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Party Of No Looking To Stick It To Transgenders

May 17th, 2010 by Babe

Barney Frank

Who the hell is your candidate of choice? Once again the Republicans (that’s the Party of No folks!)  are looking to block the upcoming the bill to provide employment protection for gay and transgender workers in the United States.

As reported by the Washington Post, many Republicans say they would back the legislation only if the transgender rights portion is dropped. Their main concern with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is the possibility of transgender people in sensitive positions such as teaching in school.

To make matters worse, the Traditional Values coalition raised the alarm in a recent statement that said: “Your children will be trapped in classes taught by drag queens and transgender activists.”

“If you include transgender rights, I think that just pushes the envelope too far,’’ said Representative John Campbell of California, a Republican who voted for Frank’s bill in 2007. “It is seen by the populace as a very extreme procedure.’’Campbell is not the only previous supporter to object. Republican Representatives Jeff Flake of Arizona, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania also say they don’t support the current version because it includes transgender rights.

While gay rights such as protection from hate crimes or workplace bias are becoming increasingly accepted by the public, transgender rights lag. Opponents deride laws that include transgender rights as “bathroom bills,” over concerns about males who identify as a female demanding the right to use the women’s bathroom.

Democratic representative, Barney Frank says he’s committed to keeping transgender rights. The Massachusetts Democrat, who has been openly gay since 1987, has pushed for employment protections since he was a state representative in the 1970s, when some people didn’t want to think about gay people, Frank said. “To some extent, the transgender community is in that same situation, where the very mention of it makes people uncomfortable,” he said.

Three years ago Frank included transgender rights in the Employment Nondiscrimination Act. But he wound up removing that provision in order to get the legislation passed in the House, a move that divided the gay rights community. That bill died in the Senate.

Twenty-one states offer employment protections for gay workers, but eight of those — including Massachusetts — do not extend such coverage to transgender people.

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Posted in Pissed Off!

Where Has My Chastity Gone

May 12th, 2010 by Babe

Chaz_Bono
Congratulations are in order for Chaz Bono transgender son of entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher. Chaz, formerly Chastity Bono is a musician, actor and writer and started the quest of becoming a male back in 2008 and has finally get rid of her old identity finally and officially became a man at the age of 41.

Chaz now has a court name change and a court order recognizing him as male

Chaz Bono’s doctors and physicians have confirmed that the surgical procedure was a success and 100% complete. Court documents shows that the surgery performed on Chaz in the September, 2009 was an irreversible surgery and after that the female characteristics in his body has been changed to male characteristics.

“I’ve lived my whole life in a body having everybody relate to me as something I don’t feel,” Chaz told People Magazine in December. “I finally get to live my life the way I’ve always wanted to.”

Chaz’s publicist said that Chaz hopes that his decision of transformation will open the hearts and minds of people

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Posted in Changing, Entertainment, In The News

Thailand Has New Transvestite Queen

May 9th, 2010 by Babe

Miss Tiffany 2010
Thailand’s Nalada Thamthanakom has much to smile about after winning the annual Miss Tiffany’s Universe 2010 transvestite contest in the beach resort town of Pattaya, nearly 150 km (90 miles) southeast of Bangkok late May 7, 2010. The contest aims to promote a positive image of transvestites.

From Our Blog Post Thai Katoeys Are Good Luck In Thailand Society

Thailand has become famous for it’s beauty contests. These famous ladyboys are perfectly made up, coiffed and draped in glamorous gowns, convincingly masking their hidden truth that they were all born boys.

In the Western world, we tend to be astounded that Thai society is so open with regards to their Katoeys. Thailand is actually a Buddhist country, and the essence of Buddhism is about tolerance and forgiveness.

The Thais take reincarnation and karma very seriously. They believe that if a man had commited too many sins and adulteries in his past life, he will be born into a ladyboy or katoey as a form of punishment for all the bad and evil things he had done. (It’s not unusual for katoeys to wish that they will be reborn into a real man in their next life!)

Thais’ believe that these ladyboys deserve a place in their society and that by acknowledging them. it will help lighten their punishment a bit. Some Thais even believe that a Thai ladyboy can bring them good luck.

Congratulation Nalada!

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Posted in In The News, T's Around The World, Transvestites

Marriage For Male To Female Transgender

May 9th, 2010 by Babe

The headline sucks…. “Texas may be forced to allow a gay marriage” and is totally misleading

The Texas Tribune reported  that El Paso County Attorney Anne Bernal has asked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to rule on whether she should issue a marriage license to two women, one of whom was born a man. What we have here is a male-to-female transgender person seeking to marry another woman.

Prior to a sex change operation, Sabrina Hill was known as Virgil. She is now seeking to marry another woman. Under Texas law, Hill is a male, according to Bernal’s request. Hill’s original New York birth certificate lists her as a male. However, a certified birth certificate from a Washington state judge declares that Hill is a female. So does Hill’s Arizona driver’s license.

Apparently in an infamous 1999 case of Littleton v. Prange, a Texas appeals court refused to recognize a marriage between a man and a male-to-female transsexual, saying that you have to go by the birth certificate of the trans person. However, since then the Family Code was changed in 2009 to allow a sex-change court order to nullify a birth certificate for the purpose of marriage licenses.

The quandry? If you refuse to accept the existence of transgender people, then you have to go by the birth certificate, right? So, if someone has a birth certificate saying they’re male, as in the current El Paso case, then they must be allowed to marry a woman.

On the other hand, if you refuse to allow this marriage because you accept that the trans person is now a woman, then you have to allow the marriage in Littleton.

It looks like  a lose-lose for the right-wing cronies, because either way the state will be forced to allow what one group considers to be a same-sex marriage. And in some small way, it underscores the sheer ignorance of transphobia — and of refusing to allow consenting adults to marry the person they love.

For those interested in learning more about this legal quandary, Bernal’s letter to Abbott provides a fascinating review of Texas case law on transgender marriages.

Update: The El Paso Times’ Daniel Borunda reports that Hill and longtime girlfriend, Therese “Tee” Bur, were legally married in San Antonio on Monday. That should bring even more attention to how Abbott handles the request for legal guidance.

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Posted in Changing, GBLT, In The News, Making A Difference

Massachusetts Transgender Bathroom Bill Needs Your Support

May 7th, 2010 by Babe

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The election of the  Massachusetts Governor could have implications for the transgender community in that state. The political football appears to be bouncing around in gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker’s field. Baker who remains in the forefront of the governor’s race has once again renewed his pledge to veto the bill that would add transgender people to the state’s anti-discrimination laws (the “bathroom bill” in reference to potentially loosened restroom restrictions on restrooms in schools, and public and private venues)

The bill, which adds “gender identity or expression,” to a list of protected categories in the state’s existing anti-discrimination laws, was first introduced in 2007, but died in committee the following year. It was reintroduced in 2009, but the legislation has remained dormant in the Judiciary Committee, despite having the support of 104 co-sponsors in the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Deval Patrick.

The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to make a recommendation on the transgender rights legislation on May 7. However, the issue could be placed before legislators this week, if the budget amendment filed by Reps. Lewis and Driscoll goes before the House for a vote.

Read The Whole Story……

Better yet contact Charlie Baker and give him a piece of your mind…..   http://www.charliebaker2010.com/

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Posted in In The News, Making A Difference, Pissed Off!

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