12/30/21

Amy Schneider wins $706,000 Becoming all time Female Jeopardy! Winner

Amy Schneider / People Magazine

Transgender woman Amy Schneider made history on the popular daytime game show “Jeopardy!” that aired on Wednesday, winning for the 21st time and breaking the record for most wins by a woman.

In Tuesday's episode, Today reports she tied the 2014 record set by Julia Collins.

Dawn Ennis interviews Amy Schneider for the Daily Beast and asks her about being a trans person in such a high profile situation.

“I really want to praise everybody on Jeopardy!” Schneider said. “Until I brought it up, they never mentioned or referred to me being trans. And had I not brought it up, it was clear that they wouldn’t. And it would never have been commented on if I didn’t want it to be. I really appreciated that about them. I never had one even mildly uncomfortable moment around that with anyone on the Jeopardy! staff, and that was really, really great.”

So why out herself at all?

“One of the motivations was, I don’t want people wondering, and I don’t want people getting weird about it,” explained Schneider. “I also didn’t want to give the impression that it was a secret, and that it was something I wanted to conceal or that I was ashamed of, in any way, or anything like that. So, I didn’t want to be, you know, ‘the trans person,’ but I also didn’t want pretend like that wasn’t true or it didn’t matter.”

The former title holder Larissa Kelly congradulated Amy on her win, "Well, it was fun to hold a Jeopardy record for a few years...but it's been even more fun to watch @Jeopardamy set new standards for excellence, on the show and off. Congratulations to Amy on becoming the woman with the highest overall earnings in the show's history!"

12/28/21

Indy Trans woman shot Christmas weekend dies next day

Ke’Yahonna Stone
Ke’Yahonna Stone

Black Trans woman, Ke’Yahonna Stone, 32,  was shot while attempting to break up a fight in front of a nightclub in Indianapolis, IN,. on 12/26/2021 at about 3 AM. Police responding to a call said that Stone was taken to a local hospital at 5:30am and put on life support.

Friends and family say she was out at the northeast-side nightclub Epic Ultra Lounge in the Castle Run Shopping Center for a night of fun when she tried to intervene in some kind of fight. That’s when someone started shooting, and she got hit according to Wish TV.

Ke’Yahonna Stone died on December 28 according to posts on social media made by family and friends.


Anyone with information about the shooting should contact Michael Wright by calling detective Michael Wright by calling the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or sending an email to Michael.Wright@Indy.Gov

Rest In Peace Ke’Yahonna Stone

12/26/21

Special Coverage: India's First National Transgender Awards 2021

On December 15, New Delhi hosted the First National Award for Transgender people, families and alles. The awards aim to build a more inclusive society where Transgender people find equal opportunities and are not discriminated against.

The awards honoured those who have been fighting for the rights of the Transgender community. NDTV spoke to some of the changemakers from the community and others who have been working for the betterment of the community in different capacities. Here's a special coverage.

 


12/24/21

Man arrested in connection with the 2019 murder of Bee Love Slater

Bee Love Slater (L) Marcus Lynell Thompson (R)

The Hendry County Sheriff's Office arrested Marcus Lynell Thompson in connection with the death of Transgender woman Bee Love Slater.

Investigators found the 23-year-old's body in a burned out vehicle on Sept. 4, 2019.

The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office said Marcus Lynell Thompson, 35, is charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and arson in the killing of 23-year-old Bee Love Slater.

Detectives did not reveal more details or the motive of the killing at a press conference but said they were confident they were going to solve the murder and there would be more arrests. It is not yet clear if Thompson knew Slater.

Sheriff Steve Whidden made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.

12/23/21

Transgender woman stabbed to death in São Luís, Brazil.

Transgender woman Lara Vinny, was stabbed to death last Saturday (18), in São Luís, Brazil. According to the police, she was killed near the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), in the Itaqui-Bacanga area.

Lara was found half-naked and with the murder weapon, a knife, still in her neck

On Twitter, [trans woman] @pepê_poetamarginal wrote about her friend's murder: “They killed my sister Lara viny in front of Ufma. Even when we are in prostitution, as it is the only way to survive for some, they kill us. I always took her down to the dancefloor. Several times we woke up on the ring road, taking care of each other. I love you black. Crying a lot”.

The [trans woman] also complained about the fact that Lara Vinny is being buried in men's attire.

“Damn, the cruel death that viny had is no longer enough, the family is covering her body with men's clothes, we are not respected at any time, not even in life and much less after death”, wrote @pepê_poetamarginal.

According to police information, Lara Vinny was seen arguing with a man who allegedly fled the scene on a motorcycle after the murder. Police officers launched an investigation to try to identify and arrest the suspect.

According to the TransLivesMatter website Lara Vinny is the 19th Brazilian transgender person murdered since the last TDoR on November 20, 2021.

12/15/21

Jury awards $4 million to transgender student in discrimination lawsuit

Gavel - Pexels | Transgender Flag - Monica Helms

  A Kansas City Jury has awarded a Blue Springs transgender student four million dollars for denying him access to the boy's locker room and bathroom. 

The jury found on Monday that the Blue Springs school district was liable for sex discrimination after denying a male transgender student use of the boys' restrooms and locker rooms KSHB reports

The student had legally changed his name in 2010 and had successfully petitioned the Jackson County Circuit Court in 2014 to amend his birth certificate to reflect his gender and new name. 

 The student was denied use of the boys' restrooms and locker rooms at both Delta Woods Middle School and the Freshman Center. "Defendants again denied [the plaintiff] access to the boys' restrooms and locker rooms even though he is recognized as a boy under the laws of the state of Missouri," the court document said. "Defendants continue to deny [the plaintiff] access to the boys' restrooms and locker rooms as of the filing of this Petition." 

The student participated in boys' P.E. and athletics in middle school, including the eighth-grade boys' football team and track team, and he had to use a "separate, single person, unisex bathroom outside the boys' locker room because Defendants refused to give him access to the boys' locker rooms," according to court documents. 

The lawsuit was filed in 2015 after the defendant filed a charge of discrimination with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights in late 2014. 

 The lawsuit filed for the student states that the district's reason for denying him access was because he was transgender and "is alleged to have female genitalia." "Upon information and belief, Defendants do not speculate, inspect, or otherwise inquire as to the genitalia of other male students," the lawsuit said. 

"Defendants have discriminated and continue to discriminate against Plaintiff R.M.A. based on his sex." 

 A spokesman for the Blue Springs School District said that they will seek "appropriate relief from the trial court and court of appeals if necessary," KSHB 41 News reports.

12/12/21

First ever Indian Cis-trans rom-com Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui panned as a success

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui / youtube screen grab

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is a groundbreaking Hindi romantic comedy about a high-profile cisgender man and a beautiful transgender woman.

Except the official trailer makes no mention that the co-star is trans, just 'different', admittedly to interest and not to dissuade moviegoers from buying a ticket.

The star playing her opposite, Ayushmann Khurrana, calls her a transgender person (not woman, in the follow-up interview), and the actress who plays his romantic love interest, Vaani Kapoor, is a cisgender woman.

In an interview published by The Indian Express on the day the movie was released director Abhishek Kapoor came to the defense of Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui.

The trailer of the film merely hinted at the larger subject of the film and Abhishek said that it was a conscious call so the audience feels curious. “What happens is the trailer is of 2 minutes. It has a certain tone. The subject and representation could be misunderstood and that could be very damaging to the film, and to the issue itself. Hence we just kind of hinted about it but did not go all out.
Well obviously any interest Abhishek Kapoor gained from the trailer is now negative and probably considered misleading by moviegoers, not to mention transgender people. 

 SATVIK a Trans man reviews the movie on The Quint.

"To give a glimpse, the movie is about Punjabi hunk Manu Munjal (Ayushmann), whose dream is to win an annual gym competition. Enter Zumba instructor Maanvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor) who joins his gym."

"There is instant attraction, and the couple are drawn to each other. Several steamy scenes later – Maanvi comes out as a trans woman. A slew of dysphoric, triggering, transphobic words and gestures follows."

"I must admit that it hurt me a lot when people in the movie theatre started sniggering and laughing when the transphobic slurs were hurled relentlessly. It even made me scared to use the washroom during the interval."

"Several transphobic comments and words are used like- 'Andar se Bahar se' or 'Thi ya tha' or ‘'Ladke ke sath sex, tu toh ladka bhi nahi hai' – are simply crass and reflects nothing educational about it. The constant stare of eyes from head to toe – sent the audience into hysterical laughs".

"But as someone who was feeling dysphoric, I felt there was nothing funny about it. I can say that this movie was not about empowering the community, it was used horribly as a twist in the rom-com. If you are saying that the movie is about empowering the community, it should be well-researched, and inclusive – and mostly importantly, you are accountable to the community," wrote SATVIK.

It would be safe to say the people who panned this movie as a revolutionary success are the investors and cisgender moviegoers who want to laugh at the transgender plot twist without taking accountability for their actions.

12/10/21

Parents of Transgender Students and ACLU sue the Hanover County School Board

Hanover County School Board

The ACLU of Virginia has filed a lawsuit against the Hanover County School Board over its vote last month to not adopt a transgender bathroom policy.

The Hanover School Board willfully broke the law by voting to deny transgender students protections as required by state law.

The lawsuit, CBS 6 wtvr reports was filed on behalf of five parents with transgender students in Hanover Schools, alleged the Hanover School Board broke two laws at its November 9 meeting. It was at that meeting when the board voted 4-to-3 to not adopt a policy to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.

In March 2020, the General Assembly passed a law mandating that all public schools in Virginia adopt policies ensuring appropriate access to bathrooms and facilities in line with a student’s gender identity, among other protections for transgender students. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) created model policies, including use of facilities, correct pronoun and name usage, privacy and security, dress codes, and more. 

All school boards were required to adopt consistent policies by the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. In a public consultation during the November 9, 2021 school board meeting, the board’s own attorney advised them of the state mandate and standing case law from Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, yet the school board willfully voted to violate the law.

“The Hanover County School Board is denying transgender students a safe learning environment, even after understanding the risks it poses to the health and well-being of students, not to mention the legal liability that comes with breaking the law,” said Eden Heilman, legal director of the ACLU of Virginia. “There’s no ambiguity in the school board’s vote. The board members knew the board’s actions were discriminatory and outside the law, but they did it anyway. These students are compelled to attend school in a school system that refuses to protect them, and each weekday morning, our plaintiffs say goodbye to their kids while fearing for their safety. No parent should be forced into that position.”

Related:

Virginia Beach School Board adopts transgender policy

VB School Board approves amendments to district’s nondiscrimination policy

Newport News School Board narrowly votes to adopt more inclusive transgender policy

Loudoun Schools Adopt Transgender Student Policy Over Protests

12/9/21

Transgender woman Christynne Wood wins lawsuit against Crunch Fitness

Christynne Wood a transgender woman from El Cajon, California has won a settlement after Crunch Fitness denied her the use of the ladies' changing room.

Christynne valued her gym as she had undergone Angioplasty and was told by her doctor in order to never have that happen again she needed to adopt a healthy lifestyle.


Christynne, a member of Crunch Fitness began to take exercise seriously and lost 100 lbs. 

But nine years into her membership, when she informed the gym’s management that she was in the process of transitioning to female, Wood’s relationship with Crunch radically changed. Management refused to allow her use of the women’s locker room and restroom, even though that was clearly her right under California law. 

 “I feel elated and validated to finally reach resolution in this case,” Wood said. “I hope the settlement helps the owners of Crunch and other gyms appreciate the importance of respecting transgender people’s identities. It’s not only our legal right, but also could save a life.” 

 The discrimination Christynne experienced is not unusual; a study conducted by the Williams Institute at UCLA found that nearly 70 percent of transgender people have experienced discrimination when trying to use public restrooms. And it’s against the law in California. 

The Unruh Civil Rights Act bans discrimination based on “a person’s gender identity and gender expression,” and goes on to define gender expression as “a person’s gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth.”

12/4/21

Organist for Anaheim Ducks warm-up song thrills transgender Jeopardy! Champion

Lindsay Imber / Twitter

Amy Schneider thrilled us when she became the new Jeopardy! Champion on November 17th. She has now gone on to become the fifth highest winner during the regular season amassing a whopping $483,000 in winnings!

Shortly after, Jeopardy!’s official Instagram and Twitter accounts announced that Amy was now fifth in the show’s record books for the highest winnings for regular-season play. Ken ($2,520,700), James Holzhauer ($2,462,216), Matt Amodio ($1,518,601) and Jason Zuffranieri ($532,496) occupy the top four spots.

Amy Tweeted that she wouldn't be able to watch her last prerecorded match becuse it was being shown at 10:30 pm on Friday which is her date night. But she did have time to tweet about Lindsay Imbe, a newly out transgender woman. She simply said "Love This!" about the Anaheim Ducks organist pregame warm-up Jeopardy! rendition which she dedicated to the five-time champion.

Bay Area Transgender woman killed on Castro Street Friday Morning

Nikai David
Nikai David / KTVU 

Oakland Police responding to a report of shots fired at 4am Friday morning found transgender woman Nikai David, 33, on Castro Street suffering from a gunshot wound.

She died at the scene.

"Nikai was really sweet. She was a happy, fun person,"

Ashlee Banks told KTVU that she is saddened that Nikai David of Hayward, a friend she considered to be a sister, was shot and killed.

"I was really devastated when I found out, when I got the news," said Banks.

Police said at this point there is no evidence of a hate crime and do not have a suspect in custody.

The Remebering our dead project reports that a record high 74 US trans deaths were mourned during the 2021 TDoR and 12 deaths have been reported to date for the 2022 TDoR.

The TDoR, a transgender-led initiative began record-keeping in 1999 by a small group, including Gwendolyn Ann Smith, to memorialize the murder of transgender woman Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts. By 2010, TDoR was observed in over 185 cities throughout more than 20 countries.

Media Resources:

Trans Lives Matter Info.

Transgender Europe(TGEU) TDoR project

Rest In Peace Nikai David

12/2/21

Canada's House of Commons Unanimously Passes LGBT Conversion Therapy Ban

Canada's House of Commons unanimously agreed to pass Bill C-4, the legislation to ban conversion therapy, through all stages without study or amendment after a Conservative motion, making it the first bill to pass the House in the 44th Parliament.

OTTAWA -(CP24 Reports) Canada's House of Commons erupted into a scene of cheers and cross-party hugs Wednesday as MPs unanimously adopted a motion presented by a Conservative MP to fast-track the passage of a Liberal government bill banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ Canadians.

That legislation, introduced earlier in the week, will now proceed to the Senate, as no MP spoke out against the move to skip the routine legislative debate.

The lightning-fast speed at which it unfolded was initiated in the House by Conservative justice critic Rob Moore, who presented the motion during Wednesday's sitting after the Tory caucus met earlier in the day.

12/1/21

19-year-old transgender teen Haley Gabriella Feldmann ends her Life

Haley Gabriella Feldmann
Haley Gabriella Feldmann / Family

Haley Gabriella Feldmann grew up surrounded by a loving and accepting family, But tragically this hateful world was too much for her. Haley at the age of 19 ended her life on November 12, 2021.

According to the The TDoR project there have been 12 deaths not counting the suicide of Haley Gabriella Feldmann since the begining of the the 2022 reporting period.

On the November 20, 2021at the TDoR vigil we mourned a record 74 deaths in the United states. A full list can be found here.

Obituary for Haley Gabriella Feldmann

Haley Gabriella Feldmann was born on November 18, 2002. She was called boy and so we gave her a boy name—now a dead name. We gave her boy clothes, boy toys, boy things. We didn’t know she was our daughter and so we called her son and brother. Haley spent the first several years of her life content, within and without. She knew nothing of judgment or ridicule. She knew nothing but the love of her family, which she gave back in abundance.

During her adolescent years she retreated into herself and we lost her. She became silent . . . distant. She built formidable walls that became impossible to breach, and she stubbornly refused to grant us passage. She had begun to grow afraid of the world as she began to understand herself and who she was, and the reality of her situation became apparent. The more she learned of how the world would judge her for not being who it thought she should be, the more she withdrew. She was an atheist, unable to believe in any religion or deity that taught condemnation of her for not submitting to its beliefs of who she should be. She was a child of God, made perfectly in his image, her body only a vessel for the beautiful soul He created and with which He graced us. She laughed and she loved, and though her humor was dark, her nature was light. Her kindness, her empathy, her hope for others, and her desire to help anyone in need was a blinding light she shone on everyone but herself.

Haley gave us the gift of her truth, trusted us to see beyond her body to her soul, to believe her, and to love her. We will always be grateful for the chance to have her as she was and not who we had thought her to be. Now we call her daughter and sister and we closed ranks around her to protect her and to keep her safe from the willful ignorance that surrounds her.

Our daughter Haley spent most days wreaking havoc on the universe, her time spent being “Imperial Empress of the Galaxies, Conqueror of Solar Systems, Creator of Planets and Nations, Destroyer of Stars”, and loving and adoring Lucy, her best friend and the Best Dog Ever, who loved and adored her in equal measure. She created her own language with a full alphabet and rules, spending years revising and perfecting it, and, in typical Haley fashion, did not leave a key. She created her own maps, detailed in geography, and her own countries, rich in their histories. She dropped out of school and then graduated before her peers, which made her immensely proud. She taught herself history, geography, politics, and never hesitated to school anyone on the finer points of each. And she was usually correct.

Haley lived most comfortably in a Discord community of just under six hundred people from all over the world, each of whom loved and adored her. We are just beginning to learn of her profound impact within the community and we are grateful they had her and she was loved by them. Her soul was radiant there, unhindered by its physical representation here which had become a prison, freeing her to breathe and be.

Haley ended her life on November 12, 2021, her pain being too great. She had grown weary of the knowledge of her reality, knowing this country and this world would never stop trying to force her to submit to its ignorance, and her family rages for her. We would’ve burned the whole world down if we’d thought it would keep her safe, and our fury and outrage is eclipsed only by our grief. We struggle against the currents that try to carry us away from love, for those currents only take us further from her. And she is far enough, already.

Haley is survived by her devastated parents, David and Christina Feldmann; her siblings, Jacob Fruge, Joshua Smith, Ian Feldmann, Matthew Kostelecky, Tristan Smith, Alex Feldmann, Zethan Feldmann, Jazlyn Feldmann, and Sam Curtiss; her grandparents; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; and Lucy, all of whom are inconsolable in the loss of her brilliance, consumed with a grief that has buried us in moments of silence, rage, and sorrow—a void that will never be filled, and a loss that will never be eased. The world is less without her and we will never be the same.

There will be no formal services for Haley. She considered money spent on the dead to be frivolous and of better use elsewhere. Any donations to her family should be sent to The Jim Collins Foundation in hope that a life might be saved. In lieu of thoughts and prayers, her family asks that you be kind to the living and generous with what you have, be it your love, hope, or wealth. Do better unto others as you would have done to you, and reach back to those in need, lift them up, raise them higher, and love love love thy neighbor. Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family at: www.silhafuneralhomes.com

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Haley Gabriella Feldmann please visit our Sympathy Store.


Rest In Peace Haley Gabriella Feldmann