many times the Johns are looking for a trans woman and then have regrets when they do.

Up On The Silver Screen (Or in The Box On The Wall)

We are starting to make headway with trans actresses and actors instead of using cisgender actors.

Hollywood's Cringey Transgender EvolutionWhile the film industry may be earning praise today for how it depicts transgender issues, there have been some awkward missteps.The Daily Beast
Keith Phipps
August 8, 2015

It’s been an extraordinary few years for transgender visibility and the discussion of transgender issues.
Much of that increased visibility and discussion can be credited to pop culture, from Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace to Transparent to Orange Is the New Black’s Laverne Cox’s performance and her composed, confident talk-show appearances to the reality show-driven interest in Caitlyn Jenner’s transition to Sean Baker’s remarkable indie film Tangerine*. Music, film, and television have helped bring what was until recently pushed to the mystery-shrouded margins into the mainstream—a moment in which art and the advancement of a cause have found a mutually beneficial synergy.

That makes 2015 an odd year to revisit Brian De Palma’s Dressed To Kill (which will receive a new release on DVD and Blu-ray on September 8 as part of the Criterion Collection).

 Released in 1980, the film attracted considerable controversy at the time, most vocally from groups like the San Francisco-based Women Against Violence in Pornography and Media, which distributed a leaflet proclaiming “if this film succeeds, killing women may become the greatest turn-on of the eighties.” Its offenses, per the group, were many, most of them tied to “scene after scene of women raped, killed, or nearly killed” that combined to make the film “a master work of misogyny.”
[…]
To revisit these films and the history around them is to realize how much the landscape has shifted from that of the past few decades. Appreciating them means looking at them carefully as products of their moments, if sometimes products that tried too little to question those times. Dressed To Kill and its ilk may have little to do with where we are now, but much to do with where we’ve been, a relic of a recent past worth remembering if it’s not to be repeated.

We have come a long ways since movies like Dressed to Kill and shows like Bosom Buddies.

*Tangerine is showing this week are Real Art Ways in Hartford CT.

Yes.

Is my answer to this,

     Are you a transgender women who has experienced hostility from the transgender community? I would dare to say that a lot of transgender women have been the victim of bullying and pigeonholing into the brutally enforced “hierarchy” of transgender women through cyber-bullying, ostrification and deadly gossip. I use the word deadly because I believe that this behavior is directly related to the skyrocketing transgender suicide rate. We don't we just add to the suffering and feeling of isolation that most of us feel. Some of us take their own lives; could this hostility among trans women be a factor? Perhaps something to think about the next time someone is being persecuted by our very own. We are doing it too ourselves people! It has to stop if we are going to get anywhere in society as a group of oppressed people. I asked my doctor about this phenomenon and he simply relied “it's called lateral violence”; he continued “when a group of people are singled out and ridiculed in society and have no place to put the anger and frustration they feel so they put it on the closest people to them who are on the same social rung as themselves"

That is from an article on InfoBarrel by Michelle Spicer about “Lateral Hostility and the Transgender Woman.” Someone posted this on Facebook recently about how they hadn’t had a problem with lateral hostility. The article goes on to say,

    It kind of makes sense to me but it does not explain the competition over hormones, surgery and boob size, etc. Do trans women bring the competitive nature of men with them when they transition? It would appear so. A pecking order does exist and in my experience with trans groups is that most of the time is spent attacking each other. And why no cross talk in trans support groups? Perhaps that would help. There is a rather offensive joke that I have heard about trans women; "you're not trans unless your insulted five times a day". I was offended, for the fifth time that day. But then I thought about it I realized that sometimes jokes point out things about ourselves that we don't like. We are offended, and often. We form little "cliques" and attack other trans women, forcing them out of support groups and ostracizing them even further from any kind of support we may offer as fellow trans women. Its so sad, can you imagine what we could accomplish if we worked together?

For me I have a constant problem with it, it has died down since I went to comment moderating and took off my email address. Back in 2013 I wrote about this problem and this is in part what I had to say,

We find lateral violence or oppression wherever we look…

• We find it with teenage girls (and boys)

• We find it with immigrants

• We find it in socioeconomic classes

• We find it in racial groups

• We find it in the gay and lesbian communities

• And we find it in within the transgender community

So what causes it?

It is caused by internalize of guilt and prejudice. It is used as a defense mechanism against otherwise unbearable discomfort that they have as a member of the oppressed group. It is a method which a member of the marginalized group uses to separate themselves from that group. For an example, during the early 70s many gays and lesbians of the “Gay Liberation Front” did not want any feminine gays or masculine lesbian in their organization. Because of their internalized guilt and prejudice they want to separate themselves from the flamboyant gays or lesbians. The straight looking and acting gays and lesbians want to be disassociate from them; they only wanted gays and lesbians who can be assimilated into the straight society so they could blend in with everyone else.

The same thing for trans-people, those that can pass or have had surgery want to disassociate from trans-people who cannot pass. They want to establish a pecking order with passible post-op trans-people on top. They want to be assimilated into the straight society and not be associated with what they call “men in dresses” meaning anyone who cannot pass.

Some of the comments about Caitlyn Jenner are based on the fact that she transitioned later in life (If she was a “real” transsexual she would have transitioned earlier in life!) or the fact that she does integrate in society (She’s just a man in a dress). For a few trans women they have internalized guilt and prejudice therefore they want to separate themselves from the trans community (I am a woman! I am not like those crossdressers.(Anyone who doesn't meet the old Harry Benjamin standards in their opinion not transsexual)).

I always found it interesting that those want to separate themselves transgender community by proclaiming that they are “A Woman” and not trans visit transgender blogs and websites.

Barefoot, Pregnant, And In The Kitchen

That is where Republicans want women to be.

Is the GOP Setting Itself Up for a War on Women II?
A crowded Republican primary means the candidates are moving to the right, especially on reproductive rights. That may hurt them in 2016
Cosmopolitan
By Jill Filipovic
July 30, 2015

As the presidential primaries approach, the biggest battleground may not be Iowa or New Hampshire, but women's bodies and reproductive rights. Republican presidential candidates are taking loud and aggressive anti-abortion positions, and that's giving some women's rights advocates flashbacks to four years ago. Those advocates are hoping the GOP will repeat the disastrous course it took in the last presidential election, when its candidates combined a series of restrictive reproductive health policies with female-unfriendly rhetorical flubs that quickly went viral. Women's groups and Democrats were quick to call that the "war on women"; now, they say, the "war on women II" may be just around the electoral corner. Republican strategists, though, say the war on women rhetoric is stale, and if Democrats overplay their hand, they might turn off female voters. But both sides agree: They're more prepared than ever to battle for women's votes.
[…]
While Republicans toned down the rhetoric for the 2014 midterms, reproductive rights advocates say the GOP's actual policy positions may be even more aggressive than they were four years ago. That might get them a primary win in Iowa, but it could hurt Republican candidates in a general election – both because it fires up the Democratic base, and because the GOP candidates' words could come back to haunt them with more moderate voters. Even as abortion is a divisive political issue, with the Republican Party platform saying the procedure should be outlawed, 80 percent of the American public believes abortion should be legal at least in some circumstances.

But the Republicans don’t seem to be getting the message with there attack on women’s health issues. Their latest attack on Planned Parenthood is a case in point. First, federal funding cannot be used for abortions and second, abortion make up only 3 percent of Planned Parenthood cases.

Harry Reid is way off on claim that 30% of women rely only on Planned Parenthood for health care
Political Fact Check
By Louis Jacobson
July 31st, 2015

During Senate floor debate on July 30, 2015, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., urged lawmakers to focus on consequences for women who rely on Planned Parenthood for health care beyond abortions if the federal funding is cut off.

Planned Parenthood "is the health care backbone for American women during their lives," Reid said. "In fact, it's the only health care that a significant number of women get. About 30 percent of women, that's their health care."
[…]
According to the most recent Planned Parenthood annual report, the organization saw 2.7 million patients in 2013, completing 10.6 million separate procedures. The biggest categories of procedures were sexually transmitted infection tests (3.7 million), reversible contraception (2.1 million), emergency contraception kits (1.4 million), pregnancy tests (1.1 million), and HIV tests (704,000). (For the record, the group disclosed that it performed 327,653 abortions during that period, or about 3 percent of all procedures.)

Senator Warren (D – MA) made a passionate speech on the Senator about the Republican’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, Vanity Fair reported,

With talks swirling through Washington that the Senate G.O.P. will push a proposal to defund Planned Parenthood—and that they would attempt to shut down the government in order to do so—Massachusetts senator and progressive voice Elizabeth Warren delivered a blistering speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday to her colleagues.

“Do you have any idea what year it is?” she asked. “Did you fall down, hit your head, and think you woke up in the 1950s? Or the 1890s? Should we call for a doctor? Because I simply cannot believe that in the year 2015, the United States Senate would be spending its time trying to defund women’s health-care centers.

“On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised,” she added. “The Republicans have had a plan for years to strip away women’s rights to make choices over our own bodies.” 

And then presidential candidate Jeb Bush said this about women’s health…

Bush told a group of Evangelical Christians that he would strip the vital health organization of federal funding if he becomes president and said we spend too much money on women’s health services:

“The next president should defund Planned Parenthood,” he said. “The argument against this is, well women’s health issues, you’re attacking, it’s a war on women, and you’re attacking women’s health issues. You could take dollar for dollar, although I’m not sure we need a half a billion dollars for women’s health issues, but if you took dollar for dollar there are many extraordinary fine organizations, community health organizations, that exist to provide quality care for women on wide variety of health issues. But abortion should not be funded by the government, any government, in my mind.”

First of all, $500 million per year in a nation with 165 million women really isn’t much, not when you consider the specialized health needs that women required. Secondly, Planned Parenthood services more five million men and women a year. They provide quality reproductive healthcare and education to millions of people who might not otherwise have access to it. Only 3 percent of their services are abortion related, with the vast majority of it going towards contraceptives, STI treatment screenings and a host of other services.

As Senator Warren said, the Republicans think we are still in the era of “Father Knows Best” and are using women’s health care as a fundraiser.

Saturday 9: Rocky Mountain High

Crazy Sam’s Saturday 9: Rocky Mountain High (1975)

Every Saturday I take time off from written on serious topics to have some fun…
... because Bev recommended John Denver

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Denver sings that he was "born in the summer of his 27th year," because that's when he discovered the place where he felt most at home. What do you remember about your 27th year? (If it hasn't happened yet, what do you want to happen when you're 27?)
Egads, that was forty years ago! How should I know what I did back then; I was out of college and working with the company that I eventually retired from.

2) In 2007, the Colorado General Assembly named this one of the state's two official songs. (The other is "Where the Columbines Grow.") Do you know your state song? 
Yes, and so do you…


3) John Denver was a dedicated environmentalist who wrote an anthem about Earth Day. Are you careful about your energy consumption? Do you recycle? 
Very careful and I do recycle.

4) 1975 is also the year that Denver released a collection of holiday songs called Rocky Mountain Christmas. On this August day, what's the first carol that comes to mind?
Bing Crosby’s White Christmas

5) Denver dabbled in photography in his spare time and friends say he was quite good. Tell us about your hobbies.
I think you all know what my hobby is, photography.
My current desktop photo of the month.

6) In 1975, when this song was popular, mood rings were all the rage. It was said that the ring reflected the wearer's mood. Black = anxious/stressed, orange = worried, green = normal, blue = happy, pink = as good as it gets. As you respond to this week's Saturday 9, what color would your mood ring be?
Pink.

7) Pet Rocks were 1975's other odd cultural phenomenon. Do you have any real-life, breathing pets?
Nope. When I was a kid I had a bird, dog, and mouse but not all at the same time.

8) 1975 saw the premiere of Wheel of Fortune. Are you good at word puzzles?
I’m horrible at word puzzles

9) Random question: Did you sleep well last night?
Nope, I usually wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep.

Interesting! Is There A Double Standard For Us?

I came across an interesting article posted on Facebook about trans people and the gender binary. The post was on TMP (TransMusePlanet) Forum, it asked

As we enter a sort of trans renaissance of visibility in 2015, we see the rise of our male counterparts take center stage as never before. This is a major plus for various reason, one I've noticed is the discussion of male privilege and the aged old debate of male vs. female double standards. It seems our community is full of double standards.

I feel that the guys do have it easier in some ways because of “male privilege,” they gain privilege and we lose privilege. Also I think they can integrate in to society better, testosterone is so powerful in creating male secondary characteristics. There bread starts to grow, they get body hair, their voice deepens, they get an “Adam’s Apple,” and for many they start going bald.

While for trans women estrogen doesn’t do much, their breast grows, fat relocates around the body, and their skin gets softer, but that’s about it. Our male voice doesn’t change, we don’t lose beards, and we don’t lose our “Adam’s Apple.”

One of the things that I have noticed is that most of the trans men that know have beards or some type of facial hair. Another observation is that a lot of them go in for body building and tattoos, kind of like hyper masculine images.

So what do you think?

surveys & polls

I Watched “I am Cait” Last Sunday

And I have to say I was impressed but at the same time I saw a lot of “white privilege.” How many us could rent a RV with a driver to take a trip to the city. But her guests tried to impress on her the needs of the community, how most trans women are just trying the make ends meet.

4 challenges trans people face that you won’t see on 'I Am Cait'
Mashable
By Courtney Demone
July 24, 2015

Caitlyn Jenner’s coming out as transgender has been quite the moment for the trans community. From the Diane Sawyer interview to the Vanity Fair cover to the upcoming debut of her new reality show I Am Cait, a transgender person has never been so discussed and celebrated in pop culture and in homes across the world.

As a trans person, I am immensely grateful for this moment in which many people are, for the first time, seeing a transgender person as exactly that: a real person, instead of as a bad joke in a sitcom or a fetishized object in porn.
[…]
1. Transgender people experience job discrimination and have high rates of unemployment and poverty.
As long as you're watching I Am Cait, Caitlyn Jenner has a job and is making money. That's wonderful. For a lot of trans people, though, just getting a job can be very difficult. And 33 of the 50 states have no state-level gender identity protection, meaning in over half of the U.S. it is perfectly legal for employers to fire trans employees based solely on their being transgender.
[…]
2. Transgender people are frequently evicted or denied homes because they are transgender. Often this results in homelessness.
It’s unrealistic for everyone to have a home like Jenner’s $3.6 million Malibu mountaintop estate, but it is realistic for everyone to want to have a home. At some point in their lives, 19% of trans people have been denied housing, and 11% have been evicted, for being transgender. In order to cope with the lack of housing and employment, a significant number of trans people are forced to move to cheaper places, bunk with family and friends, or have sex with people just to have a bed to sleep in.

One thing I noticed about her “$3.6 million Malibu mountaintop estate” the pool and Jacuzzi were fill of water in the middle of a drought.

The author goes on to says that we don’t have healthcare and that for trans people of color it is a lot harder just to survive.

The episode that I saw all these topics were mentioned but just superficial and next week they are visiting HRC (Ugh!) to talk about discrimination (here we have a white upper middle class Gay institution talking trans poverty). To bad they didn’t talk to the Transgender Law Center instead, but one of the trans women on the show is from the San Francisco HRC office.

USA Today's EntertainThis writes,

Girls’ nights are nothing new for Caitlyn. She’s had them for a while, but tonight’s party is different: it’s only for trans women.

Who’s there? Actress (and potential flame for Caitlyn) Candis Cayne, GLAAD National Board Chair Jennifer Boylan and others, who all have different experiences.

“Caitlyn is a sweet smart good soul,” Jennifer tells us. “… but she has all the privilege in the world.”

Each woman goes on to share part of their story: Candis tells of the medical discrimination she’s experienced from doctors, another woman, Drian Juarez, talks about her time as a sex worker and how that got her through her transition.

It’s an eye-opening moment for Caitlyn, introducing even more experiences into her own. She is new to this community and, obviously, does not represent everyone — as no one person could. She’s starting to understand that.
[…]
Discriminatory joblessness is an issue for some in the transgender community and, as a few women point out, those unemployed may need the support social programs can provide. It’s for survival, one adds. Caitlyn sees it as something people can overly rely on.

The tension is only brief, but it highlights a worry in some: if Caitlyn is going to represent the transgender community, she needs to be wary of offending anyone in it.

The “In Crowd” on last Sunday’s show were Zackary Drucker, Jen Richards, Drian Juarez, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Chandi Moore and Candis Cayne.

# # # # #

My laptop died and I will only be able to blog occasional when I have access to a computer.

Slowly We Are Winning Battles

One bathroom at a time, one politician at a time…

Support spreads for transgender access to public restrooms

• Campaign to clarify transgender bathroom practices finds support
• Speedway, BB&T Ballpark, Panthers stadium allow bathroom access
• Campaign launched by transgender Charlotte woman at center of city debate

Charlotte Observer
By Mark Price
August 2, 2015

One Charlotte woman’s campaign to make public restrooms safer for transgender people has gained momentum with news that Bank of America Stadium, BB&T Ballpark and Charlotte Motor Speedway will allow transgender men and women to use the restroom of their gender identity.

Janice Covington Allison said she would like to see Speedway Motorsports Inc. – owner of Charlotte Motor Speedway – confirm the same approach at all eight of its tracks around the country. However, a spokesman for Charlotte Motor Speedway declined to say last week whether that would happen.
[…]
“Having the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Knights and the speedway step up for this shows how the sports world is opening up and being more inclusive,” said Allison, who is an official with the North Carolina Democratic Party.

I realize that for many trans this is not an option, they are not involved in politics and could never lobby, but just by being themselves and going out in public is bring about change.

# # # # #

My laptop died and I will only be able to blog occasional when I have access to a computer.

Why We Need To Lobby

I hear people say why bother to lobby for Equality Act it is never going to get passed in a Republican controlled Congress.

Op-ed: Why the Equality Act Is So Important
A lawyer working for transgender employees says that the proposed Equality Act remains very necessary, even with growing LGBT protections.
By Jillian Weiss
August 4, 2015

The recent introduction of the Equality Act in both the U.S. House and Senate to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination is long overdue. It is so long overdue that it may be more notable for what its absence says about our society than what its presence will do for victims of discrimination. Many federal agencies and courts have already ruled that sex discrimination includes discrimination against LGBT people. What’s missing is our political will as a country to acknowledge that such discrimination is wrong and that our civil rights laws should explicitly say so.

As an attorney whose practice focuses primarily on winning lawsuits for transgender people experiencing job discrimination around the country, I’m heartened by this action by Democratic leaders in both chambers, though the chances of passage in a Republican-controlled Congress are slim. The move nevertheless sends a strong message: Even in a post–marriage equality environment, LGBT Americans are still extremely vulnerable to being fired, kicked out of their homes, barred from accessing public places, and a host of other discriminatory ills simply for living their lives authentically. Legislation that explicitly prohibits this will make it easier to provide legal protection nationwide.

If we don’t lobby for the bill we are sending a message to our supports in Congress that we really don’t care for the bill. We have to let our legislators know that this bill is important to us, otherwise it will be like what Congressman Barney Frank said, “transgender people first need to educate others more and yours is a new movement: put in more time, pay some more dues.”

We can’t be fair weather lobbyists; we still have to lobby for the bill even if it doesn’t have a chance to pass. They have to know that we are serious about the bill.

# # # # #

My laptop died and I will only be able to blog occasional when I have access to a computer.

Crashed

 My laptop crashed and until it comes back from the computer hospital I will not be blogging 😢