Trans Forming Media (TFM)

I Cancelled My Plans to Attend Creating Change Yet Still Committed to Changing Gay Inc & TG-Umbrellaism Theorist's Misrepresentation of Transsexualism

2012-01-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

I am no longer trying to go to Creating Change. For the record, change is about inclusion, and not pretend inclusion.

Education about transsexual and intersex issues must be delivered with accuracy and affirmation, not co-opted into a 3rd Gender Separtist Agenda. We are not 3rd class women, or sub-women, we are women, period. And men with transsexualism are men. Our medical condition will not be used as a political bargaining chip by cross dressing/transvestite males and gender queer activists.

Perhaps my uncompromising honesty is why my blog was not selected to have press credentials for this conference, but we have a strict anti-transsexual-phobia mandate on my blog. It's non-negotiable.

Our patient rights will not be bulldozed over and endangered by thugs misabusing their power. Malpractice, colonialism and propoganda have to be called out.

Occupy Transsexual-phobia. Liberate Understanding.

ABC Cancels 'Work It'. Now If Only GLAAD & HRC's Transsexual-phobia, Hypocrisy, Inaccuracies & Constant Misgendering Could Also Be Cancelled!

2012-01-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday ABC cancelled the controversial sitcom 'Work It'.

I couldn't care less about this development.

What I do care about however is accuracy. GLAAD and HRC's sensational campaign against the show was unfounded. The show itself was degenerate and with a weak premise, but not for the reasons HRC or GLAAD said in their misguided and disingenuous campaign against the show. The show was about two cross dressing men, it wasn't about women with transsexualism. Yet these organizations saw the show as an opportunity to get on a soap box and appear to be doing work on our behalf by protesting it.

This couldn't be farther from the truth.

If these organizations were sincere in their reasoning for protesting the show, and if their reasons were legitmate, then why are they not protesting the hit Tyler Perry film series Madea? Or Big Momma? Or Ru Paul’s Drag Race? Or the fact that right down the street from GLAAD’s New York office the star of Broadway's Peter Pan is being played by a woman? It’s because like Work It, none of these shows are actually claiming to be stories about people with transsexualism.

GLAAD's weak excuse for unwarrantedly associating the medical condition transsexualism to the show’s plot about two cross dressing men is that "many viewers unfamiliar with the realities of being transgender will still make the connection." Hmm, actually, the only reason society is “making the connection” between cross dressing males and women with transsexualism is because GLAAD’s website and employees guide, and even demand, that they do so! In GLAAD's very own words written in their media (mis)guide they themselves misinform the public that women with transsexualism are the same label (transgender) as cross dressing male fetishists, gay male drag stage acts and gender deconstructionists. Hypocrisy much? Unbelievable! Then they have the nerve to have their pot call a kettle black. (Though in the case of 'Work It', the show was not misgendering us, it was just a stupid show about straight male drag queens). It’s BS politics on their part. If GLAAD thoroughly cared about our public perception they would stop misrepresenting and invalidating transsexual Americans.

And HRC is in no place to act as a protector of a minority they themselves have harmed in legislation repetitively, and are continuing to do so.

In GLAAD's and HRC's advertisement against the film that they placed in Varity Magazine they used a photo of controversial HRC board [token trans tom] member Meghan Stabler as a "trans model", yet just months ago Stabler sold out the transsexual community by becoming legally male in Texas just to marry, which is way more of a mockery and threat to our well-being and rights then 'Work It'. Stabler’s betrayal of the transsexual movement upset numerous respected transsexual and transgender leaders in Texas and nationally.

I haven't publicly commented once on this silly and dangerous spectacle of a campaign against Work It until today because the campaign was a mockery of our medical condition, misled the public into thinking that cross dressing was the same thing as being born with a legitimate transsexual medical condition recognized by the American Medical Association and the campaign obviously was just for show.

The campaign did more to correlate male cross dressing with transsexualism then the show did, just like GLAAD’s media guide, which HRC and all the other LGB”t” organizations deem as sacred. GLAAD and HRC need to "work it" out them damn selves and stop miseducating the public about transsexual issues.

We as women born with transsexualism are not transvestite fetishists, Halloween dress uppers or third gender separatists. We are women, and would appreciate it if GLAAD would stop denying us our medical legitimacy by misgendering and mocking our realities.

The bullying and misrepresentation of the transsexual medical condition by homosexual organizations is malpractice, transsexual-phobia and fraud.

Will GLAAD ever reform their media guide? Or will they continue to treat us as a vote-less colony?

Glenn Close's Film 'Albert Nobbs' About A Transsexual Man Is Nominated For Golden Globe For Best Supporting Actress Performance by Janet McTreer

2011-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

The highly moving period drama ‘Albert Nobbs’ follows the story of a man who was born with female anatomy named Albert Nobbs, played by Glennn Close. Nobbs is a male servant who must hide his transsexual condition in order to survive.

Actress Janet McTeer, Close's costar who also plays a transsexual man, has been nominated for a Golden Globe for best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture.

I saw the film and was moved to tears. Some of my tears stemmed from pain I felt for the characters, and some of my tears were stirred by the powerful beauty of humanity that triumphed over fear and violence.

Janet McTeer is very deserving of this award. I will be planning a Golden Globes party just to root for her, stay tuned for the details!

Here’s a touching song from the film’s soundtrack written and performed by a favorite of mne, Sinead O’Conner called ‘Lay Your Head Down’:

Meghan Stabler Stabs Americans Born w/ Transsexualism in Back. HRC, Gay Inc & Religious Right Will Use as Ammo to Misgender Us.

2011-11-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Meghan Stabler is the sole token trans board member of the notoriously transsexual-phobic HRC. Stabler had sex reassignment surgery to be female, yet has made the alarming compromise to be legally recognized as male to marry a woman in Texas. This is dangerous on so many levels.

1- Stabler is a public figure, so their actions are seen by and influence many. If law makers and society at large see that Stabler made the compromise to be legally male just to hop a legal loop hole, then they could very well expect the rest of us to as well. This is very dangerous to our legislative rights.

2- This is a blatant form of misgendering and invalidation of people born with transsexualism

3- This shows that Stabler cares more about homosexual rights than transsexual rights, a fact the HRC knew before they selected Stabler to be their Token Trans Tom and overseer of those “annoying yet tolerated “tra**ies”/unwanted stepchildren of the LGB”t” “community”.

4- This act further co-opts transsexual people into the homosexual agenda against their will.

5- This act finally makes evident the lack of pure intentions of Stabler. It has long been rumored that Stabler was just using the HRC appointment as a networking opportunity for her non-activist career, ego-boosting and because she has irresponsible stars in her eyes. This betrayal of transsexual community on Stabler's part makes those rumors seem true

6- The amazing hypocrisy and contradicting messaging Stablers choice sends is very stigmatizing and will have long lasting results. Integrity has been exchanged for shamless self-serving desires

7- The fact that the Gay Press is ignoring this issue implies that they too know what Stabler did was unethical and wrong, but they are uncomfortable reporting on it

8- White male privilege in the form of late-transitioning “transgdner leaders” who led most of their lives as heterosexual men, married w/ kids and alpha male jobs is causing serious harm to the medical and legal rights of transsexual people and is severly assaulting the feminist aspect of our plight

9- The religious far right will use this story as an excuse to keep all transsexual people legally recognized as opposite to their actual sex

10- Those in the gay and queer communities who are transsexual-phobic and do not see us as our actual gender that we were born with will also use this story as a further nail into the co-opting of transsexual people into a 3rd gender box and transgender scam-brella reservation

How selfish & destructive could Stabler be?

The Token Trans Toms who Gay Inc commissions to sell us out are malicious and selfish.

But we must not give up

If HRC has an ounce of integrity concerning what’s best for the transsexual community, they should ask Meghan Stabler to resign

I should have known since Meghan had the word "Stab" in their last name, Stabler, that we as transsexual Americans would sooner or later be stabbed in the back.

For those of us who were actually born with transsexualism, and are not cross dressers, impersonators and transvestites, we must see the alarming danger Stabler’s act of betrayal threatens us with. We must act now and counter the repercussions. If not, one by one states will follow in Stabler’s condoning of misgendering us

GLAAD Says The Huffington Post is "Reinforcing Gay Stereotypes", But What About GLAAD Reinforcing Misrepresentation of Transsexual Medical Condition?!

2011-09-02T11:34:00.004-07:00

GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) is protesting The Huffington Post for "reinforcing gay stereotypes", but what about GLAAD reinforcing misrepresentation concerning the transsexual medical condition?

GLAAD makes a lot of people with transsexualism SAAD and MAAD due to GLAAD's BAAD miseducation about transsexual issues.

"Do unto others what thee shall have done unto you"

In full disclosure, I do write occasionally on The Huffington Post about transsexual, transgender and intersex issues, but that is not why I’m writing this blog post. I'm writing on this 'GLAAD protests The HuffPost’ story just to point out GLAAD's hypocrisy. As a member of the transsexual and intersex communities, I personally suffer the consequences of GLAAD misrepresenting the transsexual medical condition

For almost twenty years GLAAD has sought to erase the term transsexual from existence and replace it with transgender. I'm sorry (actually, I’m not sorry), but what does a heterosexual married man who is a transvestite once a month, a gay male drag queen who makes fun of women on stage and a gender queer activist have to do with a woman who has a transsexual medical condition? Absolutely nothing. Yet according to GLAAD's intellectually dishonest and lazy grouping of numerous groups of people they don’t understand, they are all inaccurately labeled as "transgender" and tossed in a 3rd gender reservation. This provides numerous problems for women and men of transsexual history.

GLAAD needs to stop ignoring us. I am already hearing reports that some people in the transsexual community are getting ready to press charges in court against GLAAD if they keep up their identity theft, misinformation and transsexual-phobic media guide

We are done being misgendered, objectified, erased, mocked and disrespected by GLAAD's media (mis)guide. We are fed up with them endangering our well-being. We are sick of them implying we are the same thing as a man in a dress. And we are through with them denying our medical condition it's valid legitimacy and accurate narrative.

So the gays and lesbians (no transsexual people work there, yet they think they can (mis)speak for us) who work at GLAAD don't like how it feels when they feel people are being homophobic? Well then, they need to understand that is exactly how the transsexual-phobia in their media guide and GLAAD enforcing "transgender umbrella ideology as fact whether transsexual people like it or not" makes us feel.

What's it going to be GLAAD? Will you continue to aid the religious far right, radical feminist lesbians who are anti-transsexual and discriminatory insurance/health care companies in misgendering us?

Hypocrisy much?

Read the following articles that explain more in depth why GLAAD's media guide is very problematic and inaccurate pertaining to the transsexual medical condition:

"GLAAD Media Guide Reform — It's Time." by Andrea Rosenfield
http://www.ts-si.org/science-news/28585

'GLAAD – Stop calling us transgender' by Dana Lane Taylor
http://www.ts-is-liberation.org/blog/2011/05/21/glaad-stop-calling-us-transgender/

'Transgender Inc and GLAAD' by Suzan Cooke of 'Women Born Transsexual'
http://womenborntranssexual.com/2011/01/25/transgender-inc-and-glaad/

'Why GLAAD Doesn’t Represent Me' by Suzan Cooke
http://womenborntranssexual.com/2011/06/11/why-glaad-doesn%E2%80%99t-represent-me/

'Yvonne Cook Riley Confesses Inventing “Transgender” to Erase Transsexuality' by Cathryn Platine
http://radicalbitch.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/yvonne-cook-riley-confesses-inventing-transgender-to-erase-transsexuality-to-skin-transvestite-weiss/

'The Death of the 'Transgender' Umbrella' by Mercedes Allen
http://www.bilerico.com/2011/06/the_death_of_transgender.php

Equality California Awards

2011-08-22T04:44:00.000-07:00

(from The MAGNET Source): 'MAGNET Protests Adam Carolla’s Transphobic Comments; Rejects His "Apology”'

2011-08-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Adam Carolla's "apology" is not being accepted by many advocates and community members

Producer/TV Host Eden Lane speaks out against Carolla's anti-transsexual comments

From MAGNET's website:

Adam Carrola adds to his long resume of offensive and prejudice/fear based outbursts with a new podcast where he went on a rant against people who are transsexual and transgender. He asked "When did we start giving a sh-- about these people?" He adds that the LGBT community should "shut up" about speaking out for equality because they are "ruining his life", when in reality, his fear and hate mongering is what is “ruining people’s lives”. He advised the LGBT coaltion to exchange the acronym LGBT ("Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender") for "YUCK.", again, the only thing “yuck” is Carolla’s transphobia, homophobia and sexism.

Carolla recently just made his defintion of an apology: “I’m sorry my comments were hurtful. I’m a comedian, not a politician.”

Ashley Love, an organizer with Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People (MAGNET), comments on Carolla's verbal violence:

“We reject Adam Carolla’s excuse of “being a comedian” as to why he was promoting transphobia, sexism and hate speech. We know many successful comedians who don’t use fear mongering and transphobia in their material. This propaganda endangers the well-being, public's understanding, human rights and the lives of people born with a transsexual medical condition. Carolla should know there is an epidemic of unemployment, violence and marginalization in the transsexual and transgender communities due to the ignorance and fear his comments are adding to. The networks, advertisers and listeners associated with Carolla now or in the future should know that transphobia and hate is not funny or acceptable.”

Eden Lane, known as “the first transsexual broadcast journalist” on mainstream television, and host of 'In Focus TV' ( program on PBS affiliate KBDI ), responded to Carolla's defamatory comments. She tells MAGNET:

“I was deeply disappointed to hear the degrading anti- transsexual remarks Mr. Carolla made on his recent podcast. Mr. Carolla might benefit from some kind of training so he understands the injury he can do to young people not only of a transsexual or transgender experience, but to his young fans who now may think Carolla’s “comedy” is an acceptable reaction to people who are born different."

Don't Get Any Ideas! Americans with Transsexualism Don’t Want "3rd Gender Status” Like Nepal Just Legislated

2011-08-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

RESIST BEING CLASSIFIED AS 3RD GENDER.

It was just reported that Nepal will now have a "third gender status" class for people to register in. This is a victory for those who are gender non-conforming, gender-queer, or even transgender. But what about people with transsexualism who may be tossed in that reservation against their will? When insurance and health care companies, and some governments, are getting away with denying people with transsexualism their rights by saying they are not the gender that they are, it's frustrating when some gender deconstructionist activists mirror that same rhetoric when they enroll people with transsexualism into their sociopolitical agenda against their will.

Sounds like identity-theft to me, and the high majority of Americans with transsexualism also consider the co-opting and misrepresenting of their medical condition by gender deconstructionists highly problematic and transsexual-phobic.

If some extreme transgender-deconstructionist ideology activists have their way, all Americans born with transsexualism will also have to register as "third gender status" against their will like many overseas countries are doing. So forgive us people with transsexualism when we get a little feisty and resistant against Gay Inc and it's Transgender Subsidiary using their big platform to spread misinformation that harms people with transsexualism, their medical legitimacy, health care rights and narrative!

Stop the misgendering of people with transsexualism! Call the American Medical Association today and ask them to back up their statement that clearly states that our birth condition is natural, and our human rights are being violated when our medical rights are deemed “unnecessary” by insurance, health care and government officials, and sadly, even by some transgender-queer, 3rd gender and gay advocates.

Why should transsexual rights be appropriated and trampled on by gender deconstructionist agendas?

NAACP Excludes Transsexual & Transgender Panelists From 'First Ever LGB"T" Town Hall' Next Monday

2011-07-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

The NAACP is having its first ever ‘LGB"T" Town Hall’ meeting next week at their conference, BUT it's a shame they have NO transsexual or transgender people on the panel. So why don't they just be honest and call it the "LG" Town Hall? How many times do transsexual or bisexual people get shut out of these events? There are numerous Black TS or TG advocates in LA, so there is really no excuse. I was all happy to go until I heard they SHUT US OUT, AGAIN. When the highest number of hate crime murders in the LGBT and transsexual communities are Black or Latina TS or TG women, one would think these groups would be more inclusive and on point, but I guess we are an embarrassment to some. Also, they could have had more lesbian women on the panel as well. Anyways, if you're gay, have fun at the LG Town Hall. Us "tra**ys" will be busy being INVISIBLE... as usual...sigh

CNN Anchor Don Lemon Says There Should Be More LGBT People of Color Inclusion by Gay Establishment

2011-06-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

I met Don Lemon last night at The Trevor Project fundraiser
Don Lemon presenting last night

Don Lemon, the CNN anchor who came out as an openly gay man in May, was a presenter at this year’s The Trevor Project fundraiser gala in New York last night. Lemon, who is African American, spoke truth to power when he suggested on stage that the LGBT establishment should include more LGBT people of color.

The man has a very valid point!!

I am very proud that Lemon used his time on stage to highlight the issue of the lack of ethnic diversity by certain LGBT media outlets, organizations and leadership roles. I think he was generally speaking, and not necessarily about The Trevor Project.

Also, all the images of women of transsexual history I see on TV are all white.
Many transgender (not to be confused with transsexual) images on TV are either “gay male drag queens gone transgenderist impersonator”, or “heterosexual white male transvestite fetishists who cross dress”.

Can we have some actual women who are just women who happen to have a transsexual medical condition, not only drag queen and transvestite males?

Despite what the TV show Glee tells the world, there are actually LGBT/TS/Intersex people of color in society.

Way to take a stand Lemon!

My Article in Curve Magazine: What Does Pride Month Mean for the TS/TG/IS communities?

2011-06-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Tula: "I Am A Woman"- not 3rd gender, not transvestite, not gay male drag queen, not gender queer activist, not transgender

2011-06-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Caroline (Tula was her modeling name) fought very hard for women born with a transsexual medical condition to be recognized as women, and have the same rights as any other woman. She never sought to be “othered and misgendered” or marginalized in a 3rd gender/Transgender box, yet that is precisely what many cross dressing males and gender queer activists, backed by Gay Inc, and some in the religious far right, are trying to do in the newer transgender/transgenderist movement.

From Wikipedia: “Caroline "Tula" Cossey (born 31 August 1954) is an English model. She is one of the world's most well-known transsexual women, having appeared in a James Bond film and been the first to pose for Playboy. Since being outed by British tabloid News of the World, Cossey has fought for her right to legally marry and to be recognized by the law as a woman.”

Caroline left the spotlight because she just wanted to live her life in peace, as a woman, not a spectacle. Today we have a couple noted transgenderist individuals who enjoy being spectacles, even at the cost of stigmatizing and misgendering the people with transsexualism that they are (mis)speaking for.I’m curious how people think Caroline feels about her community being co-opted onto some “3rd gender, or fetishist, or gay male drag queen” reservation against their will?

Why is it that the gender deconstructionist communities (of whcih those with a TS/IS condition are not a part of, for TS/IS people have a physical birth challenge, not a "gender identity issue") are quick to exploit and use high profile feminine and assimilated women with a transsexual condition to garner mainstream acceptance, legitimacy and visibility, but then turn around and compromise, belittle and jeopardize the different needs of people with a transsexual and/or intersex condition?

Gay Inc and TG Inc can try to censor and devalue the crisis of TS/IS people being alienated, ridiculed, offended, missgendered, misrepresented and objectified, yet I don't see the transsexual uprising backing down today, or tomorrow

Caroline now lives in America. I feel Caroline is happy that American women and men with transsexualism are speaking out against the current miseducation that is harming them, because just like Caroline’s title of her book said, “I Am A Woman” [not a 3rd gender, not a transvestite, not a gay male drag queen, not a gender queer activist, not transgender]
.

Dear Marie Claire Magazine, Thank You for Respecting Women with a Transsexual Medical Condition by Not Mislabeling Them “Transgender”

2011-05-20T03:14:00.000-07:00

Janet Mock, an editor for People.com, recently opened up about her transsexual medical condition publicly

AN OPEN LETTER to Marie Claire magazine:

Dear Marie Claire,

I am an organizer with MAGNET- Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People, an anti-defamation and media advocacy group. Yesterday I read the article in your magazine about Janet Mock’s courageous choice to disclose her transsexual medical history to fulfill her passion to help people who are going through what she went through. This woman is a breath of fresh air on so many levels. Not only is she a successful professional, glowing with beauty and authentic spirit, and a role model that squashes tired stereotypes, but she is giving voice to the transsexual medical condition in a country whose gay (not transsexual) establishment is trying to alienate all people born transsexual onto a “transgender reservation” against their will.

I want to thank Marie Claire Magazine for accurately labeling Janet as a woman of transsexual experience in your marketing text, instead of problematically calling her transgender. For you see, transgender is a sociopolitical term which is reserved for people who do not conform to gender, such as drag queens/kings, cross dressing and transvestite males, gender queer activists or gender non-conforming people who identify with their physical sex. Janet is absolutely none of these things. She is a heterosexual woman who was born with a medical condition; she is NOT a stage act or fetishist.

Unethically, the term transgender is used by lazy and intellectually dishonest entities to throw ten different groups into a single category so that it’s easy for the establishment to stamp diverse groups of minorities with one scarlet letter. This is not only dangerous to the medical legitimacy of people with transsexualism and compromises their human rights, it also mis-genders them. It implies that they are “third genders”, which is a subtle and condescending slap in their face and invalidates their womanhood.

Why would life styles, activities and behaviors be associated with a physical birth condition? It’s not right. People with transsexualism are being used as a political bargaining chip by the gay and lesbian establishment, and enough is enough!

Today the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) blatantly disregarded Janet’s testimony of having a transsexual condition and enforced their political transgender stamp on her, angering many people with transsexualism across the country who are fed up with this misrepresentation. The gay and lesbian people who work at GLAAD do injustice to those with the medical condition transsexualism. They have appropriated them into their homosexual politics by mis-educating the public that they are the same thing as gay male drag queens, gay people who identity as gender queer, and even transvestite fetishists. GLAAD branding the transgender label on a woman like Janet, who is in a committed heterosexual relationship with her boyfriend, is not only inaccurate, but makes public understanding even more unattainable then it already is.

GLAAD turns a deaf ear to women of transsexual history when they resist the co-opting and rewriting of their narrative. However, it’s only a matter of time before this colonization ceases and the truth emerges. Until then, we will continue to speak out against Gay Incorporated hijacking our medical condition into their own agenda in a way that serves them, but pigeonholes us.

GLAAD needs to reform their media (mis)guide, for they are defaming the very people they are claiming to protect from defamation.

I had to write this letter of gratitude to your magazine because most media outlets generally use the trendiest buzz word around instead of striving for accuracy and understanding. Many publications misuse the term transgender when they are actually talking about someone who has transsexualism. The fact that you compassionately listened to Janet’s story when she said she is of transsexual experience, and referred to her as such in the online promotion of this article, speaks volumes about your publications integrity to do right not just by this remarkable woman, but to all people with a transsexual medical history. We are such a marginalized and misunderstood community, so it’s always hopeful when a story such as Janet’s is done with authenticity, accuracy and care.

Thanks for not enforcing transgender ideology onto this woman. She is not a gender deconstructionist, part-timer or RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant. Janet is a woman who just happened to have been born with a rare birth challenge and has decided to open up about her journey in an effort to give back.

Marie Claire magazine promoting this story accurately is a major step forward in uplifting affirming depictions of human beings born with a transsexual medical condition.

Sincerely, thousands of women across America who were born a bit different, but women nonetheless

Nikki Araguz Speaks: "I urgently ask the gay and transgender communities to stop inaccurately identifying me as “transgender”"

2011-04-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Transsexual and/or Intersex Americans are Fed Up With Gay Inc & it's TG Subsidiary Misrepresenting Them!

The last fifteen years have provided many challenges for Americans born transsexual and/or intersex (TS/IS) because intellectually dishonest, lazy and transsexual-phobic entities have enforced TS/IS people on a reservation entitled "The Transgender Borg" and have grouped them with transvestite males, gender deconstructionists, drag queens/kings, gender queer activists, fetishists, cross dressers and other people who they have little in common with. By refusing to acknowledge the diversity of the numerous groups tossed in the T-Box, much infighting, miseducation and co-opting has arisen, and TS/IS people's medical legitimacy has been endangered, and compromised. However, more and more people are speaking out against Gay Media Inc's and TG Ward Bosses hijacking of the transsexual and intersex narratives, and their resistance is gaining major ground.

Nikki Araguz, widow of the fallen firefighter in Texas, has had her marriage and womanhood under attack by Texas Republican Sen. Williams and his proposed bill, SB 723, which seeks to invalidate her marriage and womanhood. Can you really blame these closeminded people when GLAAD's media guide groups transvestite males and gender deconstructionists with women? She has been inaccurately labeled "transgender", which is not the truth at all. In a statement yesterday, she asks the gay and transgender communities to stop appropriating her case for their political and personal agenda.

Here is her statement:

"While I appreciate all of the support, I am setting the record straight: I am a heterosexual woman, who happened to have born intersex, and yes, I did have a transsexual medical condition, yet that has been treated and corrected. I urgently ask the gay and transgender communities to stop inaccurately identifying me as “transgender” because this falsehood is continuing to make my battle even more difficult. The media has picked up on this mislabeling, and it may lead to the assassination of transsexual and intersex marriage and rights in Texas. The clueless appropriating of my situation is dishonest and hurtful. My birth defect is a medical condition, and has nothing to do with “gender and lifestyles”. Not only do I have to deal with bigots and the media misrepresenting me, I have to deal with transgender ideology & politics, and gay folks who just don’t get it, doing the same thing. One would think these “allies” would help me, not derail my cause and jeopardize my medical legitimacy. Perhaps they mean well, and are just misinformed, so I decided to make this statement so there is no longer any confusion on my medical history. I, and people like me, are repeatedly offended when people try to misgender and other us against our will. If you respect and support me and my rights, please know that this is MY reality. My late husband, family, friends, scientists and doctors will testify that I am a woman born with a birth challenge, not a “3rd gender”. Won’t you please give me the same respect and honor my truth?

With much love, Nikki Araguz"

Equality Maryland Fires Director, Yet the Board Members Need to Look at Their Own Transphobic & Classist History, Not Just Blame a Scapegoat!

2011-04-22T22:00:00.001-07:00

Morgan Meneses-Sheets is the 'sacrifical lamb' of Equality Maryland's board

Last Sunday, the board of Equality Maryland fired their Executive Director, Morgan Meneses-Sheets. At first, I thought it was a good thing due to the public outcry from the state and national transsexual, transgender and intersex (TTI) communities who opposed Equality Maryland’s decision to fight for a unjust bill, H.B. 235, which implied that TTI people are second class citizens in the area of public accommodations. Her being fired showed that public opinion holds weight in LGBT leadership. I also feel she didn’t truly enroll TS/TG community buy-in regarding the decision to abandon PA protections, and she also cancelled “transgender working groups” when they were needed most, though, she could have just been carrying out the boards wishes.

However, as I pursued the situation more, I am left with a bad taste for the actual board members of Equality Maryland, and in fact, my heart goes out to Morgan. I feel for her because the truth is that the board actually makes all the important decisions concerning directions and strategy, and it was just Morgan’s job to do as she was told. It’s pretty sinister for the board to now use Morgan as the sacrificial lamb when it was truly the board that was to blame for the down fall of Equality Maryland’s reputation

This is not to suggest I agree with some of her actions, but the major issues I have are matters that the board had definitive influence and final say in, Morgan was just the messenger. So why kill the messenger? That’s what the board has decided to do, and they expect us all to buy it. Well, I don’t buy generic brands, including this stunt of the board members. The source should be held accountable.

Let's meet those really responsible:

Equality Maryland, Inc. Board of Directors: Charles Butler, Darrell Carrington, David Lublin, Rosemary Nicolosi, Lisa M. Polyak, Mark Yost, Jr.

Equality Maryland Foundation Board of Directors: Alex Hickox, Rosemary Nicolosi, Patrick L. Wojahn, Charles Butler

It was the Equality Maryland BOARD MEMBERS responsible for:

1) Allowed a “national advocacy coalition” to call shots, upsetting many state residents

2) Left former trans board member Laura Hart in the dark when they removed PA protections from the Gender Anti-discrimination Act, causing her to resign

3) Have no transsexual people on board, or staff

4) Maryland LGB and TS/TG advocates have stated that the board has many elitist, classist and transphobic sentiments and practices

5) Enforced the decision to send the marriage equality bill vote back to committee, angering many Maryland residents who said it was best to put it to a vote, if not at least to get on record where officials stood on the bill

6) Have maliciously thrown their ED under the bus, when she was simply doing what she was told, which is bad for community morale

7) Have failed to admit their wrong doing of 2001, when transsexual & transgender people were removed from the Anti-discrimination act, therefore only protecting LGB people, making TS/TG people 2nd class citizens in the LGB”T” coalition

8) Have rejected the Maryland’s LGBT community's demand for transparency throughout the last 6 months of working for both the TS/TG bill and the marriage equality bill.

9) After reports that the moderator of Equality Maryland’s Facebook page was censoring and deleting dissent, and even banning people, the board still did not change this protocol

10) Being a board member should be more than just champagne toasts, and spring rolls, it should also be about enrolling ALL the people included in their mission statement, unfortunately, the board did not do that with the transsexual and transgender communities.

So, if the board is going to fire the Executive Director for simply carrying out their agenda, they need to fire them-damn-selves! And, for them to have absolutely no transsexual people on their board or staff is appalling!

No taxation without representation!

Spin, baby, spin….that’s all this is. A PR spin job to imply that Morgan is all to blame, but the truth is that the board is guiltier then Morgan, and they should be held accountable.
Will the next Executive Director have freer rein then Morgan? Of course not! They will still have to beat to the drum of the board, which is apparently being told what to do by some mysterious “national advocacy coalition”.

Therefore, firing Morgan is just a “pass the blame game” that I refuse to participate in!

In all my articles I have written about this unjust HB 235 compromise, or the quotes I gave to media outlets, I never once placed the blame, or even mentioned either Morgan Meneses-Sheets or H.B. 235’s sponsor, Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk. This is because most of the transsexual and transgender community is aware enough to know this is about the national gay (not T) establishment and it’s common practices, not one or two people.

There is a long history of throwing TS/TG people under the bus to secure gay only rights.

There is a long history of gay organizations advising elected officials and the government on issues that are transsexual and transgender specific, without including TS/TG people in the process, or even gaining their consent.

There is a long history, starting a few years after the Stonewall Riots, of elitist gays abandoning TS/TG rights because they said their issues were “too radical”, never mind that it was trans women Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P Johnson, Miss Major and others who were in the Stonewall Inn that night and kicked things off!

Matthew Thorn, Equality Maryland’s development director, has resigned in response to Morgan’s firing. I respect him for refusing not to be a puppet in the board’s sinister PR ploy, and for him calling the board out on their refusal to take responsibility for their part in the downfall of the groups public graces. In his statement he writes:

"Not only has she [Morgan] committed time and energy away from her wife and her 5-month-old daughter, but she had the tenacity to keep fighting in Annapolis, even when all others had given up. Giving up just isn’t in her vocabulary. This past Sunday, the board of directors of Equality Maryland, in executive session voted to remove her from her position, essentially telling the organization’s staff, volunteers, supporters, funders and general community that the organization will now move in a different direction.

I fear that the direction that the board seeks to take is one that will not be a beneficial path for the community, for the organization, for the staff and especially the organization’s funders, and that is why, effective today, I am resigning from my position as director of development of Equality Maryland. I wish nothing but the best to the staff and the community and hope that we can overcome these obstacles to continue to fight for our full equality.”

So, while a few noted transsexual and transgender advocates and bloggers are publicly celebrating the termination of Morgan, I most certainly am not. I am actually saddened that this deceptive decision by the board has happened, because it suggests that the board’s hands are clean, which they are not. I won’t be celebrating until the board says:

“Mistakes were made that we had a part in. We want to enroll all members of the LGBT community in moving forward. We will actually have transsexual people on our board and staff. We will be a real LGBT coalition”.

Until the board of Equality Maryland does right by TS/TG communities, their name will continue to be tainted. Firing Morgan has only made them look dishonest, uncompassionate and traitorous to someone who was just doing their bidding, and that they are against taking responsibility for their own actions.

I hope Morgan learns from this experience, and that in her next job she lets the board know that there are consequences to leaving the transsexual and transgender community behind, and only giving them crumbs. It’s a new dawn, and the TS/TG communities are now a major player in the game, and have the ability now to let the public know where they stand. They influenced Maryland elected officials to publicly acknowledge the disconnect between Gay Inc and the TS/TG community.

I’m happy that Morgan has decided not exit the stage without calling a spade a spade, and letting people know the board ain’t Mother Teresa. In part of her statement she writes:

“It is with heavy heart that I share that today will be my last day as the executive director of Equality Maryland. While it is not my choice to leave, it is my choice to make my voice heard as I exit.

In particular the past few months have been tough to bear, not because of the hard work which I welcome and felt honored to be part of, but because of the forces within the organization and external politics that created additional and unnecessary obstacles to our forward movement and success. As I move on, I will not focus on the negative or destructive forces that created this untenable situation...”

I’m glad she acknowledged the “forces within the organization” [the board] which had a part, or in reality, the biggest part in this whole fiasco.

U.K.'s Transsexual & Transgender Communities Successfully Shut down a Transphobic Hate-fest "Conference" by The Royal Collage. Stop Misrepresentation!

2011-04-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Either make the conference affirming, accurate and inclusive, or shut that hate-fest down!

In another example of the empowered transsexual and transgender (TS/TG) community’s growing resistance against being misrepresented by insensitive gay and lesbian organizations who sometimes harm TS/TG people, rather than help, ( aka, Stonewall UK, and in this case, RCPsych’s Lesbian and Gay Special Interest Group ), transphobic and unscientific shrinks (like Zucker, Bailey, Blancahrd, and in this case, Dr Az Hakeem) and lesbian anti-transsexual activists (Julie Bindel), the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ conference on TS/TG issues has been cancelled due to the large public outcry from U.K’s TS/TG communities.

Well done UK brothers and sisters, including Jane Fae, Natacha Jessica Kennedy, Paris Lees, Christine Burns and others who so worked hard to remedy this situation! Keep up the good fight! Don’t ever back down!

The complaints against the “conference”, was that it was not truly a “conference” or even a discussion, for it was one sided and biased, and left out voices of the TS/TG communities. The keynote speaker would have been Dr Az Hakeem, yet he is a transphobic spaz, pathologizes TS/TG people and believes in reparative therapy. An invited speaker, Julie Bindel, is one of the world’s most transphobic personalities. Although she is lesbian, and identifies as a feminist, her hatred against women born different actually makes her an anti-feminist. Also, for the RCPsych’s Lesbian and Gay Special Interest Group to be hosting this event is actually appropriation and co-opting. Transsexualism is a medical condition, and transgendersim is a gender identity. Therefore, it’s inappropriate and confusing to the public for a sexual orientation group to be hosting this event, especially when many gay and lesbian professionals have proven to militant transphobes.

Jennie Kermode of U.K.’s Trans Media Watch, commented:

"I’m really glad that sense has prevailed in this instance. For psychology to be respected it must draw a clear line between evidence-based work and prejudice which merely masquerades as science."

The last straw in the conference being cancelled came shortly after the The Gender Identity Clinic at Charing Cross Hospital pulled out, which is the UK’s oldest and most respected TS/TG treatment center.

In a statement by Charing Cross Hospital, they stated why they pulled support:

“Although we were somewhat wary of engaging in what is essentially a clinical discussion with a predominantly non-trans panel, which, moreover, features a non-clinician whose personal opinion is already well known, we agreed to do so in order that discussion might focus on evidence rather than anecdote.

“The Royal College should be aware that there is a great deal of disquiet around this event within the trans community. Interested parties should also note that the discussion as it now stands will be one-sided at best.”

Christine Beckett, applauded Charring Cross’ decision. She stated,

"We are not laboratory animals, but human beings. The patronizing notion that we should not even be given a voice in such conferences is no longer supportable or acceptable.

And the notion of asking the likes of Bindel and Az Hakeem to “contribute” is not just insulting to transpeople, but gives the transphobic nonsense they spout a validity that it has no right to.

It would be akin to asking the pope and Fred Phelps to contribute to a conference on Gay marriage, whilst excluding anyone Gay from the platform.

So well done all concerned, including Charring Cross."

However, as usual when the establishment realizes they made a mistake, instead of admitting wrongdoing, they concoct a PR spin story. In this case, the spin is that the conference was cancelled due to “lack of ticket sales”. Ok, we all know that’s just hog wash and a pathetic ploy to *try* to save face.

Paris Lees , a popular trans advocate in the U.K., responded to RCPsych’s lame excuse:

"They clearly don’t know how the human mind works if they think anyone with so much as an inch of sense will believe that pathetic excuse. Imbeciles."

The Royal College should have known better then to plan a conference about TS/TG people, yet not pursue sufficient buy-in from the community that the conference actually affects. To not enroll TS/TG people in the decision making process sends a clear and loud statement that they don’t see them as equals, as able, as valid. Just that message alone proves The Royal Collage is not a true ally to the TS/TG communities. In the past, The Royals Collage has held conferences on gay and lesbian issues, yet they most definitely included gay people in the process, and didn’t have offensive speakers. Why didn’t they give the TS/TG communities the same respect? It’s because TS/TG people in the U.K’ are still deemed “less than” by many institutions. In this case of RCPsych’s Lesbian and Gay Special Interest Group actually endorsing this problematic event, it says that TS/TG people are “property” of the gay and lesbian establishment.

The TS/TG community would beg to differ.

It’s an exciting time in both the U.K and the U.S. The TS/TG communities are taking ownership of their movement, exercising their voice in high volumes, not allowing the gay and lesbian establishment to dictate to them, and successfully challenging the psychiatric world from misrepresenting them

The transsexual and transgender colony of the Gay Inc Empire are breaking free and re-founding their country.

Our lives. Our needs. Our votes. Our voices. Our decisions. Our agenda!!

Advocate Helen Wilson commented under the Pink News article on this story, and sums it up nicely:

"For the Royal College of Psychiatrists Lesbian and Gay Special Interest Group to host this conference in the first place is just bazaar.
They reject reparative therapy for LGB people, but by organizing this conference seem to support it for the T.
Talk about hypocrisy
The fact we got ourselves organized and successfully campaigned to get this conference cancelled shows we are not victims… People don’t like the fact we now have a voice and are not afraid to shout if necessary."

God job to the U.K. transsexual and transgender people who spoke out against this hate-fest! Because of you, the U.K. is now a safer, healthier and more affirming place for people who are not afraid of diversity! Hugs and kisses from the west, keep up the good fight!

You MUST READ the shocking email correspondence between the Royal College of Psychiatrists and noted U.K advcoates Natacha Kennedy & Jane Fae which led up to the cancellation of the transhobic [one-sided] conference: http://uncommon-scents.blogspot.com/2011/04/email-correspondence-with-royal-college.html

California Senate Passes Bill Which Will Allow LGBT History to be Taught in Public Schools.

2011-04-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

w/ Sen. Mark Leno during San Francisco Pride 2010

The California state Senate has passed legislation that will require public schools to include the history of LGBT people in social studies lessons. It will be up to the actual school districts what to include in lessons, and what grade students will receive them.

This is groundbreaking! The affect this will have on our culture is one that will acknowledge and celebrate diversity. Children will grow up with the knowledge that their LGBT peers have just as much to offer society as any other, and therefore deserve the same rights anyone else does. I am proud that my home state is leading the way in ensuring accurate history lessons.

Democratic Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco, a friend of mine, and who is openly gay, is the sponsor of the bill, which passed Thursday on a 23-14 vote. The measure now goes to the Assembly. Senator Mark Leno is one of the biggest allies to the transsexual and transgender community that I know. When I lived in California, I was an organizer for the San Francisco Trans March for two years. He came to speak both times at the pre-march event, and is always showing up at TS/TG events. I’m so glad we have an ally like him.

Everyone, please email and call those Assembly members in California, if this bill passes, it will be a big step closer to a more harmonious society!

TFM TV Interview- Sandy Rawls Speaks: "I'm Glad H.B. 235 Died Because it Left Out Public Accomodations Protections"

2011-04-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

April 12, 2011) at Trans United's Baltimore building w/ founder Sandy Rawls (center) and Trans United member Lindsey Harrington

Yesterday I went to Baltimore, Maryland to spend the day with Sandy Rawls, Founder and Director of Trans-United. I sat down with her and we discussed the failure of the unjust H.B. 235 compromise, why Trans-United supports the bill dying, what should have happened, and what needs to happen in passing a fully comprehensive bill in 2012

TFM TV Exclusive Interview with Sandy Rawls below:

w/ Sandy Rawls at the beautiful Baltimore harbor

Senator Madaleno Listens to Transsexual Marylander's Concerns & Agrees to Include Public Accommodations to Antidiscrimination Bill Next Year. Victory!

2011-04-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

Annapolis, Maryland. April 7, 2011- Ashley Love and Trans Maryland's Jenna Fishetti speak to Senator Madaleno concerning the unjust H.B. 235 compromise on the day of the Senate Judicial Committee's public hearing where transsexual human rights advocates spoke out against the bill

Yesterday Maryland’s only openly gay senator, Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Montgomery), provided a statement to Metro Weekly regarding the Senate sending the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, House Bill 235 back to the committee yesterday, therefore defeating the unjust bill. If passed, the bill would have made Maryland’s transsexual and transgender residents 2nd class citizens in the area of public accommodations. Human rights activists and transsexual and transgender groups rallied against the bill, demanding the bill either be amended to include these lifesaving protections, or be killed. Thankfully, the bill was denied a chance to spread it’s dehumanizing message that transsexual and transgender people are ‘less then’.

In Sen. Madaleno’s statement he said, “…Before next session, I will pre-file a new version of the Gender Identity Antidiscrimination Act that includes provisions for housing and employment, as well as public accommodations in the hope it can receive a full debate and vote in the Senate before the last day of the session.”

This is great news! Senator Madaleno has listened to the public outcry of the transsexual and transgender communities who have expressed that we will not accept unequal treatment under the law. This is a man of integrity and merit. We will accept nothing less then a fully comprehensive bill.

Senator Madaleno’s full statement:

After an overwhelming vote in favor of HB 235 by the House of Delegates, this bill was inappropriately referred to the Senate Rules Committee, which delayed action for nearly a week. After successful votes in the Rules Committee and Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, the full Senate never had an opportunity to debate this issue because of today’s vote to recommit.

The Senate's action today means that transgender individuals in Maryland will continue to be denied housing on the basis of their gender identity. Every homeless transgender person that dies on the street will do so because of the Senate’s failure to pass HB 235. Every transgender individual who cannot provide for themselves or their family because they are denied employment based on their gender identity will do so because of the Senate's failure to pass HB 235.

I remain firmly committed to seeing this landmark civil rights legislation pass the Maryland General Assembly. Before next session, I will pre-file a new version of the Gender Identity Antidiscrimination Act that includes provisions for housing and employment, as well as public accommodations in the hope it can receive a full debate and vote in the Senate before the last day of the session

It’s Monday @ Midnight: The Unjust H.B. 235 Compromise is Officially Dead. Now to Educate About Life Saving Public Accommodations Protections

2011-04-11T21:05:00.001-07:00

5, 4, 3, 2, 1….the bill is dead.

Today the Maryland Senate sent the Gender Identity “Anti-Discrimination” H.B. 235 bill back to the committee, making it dead until next year. Great work to everyone who oppossed the bill without the public accomodation protections inclusion ammendment, and worked hard to educate why this compromise is problematic and unacceptable. Now we have a chance to add it on to next year's bill.

I feel compelled to put quotes around the word “anti-discrimination” because I cannot in good conscious call this bill an anti-discrimination bill for many reasons:

1) In actuality, H.B. 235 discriminates. To intentionally leave out protections in hospitals, hotels, restaurants, libraries, public transportation, drinking fountains, parks, lunch counters, homeless shelters, you know: PUBLIC ACCOMDATIONS, translates into the same result as discrimination. You can’t in all accuracy call this bill an “anti-discrimination” bill and then leave out these obvious and urgently needed anti-discrimination protections.

2) In prior legislation sessions in Maryland, previous versions of this bill had public accommodations protections, then, in an appalling compromise, they were stripped out

3) However, gay and lesbian Marylanders ensured PA protections for themselves in 2001, leaving the most vulnerable portion of the LGBT coalition, the transsexual and transgender (TS/TG) communities, out of the bill. We are tired of being left behind. No more. We demand full citizenship in the LGBT coalition. And that includes full rights.

4) Equality Maryland did not enroll community buy-in from the actual people who the bill affects, the TS/TG communities. Trans United and Trans Maryland are the only two TS/TG specific organizations in Md., and they both OPPOSE the bill without PA protections, so for the gay and lesbian dominated board and staff of Equality Maryland to (mis)decide to push for a bill w/o PA protections is misrepresentation and wrong. Equality Maryland has no transsexual people on their board or staff, so they have no right to (mis)represent them. EqMd can be an ‘ally’, but they can’t be a ‘dictator’.

5) Public accommodations are lifesaving protections, a basic human right. People have died due to no PA protections. Transsexual people have been denied access to hospitals and homeless shelters due to no PA protections. These are rights we are not willing to negotiate away.

6) We should not be dancing to the bells of the religious far right and abandoning PA protections to cater to their fear and hatred of diversity concerning TS/TG human beings. Making deals with transphobes is like caving in to terrorists. You just don’t do it

7) The message of not including PA protections in this bill sends a loud and clear statement that TS/TG people are 2nd class citizens. The stigma and defamation that this message sends will create long lasting harm and marginalization. No way Jose! Keep your “Trans Crow”, we want FULL citizenship and equality!

Moving forward, things are looking good. Maryland’s TS/TG community has rallied hard, has national support, and are planning to take control of their own movement, no longer the “dependents of the LGB decision makers of the LGB”T” agenda”.

Trans United and Trans Maryland are already working on their plan for 2012. Equality Maryland’s role is not to dictate the terms to Trans United and Trans Maryland, but to follow their lead.

Senator Madaleno stated today,

“Before next session, I will pre-file a new version of the Gender Identity Antidiscrimination Act that includes provisions for housing and employment, as well as public accommodations in the hope it can receive a full debate and vote in the Senate before the last day of the session.”

This is great news! This is all we have been fighting for; to have the bill proposed in its authentic and fully inclusive form, WITH public accommodations protections. Without these protections, the bill has no merit, no integrity, no teeth.

The bill is dead, but the transsexual and transgender resistance is so very much alive. This is it. We are taking back our voice, not settling for crumbs and are not resting until we achieve all that is entitled to us as American citizens.

Ashley Love's Senate Hearing Testimony On The Unjust HB 235 Compromise (Written & Audio)

2011-04-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Below is my written testimony each Maryland Senator recieved yesterday at the Senate Judicial Committee hearing regarding the Gender Identity "Anti-Discrimination" Bill HB 235. I was able to read most of it in the two minutes allotted, and then the Senators decided to have me stay after my time slot to ask further questions, after which I explained more about Tyra Hunter's sad story, explained what public accommodation were in depth (they are not just restrooms as the far right likes to propagate to spread fear), explained how the gay establishment is responsible for problematic (mis)education regarding the "transgender coalition" by failing to make a distinction between transsexual and intersex people from transvestites and cross-dressers, gay people don’t own TS/TG people, and that's high time that TS/TG/IS people represent themselves!

Here is the AUDIO link of the hearing. My testimony starts at 1:28:00 http://mlis.state.md.us/mgaweb/senatecmtaudio.aspx

Ashley Love's Testimony at Maryland's Senate Judicial Committee Hearing On HB 235

April 7th, 2011

HB 235 without public accommodations protections has no merit. We ask that you either amend the bill to include these lifesaving and constitutional protections, or vote against it.

I live in New York; however, I have spent time in Maryland, & visit the DC/Md. area frequently.

I was born w/ a rare birth challenge where my chromosomes & anatomy were diverse; I was born intersex, which later transpired into a transsexual medical condition. To be born female & male wasn’t my choice; yet I am all woman gender, woman mind, woman essence, woman spirit. My birth condition is natural & innocent, yet growing up I realized many in society were handicapped to such a crippling degree that they couldn’t accept my community’s diversity. Their ignorance turned into fear, which turned to hatred, & sometimes even violence, & some women I personally knew have been victims of a hate crime.

This misguided fear of diversity has led to the basic human rights for my community in this country being denied. HB 235 has stripped out PA protections. This is unacceptable for any American.

HB 235 as written says that my community is not worthy of protections in public accommodations protections. The civil rights movement was founded on the issues of public accommodations, yet here we are decades later still fighting for them. Prior versions of this bill in previous session originally included PA protections, but due to misinformation and transphobia, they were taken out.

People, such as Tyra Hunter, a transgender woman, have died due to no PA protections. Homeless transsexual women have been denied access to shelters due to no PA protections. Some friends and I were denied service at a restaurant due us being different. People in my community are even denied public transportation, and access to hospitals.

Today some people in court have spread misinformation about my community. A woman who was born w/a transsexual and/or intersex condition is not the same thing as a man who is cross dressing for a lifestyle or amusement. Yet that is precisely what the far right likes to propagate. This propaganda is meant to confuse the public about our medical condition or birth challenge, and their fear mongering is responsible for the marginalization, mis-education and destitution that plague my community.

Also, the gay and lesbian community is not the same thing as the transsexual and intersex community. The gay’s issue is about sexual orientation, where the transsexual issue is about seeking medical treatment to correct our birth challenge, and intersex people need to be protected as infants from malpractice. Many transsexual and transgender Marylanders disagree with how the gay and lesbian community has been misrepresenting their community. It’s time for the transsexual, transgender and intersex coalition to represent themselves, because we have different needs then the gay, lesbian and bisexual community, and our rights many times get devalued, left behind or appropriated under their control.

The only two trans organizations in Maryland, Trans United and Trans Maryland, oppose the LGBT group Equality Maryland’s approval of HB 235 stripping away PA protections. We ask you to listen to the people that this bill affects. We aren’t owned by the gay & lesbian community. We own our voice.

In my opinion, America is the greatest country on Earth. Sadly, one part that we fall embarrassingly and dangerously short is the failure to protect transsexual, transgender and intersex Americans.

I ask that you amend HB 235, or vote against it. I invite every elected official in this court to open your mind, embrace and celebrate diversity, and to not allow us to be treated as 2nd class citizens.

The Advocate Interviews Ashley Love on the Unjust H.B. 235 Compromise: 'Md. Gender Identity Bill on the Move'

2011-04-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

I was interviewd today by The Advocate about why the compromised version on HB 235 must either be ammended or withdrawn. It's great to have a national LGBT news source tell both sides of this story. Many LGBT news sources have been censoring the dissent against this bill from the transsexual and transgender community, and only expressing the gay and lesbian (not transsexual's) leadership's POV via Equality Maryland's 'talking point' team. Article below:

Posted on Advocate.com April 05, 2011

Story Updated : April 05, 2011 05:30:00 PM

Md. Gender Identity Bill on the Move By Julie Bolcer

An endangered gender identity antidiscrimination bill has been moved to the Maryland senate judicial proceedings committee, where a hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

The Gender Identity Antidiscrimination Act, which had appeared dead for the year, was moved to the more favorable committee Tuesday morning after extended public pressure that included hundreds of constituent calls and e-mails.

Equality Maryland announced that the senate rules committee voted to send the bill to the judicial proceedings committee, where it is expected to pass and head to the full senate for consideration. The bill passed the assembly by a strong 86-52 margin last month, but in the senate it was unexpectedly assigned to the rules committee, where prospects dimmed.

"This important piece of legislation that will extend vital protections to Transgender Marylanders in housing, employment, and credit lives to see another day thanks to the tremendous leadership of Senators Jamie Raskin and Rich Madaleno both of whom were instrumental in making sure the bill moved out of the Senate Rules Committee,” said Morgan Menses-Sheets, executive director of Equality Maryland, in an e-mail to The Advocate.

“Other legislative allies, including delegates Joseline Pena-Melynk, Ariana Kelly and the LGBT caucus can also be attributed to keeping this bill alive,” she said. The seven members of the house LGBT caucus sent a letter to senate president Thomas V. Mike Miller last week urging him to allow the bill to be passed from the rules committee to the judicial proceedings committee.

“This bill would offer limited protections with respect to employment, housing and financial security,” wrote the caucus members in a copy of the letter provided to The Advocate.

“In the hearing in the health and government operations committee we learned the transgender community has double the national average rate of unemployment (14%) and 90% face discrimination or harassment at work. With regard to housing, 11% report having been evicted for being transgender and 10% have been homeless.”

The bill has divided transgender advocates, however. Some groups opposed to the measure, including Trans Maryland and Trans United, say it offers inadequate protections by failing to include the category of public accommodations, which encompasses restrooms, hospitals, restaurants, transportation, shelters, and other public areas. Delegate Pena-Melynk, the lead sponsor of the bill, said the category was excluded in order to secure passage of the bill, which has failed over public accommodations in the past.

Transgender and transsexual advocate Ashley Love called the measure a “second-class bill” in an interview with The Advocate, likening the proposal to settling for civil unions instead of marriage equality. She said that removing protections for public accommodations could set a dangerous precedent by buckling to conservative critics around the country who focus on the issue of bathrooms in trying to defeat transgender rights legislation.

"H.B. 235 passing without public accommodations protections will create a second-class status for Maryland’s transsexual and transgender community, and more dangerous, other states could follow this unjust blueprint,” she said. “It’s hypocritical that Equality Maryland refused second-class civil unions, and only first-class marriage, yet they’re accepting a second-class ‘antidiscrimination’ bill for transsexual and transgender people, when most transsexual and transgender Marylanders only support a first-class, fully inclusive bill."

Love indicated that she and others would continue to advocate against the bill.

A senate source confirmed that testimony would be heard on the bill in the senate judicial proceedings committee this Thursday at 1 p.m. The hearing time is likely to be abbreviated due to the volume of unfinished business as the Maryland state legislature approaches its adjournment date of April 11.

'Point Honors Benefit' Honored Andy Cohen & Grethe Cammermeyer. Raised Funds for LGBT People's Higher Education

2011-04-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

Kelly Ripa (co-host of event) and supermodel Iman

Last night the Point Honors was held at the beautiful Capitale in Manhattan, and was hosted by Kelly Ripa and Sam Champion. The Point Foundation helps LGBT people finance higher education, as well as linking them up with mentors and professional development. Andy Cohen and Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer each were honored, as well as Johnson & Johnson

Andy Cohen (Bravo's VP & TV Host of 'Watch What Happnes Live') recieved the Point Courage Award. Cohen helped build the highly successful network Bravo, which has multiple LGBT characters.

Joelle Ruby Ryan, a friend of mine, was actually Point Foundation's first scholar from the transsexual or transgender community. I asked her about her experience with the organization, and she tells us, “I was in the final stages of writing my dissertation, and had run out of University funding. It was the support of Point that allowed me to complete my dissertation and receive my Ph.D. in 2009. I was unbelievably lucky to be mentored by transsexual pioneer Lynn Conway. As transsexual and transgender students and scholars, we often struggle with multiple challenges in order to finish our education. From familial rejection, to employment discrimination and economic hardships, to accessing culturally competent medical care, accessing higher education can seem like an unattainable dream. That is precisely why organizations like the Point Foundation are so vital: they provide a life line for those of us oppressed by transphobia and offer us the tools to go on to successful and rewarding professional lives.”

The Point Legend Award went Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer for her pioneering work in ensuring gays and lesbians could serve openly in the military.

w/ Point Foundation's Executive Director Jorge Valencia

Jorge Valencia, Executive Director & CEO of the Point Foundation, tells Trans Forming Media, “The harsh reality is that many high school students are marginalized and endure bullying daily just to be able to get to college and begin their adult life where the environment is very likely to be more accepting. Yet, financial hardships and no family or community support can jeopardize that goal. And this is where Point comes in and becomes so relevant to the future of our society. We not only provide financial support and leadership training, we also provide mentoring, through the building of inter-generational partnerships. By lending their professional expertise and career guidance, Point Mentors become important role models and friends to our scholars, while meaningfully broadening their own experience.”

Actress Marsha Thomason presented a Point scholar with an award

I ran into a pal from Los Angeles, actress Marsha Thomason, who plays a lesbian character on White Collar. She starred on TV shows ‘Lost’ and ‘Vegas’. She presented a scholar with an award. Thomason tells Trans Forming Media, “I was thrilled to be asked to take part of Point Honors tonight because they provide such a wonderful service to the LGBT community. These are kids who are disenfranchised who can now have higher education. I think that’s very exciting and I’m happy to meet some of the scholars tonight as well.”

Sam Champion (Good Morning America) was co-host of the event

MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts presented the Point Inspiration Award to Johnson & Johnson, which was accepted by Chris Hacker, Chief Design Officer, J&J Consumer Companies.

w/ Real Housewives of New Jersey's Teresa Guidice

Johnson & Johnson's Christina Lang (L) and Erica Deuso (R)

Kelly Ripa and Sam Champion were an entertaining duo!

Actress Judith Light (left) was an honoraree chair, and actress Lorna Kelly (right) hosted the silent auction

Maryland Senators Expose "Equality" Maryland Misrespresenting the Transsexual & Transgender Community!

2011-03-30T14:18:00.001-07:00

Though Equality Maryland (and many other state and national LGB”t” organizations) have serious control freak issues when it comes to dominating the transsexual and transgender community’s narrative, political movement strategy, media guide suggestions, priority level in the LGB”t” agenda and how bills pertaining to TS/TG people are written or amended, it seems more and more straight allies and politicians are hearing the cries of the TS/TG community when they say:

“Gay Inc. doesn’t represent us accurately, we are tired of being thrown under the bus constantly and we will not accept a few crumbs here and there! We are taking back our voice.”

The Maryland HB 235 bill is losing ground, which is actually a blessing in disguise because the weak bill leaves out public accommodations protections, so it’s best to propose it next year in its full and original version. The bill has been sent to the Senate Rules Committee where it's expected to die.

Senator Frosh has decided not to be spoon fed what to say by Equality Maryland, and has honestly pointed out that many transsexual and transgender Marylanders disagree with Equality Maryland’s ’incremental strategy’. Yesterday, he was interviewed in the Washington Blade concerning the tainted bill:

In yet another development likely to trouble the bill’s supporters, Frosh said his office was “inundated” on Monday by calls from transgender activists opposed to the bill because it has been stripped of a provision banning discrimination against transgender persons in the area of public accommodations. “They are livid that that was taken out and oppose the bill,” Frosh said of Trans Maryland members. “So there’s a division within the transgender community apparently about whether or not it’s a good idea."

Times are changing. Our elected officials are finally realizing that there is a disconnect between LGB strategists and TS/TG advocates on many issues. Yep, the time has come to represent ourselves, and a lot of LGB groups, and their TG loyalists and apologists, aren’t too happy about it.

Maryland transgender resident, Dana Beyer, who unsuccessfully ran for Maryland House of Delegates three times, and used to be on the board of Equality Maryland, told the Washington Blade yesterday:

"We don't trust Frosh and this seems to be his way of killing it and leaving himself with clean hands," Beyer says. "Bills don't go to Rules Committee unless there's a problem with them. This is not the normal process. There really is no reason for it. I would say this doesn't look good, and there's no excuse for it."

However, many in the community disagree that "Frosh is to blame". In fact, many are grateful to Senator Frosh for acknowledging that the bill's compromised version "may not be a good idea", and that many leaders in the Maryland community, including members of Trans Maryland and Trans United, have been calling his office and telling him why the bill must either ammended to include public accomodations protections, or withdrawn.

Emelye Waldherr replied to Dana Beyer’s opinion,

"Maybe there IS a problem with the bill? A great number of people think there's a big problem with this bill. Could it be that Senator Frosh agrees with them?"

A commenter then called Waldherr “naïve and Pollyanna ” to suggest that Senators would actually reconsider the bill’s merit due to the large outcry and opposition from Maryland’s only two trans specific organizations, Trans Maryland and Trans United. TransGriot’s Monica Roberts’ rebuttal to that name calling was:
"No, what’s “naive and Pollyanna” is GL rights orgs pimping an 'incremental rights' trans legislative strategy that not only doesn't work, it is harmful to the people it allegedly is supposed to help."
Dana LaRocca, a noted transsexual journalist and member of Trans Maryland, comments on this development,
"Yusef [a political writer for Metro Weekly] writes whatever he is spoon fed by the Equality Maryland disinformation team. He has no idea what is going on around him. An article in the Washington Blade has an entirely different take on it. [Washington Blade’s] Lou Chibbaro was apparently aware that the transgender community had reached out to key players in the Senate.

It looks like we got to [Senator] Frosh. Even better it looks like Frosh got under EQMD's skin. Next year is different because we have backed them into a corner and they have seen what we can do. I'm not a Blade fan. But if they upset the EQMD folk it's OK with me

Now EQMD is whining that he [Frosh] doesn't play by the rules. Well guess what EQMD - ya'll don't make the rules."

Even Maryland Senator Rich Madaleno publicly commented on the how all the attention seems to only goes towards gay marriage, though anti-discriminations protections for transsexual and transgender people are more urgent and needed. In his statement he says:

“Although much of the media attention this legislative session has centered on marriage equality, we cannot let that debate overshadow efforts to enact these essential protections. Protection against discrimination, including gender identity discrimination, is a basic human right.”

Many agree with Senator Madeleno. Let’s be real, marriage is a luxury when you can’t even get a job because you are discriminated against, or can’t use public accommodations because of your gender identity, or get denied hospital care or health care insurance because you are transsexual. But since the gay and lesbian elitists who dominate the priorities of the LGB (lets tack on T to be PC) movement have most privileges straight people do, all they are concerned about is marriage and tax breaks, and those who are more oppressed are demanded to follow what their desires are. Never mind that a large percentage of the TS/TG communities are unemployed or living in poverty level, are frequently victims of hate crimes and have less social acceptance and understanding then gays do from society.

I want to thank Senator Frosh and Senator Madelno for having the integrity to call a spade a spade, and for them compassionately acknowledging that the LGB movement does not always do right by the TS/TG community.

The tide is shifting......

Transsexual, transgender and intersex Americans have had enough. They are exiting the back of the LGB”t” bus and buying their own bus. It’s high time we stop allowing our community to be used as a political bargaining chip by the gay establishment. Many elected officials and media outlets are supporting us in doing so.

We own our voices.

WE own OUR voices!

WE OWN OUR VOICES!!!

Trans Maryland members and supporters rally at The Supreme Court to oppose HB 235

NYC's LGBT Film Festival, NewFest, Hosts Panel @ Dot429.com's Brunch

2011-03-28T22:29:00.001-07:00

(L-R) Ashley Love, dot429 CEO Richard Klein (center) and do2429's Bryan Moore (right) w/ NewFest's Executive Director Lesli Klainberg w/ actor Wilson Cruz (My So Called Life) w/ dot429's National Event Director Jason Dorn (L-R)Anthony Grisafi,Charles T. Edwards, Dan Choi aka DADT spokesperson (L-R) Matt Brown, dot429's NY Brand Ambassador Ryan Young, Ashley, Michael Santo (L-R) Ashley, musician Tona Brown, Out Music ED Deidra Meredith, Qtalk's Frantz G Hall

I thoroughly enjoyed being one of the co-hosts at dot429’s festive brunch, which followed a presentation and panel by NewFest, the NY LGBT Film Festival. Being somewhat new in New York, it was great to meet new people in the community, and hang out with friends, eat a delicious meal, and have a glass of champagne, or two.. I became a fan of NewFest last year shortly after I moved here. When Tribeca Film Festival decided to program the transsexual-phobic, misogynistic and racist film, Ticked Off Tra**ies With Knives, we at MAGNET (Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People) initiated a national educational campaign, following a protest at Tribeca Cinemas, and weeks later an education rally outside the film premiere, all garnering national and international attention. As a result, the top US LGBT film festivals, including NewFest, rejected the dehumanizing film.

NewFest’s panel was moderated by transgender filmmaker, Kimberly Reed (Prodigal Sons). The part of the panel I liked is when the filmmakers discussed how LGBT filmmakers need to stop only making films where the catch is “gay, gay, gay”, or “transsexual, oh my!”, but actually tell a human story that anyone can relate to, and just have the LGB or T part be a second factor. I learned good news from NewFest Executive Director, Lesli Klainberg, which is that NewFest will be presented at New York City’s prestigious Lincoln Center, making them the first ever LGBT programming at the Lincoln Center. This is huge!

dot429 is a “networking organization for the LGBT community”, and have strongholds in LA, NYC, SF, Chicago and are expanding to DC, other US cities, and eventually abroad. I think what dot429(.com) is doing is good for our LGBTTI coalition because the stronger our collective coalition is, the better we can push equality forward. I asked my new friend Ryan Young, New York Brand Ambassador for dot429, to tell us about why they support NewFest, and to tell us more about dot429.

Ryan tells us:

"dot429 decided to support NewFest as our missions are very similar; to provide the LGBT and Ally community with the highest possible cultural and personal access to meaningful media. We at dot429 believe that the films that NewFest presents do just that, and encourage important discussion.

dot429 is a global network connecting LGBT and Ally professionals online and in person; regionally, nationally and internationally. Founded by 600 of the most successful and influential LGBTA entrepreneurs and entertainers, dot429 serves as a go-to destination for the LGBTA professional set to make important business connections. dot429 provides members with a fresh take on current issues: the queer professional perspective."

dot429 seeks to connect many different groups in the LGBT and Ally community rather than compete with them. Smaller professional networks best serve segments of our community and provide much needed services. Our idea is that if we can connect as many smaller groups and businesses as possible the multiplicative power of professional relationships will take out community to a greater level of power and equality."

Check out dot429.com!

NewFest's panel discussion before the brunch

w/ transsexual advocate and writer Marylin Pierce

(L-) Laura E. Williams, Ashley, Anne Thomas (also a co-host of the brunch)
w/ Gregory Warren Jr. (right)

(L-R) guest, Ashley, Nancy Caamano, Angela Mosley, Tom Callahan

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association's 'Headlines & Headliners'

2011-03-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

Ashley Love, journalist Ann Curry

(L-R) Patrick Abner, Ashley, Thomas Roberts (event host, MNBC news anchor)

Yesterday evening was "Headlines & Headliners", the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association’s 16th Annual Benefit. NLGJA is dedicated to ensuring fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues, protecting LGBT media professionals in the work place and fostering their professional development.

It was a really lively and lovely event, held at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, a luxury furniture store in in Manhattan. The event was hosted by Thomas Roberts, an openly gay news anchor on MNBC. News media greats such as Ann Curry and Sam Champion attended, as well as Chris Wragge, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Matthew Taylor and Natalie Morales.

Country music star Chely Wright and her girlfriend came out to support the cause. Wright’s upcoming documentary, ‘Wish Me Away’, had a special screening the same night, at a different venue. Miss New York 2010, Claire Buffie, was there to support her friend Thomas Roberts. She is such a dedicated straight ally to the LGBT community, and I enjoy seeing her at numerous events for the community.

As a media professional, who also happens to be part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender and intersex coalition, it was really inspiring to me to be in the presence of so many people I look up to, such as Ann Curry who is such a smart woman and a longtime advocate, and Thomas Roberts who is brave enough to be out, when many in the industry are still closeted professionally. The event was bustling with so many folks who all believed in harnessing the media to enroll equality, understanding, acceptance and positive images for the community.

Mitchel Gold received a certificate from Christine Quinn, speaker of NY City Council, honoring his work. Michel Gold is not just a furniture entrepreneur; he is a civil rights advocate. His new book, Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America, is out now.

Times are so much better than they used to be as far as the media being more respectful and accurate concerning transsexual, transgender and intersex (TTI) representations and issues, and LGBT ones as well. But there is still so much work to be done, especially for the TTI communities. There is still a lot of mis-gendering, sensationalizing and dehumanizing of transsexual women in the media every day. With groups like NLGJA and openly LGBT media professionals, we can help inspire better media coverage.

To learn more about NLGJA, and to get more involved, visit: http://nlgja.org

w/ country star/LGBT advocate Chely Wright (L-R) Fox news anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle, Ashley Love, Fox news anchor Jamie Colby w/ Jane Velez-Mitchell w/ NLGJA Executive Director Michael Tune Miss New York 2010 Claire Buffie Blogger Andy Towle w/ New York Time's Alan Flippen Micthel Gold's company being acknowledged from the city via Christine Quinn LAGLC's Jim Key (far left), Latina Magazine's Javier Morgado (2nd from left), journalist Derrick Shore (far right) (L-R) Ashley, Emma Margoline, guest, Lana Schupbach, guest w/ NCLR's Shannon Minter w/ Fred Karger

Trans Maryland's Education Rally at The Supreme Court Exposed the Gay & Lesbian Community Using the TS/TG Community as a Political Bargaining Chip

2011-03-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

Trans Maryland’s education rally Tuesday night was such an inspiring moment, as a crowd of human rights activists marched to The Supreme Court to show solidarity with their transsexual and transgender brothers and sisters in Maryland whose basic civil rights are being denied. Around 35 people attended, and members of Get Equal DC and the International Foundation for Gender Education showed up to support. Half of the attendees were not Marylanders, but since this dangerous bill could affect us all if passed, we stood in solidarity with them.

Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

The education rally was a huge success. I learned a lot when Trans Maryland’s Media Director, Jenna Fischetti spoke to the crowd about why HB235 needs to be purposed in its original format. Denise Leclaire, Executive Director of International Foundation for Gender Education also spoke.

Jenna Fischetti told SheWired.com after the rally:

“Trans Maryland is overwhelmed by the support and solidarity shown by our local and national peers and allies this evening. We wish to thank them all. We marched up 1st Street, past The Cannon House Building, on our way to the Capitol Grounds across from the Supreme Court. The destination was 1st and Maryland. In exercising our 1st Amendment rights, We members of Maryland’s transsexual and transgender communities made a statement that We Own Our Voices, that House Bill 235 in the Maryland House of Delegates needs to be amended, and that going forward, it is OUR community’s responsibly, in conjunction with supportive allies when needed, to educate our legislators and the population as a whole.”

Trans Maryland hosted this education rally to draw attention to the butchered HB 235 bill which has had public accommodations protections deleted. As usual, the gay and lesbian media was silencing or misrepresenting many of Maryland’s TS/TG community’s points of view, and portraying this issue just how Equality Maryland would advise them to. Yet due to Trans Maryland’s education rally, the gay media was pressured to actually tell the other side of the coin, something one would think most responsible journalists and news sources would do, yet in the land of LGB”T” media, that’s hardly the case when it comes to TS/TG issues.

Transsexual and transgender people need these rights immensely, and the gay and lesbian leadership via Equality Maryland had no right to do a backroom deal that chopped away these lifesaving protections.

The butchered version of HB 235 is not only unconstitutional, but absurd. If the bill is passed in its compromised form, a transsexual woman may gain the protection to keep her job as a nurse at a Maryland hospital, but she could be denied emergency room care in the same hospital she is employed at if the staff were transphobic. For instance, Tyra Hunter was refused care for serious injuries by EMS worker Adrian Williams, and later by the physician. As a result, she died. Without public accommodations protections, this bill has no merit.

Jenna Fischetti emailed Trans Forming Media today and wrote:

"I felt honored to be in the presence of real voices, speaking out for themselves without the filter of privileged peers or shell organizations, cold and callus to our needs seeking to delete and censor us. It is our experience which must carry the message to potential allies and legislators. The responsibility is on us"

If you say "LGBT", then actually mean it. If you don't sincerely mean it, then do us all a favor and just say "LGB", this way, the TS/TG/IS can be represented accurately and fairly. We are not property of Gay Inc, nor political bargaining chips of state and national gay “equality” organizations. (Thanks to Robyn Webb of Maryland for making such a cool sign!)

Cathy Brennan, a former associate of Equality Maryland/Free State Justice, and who had a significant part a decade ago in preventing TS/TG Marylanders from anti-discrimination protections, was not too happy about Trans Maryland’s rally.

She posted in the comment section of my previous blog:

"...I've never seen a more hapless bunch of activists…"

I did not know why a simple education rally would provoke Cathy Brennan to engage in such immature and unprofessional behavior. I was also curious if she even knew what “hapless” meant.

I replied:

"FACT CHECKING: Hi Cathy, I’ve noticed you on numerous social networking sites or blogs engaging in your trademark name calling. It’s interesting to see you finally make your way to Trans Forming Media.

So, we are now “hapless” according to your latest rant?. Do you know what “hapless” even means?

Hapless: 1) pathetic 2) dependent 3) victim-like

1) PATHETIC:
If we were so pathetic, we would not have mobilized, stood up and marched to The Supreme Court and rally to be heard

2) DEPENDENT:
No, we are not “dependent”. In fact, it’s because we are choosing to be INDEPENDENT and not be treated as unwanted stepchildren and property of Gay Inc , and actually speak and represent ourselves, that has you, Equality Maryland and many who seek to keep us colonized in a fit (Just like how Equality Maryland cancelled their transgender working group)

3) VICTIM-LIKE:
If we were victims we would roll over and let this tainted bill go forward in its problematic form. If we had victim mentality we would believe we were only good enough for the crumbs you and your cohorts believe we deserve. So no, Trans Maryland standing up to discrimination means they are not victim-like, but that they are REFUSING to behave like victims

I hope you have appreciated English class today; it’s the first time I had to teach one on my blog. Don’t be late to class next week, where we will be discussing transphobia in the gay and lesbian community."

In the Aftermath of Trans Maryland's Education Rally, "Equality" Maryland Cancels "Transgender Working Group" Last Minute Tonight. More Censorship?

2011-03-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

In the aftermath of Trans Maryland's education rally last night in front of The Supreme Court, Equality Maryland cancels 'transgender "colony" working group' last minute, which was scheduled for tonight. Censorship? Control issues? Worried that their colony may break free and speak for themselves? Does In-Equality Maryland want to wait until Maryland's legislative session is over before they talk to the Maryland TS/TG community, so they can dominate the message, and compromise HB235? Just Shameful

(L-R) Trans Maryland's Media Director Jenna Fischetti, IFGE's ED Denise Leclaire, Trans Maryland organizer Donna Plamodom all atttend Trans Maryland's education rally last night at The Supreme Court, oppossing HB235's tainted version

In an email today from Equality Maryland to transsexual woman Donna Plamondon, who is an opponent of HB235's tainted format:

Dear Donna,
Due to scheduling conflicts, the transgender issues working group meeting originally scheduled for tonight has been postponed.
Thank you for coming out to Baltimore these past few weeks, lending your time and your voices to the discussion.
We believe these meetings have been constructive. We are committed to continuing these conversations after the legislative session so we can best formulate a coordinated, long range educational and legislative agenda.
We look forward to continuing this important dialogue. The next meeting will be scheduled for Wednesday, April 13th at 7:30 PM in the Equality Maryland offices. At that time we hope to have a system in place that will allow folks to join via a conference call. We'll keep you posted as the date draws closer.

Isn’t that amazing! They rescheduled the next “transgender working group” at the same time that the legislative session ends! Gay Inc sure knows how to control their TS/TG colony!

In more news, Equality Maryland released a statement on their Facebook page trying to defend why they are censoring and banning opposition to their compromising behavior. They ‘unbanned’ many of the advocates they had banned, including me. I then simply posted Trans Maryland’s press release about their education rally on their page, and I was re-banned.

What’s the matter with posting an education event? Are they scared people will see the disservice they are doing to the TS/TG community?

Transsexual/Transgender Education Rally in Front of The Supreme Court For Public Accomadations Protections in HB 235

2011-03-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Press Release from Trans Maryland about their education rally in front of The Supreme Court to demand public accomadations protections for TS/TG people be put back into HB 235 & to express why TS/TG should represent themselves, not the gay and lesbian community.

Washington D.C., March 14th, 2011

Trans Maryland and Allies Organize March 15th Education Rally in Washington DC to Demand HB 235 Fully Protect Transsexual & Transgender Marylanders

WHAT: The Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill (HB 235) proposal in Maryland is supposed to protect people from discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression; however, a compromise has been made to remove protections against discrimination in public accommodations for transsexual and transgender (TS/TG) Marylanders, and is about to be sent to the committee for a vote in its tainted format. Maryland State Senator Rich Madaleno has made a call to amend HB235 to put public accommodations protections back in, yet gay and lesbian leadership via Equality Maryland and elected officials, all who are not TS/TG, have decided to edit out lifesaving protections, outraging many TS/TG community members who are being misrepresented, censored, shut out of the decision making process and are unwilling to accept a bill that will create second class citizenship and legalize discrimination.

The education rally will appropriately be on Maryland Ave and 1st Street, right next to The Supreme Court

WHEN: March 15th 7:00pm-8:00pm

WHERE: On the North West corner of 1st Avenue & Maryland Ave, Washington D.C., DC 20002

Jenna Fischetti, Media Director for Trans Maryland, explains, “Trans Maryland originated in 2009 to educate the citizens of Maryland, legislative leaders and policy makers as to the needs of Maryland’s transsexual and transgender community. In the aftermath of HB 235 being compromised, collective members of our community have now joined together to oppose Equality Maryland’s misrepresentation of Maryland’s transsexual and transgender communities best interests. Transsexual and transgender people should represent themselves, not gay and lesbian organizations. We are taking back our voice.”

Ashley Love, a national TS/TG media advocate, explains why this is more than a Maryland state issue: “Though I live in New York, I will join the many people from around the country that will be at Trans Maryland’s education rally in Washington D.C. this Tuesday because the threat of this compromised bill passing without needed protections for transsexual and transgender people could set a dangerous precedent that other states could follow in denying basic human rights to oppressed minorities simply because they were born with a birth challenge or medical condition.”

Donna S Plamondon, a Trans Maryland organizer, recently testified at the Public Hearing on the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill in Annapolis on March 9th. Today she says, “Many of Maryland’s transgender, transsexual and intersex communities oppose any legislation being introduced without consulting the affected community. I hope to see HB235, as written, die in committee and a fully inclusive bill introduced in the near future. We need protections to which all citizens are entitled under the laws of the State of Maryland and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

For press inquiries or interviews, or to learn more about the education rally on Tuesday, please contact TruthfulPR@gmail.com

In-Equality Maryland Censors & Bans Numerous Advocates For Asking "May Transsexual & Transgender Americans Have Some Human Rights Too, Pretty Please?"

2011-03-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

"‎"EQUALITY" Maryland wants to create the illusion of a unified front. They are silencing TS/TG/I voices as well as LGBQ people who dont agree with their tactics." writes LGBTTIQ advocate Christopher Leonard as he sums up Equality Maryland's muzzling of the transsexual and transgender people who oppose their compromising actions.

Today I joined the long list of many transsexual and transgender advocates who have either had their comments deleted on Equality Maryland's Facebook page, or who have actually been BANNED from commenting, for simply asking the gays and lesbians who dominate the LGB”T” movement in Maryland via Equality Maryland, "Excuse me sir, may us poor, 'bottom of the LGBT food chain' tra**ys have some human rights too, pretty please?"

The controversy in Maryland right now is that the state’s LGB “t” equality group, Equality Maryland, is supporting a bill, HB235, which is inaccurately being called an “anti-discrimination” bill; however, it actually allows the discrimination against transsexual and transgender people in public accommodations, whereas gays and lesbians already ensured their own protections in public accommodation a decade ago.

In a comment posted on Equality Maryland’s Facebook page, Zoe Ellen Brian explains why this compromise is appalling:

"HB235 specifically excludes trans people from the same protections that gays have had since 2001. It gives them a limited subset, while legitimizing discrimination against them in many areas – such as lunch counters, or being allowed to ride a bus, enter a restaurant, or be given medical care at a hospital. In other words, “public accommodations”.

It legitimizes inequality, in an attempt to give them at least some minimal rights in credit applications, employment, and housing. A “pragmatic compromise” that strengthens the rights of all other minorities regarding public accommodations, while denying trans people any protection whatsoever. Deliberate, legally sanctioned Inequality.

Because Zoe Ellen’s comment exposed the ugly truth behind Equality Maryland’s compromising behavior that has and will continue to negatively affect the TS/TG communities, it was promptly deleted by the moderator.

Here are the two comments I posted that had me censored, and then banned:

Today Maryland's marriage bill is sent back 2 committee 4 discussion. No vote until 2012 probably. To all the Maryland gays & lesbians: The way you are feeling right now is how the transsexual & transgender community felt when you didn’t protect them in Marylands discrimination bill this week. See how that works? Its called karma. Sorry to be frank, yet u should be sorry 4 abandoning the TS/TG part of the coalition!

The 2nd comment I made today was in response to Equality Maryland’s page saying “transgendered”, problematically adding the “ed” after transgender, which media advocacy groups educate against.

Excuse me, why is there an "ed" after transgender? Transgender people are not "adverbs". Are you serious? Please educate yourself before you proceed to (mis)represent transgender and transsexual people. Thanks

Though I was upset my voice was censored, in a way, I am honored to make the list of so many transsexual and transgender advocates who have also been banned or censored on Equality Maryland's page for simply asking "What about the 'T'?" I couldn't’t ask for a more honest group of transsexual, transgender (and/or intersex) people to be associated with! Thanks Equality Maryland, this acknowledgement means a lot to me, it means I refuse to be a token trans tom [aka Autumn Sandeen] and compromise! I will wear your rejection with pride! ;)

Another thing, if I hear Equality Maryland quote Martin Luther King one more time, I may scream! King would NEVER condone how Equality Maryland is sacrificing transsexual and transgender Americans, and using them as a political bargaining chip. King would never say "Let’s get light skinned blacks and biracial blacks their rights first, and then come back for the rest". How dare they misappropriate his cause!

Something ironic happened yesterday. The same exact day that the Maryland ‘Gay & Lesbian caucus’ sacrificed transsexual & transgender people in a discrimination bill hearing, the House decides to do the same thing to gay marriage via defending DOMA! Perhaps the moral is that gays shouldn't mimic our oppressors and abandon TS/TG folk? Karma is timely like that, & she will make us learn our lesson one way or another...

Patrick Peace Tree, who has also been censored on their page, disclosed,

I've been censored so many times over there, I've just given up. It makes me furious to watch them use MLK quotes and talk about inequality while they preach segregation with HB 235

Kat Rose, a popular legal historian of transsexual and transgender issues (who is an attorney) and is the author of the blog ‘ENDAblog.wordpress.com', elaborates on how Equality Maryland has done this many times before, like when they threw us under the bus in 2001:

"Trans people in Maryland today are dying because of what Liz Seaton, Cathy Brennan and Shannon Avery got away with a decade ago. Their form of fake history creation was simply doing their evil and slithering away into highly-paid jobs that no trans people (or, in Seaton’s case, no trans women) are ever considered for and letting the amnesia of the damned do their historical work for them. Don’t let it happen again. Challenge ‘Equality’ Maryland’s lying-by-sanitizing online

Technically, the dirty deed happened in 1999 when certain gay-primacy activists began pushing an empty theory that trans people were already covered under Maryland law - which gave legislators cover to delete trans people from that year's bill. Liz Seaton, then head of what is now 'Equality' Maryland but then called Free State Justice (more accurately referred to as 'Free State Just Us') and soon to move up to a position with the Human Rights Campaign, sat silent before legislators when asked if there was any problem with removing trans people from the bill.
This series of events gave license to the legislature to forever after move forward with gay-only bills - which was done again in 2001. Again, gays who wanted their gay-only bill without concern for the long-term harm to trans people - the most vocally obnoxious of whom was Cathy Brennan - pushed the theory that trans people were already covered under Maryland law so trans people had nothing to complain about. Moreover, Brennan openly declared that the gay people in Maryland who supported trans inclusion and, as such, opposed the gay-only bill, were "anti-gay."

Through all of this, the implication was that once Maryland gays got their gay-only statute, they would go back and make the trans protections explicit. Instead, of course, they discovered gay marriage, so there has never been any legitimate effort - including the insulting HB 235 of this year - by Maryland's gays to make good on their 'incremental progress' promises to trans people."

And it gets worse; Equality Maryland is using the mother of a trans child to support a bill that will actually allow discrimination against her child. Kelly Busy of Planetransgender.com wrote an open letter to the mother, Cathy Hyde, to explain why the community is upset with Equality Maryland’s anti-TS/TG behavior: http://planetransgender.blogspot.com/2011/03/open-letter-to-catherine-hyde-pflag.html

Jenna Fischetti , a woman who lives in Maryland and TS/TG activist, wrote in a thread concerning this controversy,

“The difficult part of your proposition is the assertion that EQMD has the capacity to be good and thus through its sacrificing the TS/TG people, they were wrong. If its not in their nature to be for the full and immediate equality of TS/TG ...Marylanders, then they are NOT wrong in sacrificing them, they are only consistent.

To the deleting numerous comments please follow the link: [Wikipedia’s article on Stalinism] http://goo.gl/rGdCA

Now, I will say that last bit was intended as tongue in cheek. However, whoever has administrator rights or control of their Facebook page or directed the control of the message on the page needs to seriously consider how ridiculous it made them look. They could have turned off comments completely so they could have controlled their message like Brezhnev."

Donna S. Plamondon, a woman of transsexual medical history, who lives in Maryland, went to the Public Hearing on the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill on March 9th, and testified against the problematic bill. Today she reflected back to me,

"I NEVER thought I would ever testify AGAINST a bill to (supposedly) give us protection. It sucked being the ONLY transsexual sitting with the likes of Peter Spriggs speaking in opposition to HB235 at the house committee hearing. EqMd is NOT happy with me telling the legislature "Thanks But No Thanks for HB235 as written".

Here is a part of Donna’s testimony from the hearing:

"I and many other members of Maryland’s transsexual and intersex communities feel slighted and offended by the omission of public accommodations to HB235. Not to be disrespectful to the efforts of our allies, our legislators, Equality Maryland, the NGLTF, the NCTE and transgender community, but no one seems to acknowledge that there is a difference between being transsexual/intersex and being transgender and no one seems to want it addressed.

TRANSGENDER persons in general IDENTIFY with their birth sex, neither sex, or both sexes. They typically EXPRESS their gender opposite their birth sex in an inconsistent manner for various reasons. Some are crossdressers, some are transvestites, and some are drag queens and kings. Some choose an androgynous EXPRESSION.

...TRANSEXUALS and INTERSEX persons typically IDENTIFY with the sex opposite their sex assigned at birth and EXPRESS that IDENTITY in a consistent manner every day of their lives

…TRANSEXUALS people are recognized as being a medical condition by both the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association as evidenced by their individual resolutions supporting the legal recognition of their IDENTIFIED and EXPRESSED gender

…. persons should be protected by a public accommodation amendment and recognized as to have taken the responsible approach of seeking help from psychiatric and medical professionals to resolve a medical condition. We deserve all the dignity, respect and protections, both civil and legal, to which a citizen is entitled under the laws of the State of Maryland, Title 7 of the Civil Rights act of 1964 and the United States of America."

Marti Abernathey of Transadvocate.com, warns us about the danger of a domino effect if this bill passes without full protections in her article 'Gay Media: Maryland Trans Community, Love The Crumbs We Give You' :

"If HB235 passes without public accommodations in Maryland, this will reverberate across the country. You only get one chance at this. It’s hard enough to “go back” for gender identity protections (New York, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, etc.). But going back for public accommodations that cover gender identity will be next to impossible.

In light of HB285 ( a bill that gives legal teeth to public accommodations protections for those already covered), the genesis of this “half a loaf” becomes clear. Maryland’s “advocacy coalition” isn’t prepared to fight for full equality for the entire community. We’re supposed to be happy with their crumbs."

Marti also warns about the sneaky way the gay and lesbian media are (mis)reporting this, writing. "As much as trans people seem to want to believe it, gay (GayINC) media is not their friend/advocate/ally". She goes on to expose the unsatisfactory way Metro Weekly, Washington Blade and Pam's House Blend (via Autumn Sandeen) are reporting this story.

Perhaps I was provocative by saying it was “karma” in Maryland that postponed the marriage rights of the same gays and lesbians who are denying TS/TG people their full protections in the discrimination bill. But I am just one person who noticed an interesting parallel and commented on it. What I said is not anywhere as impactful or inappropriate as the gay and lesbian decision makers who work for, or who are on the board of, Equality Maryland, which has made the choice (repeatedly) to compromise the basic human rights of TS/TG people, the same rights that gays and lesbians in Maryland have already secured for themselves.

Equality Maryland has the right to ban people off their page, it’s their page, but is it the proper behavior for a “civil rights group”? The good news is that they can’t delete any of my comments off Blogspot.com. If Equality Maryland wants to continue to throw transsexual and transgender people under the bus, then their two options that make sense in my eyes are:

---1) Change their name to ‘Inequality’ Maryland

---2) Call themselves a LGB group instead of a LGB.”t” one

So which will it be Equality Maryland? Choice #1 or choice #2? Or, you could surprise us all and do choice number #3:

---3) Demand that public accommodation protections for TS/TG people be put pack into the bill.

Dana LaRocca resides in Maryland, and is a woman of transsexual experience. She has been very vocal and uncompromising in her opposition to the bill, and against Equality Maryland for supporting it. So, of course, she had to be silenced and Equality Maryland's Facebook page banned her as well. Dana's response to being on the ever growing "banned list" is:[It's a] "Badge of honor"

Dana, many others, including myself, agree with you :)

What Does The 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day Means to Women Born Transsexual and/or Intersex?

2011-03-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. The human race has come a long way since organized sexism demoted women to 2nd class citizens and created a culture that has sought to degrade the divine feminine, casting this world into a fear based land of war, violence, materialism and falsehoods.

However, though this world is in a better place for women then in was in centuries past, in the beginning, times were even better in most cultures for women, as the divine feminine was worshiped as the almighty, and in many societies women were revered as sacred life bearers and spiritual keepers of Mother Earth.

Before the pre-feudalism and pre-patriarchy times something else was different then it is in 2011. Women of transsexual and/or intersex experience were not persecuted, vilified, objectified and marginalized like they are today. In fact, it was the exact opposite. They were revered as shamans, priestesses, spiritual directors, medicine practitioners, consultants to royalty and leaders, healers, inspirers and beloved of the balanced circle of life.

Unfortunately, when men created organized religion to control the masses, the decision was made to assault the status of women because they possessed feminine qualities that threatened the brutal regime of classism, land and human ownership, greed, and egocentric and addictive external desires. People who defied gender stereotypes or who were born transsexual and/or intersex were also a threat because they did not fit into a box, so their fate was sealed as outcasts.

Time has passed and the true history of women born transsexual and/or intersex has come to light by many, but most are still living in the dark ages. Personally, what hurts me more than men assaulting the light of TS/IS women is when non-TS/IS women do this. We saw this is the 70’s and since when lesbian radical feminists denied TS/IS their truth and legacy, casting them back into a hole they had just started to climb out of (see Janice Raymond). We also saw white transvestite male fetishists in the 70’s, 80’s, and even today, use their male privilege and transsexual-phobia try to rewrite, objectify and degrade the true narrative of TS/IS women (see Virginia Prince, Anne Lawrence, etc).

Its 2011, the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, and there is still so much more work to be done. But it’s not just an issue ‘between men and women’. Its also an issue between ‘women and women’. Some women are NOT created ‘more equal’ then other women, and yet many non-TS women would argue otherwise. The gay and lesbian community is doing a horrid job (mis)educating that transvestite males are pretty much the same things as women born TS/IS. This is an assault on women born TS/IS's reality, dignity and plight for understanding and social acceptance, and is responsible for much of the media and public's misgendering, confusion and fear of TS/IS issues.

What I would like to see as we move forward in this 100th year milestone is for all of us to give 100% of the women population the respect and protection they deserve, not just the ones who were lucky enough to have not been born with a birth challenge or medical condition such as women born transsexual and/or intersex.

I would like to see the transgender non-profits and Gay Inc stop censoring women born TS/IS from speaking their truth. I would like to see Transgender/Gender Queer/Cross Dresser Inc and Gay Inc stop co-opting, appropriating and glossing over the realities of human beings born transsexual and/or intersex. I would like education platforms to stop being lazy and actually discuss the diversity in the transsexual, transgender and intersex communities. They are all not one community; they are different communities who have been forced onto a reservation, or a ‘coalition’ at best. To reject and ignore the different needs of these sub-groups is dangerously problematic, unjust, sexist, transsexual-phobic and straight out fraud!

I wish I could rejoice in this 100th Anniversary. Sadly, I cannot. Not when I see my transsexual,transgender and intersex sisters being killed every month, or denied healthcare, or fired for being different, or ridiculed in the media or being segregated from society.

Women born different are still women, and if this day is to mean anything authentic, then all women need to be treated as equals to each other. Period.

Yesterday I asked some friends on Facebook who women are born transsexual and/or intersex to tell us what this anniversary means to them, here are some of their replies:

Cathryn Platine, author of “Riding The Second Wave”, and a leading transsexual feminist and resistance fighter against the co-opting of her community be transgender politics, writes:

“That the current war on women being waged in the US is MY fight. I had my feminist awakening when I was nine years old at the very beginnings of second wave feminism...we still do not have the ERA in this country despite it havingbeen re-introduced every single year since suffrage!”

Constance Macintosh-Mascherin, a Canadian woman who was not born transsexual, but is a committed ally and outspoken feminist, write:

“It SHOULD mean it's time for them to stand up and SCREAM "I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR" !!!!!!!”

Shelley Alexa, a woman born transsexual from California, writes,

“What it means is that the time to act is now...RIGHT NOW...the need has never been greater...it's high time, indeed way overdue, that TS/I women be acknowledged, accepted and appreciated as the WOMEN we truly are...in every possible sense of the word...and I for one wish to be counted...”

Teresa Ellen Reeves , a transsexual lesbian woman (and Seattle based activist)who has dealt with a lot of prejudice from the lesbian community in Seattle because she was born with a transsexual a medical condition, writes,

"Yesterday I went to a Seattle WHEEL (Women’s Housing Equality & Enhancement League) meeting and I found out that the Women of WHEEL were invited to a special International Women’s Day event tomorrow evening where an honor is going to be bestowed on one of our members, Anita Freeman, for her long service to the homeless community!...The invitation came from a lesbian event organizer, about 72 years old, who is a leader in two local Seattle lesbian groups, both whom have shunned and excluded me– telling me I was not regarded as a “real” woman or a “real” lesbian, and treating me like I was invisible or did not exist! They kept “losing” my phone number or Email address…I had been deliberately left off. No one in the Lesbian Separatist community ever wants to admit that a transsexual woman was included in an "all-woman" event., And if my name had been on the program... Lesbian Separatist Apartheid and for all transsexual women excluded….always hope for next year. Someday I will be included in the International Women's Day event. I will perform my songs of Sisterhood and belonging. And my name will be there in the program for all to see that I, Teresa, and all women are included!”

Alexandra Andrea Beninda writes,

“What it means to me is that I was born a woman, despite all of the ordeals that I have had to overcome, and therefore International Women's Day means the same to me as it does for all women."

Jenna Fischetti writes,

"That my struggle with body image was no different than any other woman's struggle with body image. That misogyny and transmisogyny are cultural and based on societally defined gender roles which have slowly been changing over the last two generations. That acceptance of self leads to acceptance from others.”

Danielle Megehee writes

“To be honest, it's a very sad day... That conditions for women are still poor today - after 100 years - tells us something. TS/IS women face the same discrimination, risk, etc. that other women - in addition to the ones brought on by their... medical condition. Perhaps one day, all people can celebrate a time when all people have equal chances to full and productive lives based on who they are and what they can do - not based on gender or skin color or religion or any other superficial factor.”

Lisa Salazar writes,

"We still hear of and see the incredible inequality that the majority of women experience around the world, where tribal, cultural, religious and patriarchal forces continue to suppress and demean women. It reminds me of a quote I read somewhere, from the head of a humanitarian NGO when he was asked if he celebrated their successes at reducing child mortality, to which he said, "As long as we are surrounded by dying children, it is impossible to really celebrate." It is a different context, but a very applicable sentiment to have on Women's day. As a TS woman, I am grateful and humbled to be among the few numbers of women in the world who have benefitted from the struggles and hard work of the feminists (which to me is not a negative term in the least).”

Monique Phillips writes,

“It means a lot , I feel that I am a Woman as seen as such so Woman’s Day is very important to all Women & the Strides they have faced are still facing”

Maggie Fiona Fox, a transsexual journalist (a lot of her work is featured on TS-Si.org) who resides in the UK, writes,

“It means I can applaud the Olympic definition of woman that requires having completed sex reassignment surgery, (vaginoplasty), being legally recognized as a member of the sex they wish to compete as, and having undergone two years of hormonal therapy (unless they transitioned before puberty).”

Thamra Leslie Crawford writes

“May the next 100 years be equal and full of pride.”

Does Gay Inc & Transgender/Cross Dresser Inc Refusing To Acknowledge the Transsexual & Intersex Communities Mean TS/IS People Don't Exist?

2011-02-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

Question: Does Gay Inc and Transgender/Cross Dresser Male/Gender Queer Inc Refusing To Acknowledge the Transsexual and Intersex Communities Mean TS/IS People Don't Exist?

Answer: No, it does not. We are here, ain't going anywhere and are sick of being censored, co-opted and denied a seat at the LGBTTI coalition table.

Either be fair and accurate, or don't speak for us at all.

Would it kill you to stop misgendering, mocking, marginalizing and objectifying us?

Why do you devalue or deny people of transsexual history's medical legitimacy?

Our invisibility is hurting us.

Drag queens, gender queer activists and cross dressing males don't speak for us.

A gender identity is not the same thing as a medical condition or physical birth challenge

Equal, but DIFFERENT.

Pretending we are all the same because you prefer lazy education is fraud.

Grouping us with transvestites and fetishists is assault and sexual objectification.

Calling us gender variants and 3rd genders is misgendering and "othering" us, and transsexual-phobic.

We are fed up with being bullied and misrepresented.

Sick of this Animal Farm crap.

You can't stop the truth from getting out.

We are here

The Creating Change Conference Reinstilled My Hope & Faith In The LGBTTI Coalition; There's Still Work To Be Done

2011-02-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

sometimes you have to have uncomfortable & complicated conversations to provoke real change

in Creating Change's "Transsexual/Transgender Hospitality Suite"

The Creating Change conference could not have come at a better time for me in my life. It was such an inspiring experience. I learned so much, made new friends and regained the hope that events in the month of January had brutally ripped from me.

Last month was quite a whirlwind for me personally. My faith was put to the test in such a way that made me question where I wanted to go in life, if my dreams were achievable, if I should take a different path and who my real friends were. Sinister forces used a public platform as a bully pulpit to engage in libelous and transsexual-phobic smear campaigns against many transsexual and intersex activists. I too was attacked by politicians who felt I was not submitting enough to the status quo and speaking out too much about inequality and transsexual-misogyny.

Since I refused to be a mute model for Equality Incorporated, and actually wanted a vote, I was punched out. As I layed there dazed and confused, I asked myself if the frustration and disappointments were worth it. I got back up and said “No, I will not lie down for your anti-transsexual agenda. I am WOMAN, hear me roar!”

As a woman who is very empathetic and maternal, it hurt me deeply that such dishonest and violent energies could be directed at women and men of transsexual and/or intersex experience who simply, and innocently, wanted accurate and compassionate representation. Some transgender, cross dresser and gender queer [gender variant] people in positions of power have censored the transsexual and intersex communities plight from having a proper seat at the table, and I feel many in the gay and lesbian elite were all too willing to allow the gay appropriation of our medical conditions to be reserved to a gender deconstructionist agenda against our will.

At the exact time that the TS/TG/IS communities should have been rallying together to demand ENDA be “alive”, when Gay Inc and its TG employees were saying “ENDA's dead”, a Gay Inc blog decided to pit us against each other. Therefore, instead of using those precious few weeks to mobilize, organize and speak out against the desired assassination of ENDA, a gay blog succeeded in casting the TS/TG/IS communities into a civil war. I found this to be the most treacherous of strategies, and proof that the colonization of TS/TG/IS issues by gay community can have disastrous results.

A part of me wanted to retreat from the bullying, lies and abuse and exit the online world. I had planned to delete my Facebook account and just focus on internal education with those who were not so resistant against the discussion of diversity in the TS/TG/IS communities. I love life too much to be the punching bag for those who are maliciously transsexual-phobic, and I know too much insider information and the real history of our communities to preach fake PC narratives. As a feminist and womanist, there was, and is no way I can allow my “masters” to dictate to me to pretend that certain misogynistic Virginia Prince ideologies (that still exist in some politics today) don’t objectify, sexualize and marginalize women of transsexual and/or intersex experience. And as a realist, I won’t co-sign certain pseudo gender theories and TG/cross dresser mandates that misgender, “other” and insensitively bulldoze over TS/IS people’s truth with such astounding hostility and selfishness. Finally, just because I am a femme woman I will not be type casted as an “opinion-less cheerleader” to only say “go team”. When many TS/IS women demonstrate free thinking and transsexual-feminism they get gang banged by the establishment.

Femme phobia is alive and crackin’!

TS/IS people’s unique needs are not being met, and there are some internal LGBTTI coalition conflicts that must be resolved if we are to truly gain harmony so we can move forward in authenticity.

Due to the love and comfort from my friends, and the understanding from many in the transsexual and intersex communities, and allies, I decided not to delete my Facebook account, yet opted for a Terms Of Service for my page and blog, which included rules against cyber bullying and transsexual-phobic rants from commenters.

I was invited to go to Creating Change from a longtime friend, Rea Carey. I met her years ago when I lived In LA, around the same time I started doing activism. She is the executive director of the Task Force, which organized the conference. In 2007, when Barney Frank and HRC removed protections for transsexual and transgender people in ENDA, the Task Force took a stand against this exclusion and helped create “United ENDA”, which many organizations signed onto, including MAGNET. For me, it was heart wrenching for only months after becoming involved in the LGBTTI community movement to see the harsh reality that TS/TG/IS issues get thrown under the bus by some in the Gay Elite. It was reassuring when the Task Force said “No, HRC and Barney Frank, we won’t move anywhere without our TS/TG brothers and sisters!”

I chose to go to Creating Change because my intuition told me that many answers awaited me. I trusted that not all people in the LGBTTI coalition were reluctant to hearing the valid concerns TS/IS people had about their medical legitimacy being dismissed, and the misgendering, objectifying and self-alienating ideologies that some transgender and cross dresser politicians miseducate about *all* of us. What is true for someone may not be true for someone else, which is why we must not wipe out individuality for the sake of “what’s easy”.

I did a lot of soul searching and praying last month when others publicly misunderstood my pure intentions. And though I could have had every reason to follow those in the transsexual community who are fed up with the LGB and TG communities and want to succeed completely, my intuition told me there had to be some compassionate, rational and understanding allies in the LGB and TG communities who cared about the legitimate plea of many TS/IS Americans.

So I went to the conference. There was so much love, positive energy and family there. I was sad that it had to end. I wish I had started going to this conference years ago. And all the hope that was taken from me last month was reinstalled in me times three by all the amazing people I spent time with!

I worked 14 hours days the entire conference! It was exhausting and energizing at the same time, an unusual combo! I barely got any sleep! From workshops, sessions, panels and lectures all day, to events, parties, meeting and networking in the evening. It was such a productive time. The one on one discussions I had were the most rewarding to me, and the truth is, most people in the LGBTTI coalition that I personally know are not a part of the angry mob that is hell bent on dismissing, misrepresenting and vilifying the honest concerns that many TS/IS Americans have about their narrative and medical realities being devalued and misunderstood in the newer transgender sociopolitical expression. Transsexual and intersex people have a birth challenge and/or medical condition; whereas transgender/gender queer and cross dressing people have a gender identity issue. We all deserve civil rights, but to erase the TS/IS narrative in the name of “politics” is tyranny and oppression. I know there is a way we can be all be allies of each other without disrespecting each other’s truths. We are equal, but different.

In the week ahead I will write a few blogs on my experience at Creating Change. I feel so blessed to have been able to attend. If there was ever a doubt that the transsexual and intersex communities have no place in the LGB and transgender coalition, this experience inspired me to believe that change is arising, and many people do get the frustration many transsexual and intersex people are rightfully feeling in the coalition, and are wanting and willing to take action with us to ensure we too have a proper seat at the LGBTTI coalition table.

Apart from the educational blossoms that the conference unfolded, and seeing and spending time with old friends and associates, it really was a treat to make new friends and co-activist buddies. The best part of activism to me is the personal friendships I make. I don’t really have a nurturing and attentive family; I had to give up many of them when I decided to allow my natural birth condition to manifest its destiny. I love nothing more than spending time with my activist family. I love my LGBTTI family so much; they are pretty much my soul family, apart from my other long time friends. My heart is really in my activism, which is why it hurts so much when I feel the transsexual and intersex portion of the coalition is disrespected. I was in California during the Prop 8 drama, and fought with the gay and lesbian community for their rights, even though Prop 8 did not affect me and my boyfriend from having the right to marry. Yet I fought not just because I have many loved ones who are gay or lesbian, but because it was the right thing to do. TS/IS people would like the same regard from the LGB community. In some respects we are all we have; we have to look out for each other. Believe it or not, I don’t enjoy calling out some people in the coalition on their irresponsible and hurtful treatment and decisions in regards to the TS/IS community. But since my heart is in this, I can’t pretend everything is picture perfect just because people say “Ashley, we don’t like the “new radical you”, we miss the happy go lucky Ashley that smiles”. Well, I’m not a model; I just don’t smile all day. And just because I am assertive and an TS/TG/IS activist, does not mean I am not the same person from before. Or perhaps I am more aware...

It’s just things are very time sensitive now, and we have to wake up, and fast. TS/IS Americans also want a piece of the equality pie, and I would hope the LGB and TG communities would help us with our goals…and in an equal level to which their goals are pursued.

I can’t wait until Creating Change next year, but until then, I look forward to creating change every day, and trying to be more forgiving of entities that have not been as understanding or responsible to the TS/IS communities as they should have been. I also have made a commitment to be more sensitive to communities other than my own. I am so happy I got my hope back, and I feel there will be more sunshine in my future writings, though of course a few topics will still have to be addressed first. But I really do see that this coalition/family does have a chance to have true harmony. Big hugs to everyone who went to Creating Change, my Facebook friends and the ‘Trans Forming Media’ readers. Love, Ashley

Happy Roe vs Wade Victory Day, & Happy TS/IS Liberation Year!

2011-01-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Americans w/ a transsexual or intersex birth challenge would like their keys back, thanks

Happy Roe vs Wade Anniversary! Men don’t have the right to tell women what to do w/ their bodies! Also, cross dressing males, gender queer activists and Gay Inc don’t have the right to tell women born w/ a transsexual and/or intersex birth condition to forgo their medical legitimacy and unique needs in order to be co-opted into some "gender deconstructionist agenda".

Recently, both the women born transsexual and LGB”TG” blogospheres have been blowing up due to the fact that many women and men born transsexual or intersex (TS/IS) are fed up with being misrepresented by the gay establishment, cross dressing males, those who seek to dismantle the gender binary and transgender politicians.

I have read a lot of hateful and ugly comments against some of these women by transgender individuals and males. They have told them “shut up, we own you, do as you’re told”. I don’t think the transgender sociopolitical troopers were prepared for the backlash when many noted women born transsexual activists and journalists, and allies, fought back against this colonization in full force!

Now there is no tuning back.

Some people in the TS/TG/IS communities have a gender issue (TG), others have an actual birth challenge or medical condition (TS/IS). It’s simple, so why so much confusion and blackballing of TS/IS people?

Just like fanatics used to bomb abortion clinics to take away women’s right to choose, certain gender nonconforming bloggers have been trying to “bomb” the uprising of women born TS or IS in their struggle for ACCURATE representation by publishing fear, libel and hate infested articles, just like Janice Raymond used to do when she raged war on women born with a transsexual condition.

TS/IS Americans are being denied their medical rights and legal recognition. Their narrative is not gender queers, cross dressing males or Gay Inc’s property to dictate to. Just like women’s bodies and right to choose is not 55 year old white Congressmen’s and priest’s property to control.

Personally, all I want is harmony in the many diverse communities such those who were born transsexual or intersex, transgender and gender non-conforming activists, cross dressing males and transvestites, drag queens/kings, gender queers and the LGB communities.

But in order to achieve that harmony, the patriarchy and Gay/TG establishment can’t bulldoze over people with a TS/IS condition and try to erase their truth.

We cannot build harmony on a Big Lie. The Big Lie is sweeping diversity and individuality under the rug and proclaiming everyone in the different sex and gender diverse communities as “transgender” against their will. Women and men who are born transsexual or intersex (along with the doctors and scientists who will attest to their legitimate medical condition) should be afforded a seat at the table. How can anyone be surprised at the frustration so many people are expressing at being silenced and bullied? Then when TS/IS people speak out, they get vilified and manhandled! This abuse of power by TG/Gay gatekeepers, phobic shrinks, hateful far right propaganda spreaders and politicians has to stop, because the transsexual and intersex communities are not going to stop speaking their truths, and will keep on calling out falsehoods.

Another tactic that some are using to suppress the TS/IS advocates request for acknowledged differentiation is to vilify them by calling them “elitists” and “bigots”. This is a sneaky way to suggest that TS/IS people are the same thing as drag queens, cross dressing males and gender deconstructionists, to censor their freedom of speech and to dismiss their medical legitimacy. Just because TS/IS people have urgent (sometimes lifesaving) reasons to educate about diversity and accuracy does not mean there is any “hierarchy creating” going on as alleged. That’s silly, and is a part of the Big Lie. Just like Black, Latino and API groups have specific avenues of addressing their race’s unique interests, there is nothing foul about TS/IS Americans expressing that their medical needs are different then the gender agenda of cross dressers, drag queens/kings and gender queer activists. What is foul is over generalizing groups of people to "make it easy", even at the cost of transsexual and intersex peoples medical legitimacy and pursuit of happiness being compromised. To lock women of transsexual history in a category with male transvestite and fetishists is unbelievable! And yet these women get crucified for protesting this inappropriate pairing!

Variety is the spice of life! So why do so many people like to hate on people who don’t want to wear the same uniform as everyone else. The vilifying and slandering of TS/IS Americans who are feeling slighted and marginalized in the transgender movement is cruel, dishonest and selfish.

The truth remains: Transsexualism & Intersex issues will not be erased by TG/Gender Queer Inc, Gay Inc, or the Religious Far Right

A woman with a TS condition does not want to check the “3rd box” like many gender queer activists are fighting to do. She just wants to check the “female” box. She does not want to be “othered or misgendered”, she does not want to rebel against the gender binary. She just wants to live her life in peace, and have the same rights any other woman in America has. Why do so many gender queer, cross dressing and transgender activists want to beat on TS/IS women for wanting this? Stop usurping the transsexual and intersex communities, and then ganging up on them when they resist certain self-marginalizing and misgendering ideologies in the gender queer and transgender movements.

Can’t we all nurture, respect and listen to each other? Why do TS/IS people have to scream at the top of their lungs in order for anyone to take their plight seriously? This conflict has been going on for decades, and is only getting louder. Some of the LGB/TG/GQ/CD activists resisting the TS/IS uprising are just bullies, and place their careers, personal agenda, access and profit before people, diversity and the truth. It really hurts that some decision makers try to force TS/IS people onto some reservation against their will.

We are now cutting the barbed wire. You can either be there for us, or we will make it on our own. We truly hope you choose to be here for us.

Happy Roe vs Wade Victory Day, & Happy TS/IS Liberation Year!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Did Not Believe in Segregation, Nor Do TS/IS Americans

2011-01-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. Did Not Believe in Segregation, Nor Do TS/IS Americans

What I’m hearing from many Americans born with a transsexual and/or intersex condition is they too don’t believe in segregation.

Some transgender/3rd gender/gender queer theory troopers try to enforce TS/IS women to be segregated from non-TS/IS women, into some type of “gender variant/3rd gender” box.

This is segregation. This is Illegal in America.

Our doctors and scientists will attest to that.

TS/IS women are not by definition cross dressers, gender deconstructionists or drag queen stage acts

For our Transgender Ward Bosses and Gay Inc to enforce segregation onto unwilling people with a TS/IS condition is dangerous to their medical legitimacy, civil rights and understanding from society

If GQ/CD/TG/DQ/TV/GNC folks want to dismantle the gender binary for themselves, good for them.

But to demand TS/IS Americans sign over their own narrative to some gender theory agenda contract is a crime.

I agree with Martin Luther King, Jr.: Creating segregation onto unwilling participants is immoral, dehumanizing and against everything this great country stands for.

Women are women. Not “3rd/gender, sub-women, its or “tra**ys”

This is a great time in America, as the TS/IS communities are rising up against mis-education, mis-gendering, misinformation and misleading gender theories.

TS/IS Americans are fighting for their legal recognition, medical legitimacy and to be understood by society.

Segregation no more. Social exile no more. PC Bullying no more.

As Audre Lourde said “Your silence will not protect you”.

It’s so inspiring to see all these TS/IS people speaking out against marginalization and censorship.

Authenticity. Happiness. Honesty. Medical rights. Just living our lives. This is our dream.

Have a great Martin Luther King,Jr. Day today!

OK, I give up, you're right, I'm just a "tra**y", sorry for thinking I was a human being

2010-12-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

An open letter to everyone who uses the anti-transsexual woman slur “tra**y”, to the jerk who called my friend a tra**y when she went on the bus to go to work and ruined her day, to the non-trans straight girl who called a girl she didn’t like a “tra**y” to imply she was ugly, to the hate crime assailant who called his trans victim a tra**y as he bashed her near to death, to the gay man who called his friend a “stupid tra**y” because he spilled his drink on him, to the transphobic gay man who called an effeminate gay man a tra**y because he thought masculine acting gay men were somehow “better” than feminine acting gay men, to the gay male director who sought to exploit trans women and put the pejorative in the title of his film, to the late night talk show hosts who make fun of trans women on TV and use the T word, but actually used to be in love with a trans woman behind the scenes, to the radical feminist lesbian who helps plan the Michigan Music Festival and was quoted as saying “no fucking tra**ys allowed”, to the gay male drag queens who perform “trans face” and say the T word 20 times a night to make their gay audience laugh at the thought of real trans women being taken seriously, to the trans woman who performs campy burlesque and uses the T word in her act because she get paid to be the butt of her own jokes, to the fetishist and cross dressers who say the T Word to objectify the medical condition transsexualism, to the Village Voice flamboyant gay male journalists who don’t know the difference between drag queens and transsexual woman and are clueless as to why the T word hurts, to pop culture that has morphed the T word into a punch line that dehumanizes trans people, to the people who call trans people the T word to mis-gender them, to all the gay men and their girlfriends who think it’s “cool” and hip to say the T word,to the mean people who use the tra**y as an insult, to the actresses who think it’s okay to say the T word because their gay agent said its acceptable and their publicist said it would give them free press, to the gay male editors of trashy blogs who exploit this issue and think they have the authority to tell trans women to “lighten up” for protesting hate speech, to the trans people who have such low self-esteem that they accept the T word has a fake form of endearment:

OK, you’re right, I give up, I’m just a “tra**y”: subhuman, joke, object. I should just accept that you find my medical condition so uncomprehendable that you fear it. Sorry that I had the audacity to think the trans community could integrate their humanity into mainstream society and bring awareness to the stigma and harm that the T word inspires. I now accept that my birth challenge is nothing more than a punch line for non-trans people to make hateful pejoratives out of and then bully me when I cry out for understanding and respect. I will now resign myself to my cave that your hate, misogyny and transphobia has banished me to. It was silly of me to think that tra**ys deserved anything but marginalization, depression and crumbs. I guess if the LGB portion of the LGBTI community says the T word is okay, then where do transsexual and intersex people get off on wanting to speak for themselves? I promise not to speak anymore until spoken to. Your brutality, selfishness and insensitivity has beaten me, there is no more energy in my spirit to fight. I am moving back to the forest where I don’t have to put up with your bullshit reasons of why trans people have to accept this abuse. If you need a tra**y to hop around on your stage like a clown working for peanuts, you can find me in the leper colony where the tra**ys have been quarantined to. Goodbye, and good riddens, tra**y out.

Pain Brought By Joy: The Joy Behar Show’s Pattern of Transphobia & Ignorance Perpetuates Harm on Transsexual, Transgender & Intersex Americans.

2010-12-12T03:20:00.000-08:00

Pain Brought By Joy: The Joy Behar Show’s Pattern of Transphobia & Ignorance Perpetuates Harm on Transsexual, Transgender & Intersex Americans.

by Ashley Love- Founder of MAGNET- Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender

Some of the problems Americans with a transsexual medical condition or a gender non-conforming (transgender) identity face are the defamatory media stereotypes and inaccurate education about them or their issues. Although trans issues have become more visible in recent years, many journalists and television and radio hosts continue to exclude experts from the transsexual and transgender communities in their coverage. Instead, they often rely on non-trans people (in this case, gay male pundits who are not transsexual) with little knowledge or insight of their issues. These pundits misrepresent transsexual and transgender people and perpetuate intolerant views of gender and biological diversity.

Last month The Joy Behar Show had two highly problematic shows concerning transsexuality and gender identity. Previously, Joy Behar also expressed transphobic sentiments on The View.

The first incident aired in late 2006. The hosts of The View (one of my favorite talk shows) were having a conversation concerning terminology used in the transsexual and transgender communities in which Joy Behar offensively blurted out "ewww...that's weird.” :(

Then on The Joy Behar Show's November 10th, 2010 episode, the topic of discussion was the pejorative "tra**y" (an anti-transsexual woman slur). Shockingly, instead of inviting transsexual women on the show to express their feelings about this hate speech, invited instead were two unqualified and insensitive gay men (who are not trans). Radio host Michelangelo Signorile and author Greg Fitzsimmons discussed the misogynistic word with a condescending and non-affirming tone. For what reason would Behar’s producers have two gay men serve as “experts” about a slur associated with sexism and violence towards women, not men? Women can speak for themselves, thank you very much.

If the “N word” was used on TV to dehumanize a Black person, would Behar have Asian people on her show to discuss it? Or if someone in the media was using the pejorative “dyke” to dehumanize lesbian women, would Behar solely ask straight men their opinions? Trans leaders and the history of the LGB”T” movement testify that some in the gay and lesbian community are just as guilty of transphobia as non-trans straight people are, which is why it’s imperative that trans Americans be able to represent themselves.

This appropriation and lack of trans representation has stigmatizing results on the public’s perception of Americans with transsexualism. Transsexualism is a birth challenge and medical condition, and has absolutely nothing to do with sexual orientation. “Transgender” is a term used to describe a person's gender identity. Gender is a person's identity, the core essence of who that person is. Sexual orientation describes who a person is attracted to. They are totally different concepts.

When Behar asked if the “T word” was ever used as a "compliment", Signorile remarked "there's a club in San Francisco called 'Tra**y Shack’”. The Tra**y Shack is a sensationalist male drag queen show, with gay men performing a stage act. Comparing transsexualism to male drag queen camp is not only wrong, but it exists as stigmatizing propaganda that transsexual women are "extensions of gay men" and "female impersonators". This is called "trans face", where gay men imitate trans women in a mocking, over the top and degrading fashion. Signorile undermined trans women’s dignity in their affirmed gender realities.

In Behar’s defense, at least she disagreed with Signorile's shallow defense of the “T word”. She compared the use of the “T word” to racial slurs, arguing that it’s not for people who are not a part of the community a pejorative is aimed at to reclaim it. Well done Joy.

Days later, on the November 21 episode, Behar discussed Chaz Bono's transition as a transman in a segment called “Transgender In America.” He is the son of celebrities Sonny and Cher Bono. Although Chaz identifies and presents as male, Behar kept referring to him as “her” and “she.” This maligning language was extremely disrespectful to Chaz and to all transsexual and transgender people. Behar should, and does, know better.

This episode was compounded by yet another transphobic gay male pundit, Ken Corbett, who not only used improper pronouns, but expressed his unscientific opinion that Chaz is unauthentic in his gender. Behar should have had a medical doctor or affirming psychologist trained in the facts pertaining to the transsexual birth challenge or gender identity issues, not a self-loathing gay man who resents the trans community because they bring up his insecurity of diverse gender expression.

Some discriminated against people feel the need to mimic their oppressors by oppressing others who have less social acceptance then they do. That’s clearly the behavior that Corbett was displaying in his invalid comments about trans people.

There are apologists who believe criticizing Behar’s irresponsibility and offensive content is unwarranted. Certain people in marginalized minority groups are so accustomed to the abuse and belittlement cast on them by mainstream society that they begin to be grateful for insults candy coated in advocacy. Some gay people accused trans activists who expressed their disappointment with Behar’s behavior of “unfairly crucifying Behar”.

Isn’t that something? Trans people speak out against the dehumanizing media that is hurting them and in return they get attacked and called “crucifiers”. This is a projection tactic in which those being legitimately criticized decline to take responsibility for their actions and instead attack those justly seeking accountability.

No, we will not say thank you for crumbs or the backs of your hand!

One gay man I interviewed protested the trans community’s uproar, saying: “…but Behar is a great LGBT ally”. Wrong. Behar is a great “LGB” ally. Adding the “T” in the acronym in this instance is inaccurate. Just because someone supports gay and lesbian people authentically and consistently does not necessarily mean they are equally enthused about assisting the trans community. Trans people are more misunderstood, feared and oppressed in society than gay and lesbian people, which is why some gay advocates do not always choose to be trans advocates.

What is hypocritical is that Behar consistently discusses feminist issues, yet participates in alienating oppressed women born with a birth challenge. If feminism is for liberation and equality for all women, then by invalidating trans women’s gender, she is not authentically being a feminist. To frame it in an Orwellian “Animal Farm” context, some women should not be treated “more equal” than other women.

Behar used to be a teacher- yet an ethical, professional approach to presenting such misunderstood content is to conduct unbiased, balanced research. As a news presenter, one would assume she or her staffers would do basic Trans 101 research before presenting such misleading ideas on the air. Even the Associated Press Association opposes Behar’s improper use of pronouns. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, so I’m sure she has learned that the oppressed understand their oppressors far better than the other way around.

I don’t feel Joy Behar is an enemy to the trans community, but she obviously has some phobia issues concerning gender and biological diversity. Also, the producers of The Joy Behar show are just as guilty of irresponsibility because they should have had actual trans people on the November 11th episode to discuss the "T word” slur, not have their issues be colonized by the gay and lesbian community. There are numerous trans specific organizations the producers could have gone to for trans spokespeople, such as the Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People (MAGNET), Gender Identity Reform, Transgender Law Center, International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE), , etc.

Universal joy in this world will occur when the human race ceases to fear diversity, and instead, celebrates it.

The many trans activists and allies speaking out against the transphobic and dehumanizing messages expressed on The Joy Behar Show last November are challenging a belief system stemmed from fear and ignorance, drawing a line in the sand, calling on others to join in the trans community’s outrage and letting the mainstream and gay and lesbian community know that the silent resignation of the trans community is over!

Washington DC Transgender Day Of Remembrance Memorial Event

2010-11-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

w Amanda Simpson, the keynote speaker I went Washington DC for the Transgender Day Of Remembrance. The organizers, mainly from Transgenser Health Empowerment, decided to have the memorial two days early on November 18. I introduced the keynote speaker, Amanda Simpson. She is the first openly trans woman to ever be appointed by a president, President Obama. Amanda gave such a heart wrenching speech. With tears in her eyes, she really humanized the trans community. She also spoke out about David Letterman's offensive episode that made "transgender panic" into a joke after Amanda's appointment last year. She spoke about how the bullying in the media can evolve into violence against trans people. Kudos to her for calling Mr.Letterman out! This day is always very emotional for me. In a time span of 10 years Ive known 7 trans women of color from Southern Calfornia to all die before age 35. The causes were anywhere from murder,a hate crime, drugs, disease, illegal transitional related healthcare. Its because of all the sisters I have lost that I do activism. This is an epidemic thatn hits too close to home for me. I know they are angels in heaven looking down on us and that they are happy we are doing activism to ensure that these murders cease.

Amanda Simspon speaks at the event Allyson Robinson and her family, so cute! GLSEN's Alison Gill w/ The DC Trans Coalition w/ Transgender Health Empowerment's Brian Watson (far right) and other organizers

A Trans Man Speaks Out Against The Trans Men Who Appropriate The "T Word" Despite The Women The Slur Is Usually Thrown At

2010-11-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

FYI: Men can be feminists too

Trans guy Nathaniel Jospeh opposses his trans brothers appropriating the anti-trans woman slur "tra**y"

Trans woman/human rights advocate Bianca Lynne disagrees with the trans men who want to "reclaim" the T-word

There is a trend where some trans men are fighting to reclaim a hurtful perjorative that has always been used to dehumanize and misgender trans women, not men.

Bianca Lynne, a transgender woman and advocate for the human rights of trans people, responds to trans guys supposedly “reclaiming” the T word: “For trans-male spectrum folks to "reclaim" the word over the objections of people who are actually called the word seems more like appropriation. I've never ever heard trans men called "tranny" - except among themselves and by their partners. Even so, when the term is used by cis people, it is mostly used against trans-female spectrum people or to tell cis women they look ridiculous ...- like a man in a dress trying too hard.”

A trans man named Nathaniel Joseph from San Francisco speaks out against his trans brothers appropriating the anti-transsexual slur “tra**y” because the slur originated as a misogynistic way to mock and degrade trans women. He explains:

“I was confused about the use of the word at first. As a Northern California transman I do hear it thrown around in the younger brothers of my community. It never felt right to me, but at first I thought 'they are trying to reclaim the word and take the power out it as a pejorative.' I still refused to use it and thought I needed to respect others wishes to use it for themselves. However, after several ladies so passionately, and respectfully, explained its implications, history and pain it causes them I do not allow it to be said in my presence without a rebuttal.

It seems to me that it falls in line with some of the same misogyny some transmen spew. I rebut that as well. It sickens me as a transman, assigned female at birth and socialized as such, that some of my brothers are so callous and apathetic towards women's issues, causes and lives. Did they forget what it is like to walk through this world as female? It is not acceptable for cis males to act in such regard towards women, but when transmen do it it's deeply disheartening and causes more anger in me. Perhaps it's their desire to be like the cis males in our society, but whatever reasoning they have it's not acceptable!!! I have no tolerance for such transmen, and perhaps I hold them to a higher standard because our birth condition, but nonetheless it is ignorant and disgusting to see them throw women, especially our sisters in the community, under the bus to be treated with disdain, disrespect and violence.

It has been hard having my former community (LGB) turn its back on me and to see the hatred and appropriation they have for us. Nevertheless, I refuse to allow myself to mingle with anyone who treats others with malice and disdain. I am a transman, but I do not agree with anyone who treat human beings with such indignity, my trans brothers and former LGB community included. It is so disheartening that there is so much in-fighting within our own community. I refuse to be anyone's brother, regardless of our transmaleness, that is so quick to degrade women (especially our sisters).

So, thank you ladies for speaking your truth and eloquently explaining your stance and feelings on the matter. This brother stands with you, respects you and will fight alongside you to end misogyny against all women”- Nathaniel Jospeh (now this is the type of man I dream of- a feminist!)

I must agree with both Nathaniel's plea to his trans brothers to respect their trans sisters, and with Bianca’s comment as well: “For trans-male spectrum folks to "reclaim" the word over the objections of people who are actually called the word (women) seems more like appropriation”.

Exactly. Right now there is a crisis of non-trans people making the term a "dehumanizing icky put down slur". Also, the term was first made as a slur against transsexual women--it’s not for trans men to "reclaim". I oppose men (trans or cis gay men) using the term as a "campy comical pet name for each other”. The term started off as a way to objectify, sexualize, mis-gender, "other" and degrade trans women, especially in porn, on TV shows, and in sensational print media. It’s irresponsible for trans men to appropriate a term that has so much hurt and abuse against women. Also, trans people are not in the same place as lesbian people are concerning human rights/acceptance/positive visibility/understanding from society to be able to reclaim such a dehumanizing pejorative like some lesbian women have with “d*ke”. All the term tra**y does is give every bigot and transphobe an excusable way to vent their transphobia and hate by using the word. I think it’s unfair that a small subculture in San Fran of gender queer and FTM transgender people get to appropriate a word that is really alienating women. This trend has no respect for the women the term is generally thrown at like stones. The slur is associated with violence and hate. Many rap stars use the N word "affectionately", but you would never hear Rev Al Sharpton or Oprah telling the Black community "some people use it affectionately, lets respect that". Likewise, we are at a tipping point of a trans human rights movement here, we must be careful to not encourage the dehumanization of our community by following the few who irresponsibly use that word. Hell no, this is a chance for us to rise up and educate society, not a time to allow those in the trans community who accept segregation, misgendering, crumbs and "pet names" to tell us to "lighten up". We have a chance here to combat unhealthy stigma- and hopefully the majority of trans people will consider the bigger picture, and not follow the few drag queens or the few gender queer FTM guys who obsess over the words “coolness and hipness”. Accepting bigot’s hate words for us is not “cool or affectionate”

Happy Veterans Day to All the Transsexual & Transgender Soliders Who Initiated The Stonewall War of 1969!!!

2010-11-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Veterans Day to all the transsexual and transgender soliders who started the Stonewall War of 1969. And my sympathies to you for 40 years later that Gay Inc has hijacked your legacy, gay appropirated your truth, suppressed your plight & are misrepresnting you. But cheer up, there can always be a Stonewall War Part Two!!!!!!!!!!

Its time ro evaluate this shot gun arranged marriage! If there's to be no communication, respect or allowance of speaking ones own voice, how does that help us as transsexual, intersex and gender non-conforming Americans? I want this family to stay together, but not if we are to be locked in the tower like the unwanted & muzzled stepchild. Give us a seat at the table, or sign the divorce papers. We are NOT your property. Gender reality, birth challenges, medical conditions, chromosomes and anatomy diversity are NOT "sexual orientation"

People don't want the trans community to speak for themselves, they just want us as invisible, voiceless, kept away, appropriated stepchildren of Gay Inc. Our invisibility is killing us, and that's why there's so much misunderstanding and confusion from the public, this misrepresentation is toxic.

Any ideas on how to inspire Gay Inc to stop the gay appropriation of the transsexual and intersex communties?

NY LGBT Center Hosts "Women's Event 13" Gala Honoring Cynthia Nixon, Dr. Yvette Burton & Joan Garry

2010-11-08T01:03:00.000-08:00

w/ award honoree Cynthia Nixon (Sex And The City actress/LGBT advocate)

w/ honoree Dr. Yvette Burton of IBM (middle) and GO Magazine's Lauren Golfer (right)

w/ honoree activist Joan Garry

Saturday night New York City’s LGBT Center held their annual “Women’s Event” Awards Gala at Chelsea Piers. It was quite an experience to be in a room with so many dynamic and strong women all committed to one purpose: Equality for everyone in this country, regardless of their gender reality, birth challenges, medical conditions, chromosomes or sexual orientation.

Noted actress and advocate Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), IMB Exec & LGBT advisor Dr. Yvette Burton and activist Joan Garry were all honored for their dedication and advocacy to the LGBT community.

Cynthia Nixon has been doing a great job advocating for marriage equality. I met her at the National Equality March in Washington DC last year, and she is really nice in person. Her fiance, Christine Marinoni, introduced Cynthia, and so is so charismatic and funny, she should be a standup comedian!

I met award honoree Dr. Yvette Burton in LA during the GLAAD Media Awards a few years ago. She was the president of GLAAD’s Board of Directors. She actually used to work at The NY LGBT Center too. She totally deserved her award for educating multiple corporations on issues pertaining to the LGBT community.

My heart sank when during Joan’s acceptance speech she kept on saying “gay and lesbian” during her speech, never once did she say “bisexual or transgender”. I wonder if she knew there were many trans people in that room who felt excluded. Hopefully, the next time she speaks she remembers that this is an LGBT community, not a LG one. However, there is no love lost from me for Joan, she is an amazing activist, and perhaps she just needs some more education about the responsibility of inclusive language.

The moment that touched me the most during the night was when Glennda Testone (Director of the Center) spoke about how this was her mothers first time coming to a LGBT event. Glennda shared how it had taken her mother a while to come to terms with her daughters's orientation, but eventually she came through. I met Glennda's mother afterwards and she really is a sweet heart. It makes me feel warm to see other LGBT people's parents so accepting and supporting of their children. I wish all parents were that awesome and unconditional with their love.

It was such a good time being around so many activists and feminists. Can’t wait until next year!

I love that the NY Community Center includes "transgender & bisexual" in their title. The LA Center does not :(
w/ The Center's Exec. Director Glennda Testone (right) and her adorable mother
w/ GLAAD's Cindi Creager (middle) and her wife Rainie Cole
w/ Edge Publication's William Kapher (right) and NPR's Debra Delman (2nd from left)

w/ LGBT advocate Nicole Mason (2nd from right)
w/ The Centers YLC's Billy Wheelan (2nd from left)
w/ Stephanie Battaglino (board member for The Center)
w/ LAMBDA Legals Anna Wipfler (middle) and her girlfriend

Protesting the UN-Fit "FIT DVD", Transphobia, Stonewall UK's Bullying & Dept. for "Education's" Irresponsiblity.

2010-11-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm outisde the British Consulate New York last night protesting child bullying

We protested last night in front of the British Consulate, New York, because a very alarming situation is happening in the UK. A transphobic DVD named “FIT” has been approved to show children and youth in public schools. The anti-transsexual slur “tra**y” is being used, which is used as a taunt and insult when bullies and bigots harass people perceived to be transsexual, intersex or gender non-conforming. The protest was presented by Media Advocates Givivng National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People (MAGNET) and International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE). MAGNET's press release: www.themagnetsource.blogspot.com/2010/11/protest-of-stonewall-uks-bullying.html
Outside the British Consulate New York "Dept 4 Education OR Dept. 4 Transphobia? Edit Out The T-Word!"

Stonewall UK is behind the messaging in the PSA. We chose last night to protest to coincide with the Stonewall Awards in London, which took place last night as well. Originally, the London LGBT community was going to protest outside the awards, but Stonewall UK gave into the gay and lesbian community’s demands to advocate for marriage, so it was cancelled. However, Stonewall UK did not even address the transphobic DVD, therefore devaluing the needs of trans people. Many UK transsexual and transgender people are outraged that the demonstration was cancelled even though the (mis)educational video has not been edited. Since we wanted to show solidarity with the UK trans community, and because transphobia in any classroom affects us all, we decided to have our own protest in New York. Too many times trans people get thrown under the bus when gay and lesbian people have their needs met, and we are sick of having our human rights tampered with.

The FIT DVD is supposed to be an “anti-bullying” video- however, the use of the taunt and slur "tra**y" is used- which is a verbal form of bullying which leads to dehumanization and violence. How did an anti-bullying DVD become a DVD that bullies trans people?? This outrage is being ignored by Stonewall UK, who not only advised on the DVD, but has an unhealthy past with the UK trans community: Stonewall UK excludes them from their mission statement, yet has the audacity to (mis)represent them, and has even been caught back lobbying against their interests. There should be “no taxation without representation”. This colonial practice is abusive, and goes against the human rights of trans people living in the UK. From MAGNET's press release "The United Kingdom is very pioneering by having the Gender Recognition Act. The Department of Education is obligated to uphold this Act (verbal abuse is still abuse and sometimes hurts more than stones). The anti-trans slur must be edited out".

Trans people initiated the Stonewall Riots of 1969, which catapulted the modern LGBT movement, yet Stonewall UK hijacked the word and oppress the same people who started Stonewall! This is appalling, and we must respect our history

If this video is shown in schools it will affect the US trans community as well because the promoting of a stigmatizing anti-trans slur in an "education" video will give every transphobe and bigot the "right" to get away with using that word, and will refer to the FIT DVD as an excuse. Much like the "N" word affects the Black community, we need to take a stand against the T Word

Many UK trans advocates and leaders asked us to continue with our protest. Some of them feel inclined to not speak out publicly against Stonewall UK because of political reasons, access, etc. We feel this video is NOT a time to compromise. Many people are disappointed that many times “token trans leaders” get either seduced by the bureaucracy, compromise for career advancement, ignore the complaints of their own trans people, are “out of touch” with today’s youth or submit to the same establishment that oppresses the people they are supposed to represent. We must not give in until the transphobia is edited out. Our children need us to be adults who protect them.

The T-word is very controversial. For example, it's used as a way to dismiss a woman's (who was born with birth challenges and a medical condition) womanhood. A woman born with a medical condition is still a woman, not an "it, sub-woman or "tra**y"". This is not a Halloween costume, it’s her life. Many drag performing MALES appropriate transsexual issues or words. It may be all fun and games to a drag performer to use words to be "hip, shocking, offensive or sensational", but not to a trans woman who's hate crime assailant is calling her the T-word as he murders her, or to a trans person who gets called that on the bus by a trans-phobe or bigot. Stigmatizing pejoratives are not "cool", they hurt really badly, and the trans youth will be ridiculed in their own classroom unless the transphobia is edited out from the DVD. Name calling and taunts are a form of verbal bullying, and many times lead to physical violence .I don't hear Asian people just dying to use the N-word just because it’s “cool” in hip hop music videos and then telling Black people to "lighten up". Likewise, I get annoyed when gay men and drag queens fight to be able to reclaim a word that is not theirs to reclaim. Some of their entitlement issues and insensitivity is astounding, and oppressive. The director of FIT, Rikki Beadle-Blair, is a gay man (not trans), and does not have the right to tell women (usually the slur is directed at MTF women) what to be offended by. This is sexist, arrogant and clueless in regards to the mental violence and dehumanization that the word inspires. He claims “I hear kids use the word sometimes”. I hear Black kids use the word “ni**er” and girls use the word “b*tch”, but it doesn’t mean I should put the slur in an “educational” video(especially for children's schools where bullying is a crisis and LGBT youth are committing suicide),for crying out loud!

We ask the British Department of Education, The Teachers Union, Equality and Human Rights Commission and Stonewall UK to protect the well being of all the children who attend school, and make the responsible and socially conscious decision to edit out the dehumanizing pejorative from the DVD. Normalizing the T-word, much like how the N-word was normalized decades ago to degrade Black people, will have severe consequences for the acceptance of trans people in mainstream society. It’s unbelievable that an oppressed minority group, especially children, could have their human rights be disrespected like this by authority figures. As adults, we must protect trans children. Teachers being forced to show DVDs with anti-trans slurs will do no such thing. The good news is that the decision makers involved still have a chance to do what’s right and fix this horrid mistake.
After the protest outside the British Consulate we went to the Stonewall Inn (unlike Stonewall UK, Stonewall Inn does not oppress trans people, and in fact, it was trans people who initated the Stonewall Riots of 1969, so how bizarre and shady is it that Stonewall UK excludes trans people, and advocates for anti-trans slurs to be in "educational" videos to be shown to children which is a form of verbal bullying.

Get over your fear of people born with disabilties, birth challenges, medical conditions or who do not conform to gender. (There are even people in our own LGBT community who are transphobic)

"Where's the "T" in Media" TONIGHT @ Columbia University!

2010-10-13T02:54:00.000-07:00

I will be on a panel tonight to talk about trans and intersex images in the media, I hope to see you!! Below in my vlog I talk about some topics that will be dicussed tonight:

"Where's the "T" In Media?: Exploring the (Mis)representation) of Transsexual, Transgender and Intersex People In the Media" is a panel discussion presented by Columbia Queer Alliance (CQA), Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People (MAGNET), Quam 2010 and GendeRevolution. After the panel discussion there will be a Q & A from the audience

Panelists:
· Ashley Love - an organizer w/ MAGNET -Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People
· Noah Lewis - Staff Attorney at Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
· Deb Sprague -Writer-Producer: Premiere Radio Network

When: Wednesday October 13, 2010 @ 7pm
In honor of Gender Rights Week, this discussion will focus on the depictions of transsexual, transgender and intersex images in the media. With an abundance of trans images in the last 5 years, are these images affirming trans people, or dehumanizing them? Noted trans leaders and college students offer the facts, and their opinions.

More info: MAGNET's website: http://www.themagnetsource.blogspot.com/
Columbia Queer Alliance's website: http://www.cqanyc.com/

Does Dan Savage Get Off On Demonizing President Obama? Why Is Mr "Anti-Bully" A Big Bully Himself?

2010-10-12T03:08:00.000-07:00

Seattle based gay advocate (I didnt say LGBT on purpose because I have yet to hear Savage care about true trans inclusion) Dan Savage is …well…a savage. Yesterday Savage wrote a letter to the president saying “F*** you” called “Confidential To The White House”: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/10/11/confidential-to-the-white-house Very classy Danny! The same month Savage starts the “It Gets Better” campaign (where he does a video speaking out against bullying), days later he writes a nasty vitriol filled letter attacking the president, becoming a bully himself!

Another Seattle based activist named Andrew Caldwell replies, “Indeed. Sad, so sad. Dan has a great project with "It Gets Better," and the White House reached out and he screamed expletives back at them. (And we wonder why the DC establishment doesn't give us any political crediblity...) He Gets Bitter.”

These endangered youth should be our top priority, not the right to fight some war over seas and steal resources from other countries. I just don’t understand why he feels demonizing and scapegoating ONE MAN is productive. President Obama is not a messiah with magic powers. He is an elected official. He has to work with the courts, Congress and the people to ensure social justice. I wish Savage would write his irrational letters to the Republican Congress, since they are the ones truly delaying LGBT liberation, not the president. History shows that all social change movements have occurred through incremental change, not over night. If anyone knows Savage, can they tell him that it really does get better? And it has! Read this article that’s highlights FORTY things the Obama Administration has done for LGBT equality called “Accomplishments by the Administration and Congress on LGBT Equality” http://www.equalitygiving.org/Accomplishments-by-the-Administration-and-Congress-on-LGBT-Equality

I don’t know him well enough to say he suffers from internalized racism, but wouldn’t be surprised due to the fact that he started the unfounded propaganda that it was the African American community who was responsible for passing Prop 8. Data showed that to be false.

Did Martin Luther King ever swear at the president? No! Why? Because he was smart enough to know it would alienate allies. Im begining to suspect some people in our community want the classist Republicans to win, but they wont admit it.

Concerning the “It Gets Better Campaign”, many transsexual, transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming people are disappointed in the campaign’s non-inclusive language and gay appropriation of those in LGBTQI community who are not gay or lesbian. To have the PSA refer to the LGBTQI community as “gay and questioning youth” is inaccurate because sexual orientation, medical conditions, birth challenges, chromosomes and gender identity are not all the same thing (though many transphobic people would argue they are). The good news is that many trans organizations are currently creating an anti-bullying campaign which will be trans and gender specific, because words and messaging matter, and trans youth deserve understanding, accurate education/terms and respect.

I think Dan has an influential voice, it’s just unfortunate that he behaves like a dodgy Tea Bagger one day, and a savior of teens the next. Savage should do all the teens he is reaching out to a favor and not taint all his good work he is doing with the “It Gets Better Campaign” by turning around and slandering the president WHO HAS DONE MORE FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY THAN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT IN HISTORY. I respect that we need to keep up the pressure on the government and Congress, but can we please reconsider the method of “over the top bullying?”

A good intentioned activist who calls himself “Just Say No” (and lives in the same town as Savage) left a comment under Savage’s hostile letter yesterday saying, “No, Dan Savage, Fuck You. As a volunteer with a Seattle-based gay rights group I am out in the field every weekend canvassing door-to door in places like Bellevue and Federal Way for Democratic candidates who have taken tough votes in support of our issues because it was the right thing to do. Fuck you, because every time you tear down the president you demoralize the Democratic base and literally drive down the progressive vote and ensure the election of every retrograde, savagely anti-gay, tea-bagging wingnut out there. Fuck you, for having the nerve to think you speak for me. Fuck you for making a difficult job more difficult than it already is. I don't know when you self-appointed yourself the leader of all that is gay in America but until you're ready to stand for election or actively work with somebody who is, you're just another media fame-whore and the only thing that distinguishes you from someone like Ann Coulter is that she throws her hate-bombs from the right and you throw yours from somewhere inside your capacious and worn-out ass. Fuck you.”

Do Savage and his kind realize that they are doing precisely what the classist, racist, anti-LGBT liberation Tea Baggers want them to do? I’m scared for our community’s future. So many activists are alienating our biggest allies, and if they keep up their smear campaigns against the Democrats and President Obama, the vote may get split, and it will be another 8 years of the GOP, and they were the ones who voted for DADT and against ENDA, not the Democrats. Wake up Danny boy, wake up!

Arianna Huffington Takes a Stand Against the "demonizing and scapegoating" of the President by "irrational" People!

2010-10-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ashley Love & Arianna Huffington (my hero!)

Ari Melber, Arianna Huffington, Ari Bemrna, Jonathan Melber (Ari & Jonathan Melber created "The Little Idea" series)

Huffington, Ari Berman (author of Herding Donkeys)

Last night I had the very inspirational experience of hearing Arianna Huffington speak at "The Little Idea" event, which is "an event series of short talks by speakers who present a new idea, and then mingle for drinks and conversation. Less program, more mixing."

See Arianna Huffington speak at last night's event below:

Huffington was promoting her new book Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream , which talks about 'saving the economy and revitalizing politics.' Ari Berman also spoke about his new book Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape American Politics .

It was so refreshing and empowering to hear Arianna speak! I have been a big fan of hers for a long time. I used to live in southern California where she lives. This spring I started writing for her blog "The Huffington Post", where I write about issues pertaining to the transsexual, transgender and intersex communities. To see my articles on her website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ashley-love

When Arianna started talking about the "demonizing and scapegoating" of the president by "irrational" people, it really struck a chord with me. Like many LGBTTQI Americans, I have become very upset with many queer activists making all these personal attacks on the president, as if he is a dictator that can wave a magic wand and grant us all our wishes at once. Reality check: President Obama has to work with the courts, Congress and the people to create change (and those anti-LGBT equality Republicans are holding up equality, not the president!). To put all the blame on him when things are not moving fast enough is infantile, and suspect. It’s bad enough the racist Tea Party is slandering him, but for LGBT direct action groups to act just as crazy is dangerous. Yes, I understand and respect that we need to put pressure on the president and the government, but bullying and slandering him is extremely inappropriate and will create a backlash (and already has), which has been very divisive in our LGBT community, and is really alienating a lot of our non-trans straight allies, many Democrats and many African Americans. If the Democratic vote gets split, do we really want another 8 years of Bush and Ken Melhman types ruining this country again? The scary thing is there are lot of classist gay folks who only care about marriage equality, they don’t care about ENDA or many other issues that affect the less privileged part of the LGBT community, and they most certainly don’t care about rights for trans and intersex Americans. Some of them would not mind if a classist Republican got into office, because some gay and lesbian people believe in a hierarchy in the LGBT community, with rich white gay men at the top, and transsexual, transgender and intersex people at the bottom. These Animal Farm types don’t care about the epidemic of homeless LGBT youth, or hate crimes that happen to trans women of color every week, or trans health care rights, or many queer communities of color, or LGBT people who have low income, etc. We need President Obama to stay in office, or things will get worse for the majority of the LGBT community.

Arianna spoke about mobilizing in our communities, and in Chapter 5 in her new book she talks about solutions and taking action.

Last night, after Arianna spoke, I was able to mingle with a lot of other like minded folks. I have not felt so motivated in a long time. It was a big boost of energy to my spirit, and now I want to get more involved in politics. I love this country so much, and want to put actions behind my passion.

Frontiers Magazine includes me in their "Our Heroes in a New Age of Activism" edition

2010-10-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

Im happy that Frontiers Magazine, Los Angeles' oldest and biggest LGBT magazine, included me in on in their "Fighting 15 List" (California LGBT activist edition) along with some of my friends like Dustin Lance Black (screen writer of Milk) and Adam Bouska (NOH8 Photo Campaign founder), and more advocates for equality.

Here's part of the article below, to see the rest go to: http://www.frontiersweb.com/Features/Exclusive-Interviews/Story.aspx?ID=1278278

Fronteirs Magazine: Features / Exclusive Interviews

Our Heroes in a New Age of Activism Leaders in the LGBT community on what it means to be an activist
by Lesley Goldberg 9/13/2010

What does it mean to be an activist? Answers from 15 of the most involved leaders in the LGBT community might surprise you.

Cleve Jones, a longtime human rights advocate and founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and longtime friend of the late gay-rights crusader Harvey Milk, says anyone can be an activist but he prefers to be an organizer and solve problems working with large groups of people.

Chad Griffin, meanwhile, doesn’t consider himself an activist at all but instead the strategist behind the American Foundation for Equal Rights’ fight against Prop. 8. For Milk producer Bruce Cohen, it means supporting a cause he believes in and doing the little things that go beyond writing a check. And for Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the term “activist” is too political.
For Rogers Hartmann, the founder of Beat Dystonia who taught herself to walk again, it’s about time and energy. And for scores of others—including such newsmakers as Dan Choi and Charlene Strong—it’s about making a difference in people’s lives.

And for you, it hopefully means finding inspiration from the Fighting 15 and getting involved to make a difference in our community.

Ashley Love

“It can be any action that expresses your message, from writing a song or poem, to protesting with picket signs at a rally; there are many ways one can take a stand for how they feel ... It was actually many people in the Southern California transsexual, transgender, intersex, lesbian, gay and bisexual communities who inspired me to change my life a few years ago. I now believe that understanding, acceptance and protections of our community is possible.” —Ashley Love, LGBTTIQQSA advocate at MAGNET (Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual and Transgender People)

Dustin Lance Black

“I would refer back to some of the early gay rights ‘activists’ who said, ‘This is our lives we’re fighting for.’ I think that’s still true today, which is why I work not only with stuff that pushes us forward like the American Foundation for Equal Rights, but I also want to work with things like the Trevor Project, which is making sure that we have a safety net in place until a time comes that we have equality, and until the time comes when a child isn’t subjected to the sort of abuse they’re subjected to in their schools, homes and churches ... I try as much as I can to not look at this as a political issue; I try to look at it as a more human issue.” —Dustin Lance Black, Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk; narrator, 8: The Mormon Proposition

Lt Dan Choi

“Rejecting any false sense of inferiority, helping future generations stand up tall, proclaiming, ‘I am somebody,’ and teaching them the hard-earned lessons to confront our oppressors, ridding them of delusions of abused privilege constitutes the work of the activist. An activist is the epitome of love.” —Dan Choi, former American infantry officer in the United States Army

Chelsea Montgomery-Duban

“Being an activist means fighting through the no’s, the criticism and the ignorance and standing up for your cause ... I have two gay dads that have been together for almost 29 years. They are the people that gave me life, unconditional love and help me follow my passions every day. I fight to defy a society that believes they are unfit parents and that they have somehow managed to raise me incorrectly. My dad and daddy inspire me to be a better person and I fight for them and for all gay families and couples.” — Chelsea Montgomery-Duban, daughter

Cleave Jones

“I’m trying in my life to be an organizer. I think there’s a difference between an activist and an organizer. An organizer works with large groups of people and that is what I find most satisfying about my work. Anyone can become an activist but I suspect one is born an organizer. There’s sort of a compulsion to do the work. I do this work because I love it. I like working with people and solving problems ... and every now and then there’s a really wonderful victory to celebrate.” —Cleve Jones, author-lecturer

Adam Bouska

“Activism is about using your own personal strengths to bring about awareness and change, and whether that applies to a lobbyist gathering signatures, a volunteer canvassing neighborhoods or even a photographer taking protest photos, everybody can be an activist in their own right.” —Adam Bouska, NOH8 Campaign creator-photographer

To see the rest of Frontier Magazine's "Fighting 15" list: http://www.frontiersweb.com/Features/Exclusive-Interviews/Story.aspx?ID=1278278

New York City Vigil for the 7 Youth That Took Their Own Lives Due to Bigotry and Bullying.

2010-10-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

The New York City vigil tonight for the current crisis of LGBTQI (or perceived to be) youth suicides tonight was very inspiring. New York’s Governor Patterson actually came and gave a very powerful speech, as well as NYC City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson sang "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" The energy was amazing, and things will only go up from here!

See my vlog from tonight's vigil:

New York University’s students organized the vigil, and though it was raining and cold, many came out to show our youth that we are with them, and they are loved.

Christine Quinn, speaker of NYC Council (and who is an out lesbian woman), gives a message to 'Trans Forming Media' for all LGBT youth,“Remember it really does get better, I was in that same place once, many, many years ago, and you just can’t give up, you need to reach out, you need to ask for help. There are literally thousands and thousands of LGBT people and our allies who want to help you get through this dark spot. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel…don’t think you’re alone”

The abuse, violence and dehumanizing treatment of our youth in this country has come to a tipping point, and the people are saying enough is enough! Our society has a severe sickness that must be remedied.

Speaker of NYC Council Christine Quinn speaks at vigil:

Where do bullies learn that it’s okay to attack people who are different? From their parents? Other adults? Some religion’ss anti LGBT campaigns? Music, TV and other medias? School?

I think there is a correlation between the pattern of many states and the federal government stripping LGBTQI people of their human rights, or refusing to pass needed legislation that has been on the table for years, and the current wave of LGBTQQI suicides and hate crimes being committed against trans women of color (sadly, the media rarely takes notice when trans women are murdered). When these children look up and see society voting away their dignity, it must have a negative effect on them. When you vote against equality, you are part of the problem!

We need to petition all the schools, PTAs, government, high profile advocates and adults to help rid our world of bigotry.

This crisis has inspired me to get more involved. I want to be a big sister to another girl born with similar birth challenges as I. I wish those 7 boys who took their lives recently had someone to talk to. Things will only get better if we take aggressive action in making it so. Consoling words are good, but as adults we need to do more than say “it will be ok one day”. We need to take those words to the streets and demand that things not get better “one day”, but RIGHT NOW DAMNIT!! Our youth need us, now is the time to stand up, grab a mic, speak out, and not let these children's lives be cut short for no reason. NOW is the time to take action, now!

w/ Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson (who sang "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" at the vigil)

with Queer Rising activists Alan Bounville and Iana Di Bona, and married coupple Yvetta Kurland and her wife Elizabeth Koke

NY Governor Patterson gave a powerful speech

We all put our glo stick candles in the tree at the end

hanging with some of the NYU students who planned the vigl. I just love todays queer youth!

hat says "Im different, and that okay!"

Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

w/ Diedra Meredith (Chairwoman of Out Music (LGBT Academy of Recording Arts)

City Council members Daniel Dromm and Christine Quinn

2nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising

2010-10-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising were held at the Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan this year. Many LGBT community leaders, allies and celebrities came out to show their support for LGBT positive images including Bryan Batt, Bethenny Frankel, Andy Cohen, Chely Wright, Christine Quinn and many more.

I’ve noticed a trend in the last ten years of more and more brands incorporating the LGBT community into their media campaigns. I see many ads of LGBT families in magazines. In numerous cities I have seen same sex couples, parents and families on billboards, which is something that would have been a really big deal in years past. Times are changing in the media world in a way that is more inclusive and celebratory of diversity. Its really nice to see us looking back at us!

That's right, more companies are realizing that the LGBT community is a thriving community that has a lot more to contribute to society then just the artistic talents and creativity that they are stereotypically known for. The LGBT demographic is actually a big international consumer market, and is only getting larger!

Many fashion houses are beginning to use transsexual women models who are open with their medical condition in their advertising campaigns, such as Givenchy hiring the transsexual model (soon to be super model) named Lea T. There has been many transsexual female fashion and beauty models since forever, but the majority of them have been pressured by society’s prejudice to not disclose their birth challenge status to their employers for fear of abandonment, which is why Lea T having such a warm welcome from the fashion industry is very hopeful and monumental (she has since been on the cover of Vogue Italia and has had additional jobs).

The top awards of the night were the Public Visibility Award, which went to ad critic Bob Garfield for his commitment to advocating for the LGBT community in the advertising world (in Garfield’s acceptance speech he talked about how he publicly called out ads which promoted bullying and homophobia), and the Corporate Responsibility Award went to American Airlines for their pioneering inclusion. (See video below of Chely Wright presenting American Airlines with their award).

GLAAD’s president Jarrett Barrios said at the awards, "Tonight's honorees, nominees and award recipients have set new industry standards which underline the value of [LGBT] consumers. More and more companies are moving toward ads that reflect truly reflect all people and learning that LGBT people should be accepted and respected, not only for their potential buying power, but for their contribution to the American cultural fabric. While LGBT representation on TV continues to grow, the advertising industry has not yet fully embraced our community. Tonight's nominees and honorees have set new benchmarks in the industry and continue to lead the way in fair, accurate and inclusive LGBT representation in advertising."

To see the rest of the winners of the awards please check out GLAAD’s press release: https://www.glaad.org/releases/092910adawards

Out country music star Chely Wright *

Ashley Love, GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios, William Kapfer *

Ashley Love, Mad Men's Bryan Batt hosted the awards, Lorna Kelly

Acclaimed advertising critic Bob Garfield (right) is presented the Public Visibility Award from Barbara Lippert, Editor-at-Large of Adweek

Wells Fargo won the Outstanding Interactive Campaign award, which was accepted by Candace McCullom, VP, Brand and Advertising Manager (far right)

with Christine Quinn (speaker of NYC City Council)

with IBM's Yvette Burton (former president of GLAAD's board)

GLAAD's staff have a group hug :)

with GLAAD's Jovan Carrington

with GLAAD's Johhny Angel Gonzales

with Bravo's Andy Cohen

with Marvette Britto

with GLAAD's Richard Ferraro

* photo credit: Kelsy Chauvin

The rest of the photos are the property of Trans Forming Media and Ashley

Black LGBTI Americans & Allies Honoring President Obama's Advocacy Event!

2010-09-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama has done more for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender and intersex Americans in the first year alone of his presidency than any other president. Many LGBTI African Americans and allies are disappointed by LGBT Inc’s personal attacks on a fierce advocate such as our president. Change has to be inspired, not forced. To show our solidarity and support of our first African American President, we need to come forward and be vocal about the real changes that have taken place.

This weekend has been a historic event with the first convergence of over 100 African-American LGBTI leaders from around the country at the Congressional Black Caucus with the National Black Justice Coalition's OUT on the Hill event! In that spirit, I am asking that we come and celebrate together at Busboy's & Poets, a venue located in a historical neighborhood where Black intellectuals, artists and activists have come together for over a century to take a stand for social justice and to combat racism.

Time: Sunday, September 19 · 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Location: Washington DC. "Busboys & Poets" Address: 14th & V. 2021 14th St, DC.

For more info contact Ashley Love: ashleylapr@yahoo.com

Essence Magazine's "Evening of Excellence" gala in Washington DC

2010-09-19T07:52:00.005-07:00

The most exciting party I went to during the Congressional Black Caucus week in Washington DC was the Second Annual "Evening of Excellence" gala hosted by ESSENCE Magazine and Southern Company, which honored advocates and architects of change. En Vogue (pictured above) gave an amazing performance, and have completed their 8th album, looking forward to it! Honorees of the evening were Warrick Dunn, Shelia Johnson, Judge Glenda Hatchett, Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete. I ran into my friend Nicey Nash (we were in the film "Guess Who" together), who was with her handsome new fiancé. I’m so happy for her! The party was at the Ronald Reagan building. I saw many friends from California, from actors, politicians, media folks and philanthropists. It was a long affair, with a cocktail reception, award ceremony, live music, and then next door was the after party with drinking, food and dancing! with friend actress Nicey Nash
Rev Al Sharpton

Holly Robinson Peete and her husband Rodney were honored for their charity work at the Essence event

Two of the "Real Housewives of DC" (Stacie Scott Turner & Paul Wharton) sat at our table at the Essence event last night!

Congressional Black Caucus' Celebration of 40 Years of Leadership Reception

2010-09-19T07:51:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, September 16th, I went to the Library of Congress to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Celebration of 40 Years of Leadership Reception. A lot of politicians attended. There was a few speeches, and live music. Soul food and southern cuisine was served, it was super yummy! I went with my friend Denise LeClaire, who is the Executive Director of the International Foundation for Gender Education. It was a lovely time. So good to have so many black leaders in town from around the entire country.
Denise LeClaire (IFGE Exex. Director), Ashley, Brynda J Harris (Library of Congress)
what a great singer!
Ashley, Dr Babara Young (friend from California) Dr Babara Young gives great seminars about women empowerment. check out her work at www.PersonalBestSuccess.net
beautiful ceilings, interior and architecture

Attention all Women Born with a Transsexual and/or Intersex Birth Challenge: You Have The Right to Vote Too! Happy Women's Equality Day!

2010-08-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Next week, August 26, is National Women's Equality Day! August 26th is the anniversary that women won the right to vote. Also, late transitioning transgender males and white heterosexual cross dressing males are not the only ones who have the right to vote on issues pertaining to transsexual, transgender and intersex (TTI) equality, however, they have colonized the transsexual community. The results of this colonization has been devastating to the progress of transsexual (TS) and intersex (IS) Americans. Look at the history, and the law books- it's all there. Ever since cross dressing men and transvestites co-opted the transsexual movement, TS folks have actually LOST already pre-existing rights. And ever since Gay Inc co-signed the transgender fascista's co-opting of the transsexual birth challenge, many in society have been miseducated about the transsexual birth challenge, and it has been gay appropriated in a very oppressive way.

Our hope is that the business type cross dressing males, TG Inc & Gay Inc will STOP censoring and bullying the realities, hopes, dreams and special needs of transsexual and intersex Americans. TS & IS women are NOT drag queens, fetishists, transvestites, gender dismantlists and gender queer activists. These are people who were born with a medical condition, and it's high time the sexist and transsexual-phobic practice of misrepresntation stops. So many politicians and trans advocates know this to be true, and tell me so, but they get scared of not being politically correct (because they are paid money to brush with general strokes). Its unfair that men get to use women's birth challenges as a political game chip. Their condition is not meant to usurped by dishonest people who feel threatened with transsexual and intersex people articulating their truth. Stop sexualizing, misrepresenting and stealing the realities of transsexual and intersex people! Its wrong, and many women are sick of it! And though TG Inc, CD Inc and Gay Inc are doing everything in their power to prohibit transsexual and intersex Americans the right to vote, there is a large mobilization happening internationally, and pretty soon the transsexual and intersex advocates will take their right to vote without permission. Just because TS and IS people dont have the money or populace that the white cross-dressing male communities or Gay Inc has, does not mean that they dont deserve a seat at the table.

When you know the REAL history of this issue, its really upsetting. It was actually transsexual women who gained all the initial rights for the TTI communities in the early 1900's. Then after Stonewall, some quack cross dressing heterosexual male named Virginia Prince (who was an open misogynist,voiced public disdain for the transsexual communities, and was homophobic against gay and lesbian people) decided to rally the other white heterosexual cross dressing males to usurp the transsexual community against their will. And since the patriarchy supported the sexualizing and silencing of TS women, it was easy for CD males to hijack the TS movement. Everything started to go downhill after that for women and men born with transsexualism.

So in this month, where we celebrate women's right to vote, let's also celebrate all that transsexual women did in the early 1900's to secure rights for the TTI communities. And let us not silence the transsexual women's community any longer.

Let the women speak. And when they speak out against the bulldozer who broke into their safe home and tainted thier sanctuary, and planted weeds in their garden----- listen, and try to understand.

Just because Dennis Rodman is a cross dresser and wears wigs, does not mean he is the sister of the transsexual women's community! Even Ru Paul says he is NOT trans gender, he says he is a gay male and entertainer. And just because cross dressers who have been diagnosed with autogynaphilia have the resources to buy a seat at the table, it does not mean they speak for actual women who are do not subscribe to "clothes equating womanhood".

Just as the suffragettes endured a lot of attacks to pursue the right to vote, so have transsexual and intersex women. The last few months many transsexual women have been campaigning heavily for the right to represent themselves. And they all have been brutally attacked by the gay media, mainstream media and some transgender activists. This year The Advocate published an article calling me "Tran Coulture" (as in Ann Coulture), and even refered to us transsexual advocates as women with "do it your self changes". I was shocked that the Advocate, who I had always thought to be classy, could be so publicly transsexual-phobic. The Advocate also misrepresented our plight many other times. "Queerty" called me the anti-transsexual slur "tra**y". Planet Out paid gender queer rebel Kate Bornstein to write an article where Bornstein dismissed the transsexual community entirely, and misquoted me intentionally to drown out our voice. Former draq queen Alexandra Billings refered to transsexual women as "not real". A late transitioning transgender blogger (who has some issues) named Autumn Sandeen joined Gay Inc and called me "divisive", when in reality, all I was doing was calling out the oppression of TS and IS people at the hands of Gay Inc and TG Inc. But we are making progress, and we have doctors, scientists, politicians, actvists, feminists and flower power heroines backing up the plight of all transsexual, transgender and intersex people.

Attention all transsexual and intersex women: Get out and vote! I know it seems that your vote may not count because the establishment has a fetish of editing out your Truth, but take a stand and vote anyways. And vote loudly!

Also, here's a poem I wrote years on August 26, 2007 for Women's Equality Day:

Radical Women have inspired me to act!
I was blind till they spoke to me, this is a fact.
The Freedom Socialist Party's morals are truthful and pure.
I'm taking a stand with them; no longer demure.
Patriarchy is like an army of reptiled lost souls,
The Radical Women are angels, with humanity saving goals.
Let's unite all our causes, to defeat the big beast,
Which is only so big when we're divided, to say the least.
Today we celebrate the giver of life's right to vote.
Some were intimidated, and that was murder she wrote.
We all have a life in us, that could never be bought!
Unlike some of these elitists- such a sold out sad lot.
Now we are fighting to gain good national health care.
Left out are minorities and poor - this is not fair!
This injustice is why we have gathered here today,
Together we'll find solutions, we will make the way!

Suzan Cooke Responds to Gay, Inc. & TG, Inc. Hijacking & Appropriating the Transsexual Medical Condtion.

2010-07-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Transsexual Medical Rights Pioneer Suzan Cooke

Suzan Cooke is a longtime veteran in the struggle for women born with transsexual and/or intersex medical conditions. She has been very intrumental is combating the epidemic of her community being marginalized by some of the transgender identified people, cross-dressing males and gay/lesbian politicos who have usurped the definition of the transsexualism birth challenge into either a game chip to be used by Gay, Inc and TG, Inc to further their sexual-orientation only agenda, or to miseducate the public into thinking transsexualism is an "identity or expression", when in fact it is a biological and medical condition (transsexual women are not drag queens, crossdrsssers, gender queer activists, etc).

Currently, Nikki Araguz, a heterosexual female in Texas dealing with a law suit pertaining to her birth challenge status, is being misrepresented by Transgender, Inc and Gay, Inc. in a way that pigeonholes the particular needs, facts and human rights of transsexual and intersex Americans.

'Trans Forming Media' asked Suzan Cooke for a statement regarding the transsexual community’s current protest of transgender blogger Autumn Sandeen’s misgendering and declassifying of Nikki Araguz, and Sandeen and Gay, Inc's sneaky strategy of wanting to make Nikki's case about their "same sex marriage" agenda. How many years must all LGBTQI and TTI issues be about privilged gay and lesbian folks getting married? There are other issues! And dishonestly trying to miscontrue the facts of Nikki's case to continue their campiagn is just shameful. Sandeen is employed by the gay and lesbian establishment via Pam's House Blend (Pam Spaulding’s blog). Sandeen has a long history of misrepresenting transsexual issues, yet as the gay and lesbian establishment keeps on rewarding Sandeen for compromising the transsexual and intersex communities, we do not see Sandeen stopping anytime soon. This is why many are speaking out.

The good news is that many in the transsexual, transgender and intersex (TTI) communities are uprising against the constant LGB appropriation of TTI issues. This appropriation advances only the privileged gay and lesbian people (and the transgender people they fund), yet sabotages the hopes of transsexual and intersex Americans achieving human rights and social and cultural understanding and acceptance. Times are changing. Enough already.

Suzan Cooke tells 'Trans Forning Media':

"Transgender Inc. represents a political identity that places the interests of transgender people who do not get SRS ahead of transsexual people who do get SRS. It has consistently erased the reality of the lives of post-SRS people with transsexualism and demanded that they not pursue legal/political solutions to their particular problems purely as post SRS people with transsexualism.

Instead Transgender Inc uses the willful confusing of post SRS people with non-op transgender people to further their particular goals.

This is not meant to target any particular person putting forth the party line of Transgender Inc. Nor is it meant to denigrate the goals of non-discrimination nor the rights to live as one chooses with all ones human rights protected.

This becomes more a matter of our demanding a say in how we are represented and a say on how matters that are of vital concern to us are represented"

Please Donate To Nikki Araguz's Emergency Fund.

2010-07-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

PLEASE DONATE TO Nikki Araguz's Fund!

Info:

http://www.tgctr.org/2010/07/22/nikki/

Trans Activist 'Sky' Exposes Autumn Sandeen's "LGB Appropriation" of Transsexual & Intersex Issues such as the Nikki Araguz Story in Texas

2010-07-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

Noted trans activist, 'Sky', calls out Autumn Sandeen (transgender blogger employed by Gay Inc.) to stop appropriating trans issues to support the gay and lesbian establishment who are employing her to do so.

Today Sandeen wrote a blog entry on Pams House Blend concerning Nikki Araguz, the widow of a recently fallen firefighter in Texas. Nikki's in-laws are trying to steal her benefits, claiming Nikki was "born a man". Sandeen goes on a rant yet again that inaccuratly paints an intersex and transsexual issue in a way that makes it about "gay issues", just like when she used the word "homosexuality" in the title of a blog entry she did about trans women Tiwonge and her lover Steven.

Sky publicly exposes Sandeen's misreporting of transsexual and intersex issues as:

"Appropriation. There are a lot of GLB trans folk for whom same-sex marriage is an important issue, but I get a irritated when transgender issues get appropriated in order to support same-sex marriage. Nikki is a woman and should not have to enter a same-sex marriage as a man in order for her marriage to be recognized. Nikki should be fully recognized as a woman, and her marriage should be recognized as a valid opposite sex marriage. Period." - Sky wrote to Pam's House Blend's Autumn Sandeen

Thank you Sky! It has become common for many transsexual advocates, allies and writers to protest Sandeen's misrepresention (many of whom Sandeen banned from commenting on the Pam's House Blend site for thier truth telling) of many trans issues in a way that caters to Gay Inc, yet pigeonholes transsexual and intersex people who do not subscribe to Sandeen's and Gay Inc's transgender/3rd gender/crossdresser political strong arming of the medical condition transsexualism.

There is a difference,(equal, but different), between a woman with both intersex and transsexual birth challenges, and this social political term "transgender" that all of a sudden encompasses gender queer identified individuals, gay and lesbian gender non-conforming people, cross dressers, drag queens, etc. One noted transgender blogger employed by Gay Inc. was uncomfortble with the discussion of diversity in the transsexual, transgender umbrella and intersex communities, for reasons she knows. The high majority of intersex people are not even remotely transgender (intersex people are of a biological condition, not an "identity or expression"), and neither do a lot of transsexual people (many them with an intersex condition).

Apparently the marriages of transsexual, transgender & intersex (TTI) people aren’t a priority for the gay & lesbian organizations. The media continues to misreport the facts pertaining to Nikki Araguz's case. The TTI communities supported the gay and lesbian community’s fight for marriage rights. It’s a disappointing slap in the face tp see all the gay groups being silent about this potentially historical case in Texas. Don't heterosexual intersex and transsexual people also deserve advocacy from the LGBT leadership?

At least Sandeen was honest enough to write "alleged transgender" in the title of her propaganda filled blog entry about Nikki Araguz. That is more then most gay and lesbian media outlets have done, who sometimes co-opt the medical condition transsexualism either out of ignorance, or because it uplifts gay people over transsexual people.

The reason we feel compelled to discuss the often silenced topic of diversity in the sex and/or gender diverse communities is because the epidemic of women and men being denied their medical rights to treat their intersex and transsexual birth challenge is a crime. These attacks on their human rights could be remedied more so if the media would not aide in the miseducation that continues to marginalize many transsexual, transgender and intersex people.

MAGNET's Media Advisory:

MAGNET asks all media outlets, especially our own LGBT media outlets, to stop misgendering and declassifying Nikki Araguz's birth challenge status, and ask the gay and lesbian organizations to help the intersex, transsexual and transgender communities defend themselves from these media assaults.

Nikki Araguz was born with a variation of female and male biology. She was not born a "man", yet is being falsely reported so by numerous media outlets (even some LGB"T" ones). This inaccurate reporting causes fear and miseducation about intersex and transsexual human beings, which unethically and irresponsibly sways the future jury from seeing things clearly because of this sensational false media. This hype could cause propaganda which could strip Nikki of her constitutional rights and security. This woman deserves the right to grieve for her brave and loving companion who she has lost, without this humilating and public assault on her right to privacy. -----------------------------

This is a tragic love story made even more tragic by ignorance, hate and greed. It's shameful that the mother of the fallen firefighter would choose her desire for money over her respect for her son’s memory, and the love of his life, his wife, Nikki Araguz

My reviews of some of the hottest LGBT films making the film festival circuits on SheWired.com

2010-07-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Read my film reviews of some of the hottest new LGBT films making the festival circuit on SheWired.com

I am happy to be a new contributor for the LGBT women's website "SheWired" (.com). Here's the first paragraph of my first article for them, check out the rest of it on SheWired.com.

As Los Angeles is gearing up for its film festival extravaganza Outfest, new SheWired contributor Ashley Love reflects on the amazing LGBT Film Festival Frameline that ended last week in San Francisco.

The funnest time to be in San Francisco is the second part of June! Not only is June national LGBT pride month, but The San Francisco LGBT Film Festival Frameline also happens from June 17^th to 26^th. Frameline has been helping transsexual, transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and intersex people and their allies tell LGBT stories since 1977. From the legendary Castro theatre, to San Fran being the capital of documentary filmmakers, to many LGBT artists, activists and storytellers residing here, San Francisco has been an influential breeding ground for LGBT people to showcase their cinematic visions to the world. Frameline has pioneered high amounts of trans inclusion in programming and development of trans artists, and even throws trans-specific events, parties and panels. - Ashley Love

To read my film reviews from Frameline, and finish reading about my San Fran trip, please click on the link below:

http://www.shewired.com/Article.cfm?ArticlePage=2&ID=25289

Sylvia Rivera’s Words Exposing Gay Inc’s Oppression of Trans People Still Ring True Today. Happy Birthday Sylvia!

2010-07-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Sylvia Rivera’s Words Exposing Gay Inc’s Oppression of Trans People Still Ring True Today

Today, July 2nd, is LGBT pioneer Sylvia Rivera’s birthday. Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People (MAGNET) and many LGBT people honor this heroic transgender woman, who is credited by historians as being the person who “threw the first heel” in the Stonewall Inn that fateful night in 1969, when the LGBT community decided to fight back against police brutality. Rivera and many other transgender and gender non-conforming people of color at the inn that night were “guilty” of having “gender inappropriate” clothing, which is the excuse the police used to exercise their prejudice with violence. The police were surprised when the guests at the bar decided to fight back! This riot catapulted the modern LGBT movement, and Rivera and other trans people were responsible for kicking things off.

Rivera continued to advocate for LGBT equality, particularly those disenfranchised and homeless. Sadly, after the gay establishment was done using her to get publicity to raise money, she was abandoned by the gay community, and actually died impoverished. They expressed that “transgender issues are too extreme”. The lesbian separatist “radical feminist” community would exclude her from women’s conferences, and she was even one time escorted out of a queer women’s conference by transphobic lesbians. She was banned from the New York Gay Center for publicly, and aggressively, asking them to take better care of homeless queer youth. When Rivera used her voice to call out the oppression of trans, poor and/or people of color from Gay Inc, she was blacklisted from many organizations, media outlets and social circles. Though the Gay Male Media Mafia tried to silence her truth telling, shortly before she died she foretold the future saying, “One of our main goals now is to destroy the Human Rights Campaign because I'm tired of sitting on the back of the bumper. It's not even the back of the bus anymore — it's the back of the bumper. The bitch on wheels is back.”

Today, a new documentary is making the festival circuit called “Stonewall Uprising”. Shockingly, but not surprisingly, the white gay and lesbian people primarily responsible for making the film totally “white washed” what really happened, by mainly interviewing white subjects, to having only white men on the promo poster. And it gets even more inaccurate and appalling- the films totally belittles the involvement not only LGBT people of color had in initiating our movement, but it downplays the significant role trans people had in igniting the flame that Stonewall accomplished. Sorry Gay Inc, no matter how hard you try, your desperate attempt to rewrite history, therefore oppressing trans folk and people of color, will not work. There’s a new Stonewall happening, and this “oppress our own pattern” is getting harder to maintain as the people continue to speak out.

Before there was Harvey Milk, there was Sylvia Rivera. Yet the gate keepers of LGB“T” media all too often marginalize her influential place in history.

If Sylvia Rivera were alive today, how would she feel about the current status of transsexual, transgender and intersex people in the LGBTQ community? How would she feel about the cries of LGBT people of color who are protesting that their voices and needs are not being appreciated or included by the gay hierarchy?

On this special day honoring Sylvia Rivera’s birthday, we are calling on all gay and lesbian people to remember who started Stonewall, and to try to be more understanding, compassionate and inclusive of your trans brothers and sisters. We call on Gay Inc to remember that it was not the privileged assimilationists who first stormed the gates making it possible for this 40 year campaign for equality. In reality, it was lower income people of color who bravely defied transphobic and homophobic violence with such a resistance that the whole world knew the LGBT community had had enough, resulting in irreversible revolution.

Happy Birthday Sylvia Rivera, and thank you for taking a stand!
Sincerely, Ashley Love- organizer of MAGNET.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Rivera

CNN's "Gary & Tony Have A Baby" Premieres tonight!

2010-06-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

Talking to Gary & Tony and their adorable baby Nicholas

Tonight @ 8pm CNN's continues thier "In America" series with "Gary & Tony Have A Baby". Last week I went to GLAAD and CNN's screening of the documentary, and got to meet the happy and loving family. It was a very touching and well done piece. I would rather have two loving, attentitive gay parents, then two unhappy, workaholic "straight" parents on their 3rd divorce each, just sayin'.

CNN's Solidad O'Brian (no, we're not sisters, but I wish we were!)
w/ my friends Cindi Creager (GLAAD) and her wife Rainie Cole

All the panelists after the screening

Gary, Tony, their baby Nicholas, and GLAAD'S ED Jarrett Barrios

"Trans Party"! All trans musician concert and party hosted by Frameline!

2010-06-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last night Frameline hosted one of the funnest trans music parties ever called "Trans Party" at the chic hot spot "Supperclub". The party was immediately following the festival's screening of "Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Variance in Music Performance", called a "transfabulous rocku-mentary", and featured many popular trans performers including Katastophe, Joshua Klipp, Lipstick Conspiracy, Shawna Virago who all performed on stage at "Trans Party".

Hanging out with the all trans girl rock band Lipstick Conspiracy. They opened up the lineup, and were on fire!

With my friend, music artist and dancer Joshua Klipp (middle)

Singer Joshua Klipp ended the concert, and of course all the girls rushed him after his set! Klipp is a favorite of MTV's Logo, and is a regular on Logo's "New, Now, Next" music show, and even hosts the show from time to time. Check him out: http://www.myspace.com/cutelittlewhiteguy.
The all trans girl rock band "Lipstick Conspiracy" opened up the concert for a whole hour. Listen to their music: http://www.myspace.com/lipstickconspiracy

With activist Allison D. Laureano and musician Imogen Binnie

I saw my friend Imogen Binnie, a punk rock musician and trans advocate. She was one of my first friends I met the first time I came to San Fran. I came to SF a few years ago for the Transgender Leadership Summit, and she was sitting next to me in a workshop, and we both had similar ideas and clicked. I kid with her and call her "the trans Chloe Sevigny", which she totally looks like! Last year Imogen performed a song at the Trans March that protested the anti-trans slur "tra**y", and I was happy she understood the stigma and dehumanization that the pejorative inspires.

Trans musician pioneer Shawna Virago rocks the house at the "Trans Party"

Frameline SF LGBT Film Festival Opening Night!

2010-06-18T01:38:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy to be in California for a 10 week get away from the craziness and concrete jungle of New York City. First I am in San Fran for 3 weeks to go to Frameline Film Festival, and go to Pride. I'm making my first film! I have 3 LGBT characters in my screenplay, and wanted to be around other LGBT filmmakers. This is my 3rd time attending Frameline, and Opening Night is always so fun!
"> The Opening Night film was "The Secret Diary of Ann Lister", the true story of a lesbian woman in the early 1800's who defied society and did not conceal her sexuality at a time when most lesbian women married men as a means of surival. It was such a well done film, and I really felt the pain and challenges that the multiple women characters went through to be, or viel, who they were in a judgemental and superficial society.
With some friends I met a couple years ago when I was an organizer of the SF Trans March

The opening night gala was at the beautiful Botanical Gardens at Golden Gate Park. I ran into dozens of friends, some from SF, some from LA, and even a few from NY, and abroad. There was yummy food, fruity drinks and groovy music. It was like a family reunion, and was super fun.

With Tiffany Woods (producer of new doco "Trans Francisco"), her wife, and the director of the film and his wife.

with Andrea Krauss of Regent Films

The Hypocrisy of 'Glee's' Ryan Murphy Concerning "Nip/Tuck's" Transphobia (His Other Show)

2010-05-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Ryan Murphy,

I’m starting this open letter by stating that I support your protest against Newsweek for publishing the “Straight Jacket” article by Ramin Setoodeh. It insensitively discussed gay male actors playing straight roles in a way that offended many gay men and their allies.

However, as an organizer of the anti-defamation organization MAGNET- Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual and Transgender People, I need to point out that you are hypocritically guilty of the same crime that you have called out Newsweek for as it relates to transsexual women and your show ‘Nip/Tuck’. The sad truth is that many transsexual and transgender women are offended by your own irresponsible and dehumanizing depictions of trans women on that show. We expect this from people who are ignorant of our community, but Ryan, as a gay man who purports to be an ally of everyone in the LGBT community, (and I would hope that includes transsexual women as well, not just gay men of privilege), you are held to a higher standard of behavior.

Images of women of transsexual experience should not be appropriated by gay male producers in a way that makes a mockery of our lives and further stigmatizes us.

We unveil your hypocrisy now because the oppression of transsexual women in the media is dangerously alienating. These poorly conceptualized images of transsexual women are not just created by straight producers alone. In many cases these offensive images are created by gay male producers. What does this say about the transphobia and/or ignorance that is evident within our own LGBT community? We hesitated from airing internal community issues publically, but since Hollywood is having a field day with all these sensational, inaccurate and harmful images of transsexual women in film and TV, we feel compelled to lift up the rug and clean out what keeps on getting swept under. Ryan Murphy, your show “Nip/Tuck” has been charged by many with negatively stereotyping transsexual women as hypersexualized, deceivers, mentally unstable, murderous, confused and dishonest in their gender. Thanks, but not thanks Ryan.

In Gina Kleinzeller’s blog, “Skip The Makeup”, she writes that, “…[certain LGBT organizations] back off dealing with transphobia when its source is from….someone with clout in the gay community (like Barney Frank or the producers of Nip/Tuck). When a perceived gay icon like Candis Cayne does a highly transphobic Nip/Tuck episode about detransition basically equating a trans woman as being a confused gay man, [certain LGBT organizations] ignores it even after being notified about complaints.”

Many LGBT organizations turn a blind eye when gay men with external power and influence oppress trans people. I agree Candis Cayne’s character on Nip/Tuck played into the harmful myth our detractors spread that trans women are “really gay men with women’s clothes on”. This is also the same propaganda our political enemies are spreading to keep us from gaining human rights. I would hate to think some in our LGBT community want transsexual people pigeonholed as a way of advancing only the gay and lesbian community’s agenda.

Willam Belli, a gay male actor with an offensive “transface” act, in which he mockingly impersonates transsexual women, was also on “Nip/Tuck”. Belli’s character has the drag queen like name “Cherry Peck”, refers to herself as “gay” and is called a “tra**y”. The “Ava Moore” character in Nip/Tuck is a transsexual woman who is depicted as mentally unstable, a deceiver and is even accused by her own son of incest, implying she’s a “pervert”.

You wrote in your open letter to Newsweek journalist Ramin Setoodeh that he “...published such a blatantly homophobic article”, yet, you can’t see that you produced a blatantly transphobic television show, and may I dare say a sexist and misogynistic show as well.

You complain that Setodeh‘s article is, “As misguided as it is shocking and hurtful”, but have failed to realize that Nip/Tuck’s depictions of transsexual women were not only unkind, but over the top sensational. In fact, it was so misguided, one has to wonder if you did any research on sensitivity, transsexual medical conditions or consulted with any transsexual women before allowing these characters, or should I say “caricatures”, to hit the screen.

You ask, “Would the magazine have published an article where the author makes a thesis statement that minority actors should only be allowed and encouraged to play domestics?”

And I ask you, “Would you produce a show that was just as offensive to gay men as Nip/Tuck was to transsexual women?”

You state that the article was a “…damaging, needlessly cruel, and mind-blowingly bigoted piece.” - Likewise, many transsexual women have written that your show’s portrayals of their community were all these things you excoriated Setoodeh for.

You slammed Mr. Setoodeh as being “a gay man deeply in need of some education”.

Ditto! Many people say that you, Mr. Ryan Murphy, are a gay man in dire need of accurate education concerning transsexual women, especially before exploiting them on television for shock value, ratings, objectification and financial gain.

You accuse the journalist of writing with a “poison pen”, however, the toxic message your show sends its viewers is at least just as poisonous to the acceptance and desegregation transsexual women struggle for from mainstream society every day.

You say Newsweek’s article suggests gay men “… should only identify themselves as “queeny” people (a word used by Setoodeh in the article) who stand at the back of the bus and embrace an outdated decades old stereotype.”, yet your own show reinforces every negative stereotype about transsexual women, and we too are fed with the “back of the bus”. You seem not to like the word “queeny”, but your show used the offensive pejorative “tra**y”. GLAAD and large segments of the trans community agree that the “t-word” is a derogatory slur. Even your friend Dustin Lance Black supports many in the trans community’s protest of that pejorative, recently telling The Advocate “…the word is hurtful….Why is this the same treatment the n-word has in the black community?”

Nip/Tuck caters mainly to heterosexual men, and the statistics show they perpetrate the most violence on trans women, resulting in hundreds and hundreds of murders, sexual assaults and hate crimes against trans women annually! This epidemic is only added to when inhumane media images plague us. To produce a show with story lines and characters that only incite more misunderstanding and negative stereotypes, (which leads to more violence), against women of trans experience, was very irresponsible of the producers of Nip/Tuck.

Just last month, Tribeca Film Festival’s selection “Ticked Off Trans[phobia] With Knives” was deemed transphobic, and boycotted by many in the trans community, their allies and GLAAD. Oddly, many of the gay male media outlets accused the trans community of “censorship” and insensitively told the women protesters to “lighten up”. Yet, just weeks later, when you and many in the gay male community boycotted Newsweek for being homophobic, the same gay male media outlets, and many gay men, did NOT cry “censorship” or say “lighten up” to the gay male protesters. Instead, they supported their anti-defamation cause, as they should have. It’s hypocritical though that they left the trans community behind in their time of need. This double standard is very telling.

There desperately needs to be some balance in the depictions Gay Inc produces of transsexual women. We need you and your associates in Gay Inc to stop only depicting trans women as male drag queens, crazy and/or as sex objects. How are we going to be taken seriously if we are only projected as jokes from our “allies”? And if you do include a trans woman character in your new show, “Glee”, please don’t hire a gay male drag queen to impersonate a trans woman, inlitrating her community, because that will only add to the “over the top” and “ridiculous caricature” stereotype that causes ignorant people to make light of our lives . If you happen to write me back, please don’t include a quote from a transsexual actress or non-profit employee “excusing your behavior”, for we all know they get paid to be “politically correct”, compromise, sell out for their career or say what the gay male establishment makes them say, which does not always serve transsexual liberation and feminism.

Please understand this letter isn’t a personal attack on you, we’re just holding your television show accountable like you’re holding Newsweek accountable. Perhaps you’re a well intentioned guy and ally, and were unaware that your show’s stigmatizing portrayals impede our progress when it comes to us gaining civil rights and social acceptance as transsexual people. If we, the LGBT family, want authentic equality, we need to step outside our own letter in the acronym and understand each other, so we can truly move in unity.

Sincerely,
Ashley Love and supporters of MAGNET