ACT drops Transgender and Intersex people from the marriage equality bill at last moment

The Australian Capital Territory or ACT dropped transgender and intersex people from the territories new same sex marriage law. According to Out in Perth the changes were made so the bill would have a better chance of standing up to the federal government’s promised High Court challenge.

ACT Attorney General Simon Corbell had told the ABC that the government is following the advice of constitutional law experts and provisions for transgender people will be added at a later date.

“We recognise that the views of a number of constitutional experts are that we should put that issue beyond doubt and the terminology that’s applied in our bill.”

“If our bill is upheld we will certainly move at a later date to expand its scope,” Mr Cordell said.

Australian trans and intersex people express their frustration at being excluded at the last moment. Trans Health Australia had this to say about it on facebook:

Options

Trans Health Australia · 892 like this

17 hours ago · 

• It is such a pity that "Gay Marriage Rights in Australia" also fails to change their name, and realise that "GAY MARRIAGE" or "SAME SEX MARRIAGE IS NOT MARRIAGE EQUALITY and now they wonder why the trans* and intersex communities have these types of problems? "
  
  WHERE TO FROM HERE?
  'Separate but equal' is not equal. It shouldn't matter where you live, who you love or what sex you are.
  
  After the bill passes in the ACT tomorrow, thousands of Australian couples will be able to marry their 'same-sex' partner for the first time in the ACT but there will still be couples who are excluded and there will still be couples forced to divorce because of their legal sex status or the sex of their partner. This is not the 'fair go' Australians pride themselves on. This is not 'marriage equality' for Australia. This is 'same-sex marriage' in the ACT. The only way we can achieve full and inclusive marriage equality is to change the Federal Marriage Act. It's important that as we celebrate tomorrow that we remember that and most importantly tell all our family and friends and our Federal politicians.
  
  We will not rest until ALL Australians in ALL states are treated fairly and have the right to marry the person they love and have their love recognised as equal. "No freedom till we're equal. Damn right I support it."

Listen to Professor George Williams, constitutional law expert at the University of New South Wales explain to ABC why he believes these changes challenge proof the law Click here (opens in a MP3 window).

Partying hard, Laid off, Depressed, Dating. Police still clueless about who murdered Texas Transgender woman Artegus Konyale Madden

The Dallas Morning News  used those adjectives to describe my sister Texan Artegus Konyale Madden last days. I will use those same words at great risk of being condemned for not personally knowing this woman.

I do know that I live only miles away and in the same country as she did.

If the Dallas News article acutely describes how she lived her last days what is the take away. We must hold ourselves in high esteem not allowing ourselves to become to dependent on how others view us. Be careful of how and where we date. And it is my conviction its our responsibility to others and ourselves to let a potential romantic interest know if we have had any anatomical alignment surgeries, or not.

They haven't even found the bullet which ended her life. The police even admitted there were a lot of  unanswered questions.

The sad truth is as time passes unless there is a break in the case most of our murdered become a static remembered on the TDOR then put into the back of our minds.

Her obituary in the Longview Journal made no mention of her trans status repeatably misgendered her in contrast to the woman in the obits picture.

If you have any information on the case, contact Denton County Sheriff’s Office investigator Donn Britt at 940-349-1667.

Pacific Justice Institute makes yet another blundering attack against Florence high school's transgender student

WMD interviewed Matthew McReynolds staff attorney at the right wing "Pacific Justice Institute" (PJI) which claims to represent students at Florence High School about alleged peer objections to a transgender student's access to public accommodations.

The interviewer was eager to nail down some specifics about what legal actions the PJI was taking against the trans girl. But all he was given was the same song and dance that we read in PJI's second backpedaling press release which was published immediately following TransAdvocate's Cristan Williams interview with the District School superintendent.

McReynolds stated  "if there wasn't something to this the school wouldn't be conducting a law enforcement investigation which is what their doing"' suggesting they were looking to prosecute the transgender student.

Superintendent Rhonda Vendetti made it clear in her interview with Cristan Williams the ones who would be made being legally accountable were those who were propagating these lies targeting their transgender student.

Who is this child?  Cristan Williams at the Transadvocate speaks with her mom and gives her the space to speak as well.



Please read Cristans incredible article on the Transadvocate.

McReynolds stated that Colorado law was vague on public accommodations and that there intent was to test it. The law in Colorado states very clearly  that Places of public accommodation may not deny any person participation, entry, or services based upon the person’s sexual orientation, including transgender status.

The PJI has no evidence, no clients and no case at this time, only objecting to what they consider behaviour that is 'inherently harassing' when a transgender student uses the restroom.

In other words they are fabricating untruths and creating a condition in which a transgender high school student faces increased prejudice, discrimination and the inherent accompanying violence.

McReynolds said that we transgender activists, 'talk out of both sides of our mouths' by insisting that we have protections under Title IV and  Title VII only because of the way we 'interpret it'.  In fact courts  have recently repeatedly upheld provisions protecting transgender and gender nonconforming people under both Title IV and Title VII



We've come a long ways baby.



Featuring two-time Olympian and Yale rower, Chris Ernst, who galvanized her rowing team to protest the substandard conditions facing female athletes in the 1970s. On a cold rainy day in 1976, Ernst led her teammates to the athletic director's office, where they stripped, baring bodies emblazoned with the phrase TITLE IX in blue marker. This event rocketed around the globe, leaving an indelible imprint on the nation in terms of what gender equity really meant. Directed by Mary Mazzio.

The Center for Transgender Equality Gender non conforming and transgender students Your Rights At School

Philippines Viral hit "That's my Tomboy" reclaiming defamation or network profiteering?

The Association of Transgenders in the Philippines posted this comment about Yahoo OMG post "Can ‘That’s My Tomboy’ raise equal rights? Almost but not quite, says activist:
"....it's noticeable that ABS CBN have been releasing news and feature articles about transgender people with incorrect pronouns.
We just hope that the launch of That's My Tomboy was to promote the rights of people with non-conforming gender instead of making them a laughingstock while it rakes king's ransom to the network's coffer."



Being totally ignorant I found this in Wiki: about "Tomboy"

"In the Philippines, the term gay is used in reference to any LGBT person. For Filipino gays, the Tagalog phrase paglaladlad ng kapa ("unfurling the cape"), or more commonly just paglaladlad ("unfurling" or "unveiling") refers to the coming-out process. Tibo, T-Bird and tomboy are derogatory terms for butch lesbians just as bakla is for effeminate gay men. Some lesbians, both butch and femme, use the terms magic or shunggril to refer to themselves. Neutral slang terms for gay men include billy boy, badette, bading, and paminta (straight-acting gay man)."

"While many of these terms are generally considered derogatory, they are sometimes used casually or jokingly within the Filipino gay and lesbian community. For example, gay men often refer to their gay friends as bakla when talking to each other."

There was a conflagration within the US trans community about the word 'tranny' that tore at the fabric of our community. A survey albeit unscientific, showed most trans people found the word offensive. Since that debate the "T" word has been generally accepted as defamation. I am curious if "Tomboy" is the same as "tranny" in that regard.

planetransgender has a growing number of visitors from the Philippines. Please share with the planet how you feel about this.

Florence Colorado Transgender student singled out again

The second day I begun my current job I was told about a rumor that was seen using the men's room. It was devastating to me this being the first full time job I had since beginning transition four years before. That rumor cut me so deeply since I had worked as a cashier for years at the Walmart just a few miles away in that small town. Whenever I entered a restroom or existed a stall for months afterward there was utter silence. People would star at my crotch. Whole tables would get up if I sat down at the lunch room.

I brought this to the management's attention and ended up with a department wide meeting that only served to spread that rumor. That was two years ago. Now I am more or less accepted. I have received over three dollars a hour in raises and am looking forward to my next advancement.

But for a young person with no previous life experiences to fall back on these rumors started by Pacific Justice Institute and amplified by Fox Nation are life threatening. The latest 'press release' from the PJI makes no mention of the child specifically but tries to reframe their intent with a wider brush. Curiously there was no mention of 'harassment' in there latest statement only a promise to bring wittiness forward. Again.

Trigger warning! The following video suggests that a transgender student is at fault.

The talking head begins with "Florance high school students say they are uncomfortable with sharing there bathroom with a transgender student." but this statement is not backed up by any of the students. It is a rumor. One propagated by the PJI.



Cristan Williams debunking the PJI lies.



Further exposing lies and rumors a excellent article cross posted from the HRC Blog:

Colorado School District Defends Transgender Students’ Rights

October 17, 2013 by Maureen McCarty, HRC Senior Digital Strategist

Earlier this week, conservative media outlets, including Fox Nation, circulated now debunked reports that bolstered a bigoted campaignagainst a transgender student at Colorado's Florence High School.

To its credit, school administrators have defended both the school’s policy and the transgender student victimized by extremist attacks.

“This is one parent basically bringing their view point about this situation to the media because they weren’t getting the responses that they hoped they would get from parents, from students at the high school or from the board and myself, “said Florence High School Superintendent Rhonda Vendetti in an interview with The Transadvocate’s Cristan Williams, who uncovered the truth behind conservative media reports.

Superintendent Vendetti continued, "I think it’s just an attempt to elevate the situation to a point where maybe some more attention can be drawn to that in the hope of having a different outcome. There’s not been any incident of harassment or anything that would cause additional concern.”

The Colorado Education Association has also come out in support of Florence High School and the student. The CEA has been working with local affiliates on issues important to LGBT youth and their families, including professional development for educators.

“Our promise to our students is that the Colorado Education Association will lead the way in guaranteeing every student access to the best public education," said CEA President Kerrie Dallman. "As educators we all have a responsibility to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student.  No excuses.”

In August, California passed legislation – the first of its kind – to protect transgender students from this exact form of bullying.

The School Success and Opportunity Act (AB1266) addresses the exclusion of transgender students from classes and activities to ensure all students are provided the same opportunities.  

Under this law, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed on August 12, California public schools must honor the students’ gender identity and expression, including the ability to use the appropriate bathroom.

The discriminatory National Organization for Marriage and other extremists have fought this effort – and any attempt protect transgender rights – using scare tactics around “privacy” and fictional stories of harassment like this one.   

HRC applauds Cristan Williams for debunking the media reports and the Colorado school district for continuing its efforts to provide a welcoming learning environment for all students. 

For more resources on creating learning environments that allow all students to thrive, check out HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schoolsproject and the upcoming Time to Thrive conference.

Attorney Todd Kincannon former South Carolina Republican boss Tweets "trannies should be locked up"

This is a couple of days old but quite honestly I had bigger fish to fry than Todd Kincannon. Now its Kincannon's turn and the girdle is still hot. Good old boy Tod obligingly tweets his self right on in and cooks us up some old fashioned south Carolinian republican hate.... sorry about the stench.

It all began somewhere about here:

Now a goddamn he-she is attacking me --> @papierhache. The Left is truly the side of losers and weirdos.
— Todd Kincannon (@ToddKincannon) October 14, 2013

Kincannon's Linkedin profile says that he was a former executive director of the South Carolina GOP, but he fails to mention he was only in that position for three months before resigning.

.@papierhache There are people who respect transgender rights. And there are people who think you should all be put in a camp. That's me.
— Todd Kincannon (@ToddKincannon) October 14, 2013

Kincannon is truly small fry and hardly deserving anyone's attention especially since he told a disabled vet he wished he had come home in a body bag.

.@joshuamelnick You know what I find indecent? A girl with a dong.
— Todd Kincannon (@ToddKincannon) October 14, 2013

Kincannon defended this racist tweet on Huffpost live.

.@jbu3 I have plenty of compassion for trannies. They should all be locked up in mental institutions and their care paid for by the state.
— Todd Kincannon (@ToddKincannon) October 14, 2013

We can learn one thing from this. Do not allow yourself to be baited by the likes of lawyers Kincannon or Cathy Brennan. They both seek the same results, its just Kincannon admits to it. It's curious that ether are still practicing law given the American Bar Associantion's stand on transgender inclusion.

South Carolina's Bar Association policy on personal views:

Section 6.3 Personal Views of Mem­bers. Any member who, when making public ut­ter­ance, permits ­himself to be iden­ti­fied as having an offi­cial con­nec­tion with the Bar or one of its divisions, sec­tions, com­mit­tees, boards, task forc­es, or com­mis­sions shall, if the pol­i­cy of the Bar on the subject matter of the utterance has been de­ter­mined by the House of Del­e­gates or Board of Gov­er­nors, fairly state that pol­i­cy and, if he ex­press­es views at vari­ance with it, clear­ly identify the vari­ance as his per­son­al views only. If there has not been, or if he has no knowl­edge of, any such policy de­ter­mi­na­tion, he shall nev­er­the­less identify his ut­ter­ance as his per­son­al views.

@SCBAR @ABAesq does @ToddKincannon transphobic, racist tweets represent you? I don't see a disclaimer on his twitter http://t.co/6awjKPciyl

— planetransgender (@kellibusey) October 18, 2013