TS/TV/CD Love Blog – Because Of Your Uniqueness

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

Technorati Tags: Chaz Bono, transgender, Sonny Bono, Cher, Chastity Bono, People Magazine

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!

Technorati Tags: Thailand, Nalada Thamthanakom, Miss Tiffany’s Universe, transvestite, Katoeys, ladyboys

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.

Technorati Tags: male-to-female, transgender, Texas, sex-change, marriage

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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/

Technorati Tags: Massachusetts, Governor, transgender, Charlie Baker, bathroom bill, gender identity, anti-discrimination

It’s a well known fact that transgenders face blatant discrimination in employment around the country with 26% of respondents in a national 2009 survey reporting that they had been fired simply for being transgender, while 97% had faced some form of harassment on the job.

Workplace instability in turn leads to highly increased rates of poverty and homelessness among this population. State laws only offer protections in 12 states plus the District of Columbia.

The National Center for Transgender Equality is calling on transgender individuals who are unemployed or underemployed to take their job search directly to their Congressional district offices in a move designed to demonstrate their plight to members of Congress.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (HR 3017) is currently being considered by the House Committee on Education and Labor.

“It’s time to take matters into our hands and show Congress the urgent need for job protections for transgender people. Every single day that goes by, discrimination claims more jobs and puts more families at risk,” stated Mara Keisling, Executive Director.

“They need to understand that this isn’t some theoretical bill they are debating—this is about human lives. We’ve talked to people who have applied for literally hundreds and hundreds of jobs without getting work. Maybe members of Congress can address this issue by giving a job to a transgender person; we know they can address it by passing ENDA.”

Workplace discrimination against transgender people runs the gamut of employers, from the Library of Congress’ choice to rescind a job offer to the highly qualified Col. Diane Schroer when she informed them that she was transgender to the managers of a fast food restaurant in Florida who, using derogatory language, told a transgender teen not to even bother following up on her job application.

Technorati Tags: transgenders, discrimination, National Center for Transgender Equality, transgender