#HappyBlackWoman: The New York Times Says, “Shonda Rimes and Ashley Love are ‘Angry’ Black Women Because They Pursue Social Change”

Last week The New York Times called media mogul Shonda Rimes an “angry black woman” and just three weeks ago The NY Times also called me “angry” and “aggressive”, simply because I, as a journalist and advocate, asked a question during a Q&A following Outfest's screening of Transparent (re: ‘trans face’ - where a male actor once again plays a trans* woman character).

 When Black women own their power, are assertive and question the patriarchy they are often called "angry black women", de-feminized (“aggressive”), demeaned and stigmatized (stigmatizing is a new clever form of censorship, as well as vilifying dissent).

Of course, both journalists that mischaracterized both Shonda and I are white women, and of a particular class. A couple of privileged white female journalists that apparently have no clue what Black women in the United States go through (and even more challenging, what Black and Latina trans* women go through) can attempt to vilify us simply for sharing real life experiences, asking tough questions and working to help other women of color, yet we will continue to advocate for change - because our work is not about crafting sensational articles so the NY Times can garner more hits and ad revenue, or writing disingenuous, one-sided PR fluff pieces for an Amazon online TV show, our work is to try to make the world a better place.

I'm happy, I'm free spirited, and I’m inspired, but if calling me an "angry black woman" makes you feel less uncomfortable with the truth I speak, then chances are you may be a "shallow, blind, fearful and classist non-Black woman".   - Jus’ sayin’…

 #UnapologeticBlackQueen #HappyBlackWoman

The Same Angry Mob That Lynched The Dixie Chicks (w/ Misogynistic Comments & Boycott) For Exercising Their Freedom of Speech Are Those Rallying For Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson To Spit Racist & Homophobic Rants Without Consequences

There's nothing like a strong cup of other's Hypocrisy to get me all riled up to write a new blog post. Last night I was studying the statistics about the primary demographic of people who are losing their marbles over Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson getting suspended by A&E. It turns out they are the exact same mob who went off the deep end when the Dixie Chicks voiced their opposition against the war!

So let me get this straight: Women such as the Dixie Chicks, in particular lead singer Natalie Maines, cannot speak openly about the killing of innocent civilians and unjust wars overseas, but a man such as Phil Robertson with dated ideologies can not only spit the most racist and homophobic rants but he should be praised for those prejudiced beliefs, not reprimanded? ------ Now that’s one hundred flights over the cuckoo’s nest if I ever did see!

First of all, A&E suspending him has nothing to do with “freedom of speech”. This is about a network having the freedom to distance themselves from values in which they do not condone. It is also about advertisers actually being the ones who have the freedom to place their marketing dollars wherever they choose. Phil in fact has still retained his right to spit mumbo jumbo – he now just has to find a new platform to in which to do so.

There are real consequences to inciting hate and violence. One of them is losing friends.

I would very much like the people who rallied to boycott and vilify the Dixie Chicks to do some serious self-evaluation about the inconsistency of their supposed values. You can’t have it both ways. You don’t get to pick and choose.  The most vile and misogynist comments were said about the Dixie Chicks – ironically similar to the vulgar comments spewed by Robertson himself. It’s unbelievable that some people are incapable of putting a mirror up to themselves and becoming aware of their blatant and unapologetic double standards.

If I owned a company I too would kick racist and homophobic people to the curb. That negativity is soooo fifty years ago.

Dec. 1 - World AIDS Day - [from Black AIDS Institute] Ashley Love's '30 Under 30' Essay for BAI's '30 Years of AIDS' Commemoration Report

Two years ago I was invited to take part of Black AIDS Institute’s (BAI) 30th Anniversary project where 30 individuals ("young black leaders, celebrities and activists") were chosen to write essays about their advocacy work to combat AIDS. Today, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day and I am sharing my essay with you. Much work remains, including eradicating the misgendering and misclassification n of transsexual women from the “MSM” category, providing more assessable and affordable care in Africa and ensuring more preventative measures.

“As part of its special "30 years of AIDS" commemoration report, the Black AIDS Institute is profiling 30 young black leaders, celebrities and activists who have worked to make a difference in the fight against black AIDS.” (Julian Breece, Editor of ‘30 under 30’ feature)

Link to BAI’s PDF issue: http://www.bcoa.org/pdfs/30%20Years%20Is%20Enuf.pdf

From Black AIDS Institute’s  June 2011 Issue and 30^th Anniversary Edition:

ASHLEY LOVE

 

[photo for Black AIDS Institute]

 

  Due to a lack of human rights protections from the government and understanding from families and society, many Americans born transsexual and/or intersex, or that have a transgender identity, find themselves in very vulnerable and dangerous situations.  Because of this alienation some people in these communities engage in unsafe behavior as a way to cope and survive, making them vulnerable to infection with HIV.

  I have lost two people close to me because of this disease.  One of them was a woman who was born with a transsexual medical condition.  She wanted love so much that she trusted the wrong man and, instead of protecting herself, took a risk that proved fatal.  

  A lot of work needs to be done to educate society about transsexual, transgender and intersex issues. The unhealthy stigma and dehumanization of these communities is what leads to situations where they contract the disease. Low self-esteem caused by people’s prejudice against human diversity is what causes many in these communities to fail to safeguard their health.

  If any of my sisters are reading this, know that your life is a beautiful gem.  Cherish yourself and your temple.  We all want love, but we have to love ourselves first and foremost if we are to receive authentic love from someone else.  Regardless of the misguided fear and toxic hate in the world directed at people who are born different, don’t believe the lies that say you are unworthy.

  You are a child of God just the way you are.  Treat yourself kindly, because you deserve it.

Ashley Love is the founder of Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People and a popular contributor to the Huffington Post.

Originally published in June 2011 by Black AIDS Institute

 

Disgruntled Former 'Gay Liberation Front' Members Defame The Stonewall Inn Rebellion's Legacy In An Attempt To Seize Proposed Stonewall Plaque For The GLF Brotherhood. It's 2013, NOT 1970 - 1990: Trans-Erasure, Sexism, Classism & Whitewashing History is Unacceptable

 

Veteran journalist Andy Humm of Gay City News has recently reported that a few gay white men who refer to themselves as "Stonewall Veterans" (though they weren't actually inside the Inn when the riots erupted like Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major and other trans* people and POC were) are heavily campaigning against The Stonewall Inn receiving an honorary plaque - but for the notoriously transphobic, sexist and anti-lesbian group called 'Gay Liberation Front' (GLF) to receive the proposed plaque instead. Unbelievable!

A - GLF gutted protections for trans* people from a proposed 1971 New York LGBT rights anti-discrimination bill, saying it was "too extreme".

B - GLF kicked Sylvia Rivera and other trans people out of the group

C - "In the heyday of the Gay Liberation Front, in the early 70s, the majority of lesbians walked out in protest at the sexism of some of the gay men who took a pivotal role." - The Guardian

D - GLF member Jim Fouratt in 2000 referred to women born with transsexualism as "misguided gay men who'd undergone surgical mutilations" - (reported by Lynn Conway in 2006)

E - Recently these former GLF members have been quoted in Gay City News as hurling degrading adjectives at The Stonewall Inn such as “dirty, seedy” and “horrendous” (Um, sorry boys that many trans women of color in those days couldn’t afford to hang out in luxury piano bars such as most of the GLF gay sorority brothers could – but just because they were impoverished and found support and community in a small dive bar not to your liking doesn't mean these trans people were not extremely rich in spirit – a spirit so rich in fact that it launched a revolution! A revolution that many of these assimilationists profited from, and then discarded us when we no longer suited their self-serving, classist and transphobic agenda)

To many people the current bizarre behavior of these self-proclaimed “Stonewall veterans” (who are in my opinion just disgruntled former GLF members) who are now all of a sudden trying to defame the Stonewall Inn Riot’s legacy and block the plaque honoring our history and instead have GLF receive the recognition is a sinister (yet transparent to the third eye) attempt to disempower the transsexual and transgender communities and glorify the non-deserving Gay Liberation Front. It's about their egos. It's about whitewashing history. It's about trans-erasure. It's about not discussing why so many lesbians felt compelled to abandon GLF due to the sexism of its male leaders (and let's not forget the double standards and transphobia of many of those same lesbians who hypocritically called out GLF’s classism, yet who turned around and denigrated us even more so). It's about trying to do damage control concerning GLF's tarnished legacy. It's attempted history revisionism which speaks to an ongoing cycle of oppression that has lasted decades.

I wish Gay City News would publish more balanced articles on this Stonewall plaque issue. They only interview gay white men. What about women, whether they be transsexual or not? What about transgender people? What about cisgender lesbians? What about people of color?

What about diversity? Accuracy? Inclusion? Real feminism?

What is really going on here? We cannot allow this crafty campaign to cancel the proposed Stonewall plaque succeed. Get involved. Please join Stonewalling Accurate & Inclusive Depictions - S.A.I.D.. on our Facebook Page. We've lost too many of our sisters due the oppression which provoked those riots. Let's keep their memory alive and commemorate the Revolution of 1969. 

"We S.A.I.D. enough is enough!"

 

For more information of the proposed Stonewall plaque controversy go to S.A.I.D.'s website:

www.1969SAID.blogspot.com

 

 

From S.A.I.D.'s Website:

 

Sexual Orientation (gay) is not the same thing as a transgender gender identity or a transsexual medical condition. Words really do matter.

S.A.I.D. organizer Miss Major, currently the Executive Director of T.G.I Justice Project and a Stonewall veteran who was actually inside the Inn when the riots started, has deep concerns about the proposed plaque’s wording and the overall misrepresentation of Stonewall’s legacy.  She states,

“We started S.A.I.D.’s campaign to honor all those at the Stonewall Inn the night the riots erupted and, though you wouldn’t know it by viewing the inaccurate ‘Stonewall Uprising’ film or a string of other (mis)depictions, that most definitely and primarily included trans women and people of color.

The whitewashing of this history is an abuse of power which we will no longer tolerate.

The plaque should not use “gay” as an umbrella term as it marginalizes and erases the many trans people there. I’m not gay. Many transsexual and transgender people are also not gay.

 History revisionism and trans-erasure have no place in this memorial. Let’s truly honor all the people who stood up for their human rights and yours by writing language on the p laque that’s honest.”

S.A.I.D. organizer Ashley Love, a journalist and transsexual & intersex advocate who volunteers with the anti-defamation group Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People (MAGNET), finds the plaque’s inaccurate draft speaks to larger issues, writing;

“It’s well documented that Sylvia Rivera, a Puerto Rican woman of trans experience, “threw the first heel” that started the riot, with Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major and many other trans* people and people of color also kicking things off. Then after the affluent white gay male political establishment was done using Rivera to fundraise she was quickly discarded. I’m sure the fact that she rightfully called out classism and transphobia also led to her being blacklisted.

If this commemoration is to have any integrity then the pattern of certain privileged communities within the LGBTTIQQ coalition making Stonewall's legacy all about them must be challenged. It’s not just about “gay” people as the proposed text repeatedly misrepresents, it’s also about transsexual and transgender people. Let’s pay a genuine homage to the people who sacrificed so much for all of us by using more affirming text on the plaque.”

Stonewalling Accurate & Inclusive Depictions, or S.A.I.D., is an educational project drawing attention to the ongoing pattern of trans-erasure, whitewashing, misgendering and problematic messaging spread in numerous media portrayals, political establishments and educational institutions regarding the history and multi-movement building surrounding The Stonewall Riots of 1969. This campaign aims to encourage filmmakers, historians, educators, students, journalists and activists to responsibly affirm the colorful diversity which ignited the global revolution which the Stonewall Rebellion inspired. 

AUDIO: MAGNET's Ashley Love and Transgender Law Center's Cecilia Chung Interviewed About Chelsea Manning On The Larry Elder Show

Cecilia Chung and I spoke to Larry Elder about Chelsea Manning recently opening up about her transsexualism and need to receive medical and hormonal therapy, as well as to be placed in a women's prison

Audio link: http://www.larryelder.com/pg/jsp/charts/audioMaster.jsp?dispid=301&pid=63364

The Human Rights Campaign Dictates Removal of Trans* Coalition Flag, Yet Who The Hell Made Them Our Masters? She Will Fly Without Permission, Man.

How dare the HRC ask the trans* coalition to remove their flag from the Capital! The diverse trans* communities are not property of one issue/one class pushing LGB board members or their staff. We don't need permission to make the point that trans* issues are different than LGB issues and that we are tired of being the last priority, if even a priority at all.

Transsexualism’s distinct narrative is that of a medical condition requiring affirming and sometimes lifesaving healthcare, and is not to be confused with some drag race. The 'Transsexual Spring' will not allow a damn to be constructed in their waters through the disingenuous interests of colonialists. Though, the sad thing is that a certain retained group of token trans toms will aid and abet in this treachery.  

The good news is that truth always wins out, fake media and misinformation campaigns be damned!

Can't Folks Let Jodie Foster Be? I Liked Her Golden Globe Speech. Her Acting Roles Portray Brave and Strong Women, Like Herself

Correction to the media: Jodie Foster was never "in the closet". All her friends, family, co-workers and many in her industry knew and accepted her. Yet she did not owe the public private details. She is a mother, friend, artist and feminist - can't we be happy for that?

It's upsetting to see people lash out at her due to her speech last night where she rightfully slammed reality TV and people's entitlement issues concerning private issues of high profile individuals. She has the right to choose her own timing. She is an artist, not a public court jester whose strings you can pull. Jodie has done more for promoting strong and unique female characters than most actresses I can think of. I love what Jodie Foster stands for and it’s disappointing to hear some LGB identified folks attacking her just because she has never let her orientation define her and she has never conformed to the newer 'Honey Boo Boo' reality warped world we find ourselves in.

She is a class act and it's none of your business who she gets physical with. Get over yourself; she didn't grow up in the world of Glee. Jodie, The Brave One for real, was Modern Family before it was safe to do so. 

Just because she doesn't wear a rainbow themed dress on every red carpet she graces does not mean she is not still proud or speaking her own truth in HER OWN AUTHENTIC WAY. Jodi‘s image is that of authenticity; it's the world which could be losing some of its authenticity. Let her be.

RuPaul's Drag Race’s Exec Producer & a GLAAD Awards Nominated Blogger Both De-friended Me from Facebook for Simply Sending Them This Article: 11 Ways Men Can Be Better Feminist Allies

Last month, days after the transsexual community and allies started a boycott against RuPaul's Drag Race due to RuPaul misgendering and bullying women of transsexual history in a recent episode, I thought I'd let one of the show's executive producers and a GLAAD Award nominated blogger (both of who were 'friends' of mine of Facebook, both who are gay white men and both who have offended many women in my community in the past) what was behind the public outcry against RuPaul's anti-transsexual comments.

I sent them a non-offensive article written by Ozy Franz that I had found online, which is a resource to help men who seem to be clueless as to why why women get fed up with misgendering and sexism.

The same day I tagged both men this much needed advice they each deleted me from Facebook. And that is their right. Yet I'm not sure why they were so upset about the opportunity to actually educate themselves on how they could treat the women in my community better, especially the RuPaul's Drag Race producer, who's company (World of Wonder) and himself have many times participated in projects which exploit and demean the women in my community. Well, either the truth hurts, they didn't want their followers to read up on being better feminists or, like the national LGB media outlets, they wanted to censor the dissent of transsexual community altogether. Whatever the reason, I thought I'd repost the article on my blog so that more people can understand why women of transsexual history are fed up with some gay men thinking they can get away with bullying us.

11 Ways Men Can Be Better Feminist Allies
by Ozy Frantz

Originally posted on: http://www.rolereboot.org/sex-and-relationships/details/2012-07-11-ways-men-can-be-better-feminist-allies

1) Educate yourself. One summer, in high school, I literally read every book the library had about feminism. You don’t have to go that far, but a familiarity with concepts like male privilege, slut-shaming, and rape culture can give you a lot more understanding of how gender works.

2) Don’t be that asshole. Don’t assume that the women in the room have no idea what they’re talking about regarding gender. (If they clearly don’t, well, see #4.) Don’t expect to be thrown a parade because you’ve decided to vote pro-choice. Don’t forget that most men are not feminists and that many feminists are survivors of rape or abuse, and that you’re not sending out Beacons of Awesomeness that show that everyone has to trust you. Check your privilege.

3) Talk to your male friends. It’s sad but true: For a lot of people, men have more credence when talking about gender issues than women do. If your friend tells a rape joke or says that women just aren’t as good at science as men are, challenge them on it. A lot of times, people can’t think of anything to say in the moment; if that’s you, prepare comebacks in advance so you know exactly what to say when it comes up. Even if you forget in the moment, a simple “that’s not cool, dude” can go a long way.

4) Challenge your female friends. A lot of people say that men shouldn’t tell women when they’re being misogynistic. That’s crap. There are plenty of sexist women in the world and they should not get a free pass. If your friend starts snarking about a fat woman or saying that she’s so much better than all those silly other women that are only concerned about their hair and boys, tell her she’s full of it. Other women will thank you.

5) Consume media made by women. A lot of people listen to music made by men, read books written by men, watch movies directed by and starring men—without even realizing it. That’s stupid! It neglects women’s voices and experiences; besides, think of all the amazing talent you’re missing because of their gender. If you like comics, try Alison Bechdel or Gail Simone; if you like movies, look for Kathryn Bigelow or the late Nora Ephron; if you appreciate music, add some Bikini Kill or Nicki Minaj to your playlists.

6) Practice good consent. The general rule is that all sex should be sex that everyone involved wants. I know you, personally, would never have sex with someone who said no, but good consent goes far beyond that. Talk openly and honestly with your partner(s) about your and their sexual desires. Check in when your partner seems to not be enjoying themselves. Eschew pressure and coercion. And the same applies to you—if you’re being pressured or coerced or not having your consent respected, you are not in a healthy relationship.

7) Believe the survivor. It’s true that occasionally people falsely accuse other people of rape or abuse. This is very rare, however, and time spent figuring out the truth is time not spent supporting the survivor. Also, if there is a rapist or abuser in your social group, don’t take “I don’t do drama” as a reason to keep hanging out with them. Not being invited to parties is not a cruel and unusual punishment, and most rapists are repeat rapists. You can keep them from doing it again.

8) Support women’s bodily autonomy. On a political level, of course, one should fight pro-life initiatives, attempts to de-fund Planned Parenthood, forced sterilization efforts, etc. On a personal level, of course, it’s almost more important. If your partner gets pregnant, it’s up to her whether to have an abortion, give the child up for adoption, or raise the kid. Her body, her rules. If a woman is having sex with hundreds of people, don’t call her a dirty slut; if she’s a virgin until marriage, don’t call her a prude. Her body, her rules. If she weighs more than you think she should, don’t call her fat or tell her to go on a diet; if she weighs less, don’t tell her to eat a sandwich. It’s her body and, ultimately, what makes her comfortable in it is what matters.

9) Be a feminist because you support equal rights. Don’t become a feminist because you want to get a girlfriend or because you heard that feminist chicks are easy. Don’t become a feminist because your girlfriend is a feminist and you want to get in good with her. Don’t, for God’s sake, take women’s studies classes because it’s an easy A. Become a feminist because you believe women are people and you will not be satisfied until they are fully treated as such.

10) Be intentional. Maybe it’s best for your family that your wife sacrifice her career to raise kids. But is it really, or are you just assuming that because it’s the narrative you’re used to? Maybe you’re only attracted to 22-year-old blonde skinny women. But are you really, or have you simply not explored your attraction to other people? It’s OK to do things that look anti-feminist to outsiders...as long as it is honestly what you want, and not just falling into the patriarchal rut because you haven’t thought about the other options.

11) Don’t satisfy yourself with just being a feminist. If you are just a feminist, you’re only advocating for the rights of women—which means that you’re advocating for the rights of straight, white, abled, middle-to-upper-class, privileged women. Everyone else? They suffer from racism, queerphobia, ableism, or classism in addition to sexism. Fighting for those rights means fighting for everyone’s rights.

Ozy Frantz is a student at a well-respected Hippie College in the United States. Zie bases most of zir life decisions on Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman; identifies more closely with Pinkie Pie than is probably necessary; and blogs at No, Seriously, What About Teh Menz?

To the gay male TV and film producers who like to defame the women in my community, and to the gay male dominated 'LGBT' media outlets and 'LGBT' media watch dogs who like to censor our dissent against this defamation:

Attention "Anti-Bullying" Advocates: Gay Male Public Figures Misgendering Girls & Women Born With A Transsexual Medical Condition Is Also Bullying, So Please Stop!

Definition from www.BullyFree.com :


What Is Bullying?

Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior that is intentional, hurtful, (physical and psychological), and/or threatening and persistent (repeated). There is an imbalance of strength (power and dominance).

The above definition includes the following criteria that will help you determine if a student is being bullied:

• The mistreatment must be intentional.
• The mistreatment must be hurtful (physical or psychological).
• The mistreatment is threatening. The individual fears harms. Fear their safety.
• The mistreatment must occur more than once. However, some disagree with this. They say one very hurtful event is enough to label it bullying.
• There must be a power imbalance.

I'm glad they included that bullying can also be psychological. Bullying is not just tripping someone and taking their lunch money, or slamming their head against the locker. Bullying in the form of words can be more harmful than violence, especially words which dehumanize.

Bullying many times comes from those who were bullied themselves.

One interesting fact is that there are some high profile gay men, such as  columnist Dan Savage or drag personality RuPaul, who though they are both quoted as referring to themselves as "anti-bullying advocates", many would argue that both men use their media outlets to bully people who are different than themselves, particularly women, and even more so women born with transsexualism.

Hell, Dan Savage has even successfully promoted his brand to that of  the King of anti-bullying gurus. Yet despite Savage's widespread 'It Gets Better Campaign' he has been exposed more times than one, or one hundred really, of bullying transsexual and transgender people. He's done so by ridiculing and misgendering them, using offensive pejoratives and then ignoring or dismissing their grievances when they express how his transphobia negatively affects them. Further, his claims that bisexuality doesn't exist harms the bisexual community. Savage writing rape apologist sentiments in his column alienates female sexual assault survivors and belittles the epidemic of unjust court trials concerning assault. And so on.

On Monday RuPaul once again said some transsexual-phobic comments on his reality show, but this time he has gone too far. The targets of RuPaul's bullying, girls and women with a transsexual medical history, have organized a boycott meant to counter his misgendering. Learn more about MAGNET's boycott in our write up: http://themagnetsource.blogspot.com/2012/10/magnet-boycotts-rupauls-ongoing.html

I don't think Dan Savage or RuPaul are bad men, but they are men, and they have no right pretending to be experts on the young girls and women in our community, or to mock and make sexist and transsexual-phobic comments about us.  Whatever these grown men's unresolved personal issues are, they shouldn't use the women in our community as a punching bag to deal with those issues, they should seek professional help if that's what they need.

If they want enlightened people to take their "anti-bullying" initiatives seriously they would do well to stop behaving like bullies them damn selves.

What Intersex Awareness Week Means To Me: Stop Mutilating Our Narrative

 

 

What Intersex Awareness Week Means To Me

Intersex Awareness Week means choice. The choice for human beings to make decisions on their bodies that intersex-phobic parents and unethical doctors should not be making for them

Intersex Awareness Week means education. Diversity in biology is natural and doctors should educate parents on their options instead of caving into post-birth fears by performing surgeries without the intersex person’s consent

Intersex Awareness Week is about accuracy. Stop lumping intersex people into the concocted “transgender umbrella” ideology reservation against many of our wills, and against the science. This confuses the public on what intersex actually is and silences intersex specific voices. It’s irresponsible for so-called “allies” and non-profits to promote unfounded theories and sloppy mis-education as fact.

Intersex Awareness Week is about affirmation. The APA is one of the most phobic organizations ever. The APA is guilty of stigmatizing and alienating intersex people, and it needs to stop. I’m not down with their new “DSD” label, nor is the majority if the international intersex communities.

Intersex Awareness Week is about listening. When intersex people tell Gay, Inc. and it’s Transgender Um-Scam-Brella Subsidiary “we are not the same label stamp as transvestites and gay male drag performers”, instead of LGBTransgender (NOT ‘I’) non-profits and  TG cyber-blog-bullies assaulting us for simply wanting to be represented accurately, why not demonstrate some compassion instead of their brute-like, over-controlling and ill-political tactics meant to censor and vilify dissent?

Intersex Awareness Week is about reform. GLAAD needs to stop miseducating the media that intersex is in their intellectually and scientifically dishonest “transgender umbrella whether you want to be here or not” media [mis]guide section. It doesn’t belong there. Sorry GLAAD doesn’t feel intersex people are significant enough to have their own section. And while they are at it, they can revise their section on transsexualism as well. Some people born with transsexualism also have one of the over fifty variations of intersex. Transsexualism is medical condition, not a hobby, fetish, stage act or gender rebellion. MISGENDERING = BULLYING

Intersex Awareness Week means healthcare rights. All human being should be protected, but intersex infants, children and even adults many times are not. People want others so desperately to fit into a box so they can feel okay with their narrow ideas that they will literally force intersex people into a mold, which many times leads to depression and suicide. Intersex people should not have to deal with other people's closed-minded issues directed at their own bodies. Intersex Awareness Week should be every week of the year until the intersex-phobia stops.

UNITY NEWS: NLGJA's Own Title Is Exclusionary, Yet NLGJA Leaders Labeled 'UNITY Journalists of Color's' Name Exclusionary?

The following article was published on Saturday, August 5th in The UNITY News website, and was written by a UNITYstudent journalist: http://unitynews.org/2012/nlgja-to-weigh-name-change/.

NLGJA to weigh name change

BY BRANDI LICON

UNITY NEWS

UNITY, previously referred to as a coalition for journalists of color, shed that title this year to include the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

During the opening ceremonies two presenters made a concerted effort to welcome gays and lesbians. This made Ashley Love, who was born intersex and transsexual, feel left out.

“NLGJA pressured UNITY’s board to change its name, arguing it was exclusionary and non-reflective, so shouldn’t NLGJA practice the same inclusion by adding the ‘B’ and ‘T’?” Love said.

Sexual orientation is not equivalent to gender identity or a transexual medical condition, she said during Thursday’s NLGJA membership meeting. Omitting bisexuals and transexuals [and transgender people] from the title glosses over the differences in [the] LGBT [coalition], silences voices and confuses people, including journalists, she added.

At Thursday’s NLGJA member meeting, six people spoke out in support of Love’s request and none of the about 30 people there voiced opposition.

“The issue has never been on the agenda,” NLGJA President David Steinberg told UNITY News. “It has been a topic people have raised in the last year.”

The board will discuss the issue and figure out a change that makes sense, he said.

Love said this change needs to happen soon.

“We are done waiting,” she said.

A Rose Is *Still* A Rose - Period

A ROSE is *still* a ROSE!

[Not a sub-rose, not a modified rose, not a rose impersonator, not a 2nd class rose, not only a rose on the weekends, not a rose mocker, not acting on some rose fetish, not a plastic rose, not simply "expressing" a few rose characteristics, not condescendingly "identifying" as a rose -- but from the seed, rooted as and blossomed into its natural destiny: A ROSE - inside, and out, from it's origin, always and forever, a rose, period. Please, PLEASE keep your weeds, fake chemicals and pollutants out of the garden, or don't act clueless or attack when the rose uses her protective thorns to shield herself from entities or non-roses who would do her harm,  thank you]

The Transsexual Spring: The Tide's Shifting This Season As The Transsexual Uprising Gains Major Ground In Affirming, Accurate Education & Medical Rights

Currently The Transsexual Uprising for liberation from the anti-gender binary and anti-medical narrative reservation known as the “transgender umbrella”, which is really a concocted socio-political invention that literally impedes and erodes the rights and public understanding of those born with transsexualism, is making numerous and major advancements this Spring.

And what a beautiful and promising Spring it is! Spring into Action! The Transsexual Spring! Flowers are blooming in such abundance that they can’t be held down, and there’s nothing the honey stealing wasps and bee *colony* workers can do about it, though they are trying
                                           
Malcom Gladwell’s popular book ‘The Tipping Point’ (that I and every publicist and marketing professional have on our bedroom dresser), is about: [From Wikipedia] "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point."[1] The book seeks to explain and describe the "mysterious" sociological changes that mark everyday life.”

The re-liberation of the accurate representation of transsexualism has come into its own “Tipping Point”, which means, though there is still a lot of work to do, we have officially pierced through the 'prison cell' that seeks to hold us captive in a gender deconstructionism narrative against our will. Only a few ‘bricks’ have been removed from the captor's wall, yet that was the hardest part, the remaining bricks will be tumbling down soon enough.

And no, ghost of Virginia Prince, we don’t need yours are any other misogynistic transvestite or transgenderist/gender queer activist’s permission to preserve and inform about the accurate transsexual medical condition narrative. We are not your property, man. Yeah, we get it, apparently since Freud and other sexist white male shrinks are “experts” on women, you think that means sexist white male transvestite fetishists are entitled to colonize women born with transsexualism into some “transgender” scam-brella without our consent. If anti-transsexual ‘Virginia Prince’ cult followers haven’t noticed, 2012 is the year of the Divine Feminine, and women with transsexualism have had enough of being appropriated, spiritually assaulted, psychologically abused and misrepresented.  Let us go gently, or don’t act surprised when we have no choice but to defend ourselves, yet with an aftermath you may dislike.

Let’s examine some blessings the Transsexual Uprising has come into this Spring:

The important ruling last month by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says it’s “sex discrimination” via the 14th Amendment to discriminate against those who transition sex, and clearly states that our condition is *medical*. It’s not about “dress up, fetishes, costume balls, drag stage acts” or other transgenderist activities, hobbies or lifestyles.

Today I was online and noticed The Montreal Gazette in Canada published two pieces discussing the "transsexual, not transgender" conflict. The author agreed that's its problematic and misgendering to call transsexual people "transgender" by grouping transsexuals with drag queens, cross dressers, transvestites, gender queers and other "transgender" identities.

Last month ‘The Hunger Games’ star, Josh Hutcherson, supported MAGNET’s education rally during The GLAAD Awards when he defied GLAAD’s anti-transsexual protocol. In an interview with E! News about GLAAD, he joined our cause by disregarding GLAAD’s media guide and sound bite training. He (gasp!) said the word “transsexual”, instead of transgender! I can’t tell you how happy that made the young girls and teenagers that I mentor and play big sister to (all with a transsexual medical history), as well as us grownups that are fed up with GLAAD misrepresenting us. You see, it hurts these young girl’s self-identity and feelings when GLAAD insensitively (and inaccurately) says that these girls are the same thing and label as a cross dresser, clown or fetishist. Wouldn’t any girl or woman be offended by being called a 'man wearing a dress' just for "fun or kink"? It diminishes their womanhood and self esteem, and is a condescending slap in their face. For these children to hear bigots at school call them names and mock their gender is bad enough, but for "education" non-profits and fraudulant media guides to imply the exact same messaging that they are not "real" girls and women is devastating.

GLAAD needs to stop their disinformation campaign because it's harmfully impacting children born with our birth challenge. Um, aren’t they supposed to be about anti-bullying……?

I read an article today written by a transgender guy on “Queering The Closet” who made the distinction between transsexual and transgender.

I was talking to a mentor and dear friend yesterday who is an elder in the transsexual and intersex communities. She has resisted the attempted erasure of the TS narrative by TG Theory since the mid-90's, when this social engineering started. I learned from her that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is getting ready to release their DSM 5 Revision that clearly draws a line between male transvestite fetishists and women of transsexual history, much to the disappointment of those who would co-opt us to push their separate and conflicting agenda.

Last week I was reading a favorite blog of mine, Enough Nonsense, which often discusses the fact that transsexualism is being appropriated and misrepresented by the transgender and cross dresser communities, as well as by Gay Inc. The site reported that last month a Minnesota judge affirmed the transsexual narrative in a ruling where he deemed a woman who had undergone SRS as legally “female sex”. Of course, the gay and transgender “news sources” and blogs remained silent on this victory, perhaps because it supported the transsexual MEDICAL CONDITION narrative, not the transgender ideology propaganda. We are not “third gender”, when will they get that?

Andrea Rosenfield, a writer of transsexualism issues, commented about the Minnesota case in the comment section of the Enough Nonsense site:

“As a silver lining, the ruling happens to provide a “finding of fact” that the LGB/TG’s ongoing “It Means Gay!” disinformation/propaganda campaign does real, tangible damage. If something had happened during that interim period before the case resolved, someone could have died. The LGB/TG can’t deny this now, it’s in the record, and it can be used in future cases. (Hint, hint.) That’s probably why the Usual Suspects didn’t want to draw attention to it, and why it’s important that you do.

More importantly, you’re quite likely looking at the end of the “specific exclusion” era. As soon as the insurance companies got the government to force everyone to buy their private insurance, they brought themselves under the 14th and related Federal statutes. That’s what the references to the national health insurance act were about. While noting that it was outside the scope of the case at hand, the judge clearly semaphored that if the insurance company tries to enforce that bizarre and contrived “natural-born” clause they added to try to weasel around covering this woman, they’ll get spanked hard by Title VII. (The Miss Universe thing was ultimately the same issue, and it’s probably why Trump backed down so fast.).” - Andrea Rosenfield - April 24, 2012

There are lot more recent developments that have happened this Spring that are supporting The Transsexual Uprising, I will try to include them on my blog later this week, but I think you get the idea: Times are changing!

On the other end, the unfortunate, yet expected, thing about The Transsexual Uprising gaining so much ground means that the attacks and anti-transsexual propaganda we have to endure is getting amped up heavily, but that’s okay, it only means we are doing something right and those who reap the benefits of our enslavement will do everything in their power to keep us 'picking cotton' in their unethical and unjust 'plantation fields' (keep us hostage in their con-brella).

For example, this Spring a few self-promoting and self-aggrandizing "transgender" bloggers, authors and "gender outlaw" entertainers (who actually financially and professionally profit from enforcing transgender socio-politics and umbrella-ism theory) are obsessing over how to stop the inevitable transsexual liberation by creating petty drama, speculating, concocting laughable and ‘out of this world’ history revisionism, taking actions and quotes out of context, presuming to know one’s intentions as if they are telepathic, unrobing and degrading the bodies of women born with transsexualism and behaving like unstable, over compulsive and anti-social personalities, fueled by their amazing male egos and desire to get attention, although it’s negative attention. Their behavior is obviously a backlash to the realization that their fantasy "transgender umbrella reservation" mandate is coming to an end. They are dealing with their ‘bubble being popped’ like most imperialists do when their colonies breaks free: Retaliating with [mental] violence, back tracking, faking evidence and agreements, mispeaking for deceased transsexuals and others, and transparent [and failed] character assassinations against numerous women of transsexual history that are being seriously listened to.

Their over the top cyber bullying is very telling of how they lack genuine facts to back up their opinion based frame work, as well as not having authentic or sincere intentions, just the typical crafty lies most politicians spit when they want to CON-vince the people of something they know dang well is hog wash. If only they could stop behaving like tyrants and discontinue hijacking our medical and patients’ rights to cater to their socio-political and “anti-gender-binary” agenda then we wouldn’t have to be so raw and even harsh in protecting ourselves with the only means we have: The truth!

I know I write a lot of blog entries discussing the problems and challenges we face as women and men born with transsexualism, but today I want to let my readers know that there is a LOT to be hopeful and happy about. Additionally, there are some very powerful developments that have and are currently happening behind the scenes that I can't write about yet, but they are all leading to women and men like us being legally recognized as, go figure: Women and Men! And that means women and men, period- not a 3rd gender status that so many gender queer, transgender, cross dressing activists and their LGB Inc funders seek to drag us into screaming and protesting.
                                    

The tide is shifting.

Segregation is (and has been!) ILLEGAL! When Gay Inc and its Transgender Um[Scam]brella Ideology Subsidiary finally grasp that segregation is illegal not just based on race, but sex as well, they will come to understand why women and men of transsexual history will never allow ourselves and our children of transsexual and/or intersex history to be othered in their proposed sub-woman and sub-man narrative plot. I would rather die of thirst than be legally forced to drink from a separate drinking fountain then other women, we are not 2nd class women. Likewise, we will never opt to "check a third box" like the gender queer contingent (who have major influence in the TG agenda) are petitioning to make a reality not just for themselves, but for non-consenting women and men with transsexualism as well!

A well-meaning message to the non-transsexual folks who seek to co-opt us: How about you guys do you, and we will do us. We care about human rights for ALL, but if you continue to misrepresent and invalidate transsexualism in an effort to promote your anti-gender binary goals we will defend ourselves by any legal means necessary, and it may not be the outcome you want. We are not your property. Stop treating us like it.

This crazy-making, dishonest and socially engineered “transgender umbrella” that was sneaked into existence does not, never has and never will accurately include women and men born with transsexualism. Our enforced inclusion in this failed experiment is nearing its long awaited finale. So please, let the curtain close gracefully, and stop misgendering and bullying us in retaliation for us rejecting your invitation to participate in this miseducation and harming of our lives.

When a woman says "no", she means "NO"! And when a male or "anti-gender binary agenda" continues to absorb her into his agenda without her consent, well, we all know what that is called: Assault

Spring into Action! The tide of The Transsexual Uprising is shifting! Yes we can! Yes we ARE!
                                   

Saddened That CeCe McDonald Takes Plea Deal For Defending Herself; Enraged That Racial Justice & "LGB.T." Groups Devalued Case

Words can't express how upset I am with how CeCe McDonald is being manipulated to plead guilty when she was the real victim.

However, words *can* express how I feel that many racial justice groups, like the NAACP & SPLC, and national "LGB.T." groups have remained silent or didn't put their full weight behind this injustice -- those words are: Rage, Betrayal, Transphobia, Hypocrisy, Classism... and a few more...

If CeCe was a black non-transsexual boy, like Trayvon Martin, would the NAACP have taken real action?

If CeCe was a blue eyed, blond haired gay male like Matthew Shepard, would the HRC or NGLTF have pulled all their resources to stand up for her?

Yet of course I'm most angered at the bigoted people who started this whole situation for taunting and physically threatening CeCe when she was just trying to eat in peace, and the condescending judge who has excused their actions and has been unfair to CeCe the whole trial.

My heart goes out to CeCe, justice is crying rivers of tears today.

'Hunger Games' Star, Josh Hutcherson, Supports Transsexual Education Rally In Defying GLAAD's Erasure Of Saying The Word 'Transsexual'

GLAAD's 2012 Media Awards winner, Josh Hutcherson , star of 'The Hunger Games', joins MAGNET supporters and defies GLAAD's rule "only say transgender, never say transsexual" at GLAAD's very own awards in which he was being honored!

“My mom has always been a big advocate, especially in the gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual community, so for me it’s always been a part of my soul,” Josh Hutcherson told Eonline.

This is very telling of the recent trend of the younger generations being more aware of stories and images of people born with the medical condition transsexualism who transition just to live their lives as the women and men they know they are. Therefore, the result is less transsexual-phobia with these younger generations. They don't see us as "third gender, cross dressers, drag queens" or any other "transgender" expression or lifestyle. They see us as just women and men. In short, they understand and support the transsexual narrative, not this othering and misgendering "one size fits all" transgender ideology.


We are thrilled that GLAAD has not entirely succeeded in censoring out the word transsexual from society, especially outside and inside their very own GLAAD Awards.

We are not "transgender". Our condition is not a lifestyle, drag show or fetish. We were born with chromosomal and anatomy diversity, and our affirming doctors aide us in aligning our bodies with our mind. We are born with transsexualism, and some of us are intersex as well. It's  time GLAAD stopped brushing us into some "transgender" reservation. We will not be colonized into a gender deconstructionism agenda against our will. That's a violation of our patient rights, as well as constitutional rights. We are women and men, and will not be segregated from other women and men into some third gender narrative just because of our birth challenge.  Segregation is illegal. All we ask is that GLAAD represent us accurately.

Congrats Josh, thanks for supporting the cause!
 
For information on MAGNET's education rally which was held at The GLAAD Awards this Saturday evening: http://themagnetsource.blogspot.com/2012/04/magnet-hold-education-rally-outside.html 

EEOC's Ruling Is A Major Step Forward In Protecting & Affirming Americans Born With The Transsexual Medical Condition

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) ruling on April 20th clearly states that discriminating against someone who was born in the wrong body and transitions sex is considered sex discrimination as per Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many people with transsexualism and allies have known this for decades, but some in the gender queer contingent have tried to get “transgender umbrella” rights covered under sexual orientation or “gender expression” categories, which is inaccurate and misgendering when it comes to people with transsexualism.


Though this is just an opinion ruling, it could have major impact on men and women being recognized legally as men and women under the federal law, and not as a third gender status that so many gender deconstructionism and transgenderism theory activists would seek to enroll non-consenting transsexuals into.

Many in the transgender political world weren’t too happy last December when U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit refused to edit out the word “transsexual” from their ruling in favor of only transgender ideology, which enforces the erasure of transsexualism from education.

The 11th Circuit wrote, ''We conclude that a government agent violates the Equal Protection Clause's prohibition of sex-based discrimination when he or she fires a transgender or transsexual employee because of his or her gender non-conformity.''

Many transsexual advocates, doctors, lawyers and even scientists had contacted the U.S. Court of Appeals educating why it would be problematic and sexist to censor out the word transsexual just because national and state LGBT and Transgender groups misinform that it’s acceptable. It’s actually unacceptable. We are happy the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit agreed with us.

Moving forward, it will be important for there to be accurate and affirming education in place that clearly states that this law will not give transvestites or cross dressers the right to co-opt the meaning of this law. Men will not be able to use the women’s restrooms just because they are a transvestite and have a wig on. Now is the time to highlight and refute the crazy-making and dishonest groupings of women and men with transsexualism with people that are just dressing up for entertainment, fetishes or who seek to take advantage or appropriate the legal and medical rights of people with transsexualism.

Now more than ever we have to step forward and repeal laws that could misgender and marginalize us due to the social engineered and  anti-transsexual narrative campaign that many gender deconstructionism activits are pushing.

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

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.

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

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