Finding T friendly faces in the United Methodist Church

By Kelli Busey
06.09.2008

http://planetransgender.blogspot.com/2008/06/finding-t-friendly-faces-in-united.html

It never seems to fail. I spend hour to get my my 6ft frame all dressed, perfumed, accessorized and face all made up. I have my manicure filled and check the most minute detail. After all this, I end up going to some ultra conservative church function filled with mainly 60 year old pillars of the community. You can guess what happen s next.
Nothing. No one makes any notice. No one stares. Children smile. I am invited to teach in both Sunday school and public school. I am hugged and warmly greeted. I am invited to please come back soon.
I am happy. I am filled with joy and gratitude that so great a institution as the United Methodist may welcome me, a Transgender woman into its fold. We transgender are in ministry and layity.

We have a long way to go back though. We have to go back for people left behind. Our gay, Lesbian and Bisexual brethren are on the far shore, staring as the ship we are on,the ship of hope sets sail.
We are in a unique position. Now it us who must find it in our hearts to stand up as the LBB community did for ENDA and shout NO. We will not leave them behind. We will not allow the ourselves to be comforted until we are united. United in one church.

The United Methodist Church!

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNS ARREST OF HIV/AIDS ACTIVISTS IN UGANDA

Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni






AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT

AI Index: AFR 59/004/2008 (Public)

4 June 2008




Uganda: Amnesty International condemns attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people


Amnesty International is concerned at continuing harassment and attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) human rights defenders in Uganda, and today called on the Government of Uganda to ensure the safety of LGBT human rights defenders in Uganda and to end the harassment of LGBT people by Ugandan police officers.

On 4 June 2008, three LGBT human rights defenders were arbitrarily arrested after a group of seven activists from Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) distributed a press release to people attending the HIV/AIDS Implementers’ Meeting at the Imperial Royal Hotel in Kampala. The press release and an accompanying report outlined their organisation’s call for HIV prevention programmes for the LGBT community in Uganda.

The three activists were arrested by police officers at the hotel, including one who was reportedly a participant in the meeting, and as of 4 pm on 4 June 2008 were still being held at Jinja Road Police Station in Kampala for questioning.

Amnesty International condemns the arbitrary arrest of these individuals, and is concerned that they may face harassment and degrading treatment in custody as such practices is common against LGBT people in Ugandan police stations. Amnesty International said that the three activists are prisoners of conscience, detained for their peaceful activism for the rights of LGBT people to treatment and prevention measures for HIV/AIDS, and should be released immediately and unconditionally.

These arbitrary arrests follow the recent arbitrary detention and mistreatment while in custody of two transgender individuals in Kampala. On 20 May 2008, the two were dancing at Capital Pub in Kampala, Uganda, when they were detained by club bouncers, harassed and beaten while being asked whether they were men or women, and “accused” of being homosexuals. The club management of Capital Pub called the police, who detained both individuals for four days at Kabalagala Police station. During their detention, both were repeatedly beaten by police officers, and one was kissed, fondled and forcefully propositioned for sex by other detainees, and stripped and had their genitals groped by a police officer. One of the two was denied medical treatment for diabetes, and allowed only one meal a day. After their release on bond, both individuals were charged with public nuisance, and are currently awaiting trial.

Since their release, both individuals have faced harassment and violent attacks from individuals in their neighbourhood who were informed by police of their gender identity. These started with threats and escalated to a serious violent attack on the night of 3 June in Old Kampala, where a group of youths attacked both individuals. One of the attackers has since been arrested by police. Amnesty International calls for this attack to be investigated and any perpetrators brought to justice through fair trials.

Public Document

****************************************

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK

www.amnesty.org

Tammy Baldwin new LGBT Leader?

By Kelli Busey
Friday 06,2008

Congress Woman Tammy Baldwin D(WI) the only out lesbian in Congress is a co-chair for the newly formed LGBT caucus, her co-chair being Barney Frank. In political context a number of important distinctions should be noted.
I may be grasping for hope, but I would like to note Tammy's name was listed before Frank's. I am sure this distinction did not elude Franks attention. Whether this was done as an indication of leadership or to lend creditability and maintain LGB ENDA status quo is to be seen.
The second development is a statement Baldwin made in the Bay Area Reporter on May 31

Asked if she was at odds with Frank regarding the ENDA brouhaha, Baldwin was diplomatic.

"All the Democratic leadership supports" an inclusive ENDA, she said, but there were "strong strategic and tactical differences" during the fight last fall.

http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3046

Is Tammy distancing herself from Barney Frank's transgender bashing politics? I can only hope.

http://planetransgender.blogspot.com/2008/06/tammy-baldwin-new-lgbt-leader.html

Trans Group Blog: The Incrementalists Dirty Little "Secret"

Trans Group Blog: The Incrementalists Dirty Little "Secret"

GAY CARROT+HRC = LGB CAUCU$

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today applauded the formation of the House of Representatives’ LGBT Equality Caucus. The bipartisan Caucus was announced this morning by its founding members, including Caucus co-chairs, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA).

Dear Dear Fellow Transgender and ALL Gender diverse People. Barney Frank is now going to advocate for YOU so a gender inclusive ENDA is passed in 2009? Lets look at recent remarks from Barney Frank. On 10.11.07 Barney Frank made it perfectly clear he was not going to support a gender inclusive ENDA.



In The House on 11.07.07 Frank smugly argues that to include a "particular group", meaning the gender variant, is to prevent progress.



Traditional Values Coalition published a article intittled;
"Rep. Barney Frank Attempts To Throw His Cross-dressing Allies Under The Train".
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3155

Barney Frank either authored the Values article or is a reader because he used the train analogy in his last Trans-bashing tirade of 05.02.08 in the Just Out issue:

Part of the problem, I have to say, is this: I've never seen a worse job of lobbying done by the transgender community. They seem to think that all they had to do was to get the gay and lesbian community to say "OK." I think they thought that this was a train, and that they were a car on the train. I said to them, "You've got to work this, you've got to lobby people." They did a terrible job of lobbying, and so we didn't have the votes.

With the exception of writing one Bill that he subsequently shot down Frank has never had a single good thing to say about transgender people. Do not be the donkey that this man rides. Worse yet if the man SLAPPED YOU don't give him your money! Take some pride in yourself. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off. You are the best that society has to offer.

GAY CARROT+HRC + LGB CAUCU$


Technorati Profile

Unfocused Hot Hetreo Mess

Focus on the Family found itself having a westboro baptist moment after being challanged to put up or shut up.
The unconsiounable methods employed by “Focus on the Family” exposed this groups real agenda, that of espousing hate and bigotry while maintaining a facade of decency. Focus on the Family co-founder Gil Alexander-Moegerle offered a public apology for the actions of James Dobson to among many others the gay community in 1997.
http://www.ralliance.org/Alexander-Moegerle.html
The Catholic Church followed in the shadows attempting to bully and intimidate citizens and legislatures.
The Catholic Church’s demise is not not celebrated by Christians, but it is undeniable. The demands of celibacy by Rome has resulted in the Catholic clergy being saturated with pedophiles. In evidence of the decline of respect by common people of the Catholic Church is thievery of Catholic material possessions.
Unthinkable only a short time ago.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTracker/
The sad tale is undeniable.
Focus on the Family should concentrate on what it’s name implies.
The Catholic Church needs to discontinue it’s practice of denial and resorting to buying it’s way out of human responsibility.
Both organizations should not be concerned where we pee, for gods sake!