According to Jay Dunn, manager of the city owned shelter the 'Bridge', in our first conversation, this question had never been a issue much less ever been asked.
But according to one employee of the Bridge that I interviewed, who stated rather matter of factly, that regardless of input from the guest on intake, Bridge Staff determined what gender to address him/her with and regardless of the resultant danger, routinely decided what facilities the guest would use to sleep and shower.
That was not be surprising to me as there was no formal written policy requiring staff training, guest awareness or facility availability for transgender people.
Since 2002 the city of Dallas has had a ordinance that requires transgender people be treated fairly in housing, employment and public accommodations. So I began attempting to establish contact with Fair Housing Office - Human Rights Compliance City of Dallas, which is tasked with enforcing this ordinance. After a month Karen Boudreaux returned my calls. She introduced herself as the city manager who "signed the checks" for the bridge. A meeting was scheduled with city managers and outreach workers, The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance(MDHA), and the group I represent, the Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies(DTAA).
The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance(MDHA) Bridge management was a no show, much to the chagrin of Karen Boudreaux but we held our meeting non the less.
During the meeting it was agreed that the need for a written transgender policy existed and that this issue had been addressed previously but not followed up on. There was a absence of a transgender policy after the city had taken over the bridge and contracted to the MDHA when a out of state management company, which had used it's own policy, was no longer managing the Bridge.
After repeated phone calls and emails I was later contacted by Jay Dunn, manager of the Bridge. Mr. Dunn assured me that at the bridge, regardless of the fact there was no written policy, transgender people were being treated according to city ordinance 46 and that in fact, no written policy was needed.
Mr. Dunn eventually did eventually agree to produce a written policy and did so in April 2009.
The new Bridge policy is a model of inclusiveness for transgender homeless and if the procedure is implemented, and a regiment of training is occurring, the bridge could be a safe emergency shelter for homeless transgender people.
I may soon verify that in person.
I have been living by the good graces of friends since February and am in severe financial straits due to the economic downturn. I will continue to try and find employment, write and advocate but may have to see in person if someone is............
Homeless Transgender in Dallas | Is there Somewhere safe To Go?
*****************
Dallas city ordinance 02-1506; ORDINANCE NO. 24927
Item 54.
An ordinance amending Chapter 15B of, and adding Chapter 46 to, the Dallas City Code, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in City of Dallas contracts; to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations; to provide a complaint, investigation, conciliation, and enforcement process; to provide exceptions; to define terms; and to provide a criminal penalty of not less than $200 or more than $500 - $168,706 - Financing: Currrent Funds (subject to annual appropriations - includes incremental costs of $14,988 and reallocated personnel costs of $153,718) [02-1506; ORDINANCE NO. 24927; APPROVED]
Fair Housing Office - Human Rights Compliance
DEFINITIONS
Sexual Orientation – means an individual’s real or perceived orientation as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or transgender.
MDHA
Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (located at The Bridge) Transgender Policy
The National Gay and Lesbian Task force report : 'Transitioning our shelters: A guide to making homeless shelters safe for transgender people'
On the web
Man of Austin Death of Jennifer Gale Brings Austin’s Transgender Homeless into Spotlight
SF ChronicleShelters slowly adapt to help transgender homeless
Dallas Voice Bridge shelter puts policy on trans homeless in writing
4/30/09
NGblog: Judy Shepard on Rachel Maddow/MSNBC
NGblog: Judy Shepard on Rachel Maddow/MSNBC 9pm EST
I want to watch this. Foxx(R) NC tirade against naming human rigts bills "Mathew Shepard" in honor of Judy's son has brought new energy that helped to pass the House version HR(1913.) It is now in the Senate Judiciary committee waiting recommendations as S.909 with a final destination at the White House where President Obama promised to sign it.
Thanks NG Blog
I want to watch this. Foxx(R) NC tirade against naming human rigts bills "Mathew Shepard" in honor of Judy's son has brought new energy that helped to pass the House version HR(1913.) It is now in the Senate Judiciary committee waiting recommendations as S.909 with a final destination at the White House where President Obama promised to sign it.
Thanks NG Blog
4/29/09
Republican Congresswoman Foxx (NC) calls Matthew Shepard's brutal murder "a hoax."
Republican Congresswoman Foxx(R)NC said continuing to name a hate crimes bill "The Mathew Shepard Act" is a hoax becuse she said everyone knows he was robbed.
Mathew Shepard's mother was reported to be in the gallery.
Source You Tube Comentary:
"The House Republican chosen to lead the charge against including women, people with disabilities, and gays in America's already-existing hate crimes law - existing law already counts violent crime based on the race, religion or national origin of the victim as a "hate crime" - just referred on the US House floor to Matthew Shepard's murder as "a hoax." Her name is Virginia Foxx, and she's from, of course, North Carolina. At what point will Republicans stop letting their party be lead by bigots and extremists?"
Hate Crimes Bill Passes House of Representatives
April 29, 2009
Source NCTE
Today the United States House of Representatives voted 249 to 175 in favor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H. R. 1913), moving one step closer to the passage of the first federal law to include gender identity and transgender people in a positive way. This bill would add sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and disability to the categories included in existing federal hate crimes law and would allow local governments who are unable or unwilling to address hate crimes to receive assistance from the federal government.
"This is a great day for America," commented Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, "as we make a clear statement that all lives are valuable and that no one deserves to be targeted for violence just because they are transgender. It is vital that we make it absolutely clear that violence motivated by bias is not tolerated in our country, because while this is a victory, the true victory will come when everyone is genuinely free from violence and discrimination. That's what we are working for."
Transgender people continue to be disproportionately targeted for bias motivated violence and thirteen states and Washington, DC have laws which include transgender people in state hate crimes laws.
What you can do
Contact your Senators' offices and ask for their support for the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, which was introduced yesterday by Senator Edward Kennedy.
NCTE
On the web
Dallas Voice Blog "Instant Tea" Hate Crimes bill passes in the House
NH Senate Democrats Destroyed Transgender Rights
The New Hampshire Senate voted unanimously against transgender rights while simintaiously Senate democrates issued statements condemning the statements made by the opponents of transgender rights bill.
"That sounds like bullshit to me." ~kelli Busey
The Democrates were the ones using the oppositions "POTTY POLITICS" as the REASON they did NOT support the bill.
Now these same democrats have been made to be accountable and they are squirming.
'POTTY POLITICS' = 'TRANS PANIC'
********************************
Source The Boston Herald
"The Senate voted unanimously today to kill the bill, but only after
Democrats condemned what they said were distortions by opponents."
"Republicans called it the "bathroom bill" based on the argument it
would open all bathrooms to both men and women, putting women and
children at risk in women’s rooms."
"Supporters said that amounted to painting a straightforward
anti-discrimination bill as something it wasn’t. They said it would
protect a vulnerable group who identify with the gender opposite of
their birth."
4/28/09
Letter From Transgender Faith Leaders in Support of an Inclusive Federal Hate Crimes Bill(HR1913)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Dear Decision-maker,
We the under-signed support an inclusive federal hate crimes bill (HR 1913) because we think it is good for the community to take seriously crimes such as the brutal murder of Angie Zapata in Colorado this past year. Reflecting upon the past weeks of Allen Andrade’s court trial, we are grateful for responsible investigators, prosecutors, and a jury who invalidated a harmful and re-victimizing “trans-panic” defense. No one is responsible for their own beating, bashing or killing. When some people are especially targeted for being different or for being queer, it makes sense that the community will act to especially protect them.
We wish that such a law could have protected Angie before her death. But in reality a great number of supports in a community are needed to reduce our vulnerability – namely, social and economic justice for all.
The ‘guilty’ verdict reached in a court of law dignified, but could never repair, the value of Angie’s life and the gravity of her loss. Yet, our experience in ministries that work toward nonviolent alternatives, reintegration and rehabilitation of offenders does not allow us to believe we can achieve safety by disposing of people behind bars. They are still with us. They are still part of us. We will be praying for the gay men and transgender inmates who face violence while they serve their time, who may even be serving their time in the same facilities as Allen Andrade. We will be praying for Allen as well, now cut off from the prospect of wholeness and reintegration with his community.
We who lead faith traditions hold to a story of justice that does not end with retribution, but rather with restoration. In the struggle against violence and deprivation, we applaud not only the work of the National Center for Transgender Equality to raise specific issues like hate crimes law, but also the work of Senator Webb (S.714) in raising a commission to address a general issue: criminal justice reform. It is high time.
We support legislation today that honors human dignity and possibility. Diversity is a fact of God’s creation -- except for poverty, which is our own creation. Where there is personal or systemic hate and disregard, we urge lawmakers to respond. Not only with indignation but with moral imagination.
Sincerely,
•The Rev. Malcolm Himschoot (Commerce City, CO)
United Church of Christ
•Nicole Garcia (Louisville, CO)
Transgender Representative, Lutherans Concerned/North America
•Mr. Barb Greve (Hamden, CT)
Co-Founder, Transgender Religious Professional Unitarian Universalists Together
•Rabbi Levi Alter (Malibu, CA)
President, Female-To-Male International (Human Rights Gender Non-Discrimination Organization)
•The Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge (Allston, MA)
Priest, St. Luke's and St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Co-Chair Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, TransEpiscopal
•The Rev. Dr. Julie Nemecek (Spring Arbor, MI),
Co-Director of Michigan Equality
•Chris Paige (Philadelphia, PA)
Founder, TransFaith Online
•Seth Donovan (Denver, CO)
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Full Inclusion Committee
•The Rev. Sean Parker Dennison (Salt Lake City, UT)
South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society
•Barbara Satin (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN)
Executive Council, United Church of Christ and Institute of Welcoming Resources and Faithworks Associate of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
•Noach Dzmura (Berkeley, CA)
Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity
•Senior Minister Carmarion D. Anderson (Dallas, TX)
Living Faith Covenant Church
•Minister Monica Joy Cross (Berkeley, CA)
Pacific School of Religion
•Angel Celeste Collie (Chapel Hill, NC)
Metropolitan Community Church
•Rabbi Elliot Kukla (San Francisco, CA)
•The Rev. Megan Rohrer (San Francisco, CA)
Director, The Welcome Ministry
•Richard Juang (Cambridge, MA)
Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality
•Rebecca Anne Allison, MD (Phoenix, AZ)
President-Elect, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, United Church of Christ
•The Rev. Pat Conover (Silver Spring, MD)
Minister, United Church of Christ
Steward, Seekers Church
•The Rev. Allyson Robinson (Gaithersburg, MD)
Associate Director of Diversity, Human Rights Campaign, Alliance of Baptists
•Jakob Hero (Berkeley, CA)
Pacific School of Religion
•Kate Bowman (Denver, CO)
Board Chair, The Gender Identity Center of Colorado
•The Rev. Vicky Kolakowski (Berkeley, CA)
New Spirit Community Church
•The Rev. Paul Langston-Daley (Glendale, AZ)
Minister, West Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
•The Rev. Michelle Hansen, S.T.M., M.Div. (Waterbury CT)
Episcopal Priest (Retired), TransEpiscopal, Treasurer and Moderator of the Twenty Club
•Aidan Dunn (San Francisco, CA)
Stanford University
•Joanne Herman (Boston, MA)
Old South Church, United Church of Christ
•The Rev. G Green (Kenosha, WI)
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
•Ari Lev Fornari (Boston, MA)
Rabbinical Student
•Diane DeLap (Wilmington, MA)
Co-Spokesperson, Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
•The Rev. Sarah J. Flynn (Burlington, VT)
All Souls Ministry, American Catholic Church of New England
•The Rev. Dr. Erin K. Swenson (Atlanta, GA)
Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, Presbyterian Church, USA
•The Rev. Sky Anderson (San Jose, CA)
Minister of Community Life, M.C.C. (Metropolitan Community Church)
•The Rt. Rev. Dr. Lynn Elizabeth Walker (Brooklyn, NY)
Orthodox Catholic Church of America
•Kelli Anne Busey (Dallas, TX)
Metropolitan Community Church
•Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott (Paterson, NJ)
Professor Emeritus at William Paterson University and founding memer of the Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus
•Mycroft Masada Holmes (Boston, MA)
Co-Chair, Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality
Chair, Keshet Transgender Working Group (TWiG)
•The Rev. Rik Fire (Warminster, PA)
Ecumenicon Fellowship
•The Rev. Laurie J. Auffant (Lowell, MA)
Unitarian Universalist Association
•Reuben Zellman (San Francisco, CA)
•Stephanie C. Battaglino (Cliffside Park, NJ)
Commissioner, The Oasis - the LGBTi Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, NJ
•Donna M. Cartwright (Baltimore, MD)
TransEpiscopal
•Kate Bornstein (New York City, NY)
Buddhist
•Woody Camacho (San José, CA)
The Metropolitan Community Church of San José
•The Rev. Jay Wilson (San Fransisco, CA)
The Welcome Ministry & Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
•Jeremiah Gold-Hopton (Atlanta, GA)
Worship Ministry, Northwest (Atlanta) UU Congregation
•Randall E. Klein (Walnut Creek, CA)
Founder, Light in the Closet Ministry, Hillside Covenant Church
•The Rev. Jake Kopmeier (St. Petersburg, FL)
King of Peace MCC
•Jake Nash (Cleveland, OH)
Minister of Worship, Emmanuel Fellowship Church
Executive Director, TranFamily of Cleveland
•Lauryn Farris (San Antonio, TX)
Lay Leader, United Church of Christ
President, San Antonio Gender Association
•Joni Christian (Kent, OH)
Visionary Kent UCC
•Elder Andrea' V. Boisseau AIS (Waltham, MA)
First Presbyterian Church Of Waltham
•Elder Sara Herwig (Waltham, MA)
First Presbyterian Church Of Waltham
•Elder Alanna Block-Butler (Waltham, MA)
First Presbyterian Church Of Waltham
Institutions are included for identification purposes only.
Dear Decision-maker,
We the under-signed support an inclusive federal hate crimes bill (HR 1913) because we think it is good for the community to take seriously crimes such as the brutal murder of Angie Zapata in Colorado this past year. Reflecting upon the past weeks of Allen Andrade’s court trial, we are grateful for responsible investigators, prosecutors, and a jury who invalidated a harmful and re-victimizing “trans-panic” defense. No one is responsible for their own beating, bashing or killing. When some people are especially targeted for being different or for being queer, it makes sense that the community will act to especially protect them.
We wish that such a law could have protected Angie before her death. But in reality a great number of supports in a community are needed to reduce our vulnerability – namely, social and economic justice for all.
The ‘guilty’ verdict reached in a court of law dignified, but could never repair, the value of Angie’s life and the gravity of her loss. Yet, our experience in ministries that work toward nonviolent alternatives, reintegration and rehabilitation of offenders does not allow us to believe we can achieve safety by disposing of people behind bars. They are still with us. They are still part of us. We will be praying for the gay men and transgender inmates who face violence while they serve their time, who may even be serving their time in the same facilities as Allen Andrade. We will be praying for Allen as well, now cut off from the prospect of wholeness and reintegration with his community.
We who lead faith traditions hold to a story of justice that does not end with retribution, but rather with restoration. In the struggle against violence and deprivation, we applaud not only the work of the National Center for Transgender Equality to raise specific issues like hate crimes law, but also the work of Senator Webb (S.714) in raising a commission to address a general issue: criminal justice reform. It is high time.
We support legislation today that honors human dignity and possibility. Diversity is a fact of God’s creation -- except for poverty, which is our own creation. Where there is personal or systemic hate and disregard, we urge lawmakers to respond. Not only with indignation but with moral imagination.
Sincerely,
•The Rev. Malcolm Himschoot (Commerce City, CO)
United Church of Christ
•Nicole Garcia (Louisville, CO)
Transgender Representative, Lutherans Concerned/North America
•Mr. Barb Greve (Hamden, CT)
Co-Founder, Transgender Religious Professional Unitarian Universalists Together
•Rabbi Levi Alter (Malibu, CA)
President, Female-To-Male International (Human Rights Gender Non-Discrimination Organization)
•The Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge (Allston, MA)
Priest, St. Luke's and St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Co-Chair Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, TransEpiscopal
•The Rev. Dr. Julie Nemecek (Spring Arbor, MI),
Co-Director of Michigan Equality
•Chris Paige (Philadelphia, PA)
Founder, TransFaith Online
•Seth Donovan (Denver, CO)
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Full Inclusion Committee
•The Rev. Sean Parker Dennison (Salt Lake City, UT)
South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society
•Barbara Satin (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN)
Executive Council, United Church of Christ and Institute of Welcoming Resources and Faithworks Associate of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
•Noach Dzmura (Berkeley, CA)
Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity
•Senior Minister Carmarion D. Anderson (Dallas, TX)
Living Faith Covenant Church
•Minister Monica Joy Cross (Berkeley, CA)
Pacific School of Religion
•Angel Celeste Collie (Chapel Hill, NC)
Metropolitan Community Church
•Rabbi Elliot Kukla (San Francisco, CA)
•The Rev. Megan Rohrer (San Francisco, CA)
Director, The Welcome Ministry
•Richard Juang (Cambridge, MA)
Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality
•Rebecca Anne Allison, MD (Phoenix, AZ)
President-Elect, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, United Church of Christ
•The Rev. Pat Conover (Silver Spring, MD)
Minister, United Church of Christ
Steward, Seekers Church
•The Rev. Allyson Robinson (Gaithersburg, MD)
Associate Director of Diversity, Human Rights Campaign, Alliance of Baptists
•Jakob Hero (Berkeley, CA)
Pacific School of Religion
•Kate Bowman (Denver, CO)
Board Chair, The Gender Identity Center of Colorado
•The Rev. Vicky Kolakowski (Berkeley, CA)
New Spirit Community Church
•The Rev. Paul Langston-Daley (Glendale, AZ)
Minister, West Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
•The Rev. Michelle Hansen, S.T.M., M.Div. (Waterbury CT)
Episcopal Priest (Retired), TransEpiscopal, Treasurer and Moderator of the Twenty Club
•Aidan Dunn (San Francisco, CA)
Stanford University
•Joanne Herman (Boston, MA)
Old South Church, United Church of Christ
•The Rev. G Green (Kenosha, WI)
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
•Ari Lev Fornari (Boston, MA)
Rabbinical Student
•Diane DeLap (Wilmington, MA)
Co-Spokesperson, Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
•The Rev. Sarah J. Flynn (Burlington, VT)
All Souls Ministry, American Catholic Church of New England
•The Rev. Dr. Erin K. Swenson (Atlanta, GA)
Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, Presbyterian Church, USA
•The Rev. Sky Anderson (San Jose, CA)
Minister of Community Life, M.C.C. (Metropolitan Community Church)
•The Rt. Rev. Dr. Lynn Elizabeth Walker (Brooklyn, NY)
Orthodox Catholic Church of America
•Kelli Anne Busey (Dallas, TX)
Metropolitan Community Church
•Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott (Paterson, NJ)
Professor Emeritus at William Paterson University and founding memer of the Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus
•Mycroft Masada Holmes (Boston, MA)
Co-Chair, Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality
Chair, Keshet Transgender Working Group (TWiG)
•The Rev. Rik Fire (Warminster, PA)
Ecumenicon Fellowship
•The Rev. Laurie J. Auffant (Lowell, MA)
Unitarian Universalist Association
•Reuben Zellman (San Francisco, CA)
•Stephanie C. Battaglino (Cliffside Park, NJ)
Commissioner, The Oasis - the LGBTi Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, NJ
•Donna M. Cartwright (Baltimore, MD)
TransEpiscopal
•Kate Bornstein (New York City, NY)
Buddhist
•Woody Camacho (San José, CA)
The Metropolitan Community Church of San José
•The Rev. Jay Wilson (San Fransisco, CA)
The Welcome Ministry & Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
•Jeremiah Gold-Hopton (Atlanta, GA)
Worship Ministry, Northwest (Atlanta) UU Congregation
•Randall E. Klein (Walnut Creek, CA)
Founder, Light in the Closet Ministry, Hillside Covenant Church
•The Rev. Jake Kopmeier (St. Petersburg, FL)
King of Peace MCC
•Jake Nash (Cleveland, OH)
Minister of Worship, Emmanuel Fellowship Church
Executive Director, TranFamily of Cleveland
•Lauryn Farris (San Antonio, TX)
Lay Leader, United Church of Christ
President, San Antonio Gender Association
•Joni Christian (Kent, OH)
Visionary Kent UCC
•Elder Andrea' V. Boisseau AIS (Waltham, MA)
First Presbyterian Church Of Waltham
•Elder Sara Herwig (Waltham, MA)
First Presbyterian Church Of Waltham
•Elder Alanna Block-Butler (Waltham, MA)
First Presbyterian Church Of Waltham
Institutions are included for identification purposes only.
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