Black? Trans? Alive? Defended Your Life and A Racist Died? Go to Jail.

Picture BDOLAN
The anger at the sentencing of Cece McDonald can not be expressed logicaly right now. America has failed us. So I'll let these videos and pictures do the talking.



Leslie Feinberg Arrested

Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-7574; and Billy Navarro, Jr., MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612) 823-1152
Leslie Feinberg was arrested last night amidst hundreds of Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald supporters protesting outside of the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility. Feinberg is being held at the Public Safety Facility in downtown Minneapolis and is facing charges of property damage. The protest was held on the eve of McDonald’s transfer to the state prison system, where she will serve out a sentence of 41 months for defending herself against racist and transphobic attackers. Although McDonald initially faced two charges of second degree murder, earlier this month she accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of second degree manslaughter due to negligence. Outraged supporters took to the streets, blocking traffic for over an hour in protest of the violent abuses McDonald has faced at the hands of our legal system. Feinberg joined demonstrators in making noise loud enough to be heard within the facility McDonald is currently being held at, and marching through the streets in a show of love and solidarity with CeCe McDonald and with all incarcerated individuals. Feinberg was the only person arrested, and is excited to draw more attention to McDonald’s story and to the prevalent racism and transphobia within the criminal system.

Feinberg has given the following statement:

Many people across the United States and around the world are watching, and history will record what happens on June 4, 2012. CeCe McDonald survived a fascist hate crime; now she’s sentenced as she struggles to survive an ongoing state hate crime. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded: “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”

As a white, working-class, Jewish, transgender lesbian revolutionary I will not be silent as this injustice continues! I know from the lessons of histories what is means when the state—in a period of capitalist economic crisis—enacts apartheid passbook laws, bounds up and deports immigrant works, and gives a green light to e white supremacists, fascist attacks on Black peoples—from Sanford, Florida, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a courtroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The prosecutor and the judge are upholding the intent of the infamous white supremacist Dred Scott ruling of 1857.

The same year Fredrick Douglass concluded: “Without struggle, there is no progress!”

CeCe McDonald is being sent to prison during the month of Juneteeth: celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation—the formal Abolitionist of “legal” enslavement of peoples of African descent. The Emancipation Proclamation specifically spelled out the right of Black people to self-defense against racist violence.

Yet, the judge, the prosecutor, and the jailers are continuing the violent and bigoted hate crimes begun by the group of white supremacists who carried out a fascist attack on CeCe McDonald and her friends.

CeCe McDonald is being sent to prison in June—the month when the Stonewall Rebellion ignited in the streets of Greenwich Village in 1969. From the Compton’s Uprising to the Stonewall Rebellion, defense against oppression is a law of survival.

This is Pride month, and will be bringing the demand: “Free CeCe—now!” to the regional Pride march where I live. I believe many other individuals, groups, and contingents will thunder that demand in Pride marches and rallies all over the world—informing millions who take part, and millions more who support.

The prosecution hopes this struggle is over. But it is not over: Free CeCe—now! An injury to one is an injury to all! Come out against racist, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and sexist wars at home and abroad!
Feinberg’s arrest is symptomatic of growing anger and frustration at the disproportionate targeting and abuse of young transgender women of color in our society. The actions Feinberg took last night were in solidarity with McDonald and all prisoners to let them know they are not alone. Feinberg is excited to garner attention to how McDonald is treated today as McDonald is transferred to the prison intake facility in St. Cloud, MN.

McDonald’s case does not reflect an isolated aberration in the functioning of the U.S. legal system, but rather business as usual within a society that has, for hundreds of years, profited from the incarceration and exploitation of people of color and trans/gender non-conforming people. McDonald’s sentencing sends a very clear message to all those following her case across the country: transphobia and racism are alive and well, both in the violent verbal and physical attacks on trans youth of color in the night as well as in the legal system which makes surviving this violence a crime punishable by years of incarceration. Nevertheless, we look forward to joining all of McDonald’s supporters in continuing to fight against these systems of power, for CeCe and for all transgender women of color targeted by the prison-industrial complex.

With love and rage,

The CeCe McDonald Support Committee

Watch Miss Rhode Island Clinch Miss USA With Transgender Answer

Fans tweeted the this final question, a first for a Miss USA pageant and asked a question about another first.

Source: Buzfeed.com What really clinched the win for Olivia was probably her answer about whether transgender pageant contestants should be allowed to compete and win. She said, "I do think that that would be fair, but I can understand that people would be a little apprehensive to take that road because there is a tradition of natural-born women, but today where there are so many surgeries and so many people out there who have a need to change for a happier life, I do accept that because I believe it's a free country." Watch her and the other four finalists answer their questions in the video.

I couldn't agree more Amy! I am thrilled that her answer in your opinion was largely responsible for her win. But is it possible there were no "Natural Born" woman in that competition.

"Natural born". What does that mean? dictionary.com definition

nat·u·ral-born
 
adjective

1. native-born.

2. by virtue of one's nature, qualities, or innate talent: a natural-born musician.

...makes no mention of gender, only attributes such as talent or abilities. So saying someone won the Miss USA Pageant because she was really, I mean really more woman more naturaly born is pretty absurd, intrusive and rude as quantifying a persons humanity always is. Transgender people could write volumes on that topic alone.

Peter McKnight at the Vancouver Sun makes a strong scientific argument that there is No such thing as a natural-born woman.

The reality is, in my opinion, we are all naturally born.

Radfems Gives All Radicals a Black Eye, Even Me

They, being the people who claim the moniker of RadFem have given all female radicals a black eye, including myself. Its inevitable, since all who do not identify as a "RadFem" (the rest of womanhood), are guilty by association simply because we are females, too.

 I have never been so presumptuous to call myself a 'feminist', because the reality is as a transgender woman, I have different life experiences. This difference incredibly is one of the cornerstones RadFems used for excluding all non cisgender people. They call us "Dickiest" which I presume the ignorant Radfem belives is insulting to trans woman by inferring we are male privileged. But in reality it means something entirely different. Now that's funny.

 But I do call myself a radical. A transgender radical and my agenda is intrinsically intertwined with feminism.

But RadFem's just don't seem to get it. No one is denying them a place to congregate to cast dispersion on a minority, if said minority has a opportunity to represent themselves in the conversation. RadFems do not abide by such conversation because by there creed we do not exist, as females.

I have had many years experience dealing with Cathy Brennan, a outspoken Radfem. At times the augment RadFems offer as validation of there anti trans views are almost comical, but in a tragic way.

Every time a RadFem indulges themselves in hate, we as there fellow woman suffer. All Cisgender woman suffer. That's tragic so in trying to get this across to Cathy Brennan I mentioned her in a tweet about their recent denial of a meeting place by Conway Hall. Brennan replied, tweeting as "Bugbrennan".....(note she always misspells my name to infer maleness, i guess)......

It is ultimately tragic that RadFems will not allow themselves to get past their hateful rhetoric and become at least open minded enough to engage in discourse and thus allow themselves the dignity of returning to a respected position within feminism.

I believe Radfems by virtue of their tenacity will locate a venue without morality that will allow them a stage. Its in their DNA, but is such a waste. Such a misdirection of potentially beneficial feminism.

Tragic. Ultimately tragic.

JC Penny's CEO is One BA Honey Badger

What is a "Honey Badger? I knew you were going to ask that:) According to the Urban Dictonary.....

You can find this BA Honey Badger's company on Facebook.

Video: Obama Proclaims June Transgender, Lesbian and Gay Pride Month!

."...Bit by bit they bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice..." President Obama June 1st 2012 

That's you and me the president of the United States of America is talking about. The gay man working quietly behind the scene for equality, the lesbian feminist fighting for transsexuals, the transgender man returning to speak at his all girl highs school about gender diversity. You are heroes and heroines of the American dream. You are the soil that great dreams thrive in...you are my hero's.



2012lgbt.prc.Rel

Thanks to Steve Rothaus at Gay South Florida for the Scribe

Integrity USA Begins Pride Month With Focus on The "T"

We invited Bishop Robinson to his first ever "transgender conversation" in 2008 following the exclusion of trans people from ENDA. We wanted to understand his statement in regards to gay people leaving us out of ENDA "A Half a love is better than none at all". It took place inside of the HRC Black Tie Dinner in Dallas Texas in Lu of our protesting the fundraiser.

I was upset that Bishop Robinson had refused to take the podium, instead took the the chair of our one and only gay panelist, a black man. He then refused to speak directly on his position regarding transgender inclusion in work place non discrimination laws. Afterwards in his luxury suite I asked him about this and he became quite agitated. Recognizing it would be better to continue the conversation at a later date I asked if we could.

Bishop Robinson simply answered "Why should I".

It became obvious to us at the conversation he had a long ways to go to accept us as equals in gods eye, but as evidenced by this video Bishop Robinson has come a long ways since 2008.



Integrity marks the beginning of Pride Month with the June 1st release of "Voices of Witness: Out of the Box" – the groundbreaking documentary giving voice to the witness of transgender people of faith. Courageously inviting the viewer into their journeys, the film is ultimately a celebration of hope and the power of God's love to transcend even seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Produced by Integrity’s Communication Director Louise Brooks, the film is being offered as a gift to the Episcopal Church as a resource for both teaching and transformation.


"Gender identity and gender expression are issues that can easily be misunderstood and cannot be wrapped up in a neat little box,” said Brooks. “So the goal of “Out of the Box” was to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. We have been blessed by a truly amazing cloud of witnesses who shared their stories and their lives with us. It has been a privilege to work with them to take this project from a dream to a reality as we offer their voices of witness to the church and to the world.”


"I believe God is calling us into this conversation now,” said New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, one of the voices featured in the project. “It is an opportunity to get to understand another part of God's never-ending diversity and another way to live into our baptismal calling to love all God's children."

The third in the Voices of Witness series, “Out of the Box” was released on the IntegriTV YouTube Channel on Friday, June 1st. It will also be distributed to every bishop and deputation prior to the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church meeting in Indianapolis in July, along with a study guide written by the Rev. Gary Hall.


“Making ‘all’ mean ‘all’ is the foundation of Integrity’s platform for General Convention 2012,” said Jon Richardson, Integrity’s VP for National Affairs. “And partnering with our TransEpiscopal allies to complete the work of adding gender identity and expression to our non-discriminations canons is part of the work “Out of the Box” will help us do.”


For more information contact:
Louise Brooks
Director of Communications
Integrity USA
communication@integrityusa.org
626-993-4605