Boycott Putin's Russian Winter Olympics #FreePussyRiot Balaclavas for everyone

The growing parallels between Hitler and Putin's charade duping world leaders, who are all to willing to pretend there was nothing so wrong with Nazism or Putin's Anti LGBT laws that a Boycott of the Olympics would have been necessary, is well, mind boggling. Nothing has changed, with the Olympic committee or world leaders who remains more concerned with ego and prestige and cooperate connections than human rights.

The biggest difference between then and now is social media in the free world where Russians are calling for a boycott.

The state sanctioned violence against LGBT people has increased to the point where if a LGBT person stands in public with a sign proclaiming themselves as such, they face arrest and beatings by both the public and the police. That same treatment on a day to day basis can now be expected by anyone who visits Russia.

Are world leaders going to send their Olympic team members to Russia knowing that legally they can be arrested, and fined? I am sure they will if Putin temporally suspends enforcement of those laws, just like Hitler did. Unless we as a world social power unhindered by international borders stop the Olympics from happening by embarrassing our governments with these undeniable truths.

I hope a rallying point can be the cry to free Pussy Riot. Two of the four brave young band members aren't set to be freed until after the Russian games. Everything else that Putin could do to coerce the world to play his games would be worthless if these pussies were to remain in jail while Putin played.

Please consider adding your name to the petition No Pussies No Games: Boycott / Demonstrate at The Russian Winter Olympics

International Olympic Committee warns Russia over new anti-LGBT law 
In the wake of a legal crackdown on LGBT advocacy in Russia, the International Olympic Committee in a statement this week said the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi "should be open to all, free of discrimination, and that applies to spectators, officials, media and of course athletes," adding that it would strongly oppose any move to counter that principle. Some worry new laws against LGBT propaganda could subject foreigners to jail and deportation if they are caught holding the hands of same-sex partners or wearing LGBT Pride symbols. Windy City Times (Chicago) (7/17), GlobalPost.com/Rights blog (7/18), The Huffington Post/Gay Voices blog (7/11)

There has even been a law passed in the Duma crimilizing hurting someones 'religious feelings'. We aren't talking about a Muslims feelings, or a Jewish persons feelings. This law was enacted to protect the Russian Orthodox's feelings after Pussy Riots famous Cathedral protest song.


Although there was been some discussion whether this video is authentic it is the first video in year from Pussy Riot.

Philly man charged with chopping up a transgender woman after sex and dumping her in vacant lot

Police believe Strawberry Mansion resident Charles Sargent used a axe to dismember a transgender woman allegedly telling his girlfriend he 'discovered' the victim was a 'man' after sex.  According to police Sargent's girlfriend heard noises upstairs and when her boyfriend came down he had the victim's body wrapped in bloody bed sheets warning her that if she said anything he would kill her too.

The police searched Sargent's home and found a wig, shoes and a bloody screw driver.
Sargent didn't get the memo, Transpanic is a lie not an alibi.

UPdate: Police have identified the victim

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

More at NBC 10

Trans Woman Laverne Cox and Trans Man Amir Rabiyah: Study in Gender Paradigms

What is it like to be Trans man? Are trans men's life experiences the same as a trans woman's? What happens to that experience when the intersection of gender is also the meeting place of androphobia and racism?

Then switching gender (presentations) The Root article "I Was Feared As A Man" examines a piece by Laverne Cox on the Advocate extracting the core of her messages.

First Amir Rabiyah  a new twitter friend gives us a invaluable peek at the crossing in this video....



Black Transgender Woman: I Was Feared as a Man by Laverne Cox

But when I was attempting to live part-time in boy drag, I was hyper-aware of how perceptions of black masculinity influence the ways in which people behave in relationship to a body in the public space. I noticed how much harder it was to get a taxi, for example, when I was dressed in boy drag as opposed to when I was dressed as myself. In black male drag, I noticed white women cross to the other side of the street and clutch their purses tighter.
When I was perceived as a black man I became a threat to public safety. When I was dressed as myself, it was my safety that was threatened. It was usually other black people who policed my gender, called me out, or made fun of me on subways, street corners, and in delicatessens. I believe it is because I am also black that I became their target. These same folks would often ignore white trans and gender nonconforming folks in the same spaces, even those who passed even less than I did at the time. Systemic racism not only encourages the state and non-black individuals to police and monitor black bodies, white supremacy encourages other black folks to do so as well.
Almost 15 years into my transition, I am still black and I still live in New York City. I still sometimes hear "That's a man" screamed or whispered toward me as I walk down the street, but not nearly as much as I used to. So many basic things are better and more congruent in my life today as I enter the public space as myself, but I am acutely aware of how sexism and transmisogyny intersect with racism to police my now black trans woman's body in public space.Read Laverne Cox's full article at the Advocate

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Miki's Victory: Settlement With Kaiser Permanente of Colorado.Insures Equal Coverage For Transgender People

When FTM teen Miki Alexander Manigault was turned down for SRS and HRT the heat got turned up. Turns out Kaiser grabbed the tigress by the tail because Miki's mom is by coincidence a human rights officer for the state. She knows paperwork.

Miki has received a undisclosed settlement from Kaiser for discriminating against him resulting in a Bulletin from the Colorado Insurance Regulator agency stating effective immediately:

If you are transgender that can't be considered a pre-existing condition denying you coverage. Secondly, transgender people can not be charged more and thirdly and most importantly transgender people in Colorado have the same sort of access to care for conditions that are covered for cisgender people.

Colorado joins Oregon, California and the district of Columbia in insuring non discrimination when it comes to accessing insurance for transgender individuals.

There's amazing in depth coverage of Miki's victory at Health Policy Solutions.org and One Colorado.



Colorado has come a long ways in the four years since Angie Zapata was murdered. R.I.P. Angie

Can The Taiwanese Gov't Revoke A Marriage With A Letter?

台灣跨性別伴侶對抗政府同性婚姻法令

In May 2013 Taiwanese citizen Abbygail a transgender woman, won a ground breaking legal battle to marry her partner, Jiyi Wu. This gave hope to the Taiwanese LGBT community as it came just months after a gay couple gave up their challenge to marry.

Their  marriage would seem like  a dream come true, a happily ever after scenario, so why did the government of Taiwan annul their marriage just weeks after recognizing it? The couple, Abbygail Legal name Yi_Ting, Wu吳伊婷), and Jiyi, legal name: Ji-yi, Wu 吳芷儀 are bringing a powerful team in there quest to contest this ICCPR violation of human rights.

Announcing the challenge pictured from left to right: Attorney Victoria Hsu Director of Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil
Partnership Rights, Yu, Mei-Nu Legislator, Cheng, Li-Chiun Cheng Legislator, partners Jiyi Wu a physics and mathematics specialist and Abbygail Wu (hat) computer engineer, Yu ji Spokesman for ISTScare Taiwan and Xu, Bai-Xing supporter.

Abbygail in a interview with planetransgender explains why the government is reacting the way it has and what they intend to do about it.

"First of all we got married in Oct. 2012, so why we can get marry but other same-sex (sex in law) couple can't? Because after our SRS in July,2012, I change my official gender first , so we become "opposite sex" and get married. Jiyi changed her official gender after that, that's how the magic happened."

"In the official explanation of the "marriage validity for person do SRS and change official gender after marriage" few years ago, the ministry of interior claimed "if the marriage registration is taken place when two people is 'one male and one female' , the marriage will keep valid."

One gay American blogger wishing to make a point that transgender people need to support marriage equality said Abbygail and Jiy "unwitting" became marriage equality advocates. But as a trans person I knew there much more to this story, a trans human love story, so I asked Abbygail if it was simply a Faux pas on there part:

Abbygail explained: "So how did the government find this out? It's because when Jiyi tried to apply to change "official gender" in Oct. 2012 after our marriage, one of the director in the Household Registration Office noticed her SRS is done before the marriage ( the date on the certificate). He remain uncertain about the effectiveness of our marriage, and send the official letter to his upper administrative offices. This is how the story begins."

"The government claim that although our legal gender is "a man and a woman" at the marriage registration, but we both "physically" woman because the SRS is done."

"Jiyi said: It feels like asking the ID card is not enough, and also put a hand into your underwear. It feels violation."

"unwittingly", yes, it might be. But base on the diversity of gender, what's our gender? female? We can't have babies. male? we aren't. We are in the somewhere of the "gender spectrum".

"I like to quote and change some words from the movie I recently watched and enjoyed -- "Now you see me":

"Look closely, because the more gender boundary divided you think you are, the less gender you will actually see."

"For legal change, We certainly hope the decision can change and we and other friends in the ISTScare and TAPCPR think we should have a "protection law" which can help to protect human rights for the gender diversity people."

"For the worst scenario, if the government is still want to revoke the marriage and the appeal is lose in the court, we will ask asylum to the "marriage with gender-centralize" countries, because the country we belong is not capable to protect our rights, the first country on the list is US and then UK(base the the info from ILGA website , UK grants asylum on the basis of gender identity.)"

"We choose to stand out because we know "nobody can know more and ask more clear about our rights, we need to stand our and tell the world and change it. Don't be afraid. If you are more afraid, more rights can be lose"

Same sex marriage movement is somewhat outside of the trans agenda, even resented by some (like myself)because of the resources consumed in the LGBT equality effort, but it remains important to us. More to some of us, than others. ( like those in love:)

Will and Grace- I will remember you

Before, when I lived in self imposed pretransition exile I saw myself as Grace the quintessential gay persons friend, in so many ways. I loved and admired Eric for being Will, so unabashedly gay before it was ok. Will's character helped empower me to transition.

I will remember you (partly because I have every season box set I could find through the years:)