The Hard Life of Our "T" Truth: R.I.P. Sister Brandy Martell

Brandy and her coworkers at the health care office look of defiance is a signature of our hard life. It comes from always having to be defensive, never trusting and the hard lessons learned from those occasions when we did and were hurt. Sometimes the hardest lesson is the one that ends in our murders.

Source SfBlog "This part of Oakland is a cab stand. It is also a hangout for transgender people; Brandy was there in her car with three other transgender women. Around 3:30 a.m., a couple of gentlemen walked by them. Judging by their clothes, they'd been at a nightclub. They made catcalls and aggressively hit on the women; one was very interested in Brandy, repeating how fine she was. The men wanted the women to come with them, but the women realized that the men did not "know what their T is" -- "T," or truth, is slang for a woman who is trans."

"The ladies then asked, "You know we're trans, right?" When they gave them the information, the pick-up ended. The men went up around a bookstore toward 14th Street. Around 5:30 a.m., the men returned, and the women were still in the car. One man opened fire on Brandy Martell, killing her."

My life isn't that much different from Brandy's as today I am recovering from another occurrence of hate. Maybe tomorrow I will also have to pay the ultimate price for my "T", I don't know.

But in the meantime I have the honor of working with hundreds of cisgender people who value each person for their individuality. To them, this acceptance is the ultimate expression of the American dream so on Mothers Day they gave me this rose saying simply "everyone gets one".

Brandy the Rose has wilted but the love and unconditional acceptance that it expresses has not. I want you to have this rose because everyone Brandy, gets one.

DSM UPDATE: APA To Sugarcoat Pathologization of Transgender In DSM-5

Sick is Sick.

The APA has decided to keep transgender in the DSM-5. While acknowledging the controversy they continue to ignore the resulting detrimental affects it has on transgender people. You can use whatever words you like to pathologize transgender and transsexuals, but calling our naturally occurring socially beneficial gender diversity a mental illness is, well, sick.

Pandering to the undecided and those who have insurance and in a attempt to avoid becoming completely irrelevant in regards to gender diversity, they will use "dysphoria" instead of "disorder" but in the end it means the same thing. You are mentally ill or just plain "SICK".

Some highlights of the proposed changes as noted by Med page today:

Whats changed:

Gender identity disorder. Individuals who believe their biological gender doesn't match their gender identification will no longer be labeled with a disorder. Instead, if they seek psychiatric treatment, they can be labeled with "gender dysphoria."

The workgroup responsible for dealing with the hot-button issue considered a variety of other approaches, addressed later in this article. Ultimately they settled on a formal diagnosis -- potentially qualifying a patient for insurance-paid treatment if they want it -- but with a less pejorative name than "disorder."


What the APA refused to change:

Transgenderism as a V code. In seeking to destigmatize what was called gender identity disorder in DSM-IV, one proposal was to list it -- with or without a new name -- as a so-called V code. In DSM-IV, this was a chart code used to flag items of clinical interest that were not diagnosable or treatable conditions in their own right -- such as problems at school or noncompliance with treatment.

It was rejected, as were suggestions that the condition be dropped from DSM-5 altogether.

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Transition is much like childbirth. As we transition our true expressions emerge and this can be a wonderful experience or it can be so traumatic it kills the mother.

Why is the APA contributing to our distress? Many believe as I do the APA's main interest is job security and being a enabler for pharmaceutical profiteering.

DSM5.org proposed changes

5000 member Facebook event "petition the APA Remove Transgender from The DSM"

Jenna Talackova and 62 other HOT Canadian Woman In Bikinis!

A gratuitous over the top sexualization of womankind?

Perhaps, but Jenna, you have done wonders bringing trans people into the limelight in a positive way. She has come a long ways from being the bullied child, the daughter of an Aboriginal mother and Czechoslovakian father.


A long ways from being rejected from the Miss Universe pageant.

A long ways for her, a long ways for transgender and transsexuals everywhere and believe it or not, a long ways for all of womankind. Every step Jenna takes towards equality exponentially levels the playing field for the other 62 contestants and womankind everywhere.

Video Tom Gabel sings "Transgender Dysphoria Blues"

Live during The Revival Tour at House of Rock in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 19, 2012.



Here's the best guess at the lyrics:

Transgender Dysphoria Blues by

‎Your tells are so obvious.
Shoulders too broad for a girl
Keeps you reminded
Helps you remember where you come from

You want them to notice
The ragged ends of your summer dress
You want them to see you like they see every other girl.
They just see a faggot. They hold their breath not to catch the sick
Washed up on the coast, I wish we could've spent the whole day alone
With you

You've got no cunt in your strut
You've got no hips to shake
You know it's obvious, but we can't choose how we're made

Be Cece's Family Letter Writing Campaign

Dallas Transgender Advocates Grass Roots Action in Support Of Our Sister Cece McDonald, Incarcerated to satisfy The Industrial Prison Complexes insatiable appetite For Minorities.

Now is when we show our true trans mettle and commit ourselves to a grass roots action showing our incarcerated sister we care.

We know we do care but she won't unless we tell her.

What we got to do....

Buy envelopes, stamps and a pad of paper..

In your own words tell Cece how you feel..doesn't have to be anything fancy, just be u...

This will be the only contact she may have over the long run as her case begins to fade from media attention and peoples minds. Its only human we do tend to procrastinate, until her imprisonment fades but its a sign of a true friend and a solid community that we won't.

Write CeCe

Please send a letter to CeCe while she is in jail. Let her know she has a huge amount of community support and that we are all here for her.

Public Safety Facility

Chrishaun Reed McDonald #2012000296

401 South 4th Avenue

Suite 100

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Dallas Transgender Advocate's Action Be Cece's Family

Support Cece Wordpress

Don't Let Pussy Riot Rot In Jail! Free Them With Bail$

The Russian Feminist Punk Band Pussy Riot hearing is scheduled for May 11th and they are in need of thousands of dollars to get bailed out. Why should trans people care? Because in the extremely misogynistic society that is Russia today they are standing up for gender variance!

The band also mentions American punk rock band Bikini Kill and the Riot Grrrl movement of the 1990s as an inspiration in an interview by The St. Petersburg Times. “What we have in common is impudence, politically loaded lyrics, the importance of feminist discourse and a non-standard female image,” Pussy Riot said.