Obama to сохранить надежду keep LGBT hope alive at St. Petersburg G20

"Four Russian non-governmental organizations told BuzzFeed Monday they had been invited to the meeting, scheduled for this Thursday at St. Petersburg’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. The groups include veteran human rights activists Lev Ponomarev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, legal aid NGO director Pavel Chikov, and Coming Out, a St. Petersburg-based LGBT organization."

 Coming Out St Petersburg just won a district court battle annulling a lower court ruling finding that the organization is a 'foreign agent'. The director would have been fined 300,000 Rubles ($9,000 US Dollars) if the ruling stood.

"Another local LGBT group, the LGBT Network, is believed to be attending, though director Igor Kochetkov declined to comment to BuzzFeed, saying that he had been “asked not to say anything.” 

The LGBT Network Russia is promoting "Keep Hope Alive" on facebook which is a "campaign asking world leaders to challenge Russia on the deteriorating human rights situation and escalating clamp down on civil society in the context of the G20 meeting taking place in St Petersburg on 5-6 September."

Keep Hope Alive from Keep Hope Alive on Vimeo.

"Election monitoring group Golos is also believed to have been invited, though BuzzFeed could not reach its director or deputy director to confirm. Russia’s justice ministry forced Golos, which used to receive funding from USAID, to disband this summer under a law on “foreign agents” that many believed was created specifically to target the group."





"Obama’s trip to Russia for a summit of the Group of 20 industrialized nations comes amid a deep rift between the US and Russia, not least over the countries’ competing stances on Syria. Obama was due to hold a one-on-one meeting with Putin in Moscow before heading to the summit, but abruptly called that off last month in the wake of deteriorating relations and Russia’s sheltering of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Putin has repeatedly accused members of Russia’s civil society as being in the pay of the U.S. State Department."

Not you mothers Prairie Home Companion

Via Transadvocate
A poe is someone who parodies fundamentalism in such a way that it is ridiculous yet simultaneously difficult to tell if the media is real or a parody. The “radio show” mixes absurd reality with absurd comedy to make a deadly serious point.

Enjoy!

San Antonio stopping Trans protections at the bathroom door may mean a full NDO Meltdown

San Antonio's Mayor and Council face a complete loss of support even recall campaigns sans allies with the changes to the proposed amendments to the city's non discrimination Ordinance (NDO).

The new language says:  "Nothing herein shall be construed as directing any policy or practice regarding the use of restrooms, shower rooms, or similar facilities which have been designated for use by persons of the opposite sex."

• To see the latest version of the proposed ordinance, click here.

City attorney Michael Bernard said the language was added to clear up confusion that’s come with the city’s proposal to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of protected classes under its nondiscrimination ordinance.

The language change did nothing to placate the bus loads of church partitioners, whipped into a indignant righteous fury by their pastors who spoke out against having trans people in restrooms despite it being made clear that provision had been removed.

Jay Morris-Spriggs state lead for Get Equal Texas had this to say

"This past Tuesday, Councilman Diego Bernal, who authored the ordinance revisions without the "bathroom" exemptions, added such exemptions to the ordinance without notice it consultation with any LGBT leaders within the CAUSA coalition. Since that time, we have been pushing for the language to be removed. We are hopeful that Mayor Castro will not fail our community, and that a new revision will be released on Tuesday."

"If council attempts to include this exemption in the final revision, GetEQUAL TX will pull it's support for the entirety of the ordinance and continue to work on an ordinance that is fully inclusive and leaves no part of our community behind. We have an escalation strategy in place should such exemptions not be removed."

Tiffani FullEquality Bishop a valued and respected Texas advocate posted this comment on the author of the ordinance  Council member Diego M Bernal's wall:

• 

  Tiffani FullEquality Bishop Diego Bernal - Where is your honor when you throw the trans community under the bus by allowing bathroom amendments to the NDO? Where is your courage? Where is your commitment? With the LGB and not T apparently. Shameful! Beyond disappointed. Is this how you have our backs when we're protesting those trying to remove you?!

  Like · Reply · 1 · August 27 at 10:43pm via mobile
• 2 Replies
• 

  Diego M. Bernal Tiffani- I think you're mistaken. Again, it's an ordinance. Like I tell the other side, I'm happy to sit down and talk with you about it. Set it up. 2077279.

At the meeting District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan expressed her own lack of knowledge in the area as she promised to do in this secretly recorded meeting with staff members . She became concerned about an example that a transgender woman could use the restroom with her 13 year old daughter under the ordinance.

City Attorney Michael Bernard said "beyond the legal answer, (meaning we would remain in violation of the law) there is a practical one."

"People are going to go to the restroom the same place and the same way two weeks from now they did two weeks ago," he said. "Nobody checks the plumbing, nobody does a chromosome count. Things will get back to normal."

City attorney Michael Bernard said the language was added to clear up confusion that’s come with the city’s proposal to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of protected classes under its nondiscrimination ordinance.

Bernard said no matter what the city decides, nothing will change.

As abhorrent as that philosophy is there is a grain of truth to it. I fully supported the Fort Worth NDO as a transgender resident but at the time I did not understand the provision that stopped our protected class at the bathroom door.

In the years that have followed I have not had the police called on me for using the ladies room but I am, a) passable and 2) legally a woman.

But that could change at anytime. My home state of Ohio does not amend or reissue birth certificates so if the legality of my being in the ladies room was challanged in court I could go to jail.

Bernard would be correct. With his amendment nothing changes. I live in constant awareness and fear my life that I have worked so hard at, may end at any moment. For using the bathroom. OMG.

Sources have told me off the record that Causa coalition partners will pull there support of the ordinance if the exclusionary language is retained. This has of course angered Mayor Castro disrupting his plans to keep transgender people out of the full equality equation.

The opposition to the NDO has used the Fort Worth Non Discrimination policy  as an example apparently successfully to pressure council member  Deigo M Bernal to edit  full equality out (in green):

I talked to Lauryn Farris, Alamo Area Board of Directors Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) and a member of the San Antonio Gender Association (Saga) who said

"We have been in contact with the mayor and are confident that the language will be changed and hopefully it will be changed to something we can support."

"I feel confident that nether SAGA or TENT would support the NDO should it have discriminatory language"

P Club Update: Judge Awards Portland T Girls $400,000 but they don't want the money

Almost exactly one year ago I reported on a group transgender woman   in Portland Oregon who were thrown out of a local bar, the P Club. The owner of the club left a voice mail on one of the woman phones telling her and her friends not to come back because he didn't want people to think he was running a 'tranny' bar.

Well, that man is out $405,000 dollars.  Oregon's Equality Act makes it illegal to discriminate against transgender people in public accommodations.



It's not about the money.

Susan Miller posted this to her blog August 31st giving us an idea why.

"It has been a long 14 months and although we won it is not over as we are sure and actually looking forward to Chris Penner the bar owner appealing this ruling. This was an administrative Judge ruling which is good but an appeals Judge ruling or even the state Supreme Court ruling would be better." 

An Act of Violence: Evangelist "Dr. Chaps" Klingenschmitt's "debate" with Dr. Dana Beyer about ENDA

The embedded video by "Dr. Chaps" Klingenschmitt a retired Air Force chaplain, is framed by him as a debate although Dr. Klingenschmitt doesn't debate.
He only asks leading questions about  ENDA'a mark up which much to the credit of Dr. Beyers, were answered truthfully with tact and grace.

I was aghast as Klingenschmitt maliciously insulted Dr. Beyers in every way he could on the video and accompanying article Co-Ed Bathrooms? Chaplain Debates Transgender on ENDA Bill, yet Klingenschmit seemed so respectful while interviewing Dr. Beyers.

Calls to Dr Klingenschmitt media contact number have not been returned at this time.
* Update Dr. Klingenschmitt has left a voice mail which I intend on answering.

I was successful in contacting Dr. Bower for a statement regarding this interview. She offered this:

I will say: “I think it’s time that we in the trans community learn from our gay allies, who leap from success to success, and come out fully so that America can get to know us. Coming out is the critical act, and that includes speaking with those who are most opposed to our rights, be it from personal bias or just plain ignorance. I have been speaking with religious fundamentalists for years, having grown up in an orthodox Jewish environment, and have actually made inroads. Too often, though, some let their prejudices overwhelm them and they hoist themselves on their own petard. I had no expectations of the interviewer, and we treated each other civilly during the process.

I asked Dr. Beyers if she had any inkling of Klingenschmitt Malintent.

"Apparently he just couldn’t help himself. It’s his loss, but I remain hopeful that some in his community will see how limiting close-mindedness and incivility can be.”




ENDA as marked up exempts religious employers so Klingenschmitt's arguments against ENDA are not founded on legislative fact.

Dr, Klingenschmitt's arguments against ENDA are not based on Biblical truths ether. This was clearly intended as a act of violence by Klingenschmitt to willfully hurt Dr. Beyers.

It is a sin when a man, who proclaims to speak for the lord invokes hate maliciously against fellow humans especially when then the bible tells him to do otherwise.

It is a sin because biblical passages by God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit make it clear transgender people are welcome in the kingdom.

Dr.Klingenschmitt's youtube comment policy:
 COMMENTS will be APPROVED unless vulgarity or name-calling. (After 20:27 is best)

I posted this comment  to Dr. Chaps You tube but it was not approved at post time.
*Update Dr. Klingenschmitt has informed me he has published my comment..

Mr. Chaps please read these Biblical passages:

Isaiah 56: "Do not let the foreigner joined to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and do not let the eunuch say, ‘I am just a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths . . . I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters.

Mathew 19:11 and 12 Jesus asks his disciples to accept transgender people.
Acts 8:26-40 Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

*edited: I hope Dr.Klingenschmitt reads these Biblical passages confirming transgender peoples place in gods kingdom.

District Judge: If Inmate Ophelia De’Lonta is transgender she is entitled to state funded SRS

Virginia transgender inmate Ophelia De’Lonta is a 'step closer'  to getting the medical treatment prescribed by the APA. A district Judge has ruled that Ms De’Lonta has the right to be diagnosed by a therapist of her choice and if the prognosis indicates she is transgender she has the right to get state funded gender confirmation surgery.



The APA  definition of transsexualism  published August 19th 2013 in their Healthy Minds blog:

"A transgender individual is someone with the desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex. This can be accompanied by the wish to make his or her body as congruent as possible with the preferred sex. A transsexual individual is someone who has taken measures, through surgery or hormone therapy, to achieve their desire of living and being accepted as a member of the opposite sex. In general, transgender individuals prefer to be addressed using pronouns and other culture norms that are congruent with their preferred gender identity.

"You want to be a woman? Don’t rob, don’t murder. Act like a lady"

There are some even within our community, who feel that if a trans person commits a crime she or he has lost the right to medical treatment. If Ophelia De’Lonta receives SRS it would further confirm our right to medical treatment and you will see a lot less commentary like the following video.