Transgender Day of Remembrance

Every November 20^th is the Transgender Day of Remembrance is when we memorize the trans-people who were murdered in the last 12 months.  We remember trans people who were murdered for who they were; not for money or passion but were murdered but because of hate. They were killed because they had the courage to live their lives as the person they were.

On a personal level I went to my first TDoR on 2001 and it was very emotional for me as I read the name of Ontwon Curtis, I cried while I read her name. She was a stranger to me but we shared a common trait, we were both trans. It never gets easy reading the names.

The vigil is held all around the U.S. and the world and you can find a place for where you can attend a TDOR here.

A list of the names of the people who were murdered this year can be found below along with a list the TDOR locations in Connecticut. I will be attending the Hartford services.

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Hosted by City of Hartford
Flag raising
City Hall from
10:30am-11:00am
Reading of the names ceremony will take place at Burr Mall (Stego)
5:30pm-6:00pm

Hosted by the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford
155 Wyllys Street,
Hartford CT 06106
(Parish House, Church of the Good Shepherd, entrance in the back)
November 20, 2019
7 PM

Hosted by New Milford United Methodist Church
68 Danbury Rd,
New Milford, Connecticut 06776
November 20, 2019
7 PM – 8:30 PM

Hosted by the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford
155 Wyllys Street,
Hartford CT 06106
(Parish House, Church of the Good Shepherd, entrance in the back)
November 20, 2019
7 PM

Hosted by OutCT
New London Parade Plaza
50 State Street
New London, CT 06320
November 20, 2019
6 PM – 7 PM

Hosted by New Haven Pride Center
372 Elm St
New Haven, CT 06511
November 25, 2019
7 PM

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Memorializing 2019

Gabriella Torres
Manaus, Brazil
20-Nov-18
2018
shot

Perlita de Guerrero
Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
22-Nov-18
2018
shot

Nahomy Alexandra López Orellana “La Pepita”
Sacacoyo, El Salvador
25-Nov-18
2018
strangled

Fábia Ju Dias
Manhuaçu, Brazil
26-Nov-18
2018
beaten

Mikaela Africana Sanhes
Salvador, Brazil
26-Nov-18
2018
shot

Tydi Dansbury
Baltimore, MD, USA
MD
28-Nov-18
2018
shot

Rajni
Gurugram, India
28-Nov-18
2018
shot

Duda
Marabá, Brazil
1-Dec-18
2018
shot

Karliane Vitoria Rodrigues
Taguatinga Sul, Brazil
4-Dec-18
2018
shot

Luisa Fernanda Hernandez
Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
4-Dec-18
2018
shot

Nancy de Monza
Milan, Italy
5-Dec-18
2018
beaten

J.C. Pereira de Lima
Itanhaém, Brazil
5-Dec-18
2018
beaten

Keanna Mattel, aka Kelly Stough
Detroit, Michigan, USA
MI
7-Dec-18
2018
shot

Name Unknown
Villa Nueva, Guatemala
7-Dec-18
2018
not reported

Jéssica Dimy
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7-Dec-18
2018
burned

Victória Landeiro
Rondonopolis, Brazil
9-Dec-18
2018
shot

Scarlety Mastroianyy
Londrina, Brazil
10-Dec-18
2018
stabbed

Manuel Luna
Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico
11-Dec-18
2018
not reported

Name Unknown
São Vicente, Brazil
11-Dec-18
2018
asphyxiation

Name Unknown
Parnamirim, Brazil
12-Dec-18
2018
beaten

Name Unknown
Klang, Malaysia
12-Dec-18
2018
beaten

Gabi Blak
Brasilandia, Brazil
12-Dec-18
2018
strangled

Scarlett Cedeño
Cali, Colombia
14-Dec-18
2018
not reported

Marilin
Buenos Aires, Argentina
16-Dec-18
2018
run-over by car

Valquiria
Imperatriz, Brazil
17-Dec-18
2018
stabbed

Litzy Hurtado
El Alto, Bolivia
17-Dec-18
2018
stabbed

Name Unknown
Guerrero, Abasolo, Mexico
19-Dec-18
2018
shot

Márcia Rodrigues Pereira
Camapuã, Brazil
20-Dec-18
2018
strangled

Gaby
Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
23-Dec-18
2018
stoned

Jéssica Bracamonte
Veron, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
25-Dec-18
2018
stabbed

Denisse Hernández Rivero
Tixtla, Guerrero, Mexico
26-Dec-18
2018
stabbed

Nicolly Banks
Uberlândia, Brazil
28-Dec-18
2018
shot

Valentina Herrera Guzman
Cali, Colombia
28-Dec-18
2018
not reported

Melissa Brunely
Linhares, Brazil
28-Dec-18
2018
run-over by car

Rogéria Paiva
Maracanau, Brazil
29-Dec-18
2018
shot

Sabrina Santos Vidal
Taperoá, Brazil
31-Dec-18
2018
stabbed

Devora Montolio
Maimón, Dominican Republic
1-Jan-19
2019
stabbed

Mikinho Lima dos Santos
Lajeado, Brazil
1-Jan-19
2019
shot

Name Unknown
Klang, Malaysia
1-Jan-19
2019
other

Name Unknown
Gravataí, Brazil
1-Jan-19
2019
other

Laura Muñoz Arcila
Cali, Colombia
1-Jan-19
2019
stabbed

Name Unknown
Quintana Roo, Mexico
4-Jan-19
2019
shot

Dana Martin
Montgomery, Alabama, USA
AL
6-Jan-19
2019
shot to the head

Carla Girón Lodoño
Tulua, Colombia
6-Jan-19
2019
shot

Hande Seker
Anatolia, Turkey
9-Jan-19
2019
shot

Amy Griffiths
Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom
14-Jan-19
2019
not reported

Name Unknown
Tamaulipas, Reynosa, Mexico
14-Jan-19
2019
asphyxiation

Alka
Tatapani, India
16-Jan-19
2019
tortured

Sussy Montalván
Copiapó, Chile
17-Jan-19
2019
strangled

Sheilla Prado
Tubarão, Brazil
20-Jan-19
2019
other

Quelly da Silva “Jeninha”
Campinas, Brazil
21-Jan-19
2019
stabbed

Yara Serena Camargo
Recife, Brazil
22-Jan-19
2019
stabbed

Nashley Delgado Segovia
Aldama, Mexico
23-Jan-19
2019
shot

Jésica Benevidez “Nicky”
Parana, Argentina
24-Jan-19
2019
not reported

Name Unknown
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
24-Jan-19
2019
not reported

J. da Silva dos Santos
Camaçari, Brazil
25-Jan-19
2019
shot

Aysla Souza
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
25-Jan-19
2019
beaten

Pamela Sandoval Ramírez
Chimalhuacán, Mexico
27-Jan-19
2019
not reported

Mirna Antonella Di Marzo
Salta, Argentina
28-Jan-19
2019
beaten

Jehangir
Jatta Ismail Khel, Pakistan
29-Jan-19
2019
shot

Ana Paula da Costa Ribeiro
Tramandaí, Brazil
30-Jan-19
2019
stabbed

Ellie Marie Washtock
World Golf Village, Florida, USA
FL
31-Jan-19
2019
shot

Name Unknown
Kohat, Pakistan
1-Feb-19
2019
other

La Joha González Leal
Maracaibo, Venezuela
2-Feb-19
2019
beaten

Camila Diaz Córdova “Aurora”
San Salvador, El Salvador
3-Feb-19
2019
beaten

Laly Heredia Escobar “Sonia Laly”
La Matanza, Argentina
3-Feb-19
2019
shot

Mellyssa Rodrigues dos Santos
Piracicaba, Brazil
4-Feb-19
2019
beaten

Miriam Rivera
Hermosillo. Sonora, Mexico
5-Feb-19
2019
strangled

Daniele Azevedo
Manaus, Brazil
8-Feb-19
2019
not reported

Fabi Cortes Morales
Las Chopas, Veracruz, Mexico
8-Feb-19
2019
shot

Lolita
Sonsonate, El Salvador
8-Feb-19
2019
stabbed

Miúda
Niterói, Brazil
11-Feb-19
2019
shot

Kayla Alves
Nova Ipixuna, Brazil
11-Feb-19
2019
stabbed

Meg Duran
São Paulo, Brazil
15-Feb-19
2019
shot

Samira Morena
Sorocaba, Brazil
16-Feb-19
2019
stabbed

Rajathi
Thoothukudi, India
18-Feb-19
2019
dismembered

Nathyelly Cruz
Uruaçu, Brazil
21-Feb-19
2019
stabbed

V. Barbosa de Aquino
Palmas, Brazil
21-Feb-19
2019
stabbed

Minerva Rubio
Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
21-Feb-19
2019
shot

Verito
Quito, Ecuador
22-Feb-19
2019
stabbed

Mirlla Vasques Arcanjo
Manaus, Brazil
23-Feb-19
2019
stoned

Name Unknown
Castellón de la Plana, Spain
24-Feb-19
2019
asphyxiation

Aghata
Manaus, Brazil
25-Feb-19
2019
other

Ana de Lima
Pacatuba, Brazil
26-Feb-19
2019
shot

Name Unknown
Guaiúba, Brazil
26-Feb-19
2019
shot

Sayonara
Carapicuiba, Brazil
27-Feb-19
2019
dismembered

Pamela Arenceli
La Matanza, Buenos Aires, Argentina
28-Feb-19
2019
shot

Maxim Brizuela
La Matanza, Buenos Aires, Argentina
28-Feb-19
2019
shot

Laura Gentle Argueta
Rotan, Isla De La Bahia, Honduras
2-Mar-19
2019
stabbed

Brigitte Galván
Yucatán, Mexico
3-Mar-19
2019
other

Maylla dos Santos
Coari, Brazil
4-Mar-19
2019
strangled

Pamela
Santa Luzia do Pará, Brazil
5-Mar-19
2019
shot

Maria Paula Murillo Reyes
Costa Rica, Costa Rica
5-Mar-19
2019
not reported
                       
La Mariposa
Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico
6-Mar-19
2019
strangled
                                             
Flavia Santana
Anapolis, Brazil
8-Mar-19
2019
strangled

Perla
São Paulo, Brazil
8-Mar-19
2019
shot

Renata Spencer
Tepeji Del Rio, Hidalgo, Mexico
9-Mar-19
2019
stoned

Name Unknown
Jiutepec, Morelos, Mexico
10-Mar-19
2019
stabbed

Nazab Abid Shaikh Date of death:
Maharashtra, India
11-Mar-19
2019
throat cut

Junu
Kathmandu, Nepal
11-Mar-19
2019
beaten


Pollita Ruiz
Jiutepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
13-Mar-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
13-Mar-19
2019
not reported


Name Unknown
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
13-Mar-19
2019
not reported


Zaira Betancur
Bogotá, Colombia
14-Mar-19
2019
throat cut


Caio Dantas Monteiro
Angra dos Reis, Brazil
16-Mar-19
2019
stabbed


Name Unknown
Alcaldia Gustavo A. Madero, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
16-Mar-19
2019
stabbed


Mara da Silva
Mossoro, Brazil
17-Mar-19
2019
shot


Alessandra Date of death:
Buritis, Brazil
17-Mar-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
17-Mar-19
2019
stabbed


B.J.P.
Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
20-Mar-19
2019
asphyxiation


Lara
Belém, Brazil
23-Mar-19
2019
beaten


Name Unknown
Manaus, Brazil
23-Mar-19
2019
stoned


Fabricia de Moura Lima
Goiânia, Brazil
24-Mar-19
2019
shot


W. Adalí Hernández Rápalo
Villanueva, Honduras
24-Mar-19
2019
not reported


Jazzaline Ware
Memphis, Alabama, USA
AL
25-Mar-19
2019
not reported


Celaya Méndey Yelada
Aguadulce, Veracruz, Mexico
25-Mar-19
2019
not reported


Amma Hajjani
Sindh, Pakistan
26-Mar-19
2019
beaten


Marisol Montenegro
Puerto Montt, Chile
27-Mar-19
2019
strangled


Ashanti Carmon
Fairmount Heights, Maryland, USA
MD
30-Mar-19
2019
shot


Paty Santos
Manaus, Brazil
30-Mar-19
2019
strangled


Patricia Rafaela dos Santos Camargo
Maringá, Brazil
30-Mar-19
2019
run-over by car


Claudia Vera
Independencia, Lima, Peru
30-Mar-19
2019
shot


Crysllaine Guedes da Silva
Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil
1-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Eduarda Albuquerque
Angra dos Reis, Brazil
3-Apr-19
2019
beaten


Barbara
Itabuna, Brazil
5-Apr-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Jacareí, Brazil
5-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Shalu
Kozhikode, India
5-Apr-19
2019
strangled


Sandrielly Vasconcelos
Boa Vista, Brazil
6-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Name Unknown
Franca, Brazil
7-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Kasandra Solórzano Romero
Huila, Colombia
8-Apr-19
2019
asphyxiation


Brenda Plaza Vallejos
Valaparaiso, Chile
8-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Marqueza
Campo Grande, Brazil
9-Apr-19
2019
shot


Malaj Islas
Puerto De Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
10-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Juju
Sapezal, Brazil
12-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Ainee Khan
Sindh, Pakistan
13-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Sabrina
João Pessoa, Brazil
13-Apr-19
2019
shot


Claire Legato
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
OH
15-Apr-19
2019
shot


Kenia Hilton
Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
15-Apr-19
2019
other


Nina Surgutskaya
Kursk, Russia
15-Apr-19
2019
strangled


Tamara
Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
17-Apr-19
2019
not reported


Becky
Minatitlan, Veracruz, Mexico
19-Apr-19
2019
shot


E. dos Santos da Rosa
Paraná, Brazil
19-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Jessica Gómez Rúa (Pajarita)
Bucaramanga, Colombia
21-Apr-19
2019
stabbed


Natalia Delgado Rubio
Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
21-Apr-19
2019
dismembered


Haji Noori
Jhansi, India
21-Apr-19
2019
beaten


Name Unknown
Fortaleza, Brazil
22-Apr-19
2019
not reported


Rica Reyes
Cebu, Philippines
23-Apr-19
2019
beaten


Rayssa dos Santos
Caucaia, Brazil
23-Apr-19
2019
shot


Catalina Casquete Holguín, Cata
Ciudad Cuenca, Provincia Guayas, Ecuador
25-Apr-19
2019
run-over by car


Name Unknown
Salamanaca, Guanajuato, Mexico
27-Apr-19
2019
shot


Yaritza Angélica Millones López
Buenos Aires, Argentina
28-Apr-19
2019
asphyxiation


Jasmynne Fontile de Brito
Guarapes, Brazil
30-Apr-19
2019
shot


El Choco
Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
2-May-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Grajau, Brazil
2-May-19
2019
stabbed


Melissa
Bacabal, Brazil
4-May-19
2019
tortured


Larissa Rodrigues da Silva
São Paulo, Brazil
4-May-19
2019
beaten


Heart Pontanes
Malabon, Philippines
6-May-19
2019
stabbed


M. Dantas da Silva
Guariba, Brazil
6-May-19
2019
stabbed


Yara Souza
São Paulo, Brazil
10-May-19
2019
strangled


Luana Date of death:
Maranhao, Brazil
11-May-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
11-May-19
2019
asphyxiation


Talia Silveira Pacheco Santos
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
12-May-19
2019
stabbed


Gökçe Naz Saygi
Antalya, Turkey
13-May-19
2019
stabbed


Natalia
Mexico City, Mexico
13-May-19
2019
beaten


Dulce
Alcaldia Benito Juarez, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
14-May-19
2019
not reported


Bibiu
Fortaleza, Brazil
15-May-19
2019
shot


A. A. Silva Costa Date of death:
Mineiros, Brazil
16-May-19
2019
shot


Alana Ferreira
São Paulo, Brazil
16-May-19
2019
beaten


Muhlaysia Booker
Dallas, Texas, USA
TX
18-May-19
2019
shot


Angela Paola Fajardo
Mixco, Guatemala
18-May-19
2019
stabbed


Michelle ‘Tamika’ Washington
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
PA
19-May-19
2019
shot


Thaylla Rodrigues de Moura
Campo Grande, Brazil
19-May-19
2019
stabbed


Jesusa
Fortin De Las Flores, Veracruz, Mexico
20-May-19
2019
dismembered


Reva Desai
Mumbai, India
21-May-19
2019
stabbed


Paris Cameron
Detroit, Michigan, USA
MI
25-May-19
2019
shot


Britany
Misantla, Veracruz, Mexico
26-May-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Old Hyderabda City, India
26-May-19
2019
beaten


Gala Estefanía Perea
San Isidro de Lules, Tucumán, Argentina
26-May-19
2019
strangled


Elaynne Marques
Lucas do Rio Verde, Brazil
27-May-19
2019
shot


R. Adelso Rodriguez Alonzo
Usumatlán, Zacapa , Guatemala
28-May-19
2019
shot


Jahy Bianchini
Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito Santo , Brazil
30-May-19
2019
shot


leleco
Lucena, Brazil
30-May-19
2019
beaten


Rosinha do Beco
Morro do Chapéu, Brazil
30-May-19
2019
beaten


Rose
Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Brazil
31-May-19
2019
shot


Johana Medina León (“Joa”)
El Paso, Texas, USA
TX
1-Jun-19
2019
other


Chynal Lindsey
Dallas, Texas, USA
TX
1-Jun-19
2019
asphyxiation


Fabiola
Quimistan, Santa Barbara, Honduras
2-Jun-19
2019
not reported


Name Unknown
Barranquilla, Colombia
3-Jun-19
2019
stabbed


Miranda Pilar Ruiz
El Empalme, Ecuador
3-Jun-19
2019
shot


Mayte Castro Anay
El Empalme, Ecuador
3-Jun-19
2019
shot


Cecelia Cranko
South Orange, New Jersey, USA
NJ
5-Jun-19
2019
burned


Chanel Scurlock
Lumberton, California, USA
CA
6-Jun-19
2019
shot


Layleen Cubilette Polanco Xtravaganza
Rikers Island, New York , USA
NY
7-Jun-19
2019
other


Shakira (La Moy)
Choloma, Cortés, Honduras
8-Jun-19
2019
stoned


Pamela
Maringá, Brazil
10-Jun-19
2019
shot


Alex Milkovich
Nytva, Russia
10-Jun-19
2019
not reported


Name Unknown
Queretaro, Mexico
11-Jun-19
2019
beaten


Zoe Spears
Fairmonut Heights, Maryland, USA
MA
13-Jun-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Municipio Coatzintla, Veracruz, Mexico
14-Jun-19
2019
beaten


Nahara
Fortaleza, Brazil
16-Jun-19
2019
shot


Maycon Clebes dos Reis
Coromandel, Brazil
16-Jun-19
2019
stabbed


Dafne Yilmaz
Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
16-Jun-19
2019
stabbed


Pollyane Weneck
Coromandel, Brazil
16-Jun-19
2019
stabbed


Lohane (Jasmine)
Palmares, Brazil
17-Jun-19
2019
stabbed


Monica Devain
Jiutepec, Morelos, Mexico
18-Jun-19
2019
stabbed


Doris Hernandez
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
21-Jun-19
2019
not reported


Brooklyn Lindsey
Kansas City, MO, USA
MO
25-Jun-19
2019
shot


J.P. Moreno
Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico
25-Jun-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Multan, Pakistan
28-Jun-19
2019
tortured


Name Unknown
Multan, Pakistan
28-Jun-19
2019
tortured


Maya
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan
1-Jul-19
2019
shot


Jessica
Araguaina, Brazil
2-Jul-19
2019
shot


Antonia Laínez Larios
El Negrito, Yoro, Honduras, Honduras
3-Jul-19
2019
shot


Santi
Puerto Cortés, Honduras, Honduras
6-Jul-19
2019
shot


Shakira Fernandez de la Hoz
Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
7-Jul-19
2019
stabbed


Bessy Michelle Ferrera
Comayaguela, Honduras
8-Jul-19
2019
shot


Carly
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
10-Jul-19
2019
stabbed


Name Unknown
San Luis, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
10-Jul-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
San Luis, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
10-Jul-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Alcaldia Xochimilo, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
12-Jul-19
2019
not reported


Lucia Barrera Date of death:
Parana, Entre Rios, Argentina
14-Jul-19
2019
stabbed


Angie Digiacomo
Buenos Aires, Argentina
17-Jul-19
2019
other


S. Medina
Salta, Argentina
18-Jul-19
2019
asphyxiation


Denali Berries Stuckey
North Charleston, North Carolina, USA
NC
20-Jul-19
2019
shot


Tracy Single
Houston, Texas, USA
TX
20-Jul-19
2019
stabbed


Name Unknown
Nagrakata, India
24-Jul-19
2019
beaten


Sandy
Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico
24-Jul-19
2019
shot


Bubba Walker
Charlotte, United States of America
27-Jul-19
2019
burned


Muskan
Multan, Pakistan
27-Jul-19
2019
tortured


Nadia
Multan, Pakistan
27-Jul-19
2019
tortured


Marquis “Kiki” Fantroy
Miami, Florida, USA
FL
31-Jul-19
2019
shot


Jordan Cofer
Dayton, Ohio, USA
OH
4-Aug-19
2019
shot


Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe
Allendale County, South Carolina, USA
SC
4-Aug-19
2019
shot


Rosalinda Pérez Berigüete
San Juan Maguana, Dominican Republic
4-Aug-19
2019
stabbed


Gabriele Oliveira
Belo Jardim, Brazil
5-Aug-19
2019
shot


Karla Fernanda Silva
La Maná, Cotopaxi, Ecuador
5-Aug-19
2019
other


Name Unknown
Tecoman, Colima, Mexico
6-Aug-19
2019
shot


J. A. Cermeño Medina
Caracas, Venezuela
7-Aug-19
2019
shot


Angi García “La Gata”
Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Ecuador
7-Aug-19
2019
strangled


Alondra García
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
8-Aug-19
2019
stabbed


Aylin Hernández Gómez
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico
11-Aug-19
2019
strangled


W. Félix de Oliveira
Maracanaú, Brazil
11-Aug-19
2019
stoned


Sara Miranda de Souza
Frutal, Brazil
12-Aug-19
2019
stabbed


Abril Navarro Salazar
Alvaro Obregon, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
15-Aug-19
2019
stabbed


Nathacha Ruby Flores
Quito, Ecuador
19-Aug-19
2019
not reported


Name Unknown
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
19-Aug-19
2019
not reported


Aline da Silva
Arcoverde, Brazil
20-Aug-19
2019
stabbed


Kate Maikelly de Jesus Barbosa
Teixeira de Freitas, Brazil
21-Aug-19
2019
not reported


Ashley
Huajuapan De Leon, Oaxaca, Mexico
22-Aug-19
2019
not reported


Daniela Martinez
Cicuco, Colombia
22-Aug-19
2019
beaten


Name Unknown
Iztapalapa, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
24-Aug-19
2019
not reported


Name Unknown
Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
24-Aug-19
2019
shot


Hani
Mansehra, Pakistan
26-Aug-19
2019
shot


Roberta “Xirrara” Rodrigues
Inhumas, Brazil
30-Aug-19
2019
shot


Sana Khan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
30-Aug-19
2019
stabbed


Brigitte Escalona Escobar
Caracas, Venezuela
31-Aug-19
2019
asphyxiation


Name Unknown
Santiago, Chile
31-Aug-19
2019
stabbed


Bailey Reeves
Baltimore, Marylnd, USA
MD
2-Sep-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Ziguatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico
3-Sep-19
2019
shot


Andra Mora López
Tequendama, Colombia
3-Sep-19
2019
run-over by car


Bee Love Slater
Clewiston, Florida, USA
FL
4-Sep-19
2019
burned


Victoria Santos Falcão
juina, Brazil
5-Sep-19
2019
shot


Yuri Gabriel Castro Farias
Fortaleza, Brazil
6-Sep-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
7-Sep-19
2019
not reported


Name Unknown
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
7-Sep-19
2019
not reported


Ana Paula
Jiutepec, Morelos, Mexico
7-Sep-19
2019
beaten


Carolinne Dias
Santa Maria, Brazil
7-Sep-19
2019
shot


Nemer da Silva Rodrigues
Santa Maria, Brazil
7-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Name Unknown
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
10-Sep-19
2019
not reported


Name Unknown
Cartagena, Colombia
10-Sep-19
2019
not reported The victim’s body was found in a state of decomposition near a drainage channel.
Ja’leyah Jamar
Kansas City, Kansas, USA
KS
13-Sep-19
2019
shot


Shokir Shavkatov
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
13-Sep-19
2019
dismembered


Luana Piovani
Senador Elói de Souza, Brazil
15-Sep-19
2019
stoned


Bruna Torres
São Carlos, Brazil
15-Sep-19
2019
other


Elisha Chanel Stanley
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
PA
16-Sep-19
2019
not reported


Reena
Baiyapur, India
16-Sep-19
2019
not reported


Jessa Remiendo
Bolinao, Philippines
17-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Name Unknown
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
17-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Emmanuelle Agostinho da Silva Barros “Manu”
Santo André, Brazil
19-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Leandro Parra Hermosilla
Coyhaqye, Aysen, Chile
19-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Itali Marlowe
Houston, Texas, USA
TX
20-Sep-19
2019
shot


Médely Razard
Itaquaquecetuba, Brazil
20-Sep-19
2019
strangled


Bruna Surfistinha de Freitas
Chorozinho, Brazil
20-Sep-19
2019
shot


Paloma Barreto
Avilés, Spain
21-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Mhelody Polan Bruno
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales , Australia
21-Sep-19
2019
not reported


Itzayana López Hernández
Alcaldia Alvaro Obregon, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
22-Sep-19
2019
asphyxiation


Yoselin Martín Velasco
Ciudad Modelo, Valle Del Cauca, Colombia
28-Sep-19
2019
shot


Name Unknown
Registro, Brazil
28-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Chhaya
Durg, India
29-Sep-19
2019
not reported


Júnia Franco
Uberlândia, Brazil
29-Sep-19
2019
stabbed


Brianna “BB” Hill
Kansas City, Missouri
MO
14-Oct-19
2019
Shot to death

Presented by the Remembering Our Dead Project, http://www.tdor.info

Additional sources provided by TvT research project, http://transrespect.org/en/trans-murder-monitoring/tmm-resources/

We Know.

You have probably read about the court fight down in Texas for a trans child, the father denies that he has a daughter and is trying to prevent her transition. Then the governor of Texas and other politicians stepped in and are mucking up her life by trying to pass a law making it a crime for a child to transition.

Well now a new report came out showing that we know at a very early age that we’re trans.

Trans children have 'strong sense of identity' from early age, study finds
Reuters
By Rachel Savage
November 18, 2019

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Transgender children are no more or less likely than other children to conform to gender stereotypes in how they dress and play, suggesting they have a strong sense of identity from an early age, according to a study published on Monday.
[…]
The project marked the first time that transgender children - those who do not identify as the gender they were born with - had been studied from such a young age, according to the researchers.

It comes amid fierce debate in several Western countries over the number of children being referred to gender identity clinics and sometimes going on to have hormonal treatment in adolescence that affects how they develop.

“Our data thus far suggest that the act of transitioning probably isn’t affecting gender identity one way or the other,” said Kristina Olson, a psychology professor who leads the TransYouth Project at the University of Washington.
[…]
The study concluded that children “develop a strong sense of identity at an early age, that this identity is not necessarily determined by sex assigned at birth, and that children may hold onto this identity even when it conflicts with others’ expectations”.

For me I think that knew around the age of seven that I should have been a girl.

Back then there was no terminology for how I felt, and if I said anything I probably would sent to therapy because being “Gay” was a psychology condition, but then I wasn’t gay, I just wanted to be a girl. However, back then that was considered the same thing.

The article goes on to say,

 The researchers noted several limitations to their results: all children had transitioned with the support of their parents and were American or Canadian. A majority had wealthy, white, highly-educated parents.

“We do not know how the results may have differed if we had studied children who identify as transgender but have not yet transitioned, or children who live in less supportive environments,” it said.

Intersectionality.

Like most studies intersectionality is not taken into consideration, how race, religion, nationality, and socioeconomic status effect us when we transition. Also the study didn't look at how having a supportive family affects the transition and creates a positive or negative outcome.

An Adventure On The High Seas!

Yesterday turned out to be an adventure, it started out simple enough; visit some friends on Long Island  for a leisurely luncheon afternoon. Well that was the plan.

Forecast was a little ominous, cloudy and windy with possible snow Monday morning… the weather should be good enough to travel over on the New London - Orient Point ferry to Long Island.

Ten o’clock Sunday morning at the ticket office after I buying my ticket… the clerk says if the weather gets too bad they will stop the ferry… What? Hey? Hun? What happens if I’m stuck on Long Island?

I guess you’ll have find a place to sleep.

I decide to still go on the 10:30 ferry, the weather report still said that it was just going to be cloudy and windy.

When the ferry got out of the wind shadow of Fisher Island and in the open waters of the sound we start rocking and rolling. The waves were probably 2 to 4 foot… interesting.

****

I remember once I went to SUNY at Stony Brook for a conference on grassroots organizing and I was planning on taking the Bridgeport – Port Jefferson ferry over to Long Island. Some people from a non-profit asked if they could go to the conference with me, now bear in mind that these people have never been out of the city of Hartford before.

I told them that I would be taking the ferry over and were they okay with that? Sure no problem.

Well I knew I was in trouble when we pulled up to the ferry… We’re going on that big ship! They freaked out… and then when I drove up into the ship they were amazed.

The waves were only about 1 to 2 feet. Well they turned an amazing shade of green. I always thought that fictional… nope people do turn an interesting shade of green.

****

So yesterday I was meet by my friends at the dock at noon and I ran into the ticket building, to ask about if they were canceling the ferry service later in the day. The clerk said only after 8 o’clock so that wasn’t bad, but we deciding I would go back on the 3 pm ferry.

We went to eat at a lovely Greek restaurant and I had a leg of lamb. For dessert it was Baklava… oh that was so excellent!

So we made it back for the 3 pm ferry just in time... I was the last one on the ferry.

Well it got a lot rougher… I mean a lot rougher!

It made a very interesting crossing and now I know that I don’t get seasick.

On the way over and back I listened to an audio book that I downloaded from the library,
Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Curse of Chalion.

You Know That This Will End Up In The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court and the federal court system has been stacked against us with justices who put the Bible ahead of the Constitution and this case pits two conflicting rights against each other.

'This Isn't Just About a Pronoun.' Teachers and Trans Students Are Clashing Over Whose Rights Come First
Time
By Katie Reilly
November 15, 2019

Before Aidyn, who was designated female at birth, started at Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Indiana that fall, his mother, Laura Sucec, worked with school officials to make sure his new name and gender would be logged into Brownsburg’s database. She wanted to be sure teachers knew him as Aidyn and didn’t use his former name—his “dead name”—when addressing him.

The school was quick to accommodate Aidyn, and with input from Sucec and other parents, it soon allowed all trans students to use bathrooms, names and pronouns aligned with their gender identity. But that change, which was meant to protect the students, was a problem for Aidyn’s orchestra teacher, John Kluge. Kluge, 29, believes “it is sinful to promote transgender behavior,” according to a federal lawsuit he filed in June that accuses the Brownsburg Community School Corporation (BCSC) of forcing him to resign because of his beliefs. The BCSC policies do not specifically mention bathroom use or names for trans students, but Sucec and Kluge say those changes were made during the summer of 2017.

The case is one of at least three pending against public schools in three states—Indiana, Virginia, and Ohio—by teachers who say they were disciplined for refusing to use the preferred names or pronouns of transgender students. But beyond arguing over names and pronouns, the lawsuits raise the question of whose rights take precedence when transgender students’ demands for recognition and respect clash with teachers’ personal beliefs. All of the teachers say they were forced to choose between keeping their jobs or acting in a way that conflicted with their religious views.

This is going to be a battle to the death, there is a lot at stake for us… our human right to exist and it is not just us but all the minorities.

How long do you think it will take for a landlord to say… “I don’t rent to interracial couples, it is against my religious belief.”

Or a luncheonette to say we don’t serve Muslims here, it is against my religious belief.

All it will take is for something to happen to a progressive Supreme Court justice and Sen. McConnell will conveniently forget what he said about not holding hearing for president Obama appointee until after the elections.

In the past I wouldn’t be concerned because there is a large number court cases where the courts have ruled religious freedom only applied to places of worship.

One of the more common cases is the case of Methodist owned Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association pavilion where they refused to rent it out to a lesbian couple.

The ACLU wrote about the case…

“The Camp Meeting Association could have used the pavilion exclusively for its own purposes,” said Lawrence Lustberg of Gibbons, P.C., who represents the couple as a cooperating attorney for the ACLU-NJ. “The judge found, however, that the association opened the pavilion up to the public and thus was obligated to follow anti-discrimination laws.”

I have to wonder if the courts would rule the same now with all this “religious freedom” talk even though the Camp Meeting Association agreed to open the pavilion up to the public.

---

Today I am on the cross sound ferry going over to Long Island to visit some friends there for the day.

Saturday 9: Judy at Carnegie Hall

Sam’s Saturday 9: Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…
Hey, I’m actually going to be home all day! But tomorrow I am taking the New London - Orient Point ferry to visit some friends over on Long Island and have a leisurely lunch. 




We're spotlighting this legendary concert because  Bev from Sunday Stealing loves Judy Garland. This week's Saturday 9 is a "thank you," one meme-mistress to another, in gratitude for Bev's willingness to pick up Bud's meme and keep it going.

Song #1: "When You're Smiling." What made you smile this week?
I have been a Bah Humbug mood this week

Song #2: "Almost Like Being in Love." We've all had many crushes, but love is rare. How many times have you fallen in love?
Probably three times, the latest probably ten years ago.

Song #3: "This Can't Be Love." This Rodgers and Hart song was introduced in the play, The Boys from Syracuse. Syracuse is the county seat of Onondaga County, NY. What county do you hail from?
Believe it or not, Connecticut doesn’t have any country governments, however they do have 169 towns. I live in Hartford county.

Song #4: "Do It Again." What's something you'd do again, if only you had the time or money? (A book you'd like to reread, a recipe or pattern you'd like to make again, a vacation destination you'd like to revisit, etc.)
Two items on my bucket list.
A week on a windjammer going up the Maine coast
And visiting all the western National Parks

Song #5: "You Go to My Head." Judy forgets the lyrics, but gamely keeps going. Tell us about a recent moment when you chose to keep going, no matter what.
Driving up to Springfield through rush hour traffic... I was ready to turn back it was so bad.

Song #6: "Alone Together." Is anyone there with you as you answer these questions, or are you alone?
Alone.

Song #7: "Who Cares?" This song was written by brothers George and Ira Gershwin. They had a lesser known brother, stockbroker Arthur. Are you more creative and artistic, like George and Ira? Or more analytical and methodical, like Arthur?
Well what do you think?
I was an electrical engineering…  analytical and methodical
My hobby is photography…  creative and artistic

Song #8: "Puttin' on the Ritz." Judy sings that The Ritz is the place in New York "where fashion sits." If we wanted to see everyone "all gussied up" in your town, where would we go?
In my town… ?
Um…
I have no idea. We are a bedroom town. Everyone goes to work in another and comes home here.
If I wanted to get "all gussied up" I would go to Hartford and eat at Max Downtown and then to the Bushnell to see a play.The last play I saw at the Bushnell was Beautiful Carole King Musical

Song #9: "How Long Has This Been Going On?" Judy sings about discovering how glorious romance can be. Have you made any new discoveries lately? It doesn't have to be as groundbreaking as Judy's. A new podcast or a faster route to work counts, too.
Nope, nothing that I can think of. Maybe by the time this published at 8 AM I would have thought of one.

If you're wondering why there are no Garland hits here ... these are her first numbers in the order that she performed them. She saved her better-known songs for the end of concert. Who am I to second guess Judy?

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

The Fallout Is Beginning

We all knew that this was going to happen, with the administration attacking Title VII and Title IX protections for us.

Penn changes course after claiming Civil Rights Act doesn't apply to transgender people
The Daily Pennsylvanian
By Manlu Liu
November 13, 2019

Last week, Penn argued in court documents that transgender individuals are not protected from workplace discrimination under a federal act. Now, Penn is retracting its argument, saying Penn does not tolerate discrimination.

The lawyers' latest arguments were filed on Wednesday in court proceedings for a lawsuit submitted on July 2. In the suit, the plaintiff, "Jane Doe," who was a former Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania employee, alleges that the hospital discriminated against her when it terminated her contract in late June — on the basis that she identifies as transgender.

On Nov. 7, Penn's lawyers asked the court to dismiss a claim in the lawsuit that Penn violated Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects employees from sex discrimination, arguing that "Title VII does not cover transgender employees."

On Nov. 13, Penn's lawyers retracted their earlier statement, instead arguing that Penn's protections do offer full protection of transgender patients and employees.
[…]
In the argument it retracted Wednesday, Penn wrote that while the Supreme Court is deciding on whether Title VII covered transgender employees, a previous court decision in the Third Circuit, which included Pennsylvania, said the court has yet to decide whether transgender employees fall under the federal act. Therefore, the lawyers concluded, Title VII does not protect transgender employees in Pennsylvania.

We are going to see more court cases that challenge Title VII & IX protections for us and don’t count on the courts being on our side.

---

The Senate just confirmed another unqualified federal judge, this time an Appeals Court judge to the Second District.

Senate Confirms Wildly Problematic Trump Court Pick Steven Menashi
The HuffPost
By Jennifer Bendery,
November 14, 2019

WASHINGTON ― The Senate voted Thursday to make Steven Menashi a lifetime federal judge, despite his inflammatory writings about women’s rights and diversity, his refusal to answer senators’ questions and his role in devising an illegal Education Department effort to deny debt relief to students cheated by for-profit colleges.

Every Democrat present voted against confirming Menashi, who is President Donald Trump’s choice for a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. Every Republican present but one, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), voted to confirm him.
[...]
Menashi, 40, is one of Trump’s most controversial court picks to date. Nearly every national civil and women’s rights group opposed him, including the NAACP, the National Organization for Women, the Human Rights Campaign, Muslim Advocates and Planned Parenthood. Democrats questioned his qualifications ― he has never tried a case, made oral arguments in court or conducted a deposition ― as well as his temperament.

Did you get that?

He “...has never tried a case, made oral arguments in court or conducted a deposition...” but he is going to be on the second highest court in the nation.

“Mr. Menashi is one of the most contemptible nominees to come before the Senate in all my time in this body,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). “His record on race, women’s equality, LGBTQ rights, and the rights of immigrants should be disqualifying.”

“I don’t say this lightly: He’s one of the worst judicial nominees to be put forth by President Trump―and I intend to cast a resounding no vote,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) tweeted.

This is the quality of judges that the Republicans appoint; their one qualification is that they support the Republican ideology… anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion, anti-Muslim, and anti-immigration. 

A Hostile Work Environment

First of all what does the EEOC has to say about harassment?

Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit under these laws; or opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals, in violation of these laws.

And what does the EEOC say about harassment by customers?

The employer will be liable for harassment by non-supervisory employees or non-employees over whom it has control (e.g., independent contractors or customers on the premises), if it knew, or should have known about the harassment and failed to take prompt and appropriate corrective action.

So you are working in a store and a customer comes in and starts to harass and threaten you and you complain about a customer who has harassed and threatened to kill you,

A trans Dunkin’ Donuts worker said customers threatened to kill her but her boss did nothing
She says customers called her slurs and attacked her, but the manager told her to go home if she couldn't handle it.
LGBTQ Nation
By Alex Bollinger
November 13, 2019

A transgender woman in Pennsylvania is suing her employer Dunkin’ Donuts in federal court, saying that she was beaten and humiliated by customers while the restaurant’s management told her to quit if she couldn’t handle the abuse.

The woman, who is identified as “Jane Doe” in the lawsuit because she is worried that the customers will find her if her real name is publicized, worked at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Tell me is that legal what her boss did? In light of what the EEOC says, no it is not a safe work environment.

Furthermore her boss...

In her complaint, she says that her supervisor misgendered her regularly, calling her “dude” and referring to her with “he” pronouns, even in front of customers.

She said that customers started refusing to use her register and that she was told she shouldn’t go to the bathroom at work because customers “weren’t comfortable” with her in the women’s room.

This past April or May, according to the suit, three customers came into the restaurant and attacked her, called her a “faggot,” and threatened to kill her. When she complained to her manager, the manager allegedly responded, “If you don’t feel safe, go home.” She left and several days later her name was completely removed from the restaurant’s work schedule.

According to the Lehigh Valley Live the Dunkin is a franchised owned by Triangle Doughnuts of Bethlehem Township.

The employee filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claim. The lawsuit says Almanzar testified Dunkin’ “customers are always right.” Despite the alleged discrimination, she refused to side against her customers, the suit says.

According to the EEOC the customer is not always right and they can land businesses in deep legal trouble.

Down In Africa

In South Africa they leaped ahead of us with the newest trans clinic.

South Africa Makes History with its First Ever Healthcare Facility for Transgender People
The University of the Witwatersrand's Reproductive Health Institute is creating a safe space for transgender people seeking healthcare.
Okay Africa
by Rufaro Samanga
November 12, 2019

South Africa has made history after it opened the doors to its first dedicated healthcare facility for transgender people. According to eNCA, the Reproductive Health Institute, which has been set up by the prestigious University of the Witwatersrand, wants to create a safe space for transgender South Africans by removing the stigma and prejudice they often face while trying to access healthcare in the country. It is a major stride against the backdrop of a continent that generally still treats members of the LGBT community as second-class citizens.

Speaking about the Reproductive Health Institute based in Johannesburg, a South African transgender woman named Tiny Williams tells eNCA that, "Within five minutes I am done with everything and there is no criticism about the way I am." In contrast, Williams describes her previous experiences at public hospitals saying, "When I go there asking for treatment, some they start gossiping about to, laughing at you and the way you are that this person is gay."

Unfortunately, here in the United States we are going backward with talk coming out of Washington about taking away our health insurance.

---

When I was going to therapy before I transitioned one of the questions that the therapist asked took me off guard… do you sit or stand when you pee?

How to treat transgender patients? As humans.
Daily Union
By Pam Wilson
November 8, 2019

The 8-year-old boy came to the doctor’s office with complaints of anxiety and problems going to the bathroom. The boy refused to use public restrooms and would visit them in the company of his mom.

Traditionally, these symptoms might point a medical professional to investigate a potential painful urinary tract infection, or perhaps undisclosed sexual abuse that had caused the boy to “hold it” rather than visit a restroom where he might be in danger.

But on further investigation, gender identity proved to be at the root of this boy’s problems, said Dr. Jennifer Winter, a physical with Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Fort HealthCare’s Family Care Clinic.

Questioned further, the boy revealed that he felt uncomfortable in men’s restrooms because he identified as a girl, and, in fact, he always pretty much had felt this way.

When I thought about the therapist’s question I realized that before I transitioned that I almost always sit rather than stand and furthermore I couldn’t remember the last time I stood to pee.

I don’t think that was a standard asked by therapists, I think that it might have been an observation that she noticed in her clients and it was a pet theory of hers.

The article goes on to say,

But modern research has shed light on an entire spectrum of the human experience and has found that it does not always fit neatly into the “binary” system of female versus male as defined in Western culture.

“We need to step away from the idea that gender equals biological sex,” the doctor said. “What you look like on the outside does not necessarily tally with how you feel on the inside.”
[…]
Winter cautioned that people should keep in mind that gender identity has nothing to do with sexual orientation. The two are separate.

Another thing to remember just because science might identify one way we are trans doesn't mean that is the only way we can be trans, I believe that there can be an ever evolving was that we become trans.

Your Papers Please

I think those words run shivers up the spine of trans people everywhere. Whether it is for going to an airport, or being stopped by a cop, or voting.

Many states have you jump through hoops in order to change your documentation, in some states you need to have surgery to change your gender markers and in a couple states you can never change your name and gender marker. So when it comes to jobs or voting you have to show your ID that does not match you.

Transgender woman was asked for ID to vote in Mecklenburg. Why activists are worried.
Charlotte Observer
By Alison Kuznitz
November 9, 2019

Transgender advocates are fearful that a new state law requiring North Carolina voters to provide photo ID at the polls in 2020 will lead to discrimination — and potentially, disenfranchisement — against people who are gender nonconforming.

Polls workers will require implicit bias training, activists say, to avoid discrimination. They’re worried because many gender nonconforming people are often unable to afford legal name changes, including on driver’s licenses.

During Tuesday’s election, a transgender woman was asked to show her ID at a polling station in Cornelius, though the law is not yet in effect, WSOC first reported Friday.

Toward the end of the article I feel it sums it up nicely,

“It’s not like dealing with a rude employee at a business place,” Baron said. “This is fundamentally questioning someone’s legitimacy as a human being. That can only happen so many times until you don’t have the strength to keep fighting back.”

That is exactly what the Republicans had in mind when they passed the law… to dehumanize us, to disenfranchise us, to force us back into the closet, and to make us second class citizens.

I was questioned once at the polling place, it was a minor challenge, but still it was a challenge when I was asked if I was the person on my driver license… it has a photo of me on it but still the guy checking IDs at the door questioned me.

Have you ever had a problem with voting?

Frozen

No, not the movie but rather frozen sperm.

I came across this website and it brings up some interesting questions… would you freeze your sperm before transitioning?

I typed “transgender” into Yahoo search and the first website that came up was freezing our sperm, it is an idea that many of us choose but I see two problem areas. CryoChoice had this to say...

What can I do to preserve my fertility?
The best thing you can do to increase your ability for future reproduction is to preserve your sperm before you begin hormone replacement therapy. This will ensure the best possible samples and allow you to continue your hormone replacement therapy uninterrupted. If you are considering banking your sperm, discuss it with your doctor and decide which options are best for you.

My first thought was I am too old for this and many trans people who transition late in life probably feel that they don’t want any children at their age.

The second thought was children want to transition before Tanner Sage II sets in so they don’t have to worry about secondary male characteristics. I can’t see them delaying transition until their sperm develop and ending up with a deep voice and a beard.

So if you had a chance would you freeze your sperm?

web survey

I Don’t Know What To Write Today

I don’t want to write about politics or about the violence against us… I’m just saturated with those topic so that doesn’t leave anything in the news to write about.

We have become numb to violence that we see everyday.

We have become numb to the anti-LGBTQ+ news coming out of Washington DC.

All we want is to live our lives.

Last year in Massachusetts Question 3 passed with 67% of the votes.

I go to a little deli in Truro where the guy who runs it greets me ever time I come in with small talk.

I go to a Stop & Shop in town and the clerk knows me and says hi to me when she sees me.

I went to a ACE Hardware in Eastham and went I walked trough the door a clerk that I never met before came up to me and said, “Can I help you ma’am?”

They are typical of people I met everyday, they are just ordinary people who just want live their lives and treat others like they want to be treated.

After over ten years from when I transitioned I can say that probably 99.999 of the people are like those people.

America’s Growing Support for Transgender Rights
Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI)
By Daniel Greenberg, Maxine Najle, PhD, Natalie Jackson, Ph.D., Oyindamola Bola, Robert P. Jones, Ph.D.
June 9, 2019

Increasing Support for Transgender Rights
More than six in ten (62%) Americans say they have become more supportive toward transgender rights compared to their views five years ago. By contrast, about one-quarter (25%) say their views are more opposed compared to five years ago.

About three-quarters (76%) of Democrats report they have become more supportive of transgender rights in the last five years, compared to 64% of independents and only 47% of Republicans. Notably, increased support crosses ideological divides within the parties. Conservative Republicans (40%) stand out as the only ideological group with less than half reporting increased support for transgender rights.

Though majorities of every age group report increased support for transgender rights over the last five years, young Americans ages 18 to 29 (68%) are more likely than seniors ages 65 and older (56%) to report this shift.

Notably, majorities of every major religious group report becoming more supportive of transgender rights over the last five years, including religiously unaffiliated Americans (69%), Catholics (68%), nonwhite Protestants (60%), and white mainline Protestants (57%). Even among white evangelical Protestants, slightly more than half (52%) report becoming more supportive of transgender rights over the last five years.

The news media focuses on the negative but there are a lot of good people out there and their numbers are growing. I have hope that they will see the hate coming out of Washington and they will say… Enough.

Saturday 9: Heart to Heart

Sam’s Saturday 9: Heart to Heart (1982)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…

I am heading back home today from the cottage. I was up at my cottage with my brother and we are painting the bedrooms. Thursday night I took my brother out to dinner to thank him for helping me. Those who know me know that I'm a lobster lover and for dinner I had Lobster Fra  Diavolo, it was delicious!



Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) With whom did you most recently have a "heart-to-heart" talk?
My brother

2) When this song was on the charts, audiences were tuning in to a TV show called Hart to Hart. Are you familiar with it?
Oh yes, I used watch it all the time.

3) In the music video, Kenny Loggins plays an illustrator. It’s said that the hardest thing to draw is a straight line, because all the joints in your hand have to work together in sync. Can you draw a straight line, without the aid of a ruler or a straight edge?
I used to.

4) This video also prominently features teddy bears. A 2018 article in the NY Post estimates that 4 in 10 adults has a plush toy of his/her own. Are you one of the 40%?
I have a stuffed husky called Jonathan.

5) Kenny Loggins performed in a tribute to Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall. Do you have a favorite Aretha Franklin song?
Sorry, no.

6) Kenny cowrote this song with Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers. You can also hear Michael on the background vocals. Do you have a favorite Doobie Brothers song?
How can you have “a” favorite Doobie Brothers song?
'Listen to the Music'
'China Grove'
'Black Water'
'Takin' It to the Streets'
'It Keeps You Runnin''

7) The third cowriter is David Foster. 1982 was a big year for Foster, since Chicago had a big hit with another of his compositions, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.” Do you have a favorite Chicago song?
Another group that you just can’t “a” favorite song.

8) In 1982, when this song was popular, Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide killed 7 people in Chicago. In response, tamper-proof packaging was introduced. What’s the last thing you opened that required you break a seal?
One of my meds.

9) Random question – You’re having a party. Which guest annoys you most: the one who arrives 20 minutes early, or the one who shows up 20 minutes late?
One who arrives 20 minutes early, I would probably be the one running late.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

By The Numbers…

The Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) has released the numbers for the fiscal year 2019 ( July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019).

Annual Case Processing Report

 2. Complaints Filed by Type of Charge
Complaints are classified by the predominant allegation and the allegedly violated statutes. In
situations where, for example, a complaint contains mixed allegations of a denial of employment and
denial of public accommodations, the complaint would be classified according to what the majority
of the allegations relate to. Complaints classified as “Other” include those not readily classified as one
of the other categories.
Employment: 2028
Housing: 214
Public Accommodations: 367
Other: 16
Total: 2625

CHRO Complaints Filed by Basis and Type
Gender Identity:
Employment: 21
Housing: 1
Public Accommodations: 10
Other: 0

---

Update: Nov. 15

The FBI has released the hate crime data for 2018…

Gender identity bias
During 2018, 168 hate crimes motivated by gender identity bias were reported. Of these:

• 25.0 percent occurred on highways/roads/alleys/streets/sidewalks.
• 19.6 percent took place at residences/homes.
• 7.1 percent happened at schools/colleges (based on 3 designations).
• 4.2 percent occurred in parking/drop lots/garages.
• 3.6 percent took place in air/bus/train terminals.
• 3.6 percent happened in department/discount stores.
• 3.6 percent occurred in restaurants.
• 3.0 percent took place in convenience stores.
• 3.0 percent happened in grocery/supermarkets.
• 2.4 percent occurred in commercial office buildings.
• 2.4 percent took place at service/gas stations.
• 1.8 percent happened at parks/playgrounds.
• 1.8 percent occurred at shelters—mission/homeless.
• 11.3 percent took place in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
• 7.7 percent happened at other/unknown locations.

When Ideology Supersedes The Constitution

The Supreme Court has always been held to a higher ethical standard than the other courts… until now.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICES BRETT KAVANAUGH AND SAMUEL ALITO URGED TO RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM LGBT CASES
Newsweek
By Aila Slisco
November 7, 2019

The director of a judicial activist group has written U.S. Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito a letter demanding they recuse themselves from upcoming Supreme Court cases concerning LGBT rights, after the pair posed for pictures with the president of anti-gay group National Organization for Marriage (NOM).

The liberal group Take Back the Court advocates adding additional justices to the Supreme Court. Their executive director Aaron Belkin wrote the letter on Tuesday, and it was shared to their website and social media on Wednesday. The letter concerns a recent photo showing Kavanaugh and Alito posing with members of NOM and the Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in multiple cases that could have serious implications for LGBT employment rights. NOM has filed an amicus brief in at least one of the cases, urging the court to rule against LGBT rights.

NOM advocates for what they claim is "traditional marriage," and hope to take marriage rights away from same sex couples. The group's president is Brian Brown, who boasted of a "great day at the US Supreme Court" when posting the contentious photo to his Twitter account on October 29.
[…]
"If you refuse to recuse yourselves, this incident will further illustrate the urgent need for structural reform of the Supreme Court in order to restore a Court that understands its role is to protect individual rights and our democracy," the letter ends.

And then Above the Law wrote…

Conservative Supreme Court Justices Are Showing Their Biases On Twitter Now
If only the Supreme Court had ANY ETHICS RULES AT ALL.
By Elie Mystal
October 31, 2019

[...]
But the Supreme Court operates under no ethics rules. John Roberts occasionally makes noises about issuing some, but he hasn’t. And I suspect the reason is that any reasonable rules would proscribe the behavior of his colleagues like Kavanaugh, Alito, and Clarence Thomas. Thomas, along with his wife Ginni, spend so much time promoting right-wing causes and groups that nearly any code of “ethics” would force Thomas to recuse himself from half of the Court’s docket.

And so NOM gets to have its little photo op and meeting with Alito and Kavanaugh who are mulling over the future of Title VII right now. You don’t have to wonder what NOM might have wanted to talk about. Again, they have a BRIEF BEFORE THE COURT right now:
[…]
This photo is direct evidence that Alito and Kavanaugh are not impartial. I could find you 100 photos of Clarence Thomas doing the same thing. It is a flagrant violation of judicial norms and ethics. It only happens because Republicans no longer care about norms or ethics. They have the votes to win and they are winning and the Chief Justice is happy to let them win.

The Republicans are only interested two things… advancement of their ideology and power!

Above The Law

Q: When doesn’t a law apply to you but to everyone else?
A: When you say the magic phrase… “It’s against my religion.”

The Trump administration wants to allow healthcare providers to ignore the non-discrimination laws just by saying that it violates my religious beliefs. Back in August Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed to change the interpretation of ACA Section 1557 to not include us, but that wasn’t the only attack on us they also wanted to exempt healthcare workers from non-discrimination laws and a lawsuit   was filed blocking HHS from doing that and the judge just ruled on that lawsuit.

A judge blocks the Trump administration’s ‘conscience rule’ for health care workers
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
By Larry Neumeister Associated Press
November 6, 2019

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a new Trump administration rule that could open the way for more health care workers to refuse to participate in abortions or other procedures on moral or religious grounds.

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said the U.S. Health and Human Services Department overstepped its authority and went beyond existing law in issuing the so-called “conscience rule.” He also said that the measure could be costly, burdensome and damaging to emergency care and that the whole rationale for the rule was based on a lie.

He said the department’s claim that there was a significant increase in complaints about workers being forced to violate their conscience was “flatly untrue.” The HHS rule, he said, is a classic “solution in search of a problem.”
[…]
Nineteen states, the District of Columbia, three local governments, health organizations and others had sued to block the rule from taking effect Nov. 22, arguing that it would be discriminatory and would interfere with people’s access to health care.
[…]
The new HHS rule broadens the list of health care personnel who can refuse to participate, expanding it to those who counsel, refer, train or make arrangements for a medical procedure.

It also restricts the ability of employers to inquire about employees’ objections and broadens the definition of health care entities to include pharmacists and medical laboratories.

In other words a person who hates Muslims or blacks could refuse to treat or care for them just by saying the magic phrase… “It’s against my religion.” and the employer can do nothing about.

What does religious organizations think about the ruling?

Federal judge blocks conscience protection rule for healthcare workers
Catholic News Agency

New York City, N.Y., Nov 6, 2019 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- A federal judge in New York overturned the Trump administration’s conscience protection rule for health care workers on Wednesday.

The “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care” rule was finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services in May and set to go into effect on Nov. 22. It required that federally-funded organizations be certified compliant with more than two dozen existing statutory conscience protections in health care. These protections would allow health care professionals to opt out of performing or assisting in procedures they are morally opposed to, such as abortions and gender-transition surgeries.
[…]
“This decision leaves health care professionals across America vulnerable to being forced to perform, facilitate, or refer for procedures that violate their conscience,” said Stephanie Taub, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute, a legal organization that works to protect religious freedom.

So they think it is okay to walk away from a dying patient just because they are trans, or Muslim, or black and the Trump administration thinks that is okay.

---

Bishops Applaud Trump Administration Move to End LGBTQ Protections in Healthcare, Social Services
New Ways Ministry
November 4, 2019

Top U.S. bishops have voiced their support for the Trump administration’s latest move to vacate federal anti-LGBTQ non-discrimination regulations again, this time involving adoption and foster care services and life-saving healthcare programs.

Late last week, Secretary Alex Azar of the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a shift in that agency’s policies that would end LGBTQ protections in its grant programs. Under President Barack Obama, sexual orientation and gender identity were included in HHS regulations, but these terms would now be stripped from agency non-discrimination policies. The Washington Post reported:

“The most immediate impact would likely be on the nation’s $7 billion federally funded child-welfare system, including foster care and adoption programs . . . But the proposed rule would also apply to other HHS grants, including those for HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention, other public health initiatives, health education, prekindergarten programs and more . . . HHS said on Friday it would begin immediate enforcement of the nondiscrimination change.”

In lockstep with the Trump administration, three chairmen at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a joint statement applauding the HHS change. The bishops, Venice’s Frank Dewane for the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Worcester’s Robert McMcManus for the Committee for Religious Liberty, and Lincoln’s James Conley for the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, stated, in part:

“We commend the Administration for acting to change a 2016 regulation that threatened to shut out faith-based social service providers, namely adoption and foster care agencies that respect a child’s right to a mother and a father. To restrict faith-based organizations’ work by infringing on religious freedom – as the 2016 rule threatened to do – is unfair and serves no one, especially the children in need of these services. We are alarmed and saddened that state and local government agencies in multiple jurisdictions have already succeeded in shutting down Catholic adoption and foster care agencies as a result of their Catholic beliefs. At a time when over 400,000 children are in foster care, we need to take steps to increase – not decrease – their opportunities to be placed with safe and loving families.”

You know they talk only about LGBTQ protections but nowhere in the proposed regulations do they say anything to limit it just to us and in the Bible you can just about find anything to be against… other religions, blacks, single women, interracial marriages… you can even find something to justify slavery.

Wow!

For the first time a trans person was reelected to a state legislature!

Danica Roem, first transgender lawmaker, reelected in Virginia
The New York Post
By Ben Feuerherd
November 5, 2019

Danica Roem, the first openly transgender person to be elected and serve in a state legislature, was reelected to her Virginia seat on Tuesday.

Roem, a Democrat, bested her Republican opponent Kelly McGinn by a 57-43 margin.

When she was elected in 2017, Roem beat a longtime GOP delegate who led efforts to restrict bathrooms to transgender people.

Her opponent that year, Robert Marshall, sponsored a “Physical Privacy Act,” which was modeled after controversial bathroom legislation passed in North Carolina in 2016.

She trounced her Republican opponent who ran ads attacking Roem because she’s trans… I guess that the voter want a legislator who tackles the issues and not one who throws dirty.

And speaking of Virginia the Democrats won a trifecta, they now control the governorship and the legislature. The New York Times reports…

Democrats won complete control of the Virginia government for the first time in a generation on Tuesday and claimed a narrow victory in the Kentucky governor’s race, as Republicans struggled in suburbs where President Trump is increasingly unpopular.

In capturing both chambers of the legislature in Virginia, Democrats have cleared the way for Gov. Ralph S. Northam, who was nearly driven from office earlier this year, to press for measures tightening access to guns and raising the minimum wage that have been stymied by legislative Republicans.

Then in Kentucky the Democrats had another victory…

In Kentucky, Gov. Matt Bevin, a deeply unpopular Republican, refused to concede the election to his Democratic challenger, Attorney General Andy Beshear. With 100 percent of the precincts counted, Mr. Beshear was ahead by 5,100 votes.

Mr. Beshear presented himself as the winner, telling supporters that he expected Mr. Bevin to “honor the election that was held tonight.”

CNN reports that in Mississippi the Republicans very narrowly held on.

The best news of the night for Republicans came in Mississippi, where they won the race to replace outgoing Gov. Phil Bryant.

The governor's race in such a solidly red state would ordinarily be no cause for suspense.
But Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves faced a serious challenge from Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood, a moderate candidate who had already won statewide four times.

The race was in part a referendum on expanding Medicaid: Reeves, an anti-spending conservative, said he would continue the state's rejection of an expansion under Obamacare, while Hood said he would expand Medicaid to cover an additional 100,000 people.

The final count was 52% to 46%

I think think that the Republicans are waking up a little shocked at the results from around the country today.

---

Update 3:00PM

Transgender Candidates Won Big in Elections Last Night
There are now 21 out trans elected officials nationwide.
Out
By Matt Baume
November 6, 2019

There’s more good news coming out of Tuesday’s special election. Six openly transgender candidates won their races, including four incumbents. That means that there are now 21 total out trans elected officials nationwide.

Among the most prominent is Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, the first out trans person to win and serve in a state legislature. Roem defeated homophobic Republican Kelly McGinn, who had established a record of opposing same-sex access to adoption, by double digit margins.

Elsewhere in Virginia last night, Donna Price won her race for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

In Massachusetts, Holly Ryan won the race for Newton City Council, and Lizbeth Deselm was elected to the Melrose School Committee. In New Hampshire, Gerri Cannon is now a member of both the Somersworth School Board and the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

And in Iowa, Aime Wichtendal won her re-election to city council, securing her status as the first openly trans elected official in the state.
[…]
There are 21 openly trans officials currently serving in elected office. 

Get Out And Vote!

Today here in Connecticut it is municipal elections… VOTE!

If you are not registered to vote, here in Connecticut we have Voter Day Registration you can register to vote at the polling place.

If you want to end this madness vote! The Connecticut Republicans are just as bad as the national Republicans, they tried to pass an amendment requiring all trans people to register with the DMV! They also tried to pass a bill in 2015 to strip health insurance from us.

Voting requirements for Connecticut…

Voter ID

Is a driver's license or photo ID required to vote in Connecticut?

No.  When you arrive at the polling place the poll worker will request that you present ID but if you do not have any then in most cases, you may sign an affidavit in lieu of presenting ID.  There are several options for identification and they do not need to be a driver's license or have a photo.

Is a driver's license or photo ID required to vote in Connecticut?

No.  When you arrive at the polling place the poll worker will request that you present ID but if you do not have any then in most cases, you may sign an affidavit in lieu of presenting ID.  There are several options for identification and they do not need to be a driver's license or have a photo.

My new driver’s license indicates that it is NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION. May I use it as identification at the polling place?

Yes. You may continue to use your current driver’s license at the polling place when you vote. When you check-in to vote, in lieu of the driver’s license, you may also show a credit card with your name and signature, an ID with your name and photograph, or any document with your name and address such as a checkbook or a utility bill.

Does my ID need to have the address printed on it?

No. If your ID includes a photo, it does not need to include your address.  Please see the chart below.

You must present:
A copy of a current and valid photo identification that shows your name and address;
Or
A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address;
Or
Your social security card,
Or
Any pre-printed form of identification that shows your:
name and address, or
name and signature, or
name and photograph

GET OUT AND VOTE!

We Are The Focus…

As the 2020 election season starts in earnest we are in the spotlight of the Republicans, they believe we are the wedge issue to get them votes.

A Conservative Push to Make Trans Kids and School Sports the Next Battleground in the Culture War
The Kentucky governor’s race has turned into a kind of testing ground to see how transgender issues could rally support for President Trump.The New York TimesBy Jeremy W. PetersNovember 3, 2019

ARLINGTON, Va. — From the 12th floor of a glass office tower in the Washington suburbs, a campaign to sway the governor’s race in Kentucky on Tuesday is being waged with an alarmist claim that has little to do with the race itself: If Democrats have their way, soon boys will be able to compete against girls in school sports.

This scenario, presented in a pair of ads that are appearing on computer screens and smartphones across Kentucky, is the work of a little-known group funded by anonymous donors called the American Principles Project, which in recent years has focused on fighting more familiar clashes in the culture wars over same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

The group is limiting its work to Kentucky for now, but strategists say it has bigger ambitions. It is effectively running a pilot program for the 2020 election that will help it determine how it could use the debate over transgender rights to rally conservative voters in support of President Trump.

We seen this before but with bathrooms, remember that horrible YouTube video of a grubby man following a little girl into the bathroom? Well look forward to them doing the same with sports.

And I feel that Connecticut will be the focus of their hateful ads, I foresee the Republicans introducing bills attacking us on sports to gain votes.

The results could inform what type of campaigns social conservatives run in the future — and answer whether the delicate and deeply personal questions around gender identity are the next major wedge issue in American politics or, as recent experience suggests, something that most voters and politicians would rather not see politicized.

Look at what the Republicans are doing in Texas to trans children…

More than 2,000 people sign letter opposing Ted Cruz on Dallas transgender custody case
The Human Rights Campaign’s letter calls the Texas Republican’s comments on the child’s gender transition ‘harmful and medically unfounded.’The Dallas Morning NewsBy María MéndezNovember 1, 2019

AUSTIN — More than 2,000 parents and advocates say they oppose Sen. Ted Cruz’s comments calling a Dallas mother’s support for her child’s gender transition "abuse,” according to a letter from the Human Rights Campaign to the Texas Republican.

The letter states that Cruz’s remarks in response to the custody case of a Dallas 7-year-old who is a transgender girl, her mother says, are “harmful and medically unfounded.” It was posted earlier this week and signed by 2,014 people across the U.S., including at least 276 Texans as of Thursday evening. The letter was to be available to sign until Friday afternoon, said Nick Morrow, deputy communications director for the HRC.

“Your comments accusing parents of transgender and non-binary children of ‘child abuse’ betrays your office, your responsibilities and all sense of decency,” the letter states.

Cruz shared a story on Twitter alleging that the 7-year-old’s custody case could hinge on the child getting puberty blockers, calling it “horrifying and tragic.”

Down in Georgia a Republican legislator has introduced a bill that make it a crime for a child to transition! And I wouldn’t be surprised to see more states jump on the anti-trans children bandwagon and increase the penalties in an “one-upmanship.”

We need to work to counter the attacks that we know will be coming now, not when they introduce the bills or run the ads. We need to know what defense works best. We countered them in Massachusetts we can do it again.

---

Three ways to counter them is to get out the vote!

Call your legislators!

And the third way is to tell our stories in the main stream news!

I have a transgender child in Texas. I know gender affirming parenting can save a child's life.Politicians in my state are cruelly using a custody case to promote discrimination against transgender people and perhaps criminalize their loving parents.NBC NewsBy Jo Ivester, author and LGBTQ advocateNovember 1, 2019

My son, Jeremy, is transgender. He is also an uncle, a barista, a babysitter, a friend and a neighbor.

What my son Jeremy is not is “Satan's spawn” or "evidence of Satan's plan," as Texas Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer, the assistant attorney general in my home state of Texas, has described transgender children.[…]It seems that whenever the Texas legislature meets — which it does every other spring — some of our politicians actively try to make life harder for transgender people. In 2017, some Texas politicians tried (and failed) to deny my son and other people like him the use of the correct bathrooms for their genders. In 2019, they tried (and failed) to pass legislation that would have allowed every professional in the state to hide behind a phony religious freedom to discriminate against my son.

Now it looks like, in 2021, they are planning to attack parents who are taking medically advised steps to affirm their children’s gender.

Telling our stories are is huge, but it also exposes them to personal attacks by the haters so it is not for everyone.

Please take a stand. Let your elected officials know that you support laws that make it illegal to discriminate against transgender people or their loving parents. Let your school administrators know that you expect them to respect and protect transgender students. And if somebody says that being transgender isn’t a real thing, tell them, “I know of a mom with a transgender son. And he is very real. He is brave. He is a person.”

But what you can do without “outing” yourself is to write “letters-to-the-editor” you can always say a “friend” or “neighbor” is trans. One of the rules we need is that no negative letter goes unchallenged. Here is a link that can help you write a “letter-to-the-editor.”

Tomorrow is election day… VOTE!

If You Can’t Win On Issues… Throw Dirt

That is what is happening down in Virginia, the Republicans can’t win on issues so they are attacking  Danica Roem on being trans.

Virginia lawmaker Danica Roem is facing transphobic attacks from lobby groups as she fights for re-election.
Pink NewsBy Nick DuffyNovember 2, 2019

Roem made history as the first out transgender state lawmaker in 2017, when she won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Although she primarily campaigned on local issues, Roem’s opponents have sought to weaponise her gender identity as she seeks re-election.

The anti-LGBT Family Foundation Action has been targeting Roem online with Facebook ads that conflate Democratic healthcare policies with her own gender identity.

They are attacking her because she voted for healthcare coverage for us,

Above a photo of the lawmaker, the ad states: “Delegate Danica Roem (D – Dist. 13) sponsored a bill to force all insurance companies to pay for harmful and unnecessary ‘gender transition’ surgeries. Reject Roem’s EXTREME social agenda on Nov. 5th!”

Of course the organization uses derogatory language against us.

Danica Roem is taking the high roadRoem, who won election after campaigning heavily on local transport issues, bemoaned opponents’ tactics of targeting her gender identity.

She wrote: “I voted to expand Medicaid, raise teacher pay and pass the largest transportation funding bill in six years.

“So what do the groups who want to unseat me resort to? Transphobia – today included. #FlipTheScript on their bigotry. Donate today and let’s win big this Tuesday, Nov. 5.”

The opposition can’t win on local issues so they bring in the big guns…

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is heading out on the campaign trail ahead of elections in the state on Tuesday.

Geoff Wetrosky of Human Rights Campaign said: “Vice President Mike Pence and the legislative candidates he’s in Virginia to support have demeaned LGBTQ people in an effort to dehumanize us and pander to an ever-shrinking bloc of anti-equality voters.

All politics are local.

The Republicans are running scared and have resorted to throwing dirt, is this what the national elections in 2020 will be like. Will the Republicans feel corner and come out scratching?

MCC Hartford's Unsung Heroes Award

Last night I was given the Metropolitan Community Church Unsung Heroes award and I was deeply honored to receive the award. Here is my speech.

MCC Unsung Heroes Award

I want to thank you for the award, I am deeply honored and thankful for it.

The quote from the Tales of Two Cities comes to mind, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

For us it is the best of times, and it is the worst of times” we live in a blue bubble, we live in a state that protects our right. We have protections from being fired for just being ourselves, we can order a wedding cake without worrying. We can relax in our apartments without worrying about if the landlord will evict us if the landlord finds out that we are trans.

While down in D.C. they are trying to undo all of that, they are trying to legalize discrimination against us, they are saying that the Title VII and IX laws do not apply to us and they are cutting out the protections that we have won in the legislature and in the courts.

Health and Human Services just this week erased the Civil Rights Protections for LGBTQ Health Programs.

The current administration doesn’t care about what is right and what is wrong, they don’t care about what the people think, they don’t care about protests or petitions they just continue attacking us.

We think we are safe here in Connecticut but all it takes is for a new governor to write an executive order or the legislature change parties and we will just be like Washington.

And the only way we can stop it is to vote.

I read the other day that only 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ people are registered to vote.

If we are going to change Washington we need all of us to register and vote next Tuesday in the municipal elections and next November in the national election.

We need to stop them from taking away our healthcare and it is not just the trans people that they are attacking but all of us with their so called “religious freedom”

We need to stop them from taking away our right to work, our right to housing and our right to go out in public without being harassed.

Become an activist and register and vote and stop this madness!

Saturday 9: The Addams Family

Sam’s Saturday 9: The Addams Family (1964)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…
Sorry about last week not commenting but I had company at the cottage, but today I am staying home during the day.



Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) One of TV's spookiest families was inspired by a series of New Yorker cartoons. What's the last magazine you flipped through?
Wow… I don’t remember, it probably was at a doctor’s office.

2) The Addams' butler, Lurch, was originally conceived as a mute. But then actor Ted Cassidy ad libbed the line, "You rang?" and Lurch had a voice, and a catchphrase. Can you think of another catchphrase connected to a TV character?
I like the original “You rang?” Maynard G. Krebs

3) Now here's the most important question of the week: Do you prefer The Addams Family or The Munsters?
The Addams Family, the Munsters was just a second rate spinoff.

4) What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
I don’t watch scary movies.

5) Thursday was Halloween. What goodies did you give the trick or treaters?
Nothing! I hibernate during Halloween… actually the neighborhood has grown out of Halloween.

6) Are you attending/have you attended any Halloween parties this year?
Nope.

7) Did you carve a jack o'lantern this year?
Nope.

8) Do you eat candy corn all year around ... only at Halloween ... or never?
Nope. Boy this week Saturday 9 is a snap.

9) In 1964, when The Addams Family premiered, one of the most popular store-bought Halloween costumes was Bambi. It came with a plastic mask held on by a thin elastic band. Tell us about a memorable Halloween costume from your childhood.
I was a pirate… “Ahoy, Mateys! Arg..."

---

Tonight I am going to a church dinner to get an award, “Unsung Heros Award”

We Are Not Immune

There is no reason why trans people can’t be transphobic… we can be both internalized and external transphobic. Some of the comments that I receive on my blog shows that, though I see it more as “Lateral Hostility.” 

Trans People Can Be Transphobic Too
The Case of Blaire WhiteMediumBy Rachel Anne WilliamsOctober 29, 2019

This might sound petty, but I recently retweeted infamous trans Youtuber Blaire White and called her a fascist transphobe. She replied to me and her 200k+ followers descended upon me quickly.The most popular type of comment was: “How can she be transphobic if she’s trans?”

Indeed. How can a trans person be transphobic? Is that even possible?

Yes. Yes it is.

You see, Blaire does not believe that nonbinary people are valid.[…]She basically says nonbinary people aren’t “scientifically valid” and they’re not real in the way binary trans people with gender dysphoria are real. She calls them “genders-of-the-week” and says there’s “nothing to measure them with” (um, how do she think binary genders are “measured”?).

Oh yes… the old “I’m more trans than you!”

We have all seen it… “You’re just a man in a dress”... “You’re not a real woman unless you had ‘the surgery’”... “A man, by any other name, (or dress or ‘presentation’), is stilts man”

It is a pecking order or a hierarchy.

We see it in any marginalized community, those who want to disassociate from an oppressed peoples… I am not like them! They’re “fresh off the boat!”

And the trans community I not exempt.

And beyond her invalidation of nonbinary people, Blaire has also said some pretty gross things about binary trans women, usually resorting to making fun of their appearance of even misgendering them if they don’t live up to her impossible standards of patriarchal femininity. And here she is being a shit person and making fun of a gender nonconforming nonbinary person.

They are the followers of Harry Benjamin.