Greek Transsexuals Are Being Rounded Up, Arrested and Threatened In a Pre Pride CrackDown

Amidst the Greek government's ongoing draconian reaction to the recent protests and the subsequent silencing of the media, there is yet another untold story of human suffering. The police at the bequest of the Orthodox church are targeting law abiding transgender residents of the northern city of Thessaloniki in a bid to terrorize the LGBT community by breaking the weakest link, before the city's second Pride.

*Update Aug. 12 Please sign the petition Tell EU Member States: Save Greek "undesirables" from internment camps!

The Transgender citizens of this city are already marginalized, and desperately need the world to know about this. This is not an isolated or one time occurrence. August 9th 2012 while conducting operation ‘Xenios Zeus’ Greek police detained and arrested 25 transgender woman during that one night. It wasn't until April 17th 2013 that the last of the woman were acquitted.

Source grr Reporter: The police in Thessaloniki has been carrying out a series of ungrounded arrests of transgender persons as stated by the Greek Transgender Support Association. "According to written complaints filed by our members who live in Thessaloniki, it is clear that from 30 May 2013 onwards, the police have been carrying out purges and arrests of transgender citizens on a daily basis. The same complaints state that those arrested are being taken to the police headquarters in Thessaloniki in Dimokratia Square, where the victims are waiting for at least three or four hours to be identified under the pretext that the authorities should establish whether the particular person was not a prostitute," reads an address of the non-governmental organization (NGO).

The Association stresses that the police behaviour during the arrests was offensive, humiliating and that it was intended to undermine the dignity of transgender persons. In three of the complaints, the victims note that traffic policemen had stopped transgender women while they were driving their cars without any proof or suspicion of any fault or violation of the law. Later, they were taken to the police station in order for their identity to be verified.

The testimonies of a large number of victims suggest that before being released from custody, the policemen threatened transgender women, warning them that if they did not "return to normal", legal proceedings against them would be initiated for indecent behavior in public places.



From the press release of the "Σωματείο Υποστήριξης Διεμφυλικών" (Greek Transgender Support Association) "Middle ages fascist police practices of Thessaloniki" the NGO's attorney, Electra Leda Koutra, talks about being arrested for trying to speak with the transgender people jailed during the sweeps that police begun on May 30th:

"I just got back from the police station, after a marathon night in Thessaloniki. [I]..suffered the most devastating mental violence experience of my life, from police officers, who I then sued for a multitude of crimes against me, including felony. Very briefly: When I wanted to visit my transgender client, who was in a detention center for the 3rd time in 4 days (like many transgender within the last 5 days, due to some sort of order they should be "cleared" from specific points in Thessaloniki), I was obstructed to see her. When I managed to get in, after calling the central alarm number of the police "100" and complaining about the obstacles being imposed on the communication of a prisoner with her lawyer, the officer on duty threw me too in the detention center of the police station and locked me inside, where there were mostly prostitutes, without informing me about the reason of putting me into custody."

The fascist police practices remind us of the middle ages and are not associated with any kind of rule of law.

The association for the Support of transgender people, declares that it will resort to justice, as well as to international organizations and forums asking for the condemnation of the Greek State, which on the one hand is responsible for the brutal trampling of the human rights of transgender people and of the lawyer who defended them, and on the other hand for the straight violation of every concept of application of law.

We honestly feel ashamed that the lawyer and President of the Greek human rights organization Pleiades Leda Koutra, Electra, suffered all this unbelievable humiliation and mental violence. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts for her perseverance and support to our struggle, and we apologize to her for those who made her suffer all this, giving the promise that they will be held accountable.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Electra Leda Koutra makes it known on her facebook page , she respects the majority of police:

"The fact that I have a very beautiful experience of my relationship with policemen who honor their oath and love out their duties despite the destitution, in terms of working conditions, salary, etc., to which and have condemned the policies of this site, I'm angry yet more serving persons as the perpetrator of the crime against me and sadly tarnished the image of the other. Please don't generalize on my wall with statements like "all policemen etc." because I have no appetite to help hate speech against any group.

The agenda for the ThessalonikiPride via Facebook:

Texas ISD principal Terminates Cosmetology Class To Rid School Of "Flamboyant Gays"

Then principal Thomas Amons takes retribution against Instructor Cequada Clark pictured right, and fires her from all of her other teaching positions. Being a Texan this makes me ill.

Source: The Advocate reports a cosmetology program for adults at a Texas technical school is canceled, according to The Examiner of southeast Texas, because it's illegal to bar an applicant for his sexual orientation.

Instructor Cequada Clark of the Taylor Career Center told the newspaper that the school's principal, Thomas Amons, had said he'd rather shut down the program than have "flamboyantly gay guys" included.

The Examiner reports that Kwmane Gray, 22, arrived at class and when the principal realized it, he consulted with lawyers about how to keep him out. The lawyers for the Beaumont Independent School District reportedly advised that it's illegal to ban an individual student just for being gay, so instead the principal shuttered the entire program, which had been running since 2009.

Clark, who told the newspaper she had been subsequently fired from her job, said the program had been used most often by single mothers who were trying to start a career.

A short video of today's protest shared on facebook by Vic Demented.



You can hear the few dozen protesters demanding principal Thomas Amons produce proof that he cancelled the program for lack of participation and you can see Fox News was there but as some on the facebook protest page have noted Fox is refusing to publish about the story having posted this on their Facebook page.



Instructor Cequada Clark responded on that same thread to Fox's contention she was not employed by the BISD:

"I have a BISD email I have a BISD w-2 form and a 1099 my name is in the book at the career center and the high school enrollment tutorial forms as a teacher. Am I on candid camera? I work as a paraprofessional -a high school tutorial- and I also was the teacher of the Adult cosmetology program. I have a copies of my time sheets."

In two days over 800 people who have signed the petition demanding proof as well. Will you?

Instructor Cequada Clark told the Examiner

“I don’t understand this. I really don’t,” Clark said. “(Amons) told me he would rather shut down the program altogether than to have ‘riff-raff’ like that in the program. The next day, he shut down the program.”

Clark, who has headed the adult cosmetology program since 2009 at BISD, said, “Earlier this year, I learned he had a problem with gay guys while we were at the hair show in April.” Clark said at the hair show, Amons told her that he never wanted to see “flamboyantly gay guys” in the BISD program like the men enrolled at other programs competing in the event.

This may not be quickly resolved so in the meantime I hope all my LGBT family patronizes Cequada Clark's wonderful establishment.

Disgraced ANTI Gay NJ Firemen seek reinstatement Garden State Equality Protest!

Vicious anti-LGBT firefighters may be reinstated - join us in protest Tuesday night

THIS WILL MAKE YOU SICK: The town of Secaucus in Hudson County may reinstate three firefighters who made anti-LGBT death threats against, and threw condoms at, a same-sex couple who lived next door to the firehouse. In a $4.8 million verdict that came out of taxpayers' pockets, a court ruled against the town and the firefighters, who were forced to step down. But now, the brand new mayor, himself a firefighter, may reinstate his friends back onto the force. This anti-LGBT cronyism is revolting. You can read this weekend's Bergen Record story about their possible reinstatement at North Jersy.com Firemen seek reinstatement of 3 who left in gay bias flap

Garden State Equality is holding an urgent rally and speak-out at the Secaucus Mayor-Council meeting this Tuesday night, January 26 at the Secaucus Municipal Government Center, 1203 Paterson Plank Road. Please arrive at 6:00 pm if you can.
Please forward this email immediately to everyone you know in Northern New Jersey - to each of your friends, colleagues, organizational members and list servs.
Questions? Contact Garden State Equality's field manager at Troy Stevenson or cell (405) 802-8229.

Pope Benedict Visits Italian Synagogue to ferment Anti Gay Sentiment

Former Nazi youth Pope Benedict XVI historic visit to a Synagogue in Italy was essentially a denial of the holocaust an effort to revise history and attempted assimilation of Jewish culture in a continuing effort to form a multi faith coalition to fight against transgender, gay and lesbian people's struggle for social, political and religious inclusion.

AP News regarding the objective of Benedict's visit "Under the leadership of John Paul and Benedict, the Vatican has been seeking common ground on such conservative agendas as traditional families while forging stronger relations with other religions, including Judaism and Islam."

Not lost on many is the likeness of the current Vatican's inaction regarding the proposed genocide of gay and lesbian people in Uganda and the Vatican's silence and collusion with the Nazi's when they attempted to annihilate the Jews during world war two.

If you can't convert em, kill em.

Rachel Maddow interviews "ex-gay" activist Richard Cohen

Maddow questions Cohen about the discredited lies accredited to a disbarred ex gay source in his book that were used by the Ugandan government to justify it's "Kill Gay" bill. Cohen like a rat scurries backwards as he claims his third edition will have those passages extracted so "that it can't be used against gay people'.


The blood of murdered LGBT people in Uganda is on your hands Richard Cohen.

Will Phillips Arkansas Fifth Grader Refuses to Pledge Allegiance until LGBT people are Equal

Ten year old Will Phillips, who's intelligence was recognized by skipping fourth grade, demonstrated extraordinary compassion and empathy when he recently sited a 1943 Supreme Court ruling and refused to recite the pledge of alliance. Phillips believes until all Americans are equally enjoying "liberty and Justice for all" the pledge is a empty verse.

This incredible young ally who's orientation is not gay, is enduring a homophobic backlash by his adolescent classmates and in all of places, Arkansas. The home of former Governor Huckabee recently enacted a state amendment to its constitution prohibiting adoption of children by same sex couples.

Arkansas is one of the most anti gay states and this according to Will is being proven true as the same children have over and again taunted him with phrases such as 'Gaywad'.

***Update December 3, 2009***
I have been contacted separately by Will's mother and father. Both are very grateful for the emails and phone calls in support of Will. Both are happy that Will is now focused on his school work and both are satisfied with the response from the school. It would seem at this time continued contact with the school is not necessary at this time.~kelli

Please take action "Support Will Phillips" by emailing the The West Fork School District.

Sample email:

Dr. Naccaman Williams
Chair of the State Board of Education.
E-mail: naccaman@att.net
Mailing Address: 2807 Brookshire St., Springdale, AR 72762

Deborah Harnish
President West Forks District Board
359 School Ave, West Fork, AR 72774
(479) 839-2231

Re: Protect educational integrity and protecting Will Phillips from bullying.

Dear Deborah Harnish and Dr. Naccaman Williams,

It has come to my attention that a substitute teacher in your district has attempted to intimidate and bully a student, Will Phillips, into doing something that was against that students better judgement and moral values. Phillips decision not to participate in reciting the pledge of allegiance was in fact, a constitutional right protected by a supreme court ruling.

The student Will Philips, has since then reported becoming the subject of homophobic bullying even though Will Phillips himself does not identify as gay.

I am asking that you require this teacher to apologize for attempting to intimidate Phillips, and that the school principal make a announcement that the school respects individual rights and the school will not allow harassment within it's walls. This would send a message to your students and teachers that bullying is not acceptable.

I wold also ask that you require your teachers to make a speical effort to be attentive and aware of bullying and to stop it immediately when it is apparent. These actions will save lives and allow your schools to pursue the American ideals that are set forth in the Pledge of Allegiance and so valued by Will Phillips.

Thank you
Kelli Anne Busey
Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the Web:

West Fork School District

Edge San Francisco article Arkansas 10-Year-Old Won’t Pledge Allegiance Until Gays Gain Equality

Arkansas Times article A boy and his flag
Why Will won’t pledge

Israeli Haredi extremists 'Gay Youth center volunteers " “should be forced to face a firing squad.”

[Israel society can be very secretive and at the time of publication I have not been able to obtain a copy of the original note nor have I found the web site the original note was reported to have appeared on.]

A purported anonymously written note by a member of a haredi Jewish Ultra Orthodox sect defaming LGBT people supposedly appeared on the mystery web site Tzofer.com.

The Tzofer author Yisrael Artzi was interviewed by Uri Blau a correspondent for the Haaretz newspaper. Yisrael Artzi said he did not know who wrote the original note that appeared on the Tzofer web site, but that he concurred with the notes content and intent.

Yisrael Artzi went on to say that homosexuals "are worse than beasts, at least a beast knows it's [homosexuality] wrong, or not natural" and that the managers of the J'lem youth center “should be forced to face a firing squad.”

In response to the murders the The Jerusalem Post reports that the J'lem gay center hired armed guard and asked retribution of 500,000 in damages from Tzofer.

This hateful note gives religious creedence to hate and is enabling to people who only need a nudge to commit violence and murder against LGBTIQ people.

By Kelli Busey/planetransgender/tags: "you talking to me?, The nut falls close to the tree"

On the web;
wikipedia.org Halacha
Dictonary.com haredi
Wiki Tzofer.com< wiki
Wiki Kelli Busey
Haaretz.com Haredi writer: Gays should be forced to face firing squad
The Jerusalem Post J'lem gay center hires armed guard
Advocate.com Advocate.com

Illinois Family Institute: all Christians are morally obligated to "fight homosexuals"

By Kelli Anne Busey
August 11, 2009

The 'Illinois Family Institute' is engaging in a revisionist campaign to shame all Christians into opposing GLBT people for Christians past failures and specifically the Church's purported silence and complicity with Nazi's during the holocaust.

Source: 'Opposing Views' By Laurie Higgins, IFI DSA | Illinois Family Institute"Church Should Fight Homosexuality Like It Did Nazism"

**********

The Illinois Family Institute is erroneously equating the past failure of all Christians to vigorously support women's and people of color's civil rights and for turning a blind eye to the holocaust to the Churches favorable response to the present day progress of the Christian GLBT equality movement.

You can make a difference!

Source: Change.org

"The Crowne Plaza O'Hare is scheduled to host a Fall 2009 conference by the Illinois Family Institute, a radical conservative group that has compared homosexuality to nazism and slavery, and urges Christian Churches to combat LGBT people as if they were nazis. Urge the Crowne Plaza O'Hare to refuse to host this conference. Part of the Crowne Plaza's anti-discrimination policy includes a pledge not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Letting a group hold a conference in your facilities that actively compares homosexuality to nazism is completely contrary to that pledge."

Source: InterContinetal Hotels Group

Corporate responsibility / Our people / Our responsibilities "We recruit and promote individuals based solely on their suitability for the job without discriminating on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status or disability unrelated to the role. In some countries these principles may be modified by national legal requirements on affirmative action."

There is a petition available for you to ask that InterContinental Groups Franchisee Crowne Hotel social impact reflects it's corporate responsibility.

Voice your opposition to the Illinois Family Institutes's conference at the Crowne Plaza O'Hara fall 2009.

Petition Text;

>snip<

"On October 6, the Crowne Plaza O'Hare is scheduled to host a conference by the Illinois Family Institute, a conservative, anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) organization that has recently compared homosexuality to nazism, and has urged people to fight against LGBT people as if they were nazis or slaveholders themselves. This type of politics is not something that should be supported by the Crowne Plaza O'Hare."

"While I respect the right of political organizations to stake out positions on certain social issues, I feel that the Illinois Family Institute has gone too far by comparing homosexuality to nazism, and threatens to damage the reputation of the Crowne Plaza O'Hare. In past instances, the Illinois Family Institute has also attacked LGBT parents, LGBT churchgoers, and has supported efforts to "convert" LGBT people using tactics that have been roundly denounced by mainstream psychological and public health organizations."

"Please reconsider your decision to allow the Illinois Family Institute to host its October conference at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare. Hosting conferences from organizations that stake out political positions on issues is one thing; but hosting conferences from organizations that compare homosexuality to nazism and urges people to fight back against LGBT people is dangerous, and in the worst interests of your LGBT staff and your LGBT customers."

End of text

>snip<

Click here to for the petition site

Gay Russians Arrested | Boycott Eurovision

40 Arrested as Moscow Anti-Riot Police Use Violence to Break up Slavic Pride March Pride Organisers Call on Performers to Boycott Eurovision.


The Moscow mayor has banned LGBT gatherings and enforced this order with violent arrests of gay pride organizers and participants. The only hope for our GLBT brothers and sisters is a international outcry that the Russian politicians can not ignore.

CNN Arrests at Moscow gay parade ahead of Eurovision Song Contest

Gay Russia.ru Russian Gay Activists Unveil Plans for Their Slavic Pride on Eurovision Day

Call the Russian Embassy 1-202-298-5700, 5701, 5704

Contact your legislators

Houston Texas Bar Refuses Gay People

MIDTOWN BAR REFUSES GAY PEOPLE
Gays not feeling the love after being made to wait in rain as others admitted.

Nearly 100 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people were refused entry to Union Bar and Lounge in Midtown Friday while others were welcomed.
Patrons started lining up at about 9:40 p.m. and were told to wait in line and not allowed inside, even as straight-appearing people were waved through. As the line grew and patrons waited in the rain, employees at the door told those who were that they were maintaining a “ratio.” Later, the bar employees simply indicated they had the right to refuse anyone.
“I was shocked to be a victim of that kind of discrimination in a city like Houston in 2009,” said Neal Falgoust, a Houston law student. “I have never experienced anything like that before in my life.”
A patron who arrived at the bar early reported that the bar was nearly empty at about 9:40 p.m., when gay people started arriving and were stopped at the door.
Gay people continued to line up to the street and around the corner as people who appeared to be straight went to the front and were ushered in. Kris Banks, who stood at the front of the line, said the bar employees were asking the women who were entering with men if the men were accompanying them. If the men were with the women, they were allowed in.
“I arrived and heard that they were not allowing gay men in, so when I got to the door with three women I asked if we would be allowed in, and the door employee said ‘I was told to keep you out,’ ” said Lindsey Dionne. “This was supposed to be a social event, but now it’s political.”
That this kind of discrimination is still legal in Houston makes it more outrageous. A coalition of GLBT rights groups, including the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, the Houston Stonewall Young Democrats, the Harris County Impact Houston and Amicus at South Texas College of Law said Saturday that the incident is proof of the necessity of legal protections for sexual orientation and gender identity for public accommodations.
“Houston is the only major city in Texas without a law that prevents this kind of discrimination,” said Jerry Simoneaux, GLBT civil rights lawyer. “This incident is exactly the reason Houston should implement such an ordinance.”
The event was organized as Houston’s first “Guerilla Gay Bar,” a tongue-in-cheek event that has been popular in other cities in which GLBT individuals come to traditionally straight bars to interact with other communities. Though Guerilla Gay Bars are usually a surprise event in other cities, Houston organizers informed the bar owner in advance out of courtesy and were told they would be welcomed.

Contacts: Kris Banks,
President of Houston GLBT Political Caucus,
281-797-1507

Jerry Simoneaux,
GLBT civil rights attorney,
713-577-9587

On the Web

[transgendernews] [News] [TX, USA] Gays Banned From Bar Event in Houston[transgendernews] [News] [TX, USA] Gays Banned From Bar Event in Houston

The Advocate "Bar Crashers Say Straight Venue Shut Them Out"

The Caucus "Midtown Bar Refuses Gay People"

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