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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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

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