Drag artist Vito Marzano: The Full Story on The Denver Wrangler's discriminatory actions

The following is a guest post written by Vito John Marzano who was denied access to a gay bear bar called "The Denver Wrangler". This blog has been following this story since the very beginning when Vito was originally denied access to the bar  and subsequent attempts by representatives of the Wrangler to censor planetransgender and intimidate Vito and the editor of the Transadvocate where these articles are cross posted.. Now as we wait for DORA's ruling Vito would like to set the record straight.

THE FULL STORY
By Vito John Marzano and edited by Carlos Marzano.

On the night of August 30, 2013, I attended a fundraiser in support of the Colorado Rush RFC—a predominantly gay men’s rugby team here in Denver. I had played with this team for one season and my husband was, at the time, an assistant coach and member of the Board. The fundraiser was a drag beauty pageant called Ms. Ruck and Maul and was held at Hamburger Mary’s in Denver. Since it was my husband’s first time in drag, I decided I would dress in drag as well to support him and the event. For the most part, the night was an incredible success and was filled with lots of fun. After the pageant, many participants began to change out of their drag clothes and head to the Denver Wrangler, a short walk down the street. I found my outfit quite comfortable and had no issue remaining in what I wearing. Having a history of wearing gender non-conforming attire, including, but not limited to, Genderfuck and drag, I decided to enjoy my gender-bending attire for the evening.

I approached the Wrangler as I did any other night I had gone—with my ID in hand. The security guard, Pat Steimer, denied me entry. He said I did not look like my ID. My first reaction was to remove my wig. Being from Long Island, New York, my outfit was an homage to many women in that area—think Yetta from the Nanny meets Linda Richman from SNL. We’re talking big hair. Without the wig, the only difference between my ID and my appearance was a light layer of foundation, a shaved face, some lipstick, and some eye shadow. I was not heavily made up and I had just used my ID without incident at Hamburger Mary’s. Pat stated that my gender MUST match my ID. I pointed out that I had been in the Wrangler before and never had an incident. Pat’s response was to tell me that I was from Denver so I should already know about this policy. I made a point of clarifying him on the spot. I am NOT from Denver and I did NOT know about this policy. I had just moved to Denver less than a year ago and I am very proud of my New York background (and my Long Island accent). Pat called the manager, Phil Newland, who reiterated that I was being denied entry because the gender on my ID did not match how I was presenting. Things began to get heated and they threatened to call the police on me.

As I walked away, my blood was boiling. I knew I had to get proof of this. I took my phone out and started to record video. Phil and Pat are much taller than I and the phone was about eye level with them. It was clearly visible. Pat stopped me in front of the Wrangler, on a public sidewalk, in front of the barricade, and told me I would be arrested if I didn’t leave. I asked him to confirm that the reason I was being denied entry was because the gender on my ID does not match how I was presenting. He nodded affirmatively. I started to challenge him on this policy and he, once again, called Phil back outside. Phil appeared and began to engage me, knowing full well I was recording video. We got into a debate as to whether or not the policy is transphobic. He even went as far as to say that the first step for any trans- individual is to update their ID at the DMV. When I said that I could not wait to upload this to the internet, Phil's response was “I have the block on charity in this town.” After roughly four and a half minutes of video, they resumed their threats to call the police on me.

At no point during this incident—and I repeat, at no point—did they say I was being denied entry because of my poor attitude or because I was acting belligerently. This was a debate about whether one of their policies is inherently transphobic.

The following day, I uploaded the video to YouTube and started the Boycott the Denver Wrangler page on Facebook. The response was overwhelming. After the video was released, Phil stated that I had illegally recorded them on private property. That is false. As I said, I made it very clear that I was recording video. I held the phone at eye level and I was on a public sidewalk. The Wrangler staff, however, continued to make a number of false or misinformed counter-arguments in their Facebook responses and revisionist account of the incident. I did nothing illegal that night and I stand by it.

Once the video had circulated through blogs, Facebook posts, and other social media, the Wrangler staff reported it to YouTube and the video was taken down. It was immediately reposted to Vimeo.

The entire video can be seen here

 Boycott The Denver Wrangler Facebook Page.

The public's response was very positive and supportive. I was completely unaware that the Wrangler's ID policy was well-known in Denver and people here simply put up with it. How disheartening. Why have people in Denver accepted such a blatantly transphobic ID policy? Why has no one stood up and challenged the Wrangler about this? Why are people tolerating discrimination? I simply could not wrap my head around the apathy.

Immediately after I posted the video to YouTube, the Wrangler retaliated against the only thing they could—the Colorado Rush RFC. Phil Newland sent them a letter stating that they will no longer offer sponsorship opportunities if they continue to allow their players to actively support the Boycott. Instead of the Colorado Rush RFC standing up against discrimination and in complete fear of losing money for the team, former Board President Nicholas Miller and Board member Kevin Michael Fuller began a witch-hunt to rid the team of Boycott supporters. After receiving the Wrangler's letter, Nicholas Miller posted a message to the Board of Directors Facebook group and asked for my husband’s resignation from the Board and from the coaching staff, as he was a visibly active supporter of the Boycott. They felt that, since he was in two positions of authority and representation, his participation would compromise the neutrality of the team. Putting matters of principle before blood money, my husband resigned to stand by me.

Immediately after, Nicholas and Kevin contacted active players who were supporting the Boycott and explained to them that they have two options, as stated in the Wrangler’s retaliatory letter—either remain on the team and end their support of the Boycott or leave the team entirely. Some team members pushed back and the Board eventually stepped down and ended the witch-hunt stating that active players may support the Boycott but members of the Board and coaching staff could not, lest they compromise the "neutrality" of the team. The Board then sent me a letter demanding that I stop claiming any affiliation with the team. In my response, I pointed out that I had never claimed to be a current member nor have I claimed to speak or represent the team. The only reason why the Wrangler retaliated against the Colorado Rush RFC was because the video description on YouTube said that I was coming from their fundraising event. That’s it. The Wrangler saw that and used it to their advantage. I did not bring the Rush into this, the Wrangler did. Still, I was being blamed for it. I also pointed out in my response that Kevin Michael Fuller had informed my husband that he was in a romantic relationship with Pat Steimer thereby creating another vested interest on the team’s part in the Wrangler. After word circulated that Kevin and Pat were in a romantic relationship, Kevin posted to his Facebook page stating that he had lied to my husband and it was all made up. Is this the kind of person the Rush wants on their Board of Directors? Really? Nevertheless, Board members continued to patronize the Wrangler and show their support. How is this being neutral? According to the Rush’s logic, supporting the Wrangler doesn’t compromise the neutrality of the team. Supporting the Boycott does.

At this point, it was more than obvious that the Rush had picked a side. They chose sponsorship over principles. They chose to sell out their own players for money. Instead of standing up for what is right, they chose to turn their back on drag queens and transgender individuals—the very people who raised money for them at Ms. Ruck and Maul. Is this really the brotherhood the Rush is teaching its players? How is this an "all-inclusive" team? How is this even right?

Keithen Vaughn, an employee of the Denver Wrangler and player on the Colorado Rush RFC, posted on a mutual friend’s Facebook page about how the Boycott was "stupid" and all it has done was cost the rugby team the ability to fundraiser at the Wrangler. I pointed out that it is illegal for any person or establishment to discriminate against a protected class and for the Wrangler to take retaliatory actions, as they have, but Keithen was unconvinced. Screen shots of the conversation were taken and posted to the Boycott Facebook page.

As the Boycott began to grow, more people came forward with their own stories of discrimination, harassment, and exclusion at the Wrangler. Planetransgender was the first to break the story. Phil responded to the article but his comments were incredibly inflammatory. He insisted on using the word “transgendered” as a verb and not "transgender" as an adjective, which many trans- individuals find offensive. I made it a point to correct his misusage. Secondly, he referenced second wave feminism as a way to discredit drag and gender non-conformity. I'm not sure how he came up with that but it was also an incorrect usage. He was also unwilling to listen to trans- individuals who had commented. How is that going to solve anything?

Shortly thereafter, OutFront Magazine, the foremost LGBT publication in Colorado, ran the story.

Once OutFront's article hit newsstands, the revisionism began. Supporters of the Wrangler began to make absurd claims about me, the night in question, and other events that may or may not have taken place.

About a week later, the Denver Post ran the story.

Now that this incident had picked up more media attention and the official Boycott website was launched at denver-wrangler.com, the Wrangler’s lawyers felt it was necessary to send me a cease and desist order. The letter was full of mistakes. They claimed that the video was taken on private property. It was not. They claimed that I was misrepresenting facts and engaging in a “slanderous” campaign. Interesting, considering that if that were true, it would be libelous. I trust their lawyers know the difference. Dismissing this letter as a sloppy scare tactic, I posted photos of it to the Boycott Facebook group and made it clear the Boycott would not end. We have one simple demand for the Wrangler—change the ID policy.

Jeff Compton, a supporter of the Boycott, began to organize a picket of the Wrangler. Phil commented on the Facebook event page and Jeff offered him a way out—meet with us without any lawyers at a neutral location to discuss the matter. Jeff said he would give them one week to respond. They didn't. I then made Phil another offer to meet. I suggested using the GLBT Center as a neutral third party to moderate the discussion. Phil made it clear there would be no meeting even though he has made previous claims that he was willing to discuss this matter at any time with anyone.

The protest moved forward. Daniel Gonzales captured the scene and organized it into a cohesively edited video. He interviewed people at the protest and asked them what they would like to see come out of this action. It came out really well.

You can watch the video here
The story was then picked up by the Advocate and Towleroad.

Celebrities such as RuPaul and Nina Flowers responded on Twitter, reposting links to the articles and commenting on the disappointing behavior within our community. It was a very proud moment for the Boycott.

Phil Newland responded as well on Facebook and claimed he had received death threats because of the media attention. I immediately reached out to Phil, encouraged him to contact the police, and let him know that I will cooperate in full capacity with any investigation. Phil’s response was that the phone numbers were blocked and he suspected that they were not local. Whether or not this actually occurred has been debated.

During the protest at the Wrangler, Brent Heinze, a well-known LGBT event promoter here in Denver, showed up with a counter-protest sign that said, “Protest Gay Marriage Not Drag Queens at Beer Bust.” This led to an immediate backlash against Brent from many within the LGBT, goth/industrial, and leather/kink communities in Denver where his events are heavily rooted. His sign hurt a wide range of people because, as is the case with so many cis-gender gay men, he minimized the fight for trans- equality. He said he was trying to bring attention to the “bigger picture” but it didn't work. I still don’t believe he knows what he did and how wrong he was for doing it. Brent tried to justify his actions by saying he didn’t intend to hurt anyone and he tried to issue an apology but it was very backhanded, insulting, and completely insincere. It took a few days for him to actually muster up something that was somewhat real but, by that time, he had already burned too many bridges. Brent offered to organize a meeting with the Wrangler but nothing ever came of it. He claimed that a certain person from the Boycott was attacking him and preventing the Wrangler from wanting to meet with me. I called utter bullshit on this. There have been many Wrangler supporters who have contacted me or publicly bashed me online and I was still open to meeting with the Wrangler. Nice try, Brent, but this is your mess. You clean it up.

When all of this was happening, Kevin Michael Fuller of the Colorado Rush RFC chimed in and reasserted on Facebook that the team was remaining neutral on this matter. I responded and pointed out how they were not neutral and have never been since day one. This led to an extremely long text message conversation between us, during which he flat out called me a faggot. Yes, a Board member of an “inclusive” gay men’s rugby team thinks it is okay to call people he doesn’t like faggots. Let that sink in for a bit. I find that word incredibly offensive and, under no circumstances, is it appropriate to use—period. Kevin knew this and used the word intentionally to hurt and anger me. Screen shots of the entire conversation were later posted to the Boycott Facebook page to bring more attention to the Colorado Rush RFC's unethical behavior. Many people were horrified including other gay men's rugby clubs across the country. Shame on you, Rush.

Around the same time, it was brought to my attention that the Colorado Rush RFC was holding their annual Board elections. Nicholas Miller stepped down as President and took another position, as did Kevin Michael Fuller. A supporter of the Boycott, who is still a current member of the team, asked to be part of the Board during these elections. He was told that, in order for him to join, he would have to end his support of the Boycott. He refused and, ultimately, was not allowed to join the Board. Interestingly, Keithen Vaughn, an employee of the Wrangler, was given the Board position of Vice President, without condition or incident. Not only does the Colorado Rush RFC condone a Board member calling someone a faggot, they fail to see their own hypocrisy in allowing an employee of the Wrangler on the Board. How is this taking a neutral position? How is this any less compromising than my husband being on the Board and the coaching staff? How exactly does a gay men’s rugby team use drag and gender nonconformity to raise money for themselves and then, when faced with transphobic discrimination, immediately turn their backs on the very people who helped them raise that money? How does this team justify allowing a Board member to call someone a faggot? How do they not recognize their hypocrisy in allowing an employee of the Wrangler on the Board but not a supporter of the Boycott? Again, how is this even right?

Meanwhile, a pseudo-LGBT activist group, calling themselves the Pink Panthers and claiming to be part of Queer Nation, performed their own investigation of the Wrangler in conjuction with Phil Newland and found no discrimination whatsoever—hmmm, curious. No one in Denver has ever heard of this group and they did not have much of a presence on Facebook. They have not done a single action in the entire year of their existence EXCEPT to criticize the Boycott and use language that was pretty close to Phil Newland's—hmmm, interesting. I wanted more information so I contacted their founder, Todd Hailey, and asked him why we were not invited to participate in this investigation. It seems very strange that Phil Newland was all of a sudden open to discuss matters at the Wrangler, even though he had turned down several attempts by the Boycott organizers to meet. All of this just seemed a little too orchestrated and staged. When Todd responsed to me, his answers were very misinformed and completely biased. We were then informed that he had supported the Wrangler from the beginning and, once this news cirrculated among the Boycott, people dismissed the Pink Panthers as armchair activists who had little to contribute to this cause.


THE LAW AND LEGAL ACTION

The Civil Rights Commission has published rules based on the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Law. Rule 81.1 states, “The rules in this section have been adopted to contribute to the elimination of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, inclusive of transgender status … in public accommodations…” Rule 81.2(B) states, “The term ‘transgender’ means having a gender identity or gender expression that differs from societal expectations based on gender assigned at birth.” Rule 81.2(D) states, “The term ‘gender expression’ means external appearance, characteristics or behaviors typically associated with a specific gender.” This wording implies that people who cross-dress and those in drag would fall within the category of transgender protections. It is my belief that the law is on our side. The Wrangler did not deny me entry because of attitude or attire, but because my gender did not match my ID. I did not meet societal expectations of gender that night. Under Colorado law, that is tantamount to discrimination.

A formal charge of discrimination has been filed with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) - Civil Rights Division. The Wrangler has had thirty days to respond and I will be given the opportunity to respond after that. I requested mediation through DORA, which the Wrangler denied. To be clear, the Wrangler has thrice denied our attempts to meet and come to a resolution.


WHAT IS THE POINT OF IT ALL?

The objective of the Boycott is for the Wrangler to change their ID policy. That is all we ask. Throughout this entire ordeal, it has become clear that we’re addressing the issue of hypermasculinity and the disdain of anything that is feminine. We are challenging the Denver LGBTQIA community to confront their desire for hypermasculinity. In doing so, we are challenging ourselves to use our cis-gender privilege to speak up for those who are often overlooked. As Brent Heinze demonstrated, many in our community tend to minimize the plight of our trans- and gender non-conforming brethren when comparing it to the civil rights for gay men and lesbians (in this instance: marriage). Fighting for one cause in our community does not diminish the need to fight for another. Having years of activist experience, I have fought for marriage equality in my home state and was at the Colorado State Capitol the day civil unions passed. The Wrangler has been steadfast in their right to discriminate. They have tried to twist well-documented facts around in order to benefit their perception. We want to put an end to that so everyone may feel included in their establishment.


HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED ME?

I come from New York and I have pretty thick skin. I am very direct and speak my mind as often as I can, especially when I see injustice and inequality within the LGBT community. In Colorado, my personality has been interpeted as abrasive and I have had issues with people here because of it. I believe that the Colorado Rush RFC chose to stand against me because of their past experiences with my direct behavior. Earlier in 2013, when I was an active player, I was not afraid to speak up at a general team meeting and point out that the Board President and Vice President at the time were mismanaging funds. I was not afraid to point out their financial inconsistencies and challenge what was being presented to the team. I felt we had a right to know exactly how our team's money was being handled and where every cent was going and, because of this, I became an outcast.

I had a lot of hopes when I moved to Colorado with my husband. We both did. But, with everything that has happened, I have begun to loathe living here. I deeply yearn to to return to the Northeast but I will remain here and continue to fight for what I believe in. This includes standing up for trans- rights.


WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

At the moment, we are in the middle of the State’s investigation. While we’re waiting for that to wrap up, we felt the need to do something more positive for our community. Last Saturday, December 7th, we held a Beer Bust at the Compound Baxix in Denver to raise money for the trans- programs at the GLBT Center. We called it “Queer Bust: Come as Queer as You Are.” Our idea is to see if this can grow into a monthly event to continuously raise money for trans issues. This is completely separate from the Boycott but was conceived by Boycott supporters. Everyone was invited and will be invited to future Queer Busts and I hope people will come to support trans- rights.

Watch the superintendent of the Catholic School Board of Vancouver says transgender youth should be hidden

Doug Lauson superintendent of the Catholic School Board of Vancouver defended his actions which resulted in transgender children being forced out of his school:

"there is a desire for the boy to wear a girls uniform. Once again there is medical research that the child should not be allowed to happen at least in the early years change over to the opposite sex. So some of the research indicates the exploration should occur while in the privacy of the home, while on vacation but not in a public manner. Does the boy change in the girls change room?"

There is no medical research supporting Doug Lauson's religiously founded transphobia. One of the children that Lauson forced out of his school has filled a civil rights complaint against the government. It will be interesting to see the 'medical research' that Lauson supports his transphobic dogma with.

Watch below: Doug Lauson, superintendent of the Independent Catholic School Board of Vancouver, talks about the church’s position on being transgender and the research they are doing on how best to accommodate transgender students in their schools.

Read the full story and watch all of the videos at globalnews.ca/news

Dept of Health and Human Services rules that Medicaid Medicare will not pay for SRS, for now

After thoroughly considering the results from their 2 hour comment period and summarily dismissing empirical proof that sexual reassignment surgery (SRS) is a medical necessity the HHS opted to hunker down with its 1981 ruling calling SRS 'experimental' and problematic.

In the trans advocacy world this is known as the 'we need to research just what transgender means' escape which is inevitably used by conservatives whenever trans inclusive legislation or ordinances are being voted on. Its a sure fire way to kill the bill and in this case stop a measure which would help save lives medically.

Back in April the Advocate reported on how the challenge to HHS's archaic rule began,

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, American Civil Liberties Union, and Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders filed the challenge on behalf of a transgender veteran who was denied gender-reassignment survey after her doctors determined it was medically necessary to alleviate her severe gender dysphoria. 

"Medicare's categorical exclusion of this care lacks any scientific basis," NCLR's legal director, Shannon Minter, said in a statement announcing the challenge. "Study after study has shown that these surgeries are the only effective treatment for many patients suffering from severe gender dysphoria."

"As a result of the administrative challenge, the Department Appeals Board of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must review the ban, determine whether it is reasonable based on current standards of care, and reverse it if it is not," according to the LGBT organizations' release. "Earlier last week, the HHS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on its own initiative included a statement on its website that it would be reconsidering the ban. [The center] subsequently withdrew its proposal to reconsider the ban and through a spokesperson explained that the ban would instead be reviewed through the independent Department Appeals Board process."
The December 2013 ruling denies Medicare or Medicaid coverage for SRS for the exact same reasons regardless of the proof it is a medical necessity for some trans people.

From the HHS December PDF

"Based on the current record in this proceeding initiated by an acceptable NCD complaint from an aggrieved party, the Departmental Appeals Board (Board) has determined that the NCD (National Coverage Determination) record in this case “is not complete and adequate to support the validity of the NCD” denying Medicare coverage for transsexual surgery “for sex reassignment of transsexuals."

Case Background
The aggrieved party here filed an initial NCD complaint and supporting materials on March 26, 2013 and a supplement on April 18, 2013, and the Board notified CMS of the filing of an acceptable complaint on April 29, 2013. CMS submitted the NCD record on May 15, 2013, and the aggrieved party submitted, on June 14, 2013, a statement of why the NCD record is not complete or adequate to support the validity of the NCD under the reasonableness standard. In addition, six advocacy organizations petitioned for and were granted permission to participate as amici curiae in the NCD review by filing written briefs, which they submitte

tem/Service Description

Transsexual surgery, also known as sex reassignment surgery or intersex surgery, is the culmination of a series of procedures designed to change the anatomy of transsexuals to conform to their gender identity. Transsexuals are persons with an overwhelming desire to change anatomic sex because of their fixed conviction that they are members of the opposite sex. For the male-to-female, transsexual surgery entails castration, penectomy and vulva-vaginal construction. Surgery for the female-to-male transsexual consists of bilateral mammectomy, hysterectomy and salpingooophorectomy, which may be followed by phalloplasty and the insertion of testicular prostheses.

Indications and Limitations of Coverage

Transsexual surgery for sex reassignment of transsexuals is controversial. Because of the lack of well controlled, long term studies of the safety and effectiveness of the surgical procedures and attendant therapies for transsexualism, the treatment is considered experimental. Moreover, there is a high rate of serious complications for these surgical procedures. For these reasons, transsexual surgery is not covered.
­
The NCD directly quotes from or paraphrases portions of an 11-page report that the former National Center for Health Care Technology (NCHCT) of the HHS Public Health 2 NCDs are available at http://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/overview-and-quick­search.aspx?list_type=ncd.


The aggrieved party also argues that the NCD when issued was invalid and unsupported by the NCD record. The aggrieved party argues that the 1981 NCHCT report acknowledged the effectiveness of transsexual surgery in stating that “eight of the nine studies” that “represent[ed] the major clinical reports thus far published” between 1969 and 1980 on the outcome of the surgery “reported that most t ranssexuals show improved adjustment on a variety of criteria after sex reassignment surgery.”7 NCD Record at 17­18. The aggrieved party also argues that the ninth, unfavorable, study on which the 7 The NCHCT discounted these findings on the ground that the eight favorable studies did not meet “the ideal criteria of a valid scientific evaluation of a clinical procedure.” NCD Record at 18.

Conclusion

For the reasons explained above, we conclude that the NCD record is not complete and adequate to support the validity of NCD 140.3, “Transsexual Surgery.” Therefore, as required by the statute and regulations, we will proceed to discovery and the taking of evidence. As stated above, our ruling here does not address the ultimate question of whether the NCD as written is valid under the reasonableness standard in the statute and regulations.

Sometimes the government makes absolutely no sense even to our advocates in DC.

Brittany-Nicole Kidd-Stergis is the second Ohio transgender woman murdered this week

Cleveland resident transgender woman Brittany-Nicole Kidd-Stergis was found shot to death in her car Friday night according to the Plain Dealer. Much to the credit of the Plain Dealer they contacted a local trans advocate who said her murder has all the earmarks of a hate crime.

The police are not saying her murder was a hate crime but have not ruled out the possibility.

This makes two transgender woman murdered in the past week and three recently in North East Ohio.. Just a couple days ago Betty Janet Skinner 52, a disabled trans woman was found beaten to death in her apartment. In January 2012 Cemia Acoff was found tied to a concrete block in a pond. Andre L. Bridges was arrested and later sentenced to life for her murder.

This video was posted by Brittany Dec 4th on facebook
Click here to watch

Disabled Cleveland Transgender woman beaten to death in her assisted living home

CLEVELAND -- Police are investigating a homicide that apparently occurred overnight in a Devonshire Road apartment.

Just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Betty Janet Skinner, 52, a transgender woman.

Police say that a home healthcare worker found Skinner dead early Thursday morning. The worker had left the apartment about 10 p.m. Wednesday and returned to find her dead in bed with severe head injuries Thursday morning.

Police say Skinner was physically disabled, required assisted living and received regular home health care.

Police say there are no witnesses or suspects at this time and the cause of death will be determined by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner. ~ WKYC.com

Anyone with information regarding this matter is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.

Attorney for murderer Rasheen Everett asks for light sentence saying transgender woman Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar's life didn't matter

The callous heartless lawyer for Rasheen Everett appealed to the judge at the sentencing hearing hoping that the judge shared his and his clients belief that all people are human, except transgender people.

New York Post: In a bizarre courtroom speech, a Queen defense attorney said the life of a murdered transgender prostitute wasn’t worth much — and argued that her convicted killer shouldn’t be punished as if he had killed someone “in the higher end of the community.”

“A sentence of 25 years to life is an incredibly long period of time judge,” John Scarpa said Thursday as he asked a judge to go easy on his client, Rasheen Everett, for killing hooker Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar in 2010.

“Shouldn’t that be reserved for people who are guilty of killing certain classes of individuals?”
Then, taking callousness to a new level, he said: “Who is the victim in this case? Is the victim a person in the higher end of the community?”

New York Post reports that Everett snickered during the emotional testimony by Amanda's family even winking at friends as he was led out of court..

Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard Buchter scolded Scarpa as he sentenced Everett to 29 years in prison.



VIVIRLATINO : Remembering Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar : “She Wasn’t a Loner, She Wasn’t a Throwaway”

The "bone headed attorney"

So who is this John Scarpa a man who would throw us away like trash?

During the trial he asked Everett's ex why she broke up with him. She told the jury it was because he tried to choke her, beat her up and imprisoned for a week before she got away and she had pictures to prove it with her.

The jury gasped and shook their heads at Scarpa's ineptitude. The New York Post summed up it nicely when they reported about the "Bonehead attorney outs client’s ‘assault’"

Just so you know who NOT to hire the law office of John A Scarpa, Jr.is at 125-01 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens NY 11415 and his number is (718) 281-2331

You can read the reviews about attorney Scarpa and even write one as long as you aren't receiving freebies from him at YELP.

Video: Ten year old reacts to being told that some "blame" her parents for her being transgender

"I'm taking a stand. It will not happen here without a change in plumbing," said Delta School District 50J board member Kathy Svenson this week.

Svensons isn't backing down. She's demanding that 10 year old girls like Harriette Cunningham be castrated and 10 year old transgender boys be sterilized before she would allow them to attend her Delta Colorado school.

Forced sterilization amounts to nothing less than genocide

Kathy Svenson take a good look at this video. Rethink your morality.

By Mia Sheldon and Jill Krop  16x9

ABOVE: Ten year old Harriette was born a boy “Declan”. Never wavering in who she is, Harriette knew early on she was meant to be a girl.

“I’ve always been a girl, even when I was considered a boy,” says ten-year-old transgender child, Harriette Cunningham. “In my dreams I was never a boy.”

Read more at globalnews.ca news

Two and a Half Men: Alan falls for a Transgender Woman who used to be Paul

Synapse: Alan accompanies his niece Jenny who just came out to a gay bar where he unexpectedly meets Paula, who reveals she's a banker. After drinks they find themselves turned on and have a sexually charged conversation about banking and well, early withdrawals.
So far so good. Pretty much like lots of hook ups that most of have experienced?

But with talk like the outcome is inevitable. The next scene finds the two in bed after sex with Alan looking ever so satisfied, but inexplicably Paula has a perplexed look on her face.

Click here to watch the clip

Paula explains her trepidations "well there was something that I should have told you before we slept together" What a husband or herpes? gasps Alan "Well" Paula explains "there was another guy, Paul. You see for the first forty years of my life I was a man named Paul."

Que the transpanic ewww laugh track......

...the perfect set up for transpanic outrage......

Alan: Wow, you don't look forty.

LOL! Classy. Very very classy and funny.

According to reviews Alan is enamoured with Paula and her being trans isn't a factor in upcoming episodes. Of course we know they'll be treading the fine line between trans sesitivites and comedy.

cartermatt.com "Jenny decides to take Alan to a gay club to pick up women and he meets a woman named Paula that he clicks with. He brings her home and after sleeping together, Paula tells Alan that she used to be a man named Paul. We initially thought that Alan might be weird about the situation, but they have such a great connection that he decides to keep dating her. Paula quickly shows that she’s the alpha in the relationship, but Alan really doesn’t seem to have much problem with it."

Yes I know, another cis woman playing a trans person. WHY? And I know some trans peeps will say its up to us when or even if we divulge or trans history but this is a TV show and hopefully they will keep the show classy and forward looking.

We're still fine tuning society.

California Trans Student Jewelyes Guitierrez attacked by mob, speaks out

It was a mob, a gang if you will. There were easily a dozen students who weren't physically involved who were throwing abuse and encouraging the girls attacking Jewelyes last month. It would be absurd to think those same agitators were not involved with the incidents that led up to the fight.

Its called bullying and it is unacceptable anywhere.

Click here to watch opens in new window

Guitierrez told the school board that she unsuccessfully tried to get help from the vice principal before the Nov. 15 fight that was captured on a cellphone camera, reported local station KNTV.

Police concluded that Guitierrez hit first and recommended she be charged with two counts of battery on a school ground.

"The complete investigation showed that >>he<< was the aggressor and that what you had seen (in the video) was apparently after the original incident," Det. Connie Van Putten told the Daily News

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Perhaps the good Det. should learn which pronouns to use when speaking about a woman.

Ohio mother of Transgender student says enough is enough. Stop the Bullying.

Keat, a perfectly adorable transgender child from central Ohio has gone public with her identity and her mother, after experiencing the reactions of some, is saying enough is enough.

Emily LeVan posted her daughters authentic name and gender on facebook and was astonished and saddened by some of the transphobic comments.

I asked Emily what she'd like to tell our community. She responded via facebook
"Just that I'm overwhelmed with the support that I've received since the interview aired. Keat is a very strong young lady who knows exactly who she is and I'm proud to be her mom. My fear was that I would receive a lot of backlash for doing the interview and while there has been some on the 10tv facebook page, the supporters far outnumber the naysayers. The tide is turning for transgender individuals and I'm proud that my daughter is helping to lead the way.

Show some love on the 10tv facebook post.

We are proud of you and we stand with you Keat and you're wonderful family.



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Argentinian Transgender Couple Karen Bruselario and pregnant husband Alexis Taborda Marry

(APF Agence France-Presse) The bride was born a man. The groom was born a woman. And when the Argentine couple wed Friday, it was the first time in the country that a groom tied the knot pregnant.

Argentina in 2010 was the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage. And two years later, it passed a law allowing transsexuals to get national IDs listing the gender with which they identify themselves.

So when Karen Bruselario wed Alexis Taborda in the northeastern city of Victoria, it was another big step on their journey together after meeting in Buenos Aires as activists for transsexual and transgender rights.

 “It was a very emotional day, unique, really special because a dream came true for us. We had a civil marriage,” Taborda, 26, told AFP by phone.

Their next big step: Taborda, who legally is male as he self-identifies as such, is 36 weeks pregnant, with the couple’s first child. Neither had sex reassignment surgery.

Taborda and Bruselario, 28, said they would like to marry in a Catholic church.

So they sent an email to Argentine-born Pope Francis about their case. They have yet to receive a response from the pontiff.

They claim to be the first couple of two transsexuals to wed here who have not had reassignment surgery.

Taborda admitted that he does not feel a lot of maternal instinct though he is ready to give birth December 22 by Cesarean section to a girl the couple wants to name Genesis Angelina.

“It’s really weird to see Karen dying to feel the baby’s kicks or to have my symptoms,” he said.

For captions in your language click CC, then turn captions on and after clicking options a drop down menu will apperar allowing you a wide choice of languages to choose from.

Dallas Transgender people ain't buying "Dallas Buyers Club"

The Oscar for best supporting role goes to Jared Leto for his portrayal of a drug addicted trans hooker who's fictional character "Rayon" was written into the story line as a tragic joke in "The Dallas Buyers Club".

I wanted to experience this movie fully so I watched it with my longtime best friend and HIV/Aids activist Pamela Curry at the Angelika theater in Dallas Texas. I picked this theater purposely because of its proximity to the gayborhood and its indie motif.

What I couldn't have anticipated was the hostile looks Pamela and I received while we seated ourselves in the theater. People openly glared at us. That was just a taste of how othered we, and especially Pamela would come to feel. Much of the movie centered around what we understand as Parkland hospital. The same hospital where I visited Pamela a couple years ago when she was as close to death from aids as a soul could possibly be. The same hospital that was incredibly inhuman to her and has historically treated trans people so egregiously.

No one even snickered at the homophobia Woodroof displayed but there was no denying the humor in Woodroof's transphobic comedy. REALLY?

Cisgender audience members laugh in glee as Rayon's bedroom pictures were torn from the wall by a masturbating Woodruff who then continued to pleasure himself with real woman's pictures.

Pamela and I cringed.

Nearly every time Rayon was shown with stubble, every time she was misgendered.

Pamela and I cringed.

When the audience laughed out loud when Woodroof pointed his gun at Rayon's crotch and threatened to "give him the sex change he always wanted." After all who doesn't find shooting off the genitals of a trans woman hilarious?

Pamela and I cringed.

I cried when Rayon passed away. It was tragic. Rayon, Pamela and I weren't ever going to be remembered as anything but a joke.

There weren't any doctors weeping as Pamela neared death at Parkland I can tell you that. In the movie Dr. Eve Saks sorrow was pure unadulterated fantasy to assuage those who laughed at Rayon who might have had a twinge of remorse for doing so.

I cried when when Woodroof died. I was just like him back then when the horror of the AIDS epidemic became undeniable. I rode steel horses, flew in infantry helicopters and fucked woman. Only I didn't just have sex with woman. I had sex with men but promised myself I would never do it again. (yeah right) And I was scared to death on the inside while feeling religiously smug that perhaps god's will was being done as the priests had alluded to.

I was crying because my best friend was hugging me and looking at me compassionately. She understood even as I was confessing this.

Pamela wasn't nearly as emotionally moved by this movie. She told me because she had lived that life personally.

And its damn time the world knows something. Trans people are not transphobic jokes and we damn sure do not need your pity. And we damn sure don't need you writing us into a story for those reasons. A story which will be remember for good or for bad as having some historical truth.

All in all I would give this movie five stars for all it is, and all that it's not. A must see. Amazing acting. Just not reality. Offensive to trans people? Perhaps but in any case an opportunity to be introspective and maybe like me, come clean about internalized bigotry.

Hacking GIC Transgender Transition In the UK: An ezine by Mascara and Hope

Mascara and Hope will help you hack the complicated, institutionalized, incredibly long, albeit free process that will eventually align your body and soul with your authentic gender. Its written in such a way as forewarn you about the potential tripping points and how to deal with those who's paycheck comes from delaying your transition. Universally those people are known as...

Gate Keepers

Hacking the gate Mascara & Hope offers these classic tidbits...

http://planetransgender.blogspot.com/2013/12/hacking-transgender-transition-in-uk.html

#KinkyBoots empowering message @Macy Day Parade enthralls everyone. Well almost everyone.

Kinky Boots Message of overcoming adversity by accepting diversity thrilled everyone. Well, almost everyone. The pseudo Christians at  WND for instance. Who would have guessed. I remember a time when this sort of thing would have got you tied up from the highest post.....

....bed post that is and tickled to death.

Hey WND lighten up. The message is we can overcome together. Why don't you join with the world and try it?

Sasha the Agender teen who's skirt was set on fire on a bus makes it home for thanksgiving

Wearing a skirt and a smiling Agender Sasha Fleischman returned home yesterday after spending weeks in hospital recovering from burns.

Eighteen year old Sasha was asleep on the way home on a public transit bus when they skirt was set on fire. The surveillance video shows 21 year old Richard Thomas committing this act of violence but it has not been released by police who say its just too graphic.

Sasha has had tremendous support and love from their school who organized a community skirts for Sasha day in which everyone, even school officials, gladly participated by wearing a skirt.

We are glad you are home Sasha.

"I am enough" project by Kye Allums pays it forward

While a sophomore in 2010 at George Washington College Kye informed his school he was transgender. While he remained on the woman's basketball team it was with the understanding he would not be allowed to begin HRT and for some reason, forgo SRS.

Basically Kye put his transition on hold. Understandably a very stressful time.

Kye has decided to pay it forward with Project I Am Enough a storytelling platform dedicated to promoting self-love, acceptance, and respect for everyone on the gender spectrum.

The end goal of the project is to help ten people financially who are just beginning transition in 2014.

Kye on the Go Fund me project: "As a shy, quiet, and closeted teenage girl growing up in Minnesota, I truly believed that I was the only gay person on the face of this earth. I would spend countless nights crying trying to figure out how I could be “normal”. I wanted to be like everyone else. It wasn't until later that I realized that being like everyone else wasn't an option, I could only be me.
Going to George Washington University for basketball gave me an opportunity to be around people that helped validate my identity. I was misinformed. There ARE other gay people in this world! Although that made me happy beyond belief I still felt like something was off, and I didn't know why. I had no words to express how I was feeling."

"All of that changed when I walked into my Human Sexuality class. Right in front of me was a panel of LGBT people sharing their stories. For the first time in my life I was able to hear from a transgender man as he talked about things that he had experienced throughout his life. I now had the vocabulary to explain how I was feeling. I’m a transgender man!"

@KyeAllums on twitter, personal facebook page Kye on the Go Fund me project: 




Male to female and female to male know how it feels to feel like your feet are facing backwards.




Another great way to support our community is through K.Page Productions which has produced a 2014 TransMan Community Calendar from all over L.A. county showcasing their name, contact information and business details.

Buy your 2014 "get to know your community" calendar - California edition @ http://t.co/SkBdiicJNT. Partial proceeds benefits @TeamIAmEnough
— K. PAGE Productions (@KPAGEproduction) November 27, 2013

Steubenville Rape case: Grand Jury Indicts superintendent High School principal and two coaches

An underage girl was repeatably raped by a football team dragged unconscious from party to party across state lines while party goers recorded her being raped and posted those recordings online.

Incredibly mainstream Media remained silent about it and many in the town openly sided with the rapists.

Anonymous was outraged and and called on social media to act and publicly Dox'd the rapists names. Anymomus was rewarded with a visit from the federal law enforcement who invaded the hactivist's house who exposed this atrocity.

With the pompous moral grandstanding of the OHIO Attorney general I find it ironic that the Russian news is reporting this for what it is "Four officials charged in Anonymous-propelled Steubenville rape case" .

So we, the people are forcing justice to happen DESPITE the school's attempted cover up and worse yet the egregiousness of American law enforcements who were complicit with these criminals.



Source Post Gazette:  -- The rape investigation that brought the national spotlight to Steubenville, Ohio, has ended with the indictments of the city's school superintendent and three others connected to the school district.

A special grand jury on Friday indicted superintendent Michael McVey, 50, along with a principal, a wrestling coach and a former assistant football coach on charges related to failing to report or hiding evidence of the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl by two football players after a drinking party in 2012. The charges were announced Monday.

While players Trent Mays and Ma'Lik Richmond were convicted in March, observers had wondered whether others tied to the district and its powerful Big Red football team would becalled to account.

According to DeWine’s department, Superintendent McVey stands to face a maximum of nearly eight years in prison if convicted on all counts. Belerdine, 26, stands to face at the most one year and 265 days in jail, and Fluharty and Gorman could each get away with serving only one month for their alleged crimes.

REALLY? That was the same response we got when we started demanding justice.

“Some may ask why others were not indicted,” DeWine said during Monday’s presser. “It is simply not sufficient that person’s behavior was reprehensible, disgusting, mean-spirited, or just plain stupid,” he said.

Colorado School board member Katherine Svenson says trans girls must be castrated before using the restroom

Svenson passed out an issue of the Education Reporter during the October meeting, and said:

"I would like to pass out something that shows people what is going on in the rest of the country. Massachusetts and California have passed laws relating to calling a student, irrespective of his biological gender, letting him perform as the gender he thinks he is, or she is, and I want to emphasize, and they're actually talking about joining girls sports teams going in the girls locker rooms and bathrooms, and I just want to emphasize not in this district. Not until the plumbing's changed. There would have to be castration in order to pass something like that around here."

She stands firmly by her statements.

"I don't have a problem if some boys think they are girls, I'm just saying as long as they can impregnate a woman, they're not going to go in girls locker-room," said Svenson. She says she brought the issue up in order for other board members to be aware of the issues that could be coming to Colorado very soon.



More at KrexTv

Be Aware the SICK new "Knock Out Game" It's a real threat to transgender people.

Transgender and LGB people were not mentioned as potential targets but we know all too well this sort of violence..."It's a chilling trend being felt across the country with incidents reported in Philadelphia, new york, Connecticut and Pittsburgh. Victims left injured and stunned. Footage of the attack caught on surveillance cameras or posted online by the attackers themselves." ~ More at ABC news

More World News from ABC

Against Me! Rocks Troubadour in West Hollywood on way to Japan

If you haven't been to see Laura Jane Grace yet this is what it means. Honesty. Raw soul. Courage. And LOUD, very very LOUD, head banging, crowd surfing, eye opening heavy metal introspection and joy.

Against Me! faced some controversy and doubt albeit very little, after Laura openly began transition. Some feared Against Me! would lose their cutting edge power with Laura's embracing her femininity. I saw her with her old band mates last year and they rocked. But the refreshed band looks so awesome I just can't wait for her to come back to the lonestar state.

Laura Jane Grace is proof that we should not assume anything about transexuality or Punk Rock.



Read a first hand account of Against Me! performance in WeHo in the LA Times "Against Me! turns pain into triumph at the Troubadour" by Mikael Wood. He totally gets what it means to be transgender. A great read.

In the Windy the 29th? Against Me! will be playing a free solo set black friday at Reckless Records.

Worthington Transgender woman Jacqui Cowdrey found dead two arrested, released on bail

50-year-old Jacqueline Cowdrey, known as Jacqui, was found dead in her ground flat in Heron Court, Victoria Road, Worthing, shortly before 6pm on Tuesday (19 November)

A post mortem was carried out on Wednesday but further tests need to be done to confirm the cause of death.

Detective Inspector Gordon Denslow said: "We are still trying to confirm exactly what happened to the woman in the hours before her death.

"We believe she was in an argument with a man in Bedford Row, close to the Vintner's Parrot pub in Warwick Street. Did you see or hear that argument taking place, some time between 4pm and 7pm on Monday (18 November) ?

"We would still also like to speak to anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious at Heron Court in the hours before we were contacted.

"Please contact us if you know anything at all about what happened."

Anyone with information should call 101 or email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting Operation Seal, or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

Sources: Heart.UK, The Argus

Stand with Secular Woman in Asking SPLC to Monitor Gender Identity Watch as a Hate Group

Secular Woman is a organization which amplifies the voice of non religious woman. Being humanists they also considers" the term woman to apply to anyone who presents herself as a woman or says she is one.

 They also prescribe to many of the tenets of feminism and as such, abhor discrimination against womankind regardless of its origins.

Secular woman have become increasingly incensed over the vehemently transphobic feminist splinter group's TERF website "Gender Identity Watch". They have just begun the petition "Southern Poverty Law Center: Monitor Gender Identity Watch as a Hate Group" which has garnered a thousand signatures in the first day.

Almost as if on cue Gender Identity Watch responded to the petition further validating its purpose:

"Men’s Rights Activists and Gender Identity Watch"

"Calling political speech that does not toe the liberal line “hate speech” is a common tactic of Queer and Liberal organizations. Rather than free and open debate, such MRAs want you to embrace thought-terminating cliches like  ”Transwomen are Women.” These MRAs – who are invariably White Males who “identify” as Women or heterosexual “Queer” Women who have no investment in Lesbian community – continually harass the Southern Poverty Law Center, which actually has its hands full tracking racist hate groups across the country."

TERF's attack trans people and gender non conforming people not for the sake of feminism but out of pure unadulterated hate. This group of people have done as much to damage transgender peoples acceptance as other groups identified as hate groups by the SPLC.

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Screen grab of the Gender Identity Watch
post by Cathy Brennan with the only
known video copy of mainstream
 media's outing of Jane Doe by name. 

In fact TERF Attorney Cathy Brennan author of GID Watch and central TERF ideologue recently publicly stood with the Pacific Justice Institute, an organization affiliated with groups already designated as hate groups by the SPLC to unmercifully bully Jane Doe, a Colorado transgender teenager.

Fact. Googling the transgender student by her name returns only one result. The main stream media article, the only article calling her by name, has been edited and the accompanying video deleted.

The only place you will now that you will find that video is a shaky recording of the channel 5's report saved on Vimeo by Cathy Brennan who then posted it on Gender Identity Watch

That is not the first time Brennan has stooped so low. In 2012 she outed a transgender student  to his school and mocked him as he attempted to apologize for a ill advised joke made after she provoked him on twitter. Then she did it again in 2013 to Jane Doe by publishing her birth name.

This sort of behaviour is unequivocally unjustifiable malicious hate. and I implore the SPLC to monitor GID Watch and there accompanying TERF antagonists.

Ashlee Evans-Smith MMA Cage fighter who beat Fallon Fox says she shouldn't fight woman

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"Fallon Fox shouldn't fight dudes, Fox shouldn't fight woman. Transgender people should have a unique organization for those needs" - Ashlee Evans-Smith.

So why does Evans-Smith think Fallon Fox and other trans people should be segregated?

"She (fallon Fox) did have did have a unfair advantage."

And that was after Ashlee Evans-Smith she she won because she hit harder, grappled better, had better ground techniques, cardio and leg strength.

Would I fight Fallon Fox again? "No because I want to fight someone and I think all other woman want to compete against people on a equal playing field."

Meaning of course she doesn't think transgender woman are really woman.

"Oh and I hope LGBT people please don't hate me."

 Ironically after reading some of the comments on Youtube it appears that the Ashlee Evans-Smith interview enlightened many who were previously opposed Fallon Fox fighting other woman.



Fallon Fox responds to this interview rather incredulously on Outsports:

But, that's clearly not really what this is about. This is about the category she has me in within her own mind. It's apparent to me that many people see me as "transgender" and not "woman," meaning they don't look at me as female, they don't look at me as male, they look at me as something "other". How rude and uneducated! All of this "misgendering" because they are not used experiencing a trans woman.

I am not an "other." I am female, a woman. I am classified as a transgender woman or transsexual woman. The terms simply label the type of woman that I am. Black woman, white woman, lesbian woman, and straight woman are other examples of labels we put on different types of women. Saying that I should be segregated in a class of only trans women is ignorant and discriminatory. It's much like how they tried to say that black women shouldn't be allowed in track when they first competed. They said they belonged in a separate category all to themselves.

Every minority in sports has to go through this, and all because of ignorance and fear. It's only been within the last hundred years or so that modern medicine has created the ability for people to change their sex. Individuals like myself will have to struggle against the mindset of people like Ashlee Evans-Smith. It's sad that we have to repeat history over and over again. But, this is the reality.

I wonder if Ashlee Evans-Smith recognizes the historical irony of her discriminatory beliefs.