Transgender Womans Avcılar, Istanbul Apt Shot at twice and and set on Fire

Transgender woman Sanem Karaman's life is in serious jeopardy and the police have been reluctant to help.

Karaman told Bianet.org  that she believes the person who shot at her at the Meis Residence on the 20th and again on the 21st was the same one set it on fire five days ago.

Karaman said she believes this criminal was also involved with other attacks against transgender people at the residence and possibly was with the ones who murdered transgender woman Seda at the residence in March 2013. Seda was beaten so badly she died three days later after being taken to the hospital.

The police have made only token efforts to find the perpetrator and in fact, might be enabling them by all but ignoring threats being leveled against the transgender residents.

Karaman told Bianet "They burnt down my entrance hall three days ago. We had no running water because the pipes had burst [as a result of the fire]. As soon as the pipes were fixed, I began cleaning. At that moment, four shots were fired at my window. I was wounded because of a piece of glass that hit my eye; I have a medical report from the hospital.”

“Today, I opened the window to my bedroom to air the house. They fired shots again right then. The bullets seemed to come from the building right across. As far as I know, there’s a pilgrim staying at the apartment right across from mine. I don’t know him, we’ve never talked before.”

Pressing charges of “intentional injury and threat” , Sanem Karaman, said that the police came after the events today and that they are currently waiting for the crime scene investigation unit [One of the other transgender women living in the same building, Michelle Demishevic, a reporter on İMC TV tweeted that the csi unit never showed up and instead Sanem Karaman was called to report to the police station]. “I’m staying at my friends’ house right now. As soon as the csi unit complete their investigation, I’ll go back home. I’m scared but I have no other choice,” she said. (I was unable to locate that tweet).

It couldn't be too hard for the police to ascertain who shot at her window given the floor she lives on. The rounds must have been fired from a window across from her. If the police then found out who has had acesss starting March of 2013 they probably could locate the criminal and put a stop to the violence.

If they wanted to that is. According to the local LGBT group SPOD.org the police have not made any significant effort at the Meis Residence to bring the perpetrators to justice.

This article's source is in Turkish on Bianet.org and was translated by Typing Animal on Wordpress.

Damian Garcia Opts Out Of St. Pius Ceremony: Will Be Keynote Speaker At 1st Lavender Graduation May 30th

When you get lemons you make lemonade and it'll be a sweet drink for Damien because his friends are sugar. Damian spent the day with friends instead of attending graduation ceremonies after his Catholic high School refused to allow him to wear a man's black robe despite his legal name change. The school based that decision on the fact Damien's birth certificate has female annotated on it. For Damian to change that in New Mexico he would had to have sexual reassignment surgery, a costly and sometimes unneeded medical operation for transgender people.

Damian wrote about his decision on facebook “I’m fully respecting this and myself by not walking and/or attending the ceremony at all."

Damian's friend Kayla Cano commented on the ABQ Journal article "I just want everyone to know...and Damian, his seat was left empty, his classmates wanted him there and made that known..."

And indeed we do care.

The University of New Mexico’s LGBTQ Resource Center will host a graduation ceremony for Garcia on May 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. in a courtyard next to Scholes Hall on main campus.

UNM LGBTQ Resource Center presents:

1st NM Lavender High School Graduation Reception Facebook page
May 30th, 2013
5pm-7pm
...
Keynote Address:
Damian Garcia
St. Pius X Graduate 2013

The LGBTQ Resource Center at the University of New Mexico honors all LGBTQ & Ally High School Graduates for their academic achievements and graduating as their whole selves.

We invite all family, friends and advocates to join us in celebrating NM's LGBTQ & Ally High School Graduates.

The reception will be located near the LGBTQ Resource Center courtyard on University main campus next to Scholes Hall. If you have questions please feel free to call 505-277-LGBT (5428).

All High School LGBTQ & Ally graduates, please RSVP by calling 505-277-LGBT (5428) or email  lgbtqrc@unm.edu  with the following information:

subject line- HS Lavender Graduate
Name:
email:
address:
High School:
Awards/Achievements/Activities or Student Groups:
Who would you like to thank:

Reception Location:

LGBTQ Resource Center
608 Buena Vista NE
ABQ, NM 87131
(UNM main campus, enter at Las Lomas & University)
Google map

Indian Trans Woman Rejected by Mother Commits Suicide. R.I.P. Aparna

Aparna at 27 years of age returned home after Sexual Reassignment Surgery and hanged herself in the town of Anamalai, Tamil Nadu, India after her mother refused to accept her.


I know, it's sad, but it's not much of a story. Here's why I have written about her suicide. The only other memorial to her is an atrocious article by the Times of India which is so bad even given latitude for the differences in social perceptions and languages is still nothing more than a transphobic attack on her.

So who was Aparna? We know little other than what the Times published except that Aparna took her name from a goddess in the Hindu Religion Uma, also known as Parvati, daughter of the mountains.

It seems Parvati came by her name Aparna for fasting in the forest seeking to earn the admiration and respect of someone she loved. Parvati went into the forest and performed rigorous Tapas, wearing nothing to protect her tender body from the harsh weather, eating nothing, not even a leaf, earning the admiration of the forest ascetics, Sadhus and Sages, who named her Aparna – the leafless one.

Eventually the goddess was successful and had a rich and full life but not so for our Aparna. She died without the love she so desperately needed degraded in death by the Times of India.

But her memory will live on, in these pages a small tribute to a brave and lovely woman, Aparna.

R.I.P. Aparna

Free Kate: Florida Family's HS Daughter Facing Felony Sex Offender Charges For Consensual Same Sex Relationship

The outpouring of support from social media has astonished and almost overwhelmed Kaitlyn Hunt's family and even crashed the Change.org petition site's server for a while!

Kate's family and friends started the facebook group Free Kate because they were at he wits end and didn't know where else to turn.  Kate, a cheerleader and varsity basketball player was 17 when she became romantically involved her team mate, a freshman at Indian River High School, apparently with the knowledge of her girlfriends parents.

When Kate turned 18 her world was turned upside down. Her girlfriends parents had her arrested on felony charges for her consensual relationship with their daughter and she was subsequently expelled from her school. This was done without them contacting Kate's parents or pursuing other far less damaging legal actions, like a restraining order.

Kate's mother doesn't understand why her girlfriend's parents couldn't talk to her telling WPTV "You get with me, and say, hey, as a mom, this is going on and I don't like this, let's talk about this," said Smith. "I would have sat down with her, I would have sat down with our children, and I would have nipped it in the bud, and I would have respected her."

The police recorded a conversation between Kate and her girlfriend, which led to Kate's arrest. Kate was interrogated extensively without a lawyer present and was eventually charged with two counts of felony lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12-16. The prosecutor later offered a plea deal of felony child abuse, with two years house arrest followed by one year probation. If Kate turns down the plea she will be tried  by jury and could be sentenced to 7 to 15 years. In ether case she would be branded a sex offender ruining her life.

Kate has offered to permanently cease contact and leave the state if charges are dropped, but that offer has been rejected by the prosecutor and the girlfriend's parents.  Kate's girlfriend has taken no part in her prosecution and denies she is a victim, but the law grants her no rights in this matter.

 Kaitlyn's mother posted this plea on Facebook: "We have until (this) Friday to either agree with an outrageous plea offer, or start trial. The state offered a plea of two years house arrest and one year probation. Kate wont be able to get a job, start her life, ever leave the house for an entire two years, then another year on probation. That is absolutely ludicrous. We need justice in this situation, not to feed into these parents hates and insanity. Will you help support Kate? Will you write a letter to the state attorney, will you come sit in the court room and show your support, will you wear Kate's bracelet in support of her? Will you pray, will you speak your mind to these other parents in regards to their actions? Will you help our family?"

How many of us as young people fell heads over heals in love with someone a few years different in age? Why does this consensual relationship have to ruin Kate's life?
.
Please sign the petition: Free Kate....

Visit Free Kate.net to learn more...

And if you would like to help the family cope with their considerable legal fees, you can do so here.

Sheriff Press Conference May 20th

Let Damian Walk X2: Two Events Planned In Support Of Transgender Senior Damian Garcia

There will be two rallies in support of Damian Garcia the male transgender student from Albuquerque NM.

Damian may not attend his own graduation on May 22nd because the school's refusal to allow him to wear a black robe, the color traditionally worn by male students. The school so far has rejected Damian's offer that he wear no robe and have stuck with their demand that he wear a white robe, the color worn by female graduates.

The first rally is on Sunday May 19th where you can meet two of youngest LGBT allies I have have ever had the pleasure of writing about, William and Phynn Moorman their parents and of course, Damian Garcia.

MEDIA ADVISORY [via moveon.org]

Torrey Moorman:  letdamianwalk@gmail.com

*** Event held at Sombra Del Monte Elementary School on May 19 at 3 pm***

Albuquerque Residents Stand Up in Support of Transgender St. Pius X High School Student Student Damian Garcia

Over 7000 people sign petition of support for Damian to be able to wear male graduation robes

Local residents will gather to deliver a petition to Damian Garcia requesting Principal Barbara Rothweil, PhD and the Diocese to allow Damian to wear black cap and gown for graduation.

Forcing Damian to wear the girl’s white cap and gown is demoralizing, and many question the legality of such a demand. Allowing Damian to graduate in black cap and gown will show support for Damian as a student of a respectable and nurturing school environment.

Participants in the event will include William and Phynn Moorman, who created the petition, and Damian Garcia.

WHAT: Official delivery of petition to Damian Garcia, and Principal Barbara Rothweil, PhD if she will please join us.

WHO: Local Albuquerque residents and St. Pius X students and alumni

WHERE: Sombra del Monte Elementary School, corner of Candelaria and Moon, Albuquerque, NM. Google map

WHEN: 3pm on May 19, 2013

Please bring signs and posters with "Let Damian Walk"

To read the petition Click Here.

Facebook link: Click Here

Link to Archdiocese: Click Here

Update 5/20/13 Video from this event:




********

The second event is scheduled for Monday May 20th

From the Facebook event "Let Damian Walk In Black"

When: May 20th 7:00am until 1:00pm. The Organizers say 5 minutes or the whole day, all support is welcome.

Where: St. Pius X High School Albuquerque, NM Google Map

From the event facebook event

Members and supporters of the LGBT community,

We come to you not only as friends but as FAMILY to help a brother in need. Damian Garcia our transgender brother attends St. Pius X High School here in Albuquerque. While attending St. Pius. teachers, staff and friends including his own family members refer to Damian as a male student. As we all know, graduation is just around the corner, which is to most a time of celebrating ones academic and extracurricular achievements. However, for Damian this moment of academic excellence hangs in the balance between embarrassment and joyous celebration. According to St. Pius' standards, Damian must wear a white robe, which is traditionally worn by female graduates. Now my question to you is this: What's more important? The gender wriiten on a birth certificate or who that person is during HIS everyday life? We say let the kid WALK IN BLACK... It's HIS day to sparkle.

P.s: Please no parking in St.Pius parking lot we can not guarantee that you will be allowed to stay parked there.

Damian commented on the facebook event page:

Transgender Senior Damian Garcia Would Walk Graduation Without A robe If Allowed

“I just want to walk in my black robe, nice and proud and have that memory to look back on with my family and friends,” said Damian Garcia. “I would rather not walk than to embarrass myself by wearing a female robe.”

Damian will not be allowed to walk in a males black robe May 22nd even though he has legally changed his name. Saint Pius High School is demanding that he wear in a female white robe because he has not had medical surgery altering his chest to present a male appearance, the prerequisite to changing the gender on his birth certificate in New Mexico.

Some state still demand unnecessary medial intervention for physiological issues before allowing their citizens to pursue a life guaranteed by the constitution.

New Mexico will produce a new birth certificate, with both name and sex changed, and seal the old birth certificate. However, a letter from a surgeon documenting Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) is necessary, prohibiting those who cannot afford or do not desire SRS from amending their birth certificates. Female to Male SRS can cost between $12,000 and $20,000 in addition to years of costly therapy and hormone replacement therapy(HRT)before SRS can be considered.

Two unrelated children, Will 8 and sibling Phynn 12, were so upset after viewing the KRQE news report about the way Saint Pius High School is treating Damian they "refused to go to bed until our mom agreed to help us fix this". So together with mom they began a facebook page "Let Damian Walk and started the Move on petition "Let Damian walk for graduation in male cap and gown" which had 9,000 signatures as of this posting.

Note to school administrators. Will and Phynn are your future students or not, in the case of private institutions like Saint Pius High School with open bias against LGBT minorities.

Principal Barbara M. Rothweiler's welcoming letter states her school is geared towards furthering students education and that 98% of her students go on to university. Her selling point is substituted by pointing out that "Some of our recent graduates can be found at Harvard, NYU, Stanford, Notre Dame, and Brown."

Out of all of those schools Principal Rothweiler so proudly listed only Notre Dame does not include LGBT inclusive clauses. The other top 20 universities do. When students and parents shop for preparatory schools like Saint Pius High School, LGBT inclusiveness is a major indicator of the quality of education they will receive their regardless is they are LGBT or not. Discrimination against any minority is not acceptable.

Graduation gown a problem for transgender student

President Obama's it gets better message: