Parent of Transgender Child Needs Our "Likes" To Win

The parent of a transgender child, Leslie Lagerstrom contacted me via her twitter account TransParenthood asking for help to win a essay contest sponsored by a non profit called "Words and Notes" .

The prize? She would be able to tell her story of parenting a transgender child to thousands of caring people and in the process help to raise millions of dollars for the Oakland Children's Hospital. Her essay "It's a Boy" would help educate people who would otherwise be clueless about the unique challenges our tiny minority's families face.

Without giving too much away I'd like to share the first paragraph of her essay. If you like that please click the link at the bottom of the paragraph, read her essay in full and "LIKE" it to win!

It’s A Boy
by Leslie Lagerstrom

“I’m not right,” my eight year-old child with the old soul explains, as to why our weathered mailbox sits empty. Another classmate’s birthday party on the horizon, we wait anxiously for the invitation that never comes. Simple yet profound, the words slice through my flesh, piercing a hole in my heart, the pain more than I can bear. Pain I have come to know all too well, raising a transgender child. Please LIKE "It's a Boy" on Facebook to help our whole community WIN!

Regardless it's a win win! Just by voting and sharing her note you are raising awareness of the challenges faced by all children, such as the one on the right and help raise money for this great hospital.

transparenthood.net

Miss Universe Canada Reverses It's self Now #Girlslikeus Can Compete! ( If we choose to)

Miss Universe organization – statement regarding Jenna Talackova.

This was probably a pragmatic decision motivated by public opinion, which if it was, this is a huge victory for girls like us!

Becoming Me: Eight Families Share Growing Up With a Transgender Child

"Eight families with transgender and gender non-conforming children ranging in ages from 5 to 25 share their stories. With the healthy development of their children at stake, parents must confront binary perceptions of gender, widespread transphobia and controversial parenting decisions."



Are you a parent or transgender youth or ally? Perhaps this all is new to you and your just curious? You can communicate with some of the parents and professionals in this movie!

Source Gsfla: "Join us for an hour-long online discussion in the gsfla comments section on April 3, 2012 at 5:30pm Eastern/ 4:30pm Central / 2:30pm PSD. In The Life Media Staff Producer Kathryn Morrison will be online and available to respond to questions and comments. She will be joined by PFLAG National's Transgender Network Coordinator Catherine Hyde, Gender Spectrum Director of Education and Training Joel Baum, and author of the book, "Gender Born, Gender Made," Developmental and Clinical Psychologist Diane Ehrensaft. The discussion is an ideal place for parents, families, friends and advocates of transgender and gender non-conforming children to share their experiences and ask questions.
Read more here: In The Life Media video | An episode about trans and gender-nonconforming children

Demand Freedom for Pussy Riot NOW!

Pussy Riot has been on the cutting edge demanding freedom and change in Russia and has paid dearly for it in the past. Recently some of the band members were beaten and stripped of clothing and abandoned in the forest north of Moscow after a protest in Red Square. That happened before they were known outside the countries borders. Not now, Putin, we know who they are. And we know who you are too. (no more fucking crocodile tears, please)

Read more at freepussyriot.org and find out about the petition on Tabula Magazine.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Wisconsin "Inmate Sex Change Prevention Act"

Wisconson prisons will no longer be allowed to refuse transsexual inmates transitional care on the grounds they consider it "bizarre taxpayer-funded sex change procedures" and "prison extreme makeovers".

From the ACLU blog:

"The law prevented prison doctors from ever prescribing transition-related medical treatment, including hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery, to transgender prisoners. In May 2010, a federal district court struck the law down as unconstitutional and in August 2011, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed. The third and final act of this legal drama was the U.S. Supreme Court's denial of certiorari on Monday."

"At trial, Wisconsin made the disturbing argument that this law was really for the good of the transgender prisoners, since denying them hormone therapy prevented or reduced the feminizing affects of that medication thereby reducing the risk of their assault by the male prisoners with whom they were housed."

Read the whole article on the ACLU blog Victory at the End of a Six-Year Transgender Rights Struggle

Shrek The Musical Teaching Children To Its OK to Say "Tranny"?!

Is the stage adaptation of Shrek teaching children to say words that kill? According to Robert Cushman, theatre critic for the National that's exactly whats happening. Cushman reviewed it's Toronto opening saying;

"I did, though, warm to the eviction complaint of the Three Little Pigs that “zey blew our condos down.” On the other hand having the Big Bad Wolf lament that “they tore my cotton granny dress / and called me a hot ’n’ tranny mess” suggests that this supposed kids’ show may not be quite sure of its audience, and also that it doesn’t always know what a rhyme is."

And who would think that saying the 'T' word in its most dehumanizing sense is amusing, quaint and endearing? Cushman noted earlier in his review the scenario created by the little pigs/ big bad wolf was a amusing theatrical adaptation of right wing homophobia.

But in all likelihood it's a potentially deadly example of gay transphobia.

Read Cushman's review in full and if you think wrong to teach children to say words that kill send a email to the theatrical producers of Shrek, NETworks Presentations, Inc. and post a note on their Facebook wall.