Sunday, August 30, 2009
News media sucks at reporting on violent attacks on transgender individuals in Washington, D.C.
It has been a frightening week to be trans in Washington, D.C.
Posted by Jos - August 28, 2009, at 02:53PM
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Posted by Jos - August 28, 2009, at 02:53PM
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India: First of its kind: A clinic just for transgenders
Bosco Dominique, TNN 29 August 2009, 03:43am IST
PUDUCHERRY: Transgenders, often distanced by society, will soon have a clinic functioning exclusively for them in this former French enclave.
Even as a group of transgenders in Chennai launched a matrimonial website exclusively for them, in Puducherry the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute showcased a clinic, which, they claimed was the first such medical facility for transgenders in south India.
The clinic boasting of providing complete health care services for transgenders will offer consultation and treatment free of cost in the disciplines of gynaecology, urology, dermatology, psychiatry and paediatrics. ‘‘The transgender clinic will function thrice a week from 9am to 3pm,’’ said Prof D R Gunasekaran, V-C of the Sri
Balaji Vidyapeeth University to which the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College is affiliated.
Full Story
PUDUCHERRY: Transgenders, often distanced by society, will soon have a clinic functioning exclusively for them in this former French enclave.
Even as a group of transgenders in Chennai launched a matrimonial website exclusively for them, in Puducherry the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute showcased a clinic, which, they claimed was the first such medical facility for transgenders in south India.
The clinic boasting of providing complete health care services for transgenders will offer consultation and treatment free of cost in the disciplines of gynaecology, urology, dermatology, psychiatry and paediatrics. ‘‘The transgender clinic will function thrice a week from 9am to 3pm,’’ said Prof D R Gunasekaran, V-C of the Sri
Balaji Vidyapeeth University to which the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College is affiliated.
Full Story
Thursday, August 27, 2009
D.C. Bathroom Signs: Ignored By Many, Hated By Some, Expensive, and Possibly Illegal
Posted by Amanda Hess on Aug. 12, 2009, at 1:30 pm
When Omar Miskinyar opened 14th Street NW nightlife spot Policy earlier this year, he invested in the unexpected. Inside the sprawling restaurant, bar, and lounge, ornate chandeliers hang below exposed pipes and ducts. Graffiti by artist Andrew Funk blazes across the tasteful taupe walls. Cherry-red patent-leather booths ring a bar with a wall of flat-screen televisions. And rather than pants vs. triangle, “ladies” vs. “gents,” or “Barbie” vs. “Ken,” the doors to the restrooms are marked with a pair of swirled Plexiglas exclamation points. One is blue, the other is pink. They’re the size of human beings.
Human beings, however, do not always fit the color scheme. That raises something of a grammatical problem for Miskinyar: Policy’s subtly gendered punctuation may be inconsistent with a little-known provision of D.C. human rights law.
Since 2006, the D.C. Human Rights Act has protected transgender men and women from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations—including restrooms. Since public bathrooms are traditionally gender-specific, gender nonconforming clientele have faced harassment, attack, and even arrest for picking the “wrong” gendered stall. Restaurants with multi-stall bathrooms segregated by gender can work to eliminate discrimination by ensuring that even when rooms are marked for ladies or gentlemen, they’re free of harassment for the spot’s gender-variant pissers.
Full Story
When Omar Miskinyar opened 14th Street NW nightlife spot Policy earlier this year, he invested in the unexpected. Inside the sprawling restaurant, bar, and lounge, ornate chandeliers hang below exposed pipes and ducts. Graffiti by artist Andrew Funk blazes across the tasteful taupe walls. Cherry-red patent-leather booths ring a bar with a wall of flat-screen televisions. And rather than pants vs. triangle, “ladies” vs. “gents,” or “Barbie” vs. “Ken,” the doors to the restrooms are marked with a pair of swirled Plexiglas exclamation points. One is blue, the other is pink. They’re the size of human beings.
Human beings, however, do not always fit the color scheme. That raises something of a grammatical problem for Miskinyar: Policy’s subtly gendered punctuation may be inconsistent with a little-known provision of D.C. human rights law.
Since 2006, the D.C. Human Rights Act has protected transgender men and women from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations—including restrooms. Since public bathrooms are traditionally gender-specific, gender nonconforming clientele have faced harassment, attack, and even arrest for picking the “wrong” gendered stall. Restaurants with multi-stall bathrooms segregated by gender can work to eliminate discrimination by ensuring that even when rooms are marked for ladies or gentlemen, they’re free of harassment for the spot’s gender-variant pissers.
Full Story
Tucson man convicted in attack on transsexual Vietnam veteran
By Carol Ann Alaimo
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.25.2009
A Tucson man was convicted of assault and disorderly conduct Monday for attacking a transsexual Vietnam veteran, who testified that her assailant mocked her before the attack.
Defendant Richard Ray Young denied the name-calling but was sentenced to 30 days in jail, a $1,000 fine and three years' probation for the assault last October at Tucson Greyhound Park.
Judge Pro Tem Richard Madril of South Tucson Municipal Court also ordered him to take anger-management counseling and be assessed for alcohol abuse.
The victim, Janey Kay, who was born male and had surgery early last year to become female, sustained a cut lip and had two handfuls of hair ripped from her scalp in the incident.
Full Story
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.25.2009
A Tucson man was convicted of assault and disorderly conduct Monday for attacking a transsexual Vietnam veteran, who testified that her assailant mocked her before the attack.
Defendant Richard Ray Young denied the name-calling but was sentenced to 30 days in jail, a $1,000 fine and three years' probation for the assault last October at Tucson Greyhound Park.
Judge Pro Tem Richard Madril of South Tucson Municipal Court also ordered him to take anger-management counseling and be assessed for alcohol abuse.
The victim, Janey Kay, who was born male and had surgery early last year to become female, sustained a cut lip and had two handfuls of hair ripped from her scalp in the incident.
Full Story
New Zealand: Transgender law change support grows
Posted in: New Zealand Daily News
By GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 27th August 2009
MPs from across the main political parties are pledging their support for changes to legislation to improve the legal status of transgender people.
A report based on the groundbreaking Human Rights Commission Transgender Inquiry, titled To Be Who I Am and released early last year, called for changes to laws which currently exclude transgender people from discrimination protection and which require gender reassignment surgery before a person's legal gender identity can be changed.
Genderbridge, an organisation set up to support transgender people, says Auckland Central and National MP Nikki Kaye is the latest to confirm her support for the changes and ACT leader Rodney Hyde has for some months signaled his support. Gay Greens MP Kevin Hague has confirmed that his party's nine MPs are "fully supportive of the proposed changes," according to Genderbridge's Allyson Hamblett.
Justice Minister Simon Power is understood to be supportive and Hamblett says an approach is soon to be made to Prime Minister John Key. The Labour party has long looked favourably on such changes.
Original Story
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By GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 27th August 2009
MPs from across the main political parties are pledging their support for changes to legislation to improve the legal status of transgender people.
A report based on the groundbreaking Human Rights Commission Transgender Inquiry, titled To Be Who I Am and released early last year, called for changes to laws which currently exclude transgender people from discrimination protection and which require gender reassignment surgery before a person's legal gender identity can be changed.
Genderbridge, an organisation set up to support transgender people, says Auckland Central and National MP Nikki Kaye is the latest to confirm her support for the changes and ACT leader Rodney Hyde has for some months signaled his support. Gay Greens MP Kevin Hague has confirmed that his party's nine MPs are "fully supportive of the proposed changes," according to Genderbridge's Allyson Hamblett.
Justice Minister Simon Power is understood to be supportive and Hamblett says an approach is soon to be made to Prime Minister John Key. The Labour party has long looked favourably on such changes.
Original Story
Related Story
World's first matrimonial site for transsexuals
Insiya Amir, TNN 27 August 2009, 01:39am IST
Kalki Subramanian is young, liberated and looking for an Indian man who is loving, compassionate, educated. Oh, and one more thing — he should be
OK with marrying a transsexual.
But Kalki isn’t leaving her hopes for a suitable boy to destiny. The founder-director of the Sahodari foundation, that works for transgenders, is setting up a matrimonial website for transsexual women — the first of its kind in the world.
With the Internet matchmaking portal, to be launched on Thursday, she also hopes to create a debate about the issues of matrimony and adoption for transgenders. “There has to be legal clarity for transsexuals to live a better life. We have been discriminated against and exploited for very long”, she says.
Unlike, other dating services in the world, where transgenders are set up with other transgenders, www.thirunangai.net will give transsexual women a chance to find a man of their dreams. Thirunangai, incidentally, means respectable woman in Tamil.
Full Story
Kalki Subramanian is young, liberated and looking for an Indian man who is loving, compassionate, educated. Oh, and one more thing — he should be
OK with marrying a transsexual.
But Kalki isn’t leaving her hopes for a suitable boy to destiny. The founder-director of the Sahodari foundation, that works for transgenders, is setting up a matrimonial website for transsexual women — the first of its kind in the world.
With the Internet matchmaking portal, to be launched on Thursday, she also hopes to create a debate about the issues of matrimony and adoption for transgenders. “There has to be legal clarity for transsexuals to live a better life. We have been discriminated against and exploited for very long”, she says.
Unlike, other dating services in the world, where transgenders are set up with other transgenders, www.thirunangai.net will give transsexual women a chance to find a man of their dreams. Thirunangai, incidentally, means respectable woman in Tamil.
Full Story
DC: Q Street Double Stabbing Leaves 1 Dead
Two transgender women stabbed in broad daylight
Updated: Wednesday, 26 Aug 2009, 11:27 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 26 Aug 2009, 3:59 PM EDT
* By ROBY CHAVEZ/myfoxdc
WASHINGTON, D.C. - D.C. Police say a double stabbing in broad daylight left one person dead and another injured in Northwest Washington on Wednesday.
Police say two people were stabbed in the 200 block of Q Street Northwest around 2:30 p.m. Officers found two transgender women in front of the building when they arrived. One of those victims later died at a hospital, while another is wounded but in stable condition.
The crime scene was an alarming sight for residents who live on Q Street. One neighbor told FOX 5 they saw the two victims running from their attacker, and that one of them collapsed on the sidewalk. That victim later died.
Full Story
Updated: Wednesday, 26 Aug 2009, 11:27 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 26 Aug 2009, 3:59 PM EDT
* By ROBY CHAVEZ/myfoxdc
WASHINGTON, D.C. - D.C. Police say a double stabbing in broad daylight left one person dead and another injured in Northwest Washington on Wednesday.
Police say two people were stabbed in the 200 block of Q Street Northwest around 2:30 p.m. Officers found two transgender women in front of the building when they arrived. One of those victims later died at a hospital, while another is wounded but in stable condition.
The crime scene was an alarming sight for residents who live on Q Street. One neighbor told FOX 5 they saw the two victims running from their attacker, and that one of them collapsed on the sidewalk. That victim later died.
Full Story
Attorney: Victim was transgender inmate
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
The attorney for a man who was allegedly sexually assaulted Sunday at O'ahu Community Correctional Center said the victim is a transgender inmate and that the assailant is a male corrections officer.
Advertisement
Lawyer Myles Breiner said his client, 31, is being held at OCCC while awaiting transfer to Laumaka Work Furlough Center, a transitional program for inmates who are about to be released. Breiner said his client has served eight years of a 10-year sentence for burglary and was transferred to OCCC from Halawa Correctional Facility late last year.
Breiner said his client has the appearance of a woman, but has not undergone surgery to become a woman. Breiner said the inmate was therefore placed in a prison module for men.
Full Story
Advertiser Staff Writer
The attorney for a man who was allegedly sexually assaulted Sunday at O'ahu Community Correctional Center said the victim is a transgender inmate and that the assailant is a male corrections officer.
Advertisement
Lawyer Myles Breiner said his client, 31, is being held at OCCC while awaiting transfer to Laumaka Work Furlough Center, a transitional program for inmates who are about to be released. Breiner said his client has served eight years of a 10-year sentence for burglary and was transferred to OCCC from Halawa Correctional Facility late last year.
Breiner said his client has the appearance of a woman, but has not undergone surgery to become a woman. Breiner said the inmate was therefore placed in a prison module for men.
Full Story
Sunday, August 23, 2009
HEALTH-ARGENTINA: "Buddies" Ease Transgenders' Hospital Visits
By Marcela Valente
BUENOS AIRES, Aug 22 (IPS) - Keeping a hospital appointment in the Argentine capital is a far less fearsome ordeal for transgender persons, a sector of the population that according to doctors had "dramatic" statistics of illness, when they are accompanied by trained health promoters who, like them, have chosen a different gender identity.
"It's easier to communicate among ourselves than with hospital staff," Valeria RamÃrez, a transgender promoter with the city of Buenos Aires' Programme to Facilitate Access to the Health System for the Transgender Population, told IPS.
In place since 2007, the strategy has increased the frequency of consultation and health check-ups by this marginalised community, as well as boosting the immune systems of those infected with HIV/AIDS.
Full Story
BUENOS AIRES, Aug 22 (IPS) - Keeping a hospital appointment in the Argentine capital is a far less fearsome ordeal for transgender persons, a sector of the population that according to doctors had "dramatic" statistics of illness, when they are accompanied by trained health promoters who, like them, have chosen a different gender identity.
"It's easier to communicate among ourselves than with hospital staff," Valeria RamÃrez, a transgender promoter with the city of Buenos Aires' Programme to Facilitate Access to the Health System for the Transgender Population, told IPS.
In place since 2007, the strategy has increased the frequency of consultation and health check-ups by this marginalised community, as well as boosting the immune systems of those infected with HIV/AIDS.
Full Story
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Genes, not just drugs, can bend gender too
By Marlowe Hood (AFP) – 6 hours ago
PARIS — The gender test ordered up for the South African wunderkind who grabbed 800-metre gold this week could reveal any of several genetic disorders resulting in a physically ambiguous sexual identity, experts say.
Hormones and surgery, in other words, are not the only things that can bend gender to boost female performance by shape-shifting bodies and building muscle mass.
But taking steroids or hiding a sex-change is cheating.
Being born with unusual chromosomes is not, which raises the uncomfortable possibility that an athlete could be stripped of a gold medal because of her -- or his -- genes.
Whether this is what lies in store for 18-year-old Caster Semenya, who demolished the competition at the athletics world championships in Berlin, is still unknown.
Full Story
PARIS — The gender test ordered up for the South African wunderkind who grabbed 800-metre gold this week could reveal any of several genetic disorders resulting in a physically ambiguous sexual identity, experts say.
Hormones and surgery, in other words, are not the only things that can bend gender to boost female performance by shape-shifting bodies and building muscle mass.
But taking steroids or hiding a sex-change is cheating.
Being born with unusual chromosomes is not, which raises the uncomfortable possibility that an athlete could be stripped of a gold medal because of her -- or his -- genes.
Whether this is what lies in store for 18-year-old Caster Semenya, who demolished the competition at the athletics world championships in Berlin, is still unknown.
Full Story
After losing her job, transgender Utahn fights workplace discrimination
Bias » Salt Lake City Library forum will focus on topic tonight.
By Rosemary Winters
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 08/19/2009 06:14:49 PM MDT
Salt Lake City resident Candice Metzler wanted to let her work colleagues see the transition she already had begun in her personal life. Known to them as a man, Metzler wore mascara, eyeliner and white-tipped acrylic nails to a company barbecue.
Three months later, Metzler, was unemployed and homeless. Although her boss had supported her coming out as transgender, clients began shunning the small, home-inspection enterprise after the picnic. The struggling business let Metzler go.
She felt the sting of discrimination more sharply, she said, as she applied to job after job in the construction industry but was turned down. She lost her home and lived on the streets for nearly a year. She finally found a job as a receptionist.
Full Story
By Rosemary Winters
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 08/19/2009 06:14:49 PM MDT
Salt Lake City resident Candice Metzler wanted to let her work colleagues see the transition she already had begun in her personal life. Known to them as a man, Metzler wore mascara, eyeliner and white-tipped acrylic nails to a company barbecue.
Three months later, Metzler, was unemployed and homeless. Although her boss had supported her coming out as transgender, clients began shunning the small, home-inspection enterprise after the picnic. The struggling business let Metzler go.
She felt the sting of discrimination more sharply, she said, as she applied to job after job in the construction industry but was turned down. She lost her home and lived on the streets for nearly a year. She finally found a job as a receptionist.
Full Story
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Lack of Coverage on Transgendered Pakistanis Shows Bias in US Media
Huffington Post: Sanjeev Bery
Sanjeev Bery writes on U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.
Posted: August 19, 2009 03:44 PM
It probably wasn't the first time that someone had organized an Independence Day cricket match in Pakistan. But it almost certainly was the first time that such a match occurred between a team of professional cricket players and a team of transgendered Pakistanis.
As the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported, the transgendered team won.
Known as hijras, transgendered Pakistanis and Indians have historically lived in their own communities and within their own cultural contexts. The word hijra combines a range of sexual identities -- gay crossdressers, hermaphradites -- who identify as female, and male-to-female transgendered individuals. In Indian and Pakistani English, words like "eunuch" and "transvestite" are often used in place of the word hijra.
Of course, it goes without saying that many Pakistani hijras, like their Indian counterparts, live challenging lives of discrimination and social stigma. That is why it was such positive news when the Pakistani Supreme Court recently ruled that transgendered citizens cannot be discriminated against in Pakistani government welfare programs. The Court also directed the government to take specific steps to ensure their well-being.
In the words of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, "Eunuchs are also the citizens of Pakistan and should be given basic fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution."
Of course, even the most sophisticated consumers of American media are unlikely to be aware of such developments. Why? Because American media outlets didn't report on them. For American reporters and editors, Pakistan only exists in the context of security concerns: the Taliban, terrorism, fundamentalist Islam, and the war in Afghanistan.
Full Story
Sanjeev Bery writes on U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.
Posted: August 19, 2009 03:44 PM
It probably wasn't the first time that someone had organized an Independence Day cricket match in Pakistan. But it almost certainly was the first time that such a match occurred between a team of professional cricket players and a team of transgendered Pakistanis.
As the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported, the transgendered team won.
Known as hijras, transgendered Pakistanis and Indians have historically lived in their own communities and within their own cultural contexts. The word hijra combines a range of sexual identities -- gay crossdressers, hermaphradites -- who identify as female, and male-to-female transgendered individuals. In Indian and Pakistani English, words like "eunuch" and "transvestite" are often used in place of the word hijra.
Of course, it goes without saying that many Pakistani hijras, like their Indian counterparts, live challenging lives of discrimination and social stigma. That is why it was such positive news when the Pakistani Supreme Court recently ruled that transgendered citizens cannot be discriminated against in Pakistani government welfare programs. The Court also directed the government to take specific steps to ensure their well-being.
In the words of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, "Eunuchs are also the citizens of Pakistan and should be given basic fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution."
Of course, even the most sophisticated consumers of American media are unlikely to be aware of such developments. Why? Because American media outlets didn't report on them. For American reporters and editors, Pakistan only exists in the context of security concerns: the Taliban, terrorism, fundamentalist Islam, and the war in Afghanistan.
Full Story
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Fry addresses transgender issues
By Jeanette Stewart, The StarPhoenixAugust 18, 2009
Transgendered people are not being fully served under the Canada Health Act, a physician and member of Parliament said Monday in Saskatoon.
"I feel like it's the last piece of discrimination under medicare," said Dr. Hedy Fry, the Liberal MP for Vancouver-Centre.
Fry is using her trip to Saskatoon for the annual Canadian Medical Association meeting to hear concerns from a number of special interest groups in the city, including seniors' groups, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community and city officials, as well as participating in a round table on multiculturalism.
On Monday, Fry met with University of Saskatchewan Students' Union president Warren Kirkland to discuss concerns of the GLBT community as well as the dearth of young people in politics.
The lack of access and equality for transgendered people is a huge issue across the country, said Fry, who served a high number of gay and lesbian patients at the time she was first elected to Parliament in 1993.
Full Story
Transgendered people are not being fully served under the Canada Health Act, a physician and member of Parliament said Monday in Saskatoon.
"I feel like it's the last piece of discrimination under medicare," said Dr. Hedy Fry, the Liberal MP for Vancouver-Centre.
Fry is using her trip to Saskatoon for the annual Canadian Medical Association meeting to hear concerns from a number of special interest groups in the city, including seniors' groups, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community and city officials, as well as participating in a round table on multiculturalism.
On Monday, Fry met with University of Saskatchewan Students' Union president Warren Kirkland to discuss concerns of the GLBT community as well as the dearth of young people in politics.
The lack of access and equality for transgendered people is a huge issue across the country, said Fry, who served a high number of gay and lesbian patients at the time she was first elected to Parliament in 1993.
Full Story
New Security Measures May Complicate Transgender Travel
Posted by Amanda Hess on Aug. 18, 2009, at 12:34 pm
As of Aug. 15, flight safety regulations require airlines to secure the middle initial, date of birth, and gender of every passenger on a domestic flight. The regulations, courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration’s new “Secure Flight” initiative, seek to “reduce the number of times passengers are misidentified as possible terrorists.” The initiative may also make air travel more difficult for transgender passengers.
Since a transgender person’s gender identity is often at odds with the one marked on their official IDs—and the gender transition process itself can require extensive domestic travel—checking “male” or “female” in the airport can be a complicated procedure.
Full Story
As of Aug. 15, flight safety regulations require airlines to secure the middle initial, date of birth, and gender of every passenger on a domestic flight. The regulations, courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration’s new “Secure Flight” initiative, seek to “reduce the number of times passengers are misidentified as possible terrorists.” The initiative may also make air travel more difficult for transgender passengers.
Since a transgender person’s gender identity is often at odds with the one marked on their official IDs—and the gender transition process itself can require extensive domestic travel—checking “male” or “female” in the airport can be a complicated procedure.
Full Story
Trans Woman Sues Over Photo Request
By William McGuinness
Trans Woman Sues Over Photo Request
A Pennsylvania transgender woman has filed suit against her former employer, who she said requested a photograph of her genitalia as a condition of continued employment.
In 2007, Kate Lynn Blatt, was employed by Manpower Inc., a staffing services agency that placed Blatt at an aluminum products manufacturer for $10 per hour as a temporary factory worker. However, she was let go by the plant after a supervisor said she was not healthy enough to complete her job.
Shortly following her dismissal, Blatt returned to the Manpower office to regain employment. It was at this time that Irene Kudziela, a Manpower branch manager, said she needed to turn in a letter from her surgeon that documented her sex-reassignment surgery along with a photograph of her genitalia, which Kudziela said would solve problems related to appropriate use of restrooms and locker rooms.
Full Story
Trans Woman Sues Over Photo Request
A Pennsylvania transgender woman has filed suit against her former employer, who she said requested a photograph of her genitalia as a condition of continued employment.
In 2007, Kate Lynn Blatt, was employed by Manpower Inc., a staffing services agency that placed Blatt at an aluminum products manufacturer for $10 per hour as a temporary factory worker. However, she was let go by the plant after a supervisor said she was not healthy enough to complete her job.
Shortly following her dismissal, Blatt returned to the Manpower office to regain employment. It was at this time that Irene Kudziela, a Manpower branch manager, said she needed to turn in a letter from her surgeon that documented her sex-reassignment surgery along with a photograph of her genitalia, which Kudziela said would solve problems related to appropriate use of restrooms and locker rooms.
Full Story
India, Tamil Nadu: Transgenders to get ration cards soon
Express News Service
First Published : 18 Aug 2009 03:09:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 18 Aug 2009 07:02:52 AM IST
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu, the first State to have an exclusive Transgender Welfare Board, is all set to fulfil their demands of ration cards, passport and voter ID cards. As a prelude to the entire process, the board is screening the members and ascertaining their true sexual identity as part of the screening camp held on Sunday and Monday at the Kilpauk Medical College.
The camp, held to ensure that those registered were really transgenders, aimed to collect all relevant data of the members, soon to become beneficiaries of many government incentives and plans.
Full Story
First Published : 18 Aug 2009 03:09:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 18 Aug 2009 07:02:52 AM IST
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu, the first State to have an exclusive Transgender Welfare Board, is all set to fulfil their demands of ration cards, passport and voter ID cards. As a prelude to the entire process, the board is screening the members and ascertaining their true sexual identity as part of the screening camp held on Sunday and Monday at the Kilpauk Medical College.
The camp, held to ensure that those registered were really transgenders, aimed to collect all relevant data of the members, soon to become beneficiaries of many government incentives and plans.
Full Story
Dwight DeLee gets the maximum in transgender slaying
by Jim O'Hara / The Post-Standard
Tuesday August 18, 2009, 12:00 PM
Dwight DeLee, the defendant in Onondaga County's first hate-crime homicide prosecution, was sentenced this morning to the maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
DeLee, 20, of Gifford St., was convicted last month of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime for fatally shooting Moses Cannon as the victim sat in a car outside a house on Seymour Street Nov. 14.
Cannon, 22, has been described by family as a transgender person who went by the name LaTeisha "Teish" Green and often dressed as a woman.
DeLee read a statement in court this morning maintaining he is innocent and attacking the media coverage of his case and the jury verdict against him. He offered an apology to the victim's family, but maintained he did not kill anybody.
Full Story
Tuesday August 18, 2009, 12:00 PM
Dwight DeLee, the defendant in Onondaga County's first hate-crime homicide prosecution, was sentenced this morning to the maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
DeLee, 20, of Gifford St., was convicted last month of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime for fatally shooting Moses Cannon as the victim sat in a car outside a house on Seymour Street Nov. 14.
Cannon, 22, has been described by family as a transgender person who went by the name LaTeisha "Teish" Green and often dressed as a woman.
DeLee read a statement in court this morning maintaining he is innocent and attacking the media coverage of his case and the jury verdict against him. He offered an apology to the victim's family, but maintained he did not kill anybody.
Full Story
Australia: Transsexuals recognised as men
By James McHale
Posted Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:26am AEST
Updated Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:38am AEST
Two West Australian women who changed their gender have won the right to be legally considered men, despite still having female reproductive organs.
The transsexual men were previously denied legal recognition of their sex change and appealed against the decision.
The state's Attorney-General, Christian Porter, intervened, arguing that until they had hysterectomies they could not be considered men under the Gender Reassignment Act.
The State Administrative Tribunal found that because the legislation did not specify reproductive surgery as a requirement, the pair could be legally considered men even with female reproductive organs.
Full Story
Posted Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:26am AEST
Updated Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:38am AEST
Two West Australian women who changed their gender have won the right to be legally considered men, despite still having female reproductive organs.
The transsexual men were previously denied legal recognition of their sex change and appealed against the decision.
The state's Attorney-General, Christian Porter, intervened, arguing that until they had hysterectomies they could not be considered men under the Gender Reassignment Act.
The State Administrative Tribunal found that because the legislation did not specify reproductive surgery as a requirement, the pair could be legally considered men even with female reproductive organs.
Full Story
Soth Korea: Military rules revised for men changing sex
August 19, 2009
The nation’s highest court removed some legal barriers confronting transsexuals making the switch from male to female.
The Supreme Court said yesterday that a transsexual is no longer required to complete or be legally exempted from military service to change his sexual affiliation on legal documents.
“We have decided to remove the requirement because it is hard for us to accurately judge whether a man is seeking to change his sex as a method of draft-dodging or not,” said Judge Kim Hyeon-bo of the National Court Administration. “The link between draft-dodging and sex change is hard to know, so we have decided to remove the requirement.”
The court also decided to change legal documents of a transsexual person that stated the sex change. From now on, it will be marked as a correction, the court said, in order to protect the transsexual population’s privacy.
Since it granted the first legal permission for a transsexual person to change his or her sexual affiliation in 2006, the Supreme Court has established a list of requirements. Only an unmarried, childless person who is older than 20 is allowed to seek a legal sex change.
Full Story
The nation’s highest court removed some legal barriers confronting transsexuals making the switch from male to female.
The Supreme Court said yesterday that a transsexual is no longer required to complete or be legally exempted from military service to change his sexual affiliation on legal documents.
“We have decided to remove the requirement because it is hard for us to accurately judge whether a man is seeking to change his sex as a method of draft-dodging or not,” said Judge Kim Hyeon-bo of the National Court Administration. “The link between draft-dodging and sex change is hard to know, so we have decided to remove the requirement.”
The court also decided to change legal documents of a transsexual person that stated the sex change. From now on, it will be marked as a correction, the court said, in order to protect the transsexual population’s privacy.
Since it granted the first legal permission for a transsexual person to change his or her sexual affiliation in 2006, the Supreme Court has established a list of requirements. Only an unmarried, childless person who is older than 20 is allowed to seek a legal sex change.
Full Story
Monday, August 17, 2009
Islamabad: SC for provision of safety, health, education to eunuchs
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the federal and provincial governments to provide protection and free of cost health and education facilities to the eunuchs.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad and Justice Ghulam Rabbani, heard a petition filed by Dr Aslam Khaki advocate against the social injustice committed to the transgender individuals.
The advocates general of all the four provinces and Deputy Attorney General Shah Khawar appeared before the court and presented reports of the respective social welfare departments. The Punjab social welfare department reported it had completed registration of eunuchs, stating there were 2,167 transgender individuals in the province.
The NWFP social welfare departments’ report stated a survey had been carried out in 17 districts of the province, and 324 eunuchs had been registered. The court directed other provinces to complete the registration process till next hearing of the case.
The court ordered the federal and provincial governments to appoint a focal person on district and Tehsil level to coordinate with the representatives of eunuchs to ensure their security and prevent registration of false cases against them.
The governments were also directed to provide free of cost education and health facilities, especially treatment of fatal diseases like HIV AIDS, Hepatitis and Tuberculosis etc. The governments were also asked to furnish reports on the implementation of the court’s orders to the Supreme Court registrar.
Full Story
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the federal and provincial governments to provide protection and free of cost health and education facilities to the eunuchs.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad and Justice Ghulam Rabbani, heard a petition filed by Dr Aslam Khaki advocate against the social injustice committed to the transgender individuals.
The advocates general of all the four provinces and Deputy Attorney General Shah Khawar appeared before the court and presented reports of the respective social welfare departments. The Punjab social welfare department reported it had completed registration of eunuchs, stating there were 2,167 transgender individuals in the province.
The NWFP social welfare departments’ report stated a survey had been carried out in 17 districts of the province, and 324 eunuchs had been registered. The court directed other provinces to complete the registration process till next hearing of the case.
The court ordered the federal and provincial governments to appoint a focal person on district and Tehsil level to coordinate with the representatives of eunuchs to ensure their security and prevent registration of false cases against them.
The governments were also directed to provide free of cost education and health facilities, especially treatment of fatal diseases like HIV AIDS, Hepatitis and Tuberculosis etc. The governments were also asked to furnish reports on the implementation of the court’s orders to the Supreme Court registrar.
Full Story
Trans Battlefield: Drivers’ Licenses
by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Staff Reporter
Monday Aug 17, 2009
Anti-GLBT groups rail against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people on the basis of nebulous things like morality or religious faith--things that can mean different things to different people.
But when policy and law are enacted on the basis of such things, they can have concrete results in the real world; for GLBTs, that can mean practical challenges not faced by others.
Take something as commonplace, and yet--for many people--as essential as a driver’s license.
In some states, such as Massachusetts, a doctor’s note testifying to a change in gender can suffice to get a transperson’s gender listing on a license changed to his or her new sex.
But in other cases, it can be much harder, as an Aug. 17 report at Ohama’s KETV Channel 7 news reported.
The report detailed how pre-operative transwoman Posha Towers was having a hard time getting her license updated.
Full Story
EDGE Staff Reporter
Monday Aug 17, 2009
Anti-GLBT groups rail against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people on the basis of nebulous things like morality or religious faith--things that can mean different things to different people.
But when policy and law are enacted on the basis of such things, they can have concrete results in the real world; for GLBTs, that can mean practical challenges not faced by others.
Take something as commonplace, and yet--for many people--as essential as a driver’s license.
In some states, such as Massachusetts, a doctor’s note testifying to a change in gender can suffice to get a transperson’s gender listing on a license changed to his or her new sex.
But in other cases, it can be much harder, as an Aug. 17 report at Ohama’s KETV Channel 7 news reported.
The report detailed how pre-operative transwoman Posha Towers was having a hard time getting her license updated.
Full Story
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Transsexual woman brutally attacked in Trinidad, Colorado
August 14, 7:55 AM Transgender Issues Examiner Matt Kailey
A 25-year-old transsexual woman is reported to have been physically and sexually assaulted in a hotel room in Trinidad, Colorado, on July 15.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports that police were called to the Trinidad Motor Inn to investigate a call about a female party who was found in a room unclothed, injured, and bound at the feet and hands. The woman had also been sexually assaulted with a wooden coat hanger.
According to the police report obtained by the Chieftain, the attacker saw the woman in the lobby of the hotel and followed her back to her room. She did not let him in, but he later returned and forced his way in, sexually assaulted her, then tried to drown her in the bathtub and electrocute her by dropping a hair dryer into the bathtub.
Full Story
A 25-year-old transsexual woman is reported to have been physically and sexually assaulted in a hotel room in Trinidad, Colorado, on July 15.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports that police were called to the Trinidad Motor Inn to investigate a call about a female party who was found in a room unclothed, injured, and bound at the feet and hands. The woman had also been sexually assaulted with a wooden coat hanger.
According to the police report obtained by the Chieftain, the attacker saw the woman in the lobby of the hotel and followed her back to her room. She did not let him in, but he later returned and forced his way in, sexually assaulted her, then tried to drown her in the bathtub and electrocute her by dropping a hair dryer into the bathtub.
Full Story
Friday, August 14, 2009
New Laws Add Hassle for Trans Fliers
By Michelle Garcia
New flight requirements will mandate that all passengers declare their full name, age, and gender to book travel, leaving some transgender advocates worried about the implications to come.
The Transportation Security Administration is working on a Secure Flight database to reduce the number of times a passenger is misidentified as a possible terrorist.
The first phase of the initiative, implemented this year, required that airlines collect the names of all passengers, shown verbatim as they are featured on government-issued identification. The next phase, which begins on August 15, will require passengers to declare their gender at the time of booking their flights.
Full Story
New flight requirements will mandate that all passengers declare their full name, age, and gender to book travel, leaving some transgender advocates worried about the implications to come.
The Transportation Security Administration is working on a Secure Flight database to reduce the number of times a passenger is misidentified as a possible terrorist.
The first phase of the initiative, implemented this year, required that airlines collect the names of all passengers, shown verbatim as they are featured on government-issued identification. The next phase, which begins on August 15, will require passengers to declare their gender at the time of booking their flights.
Full Story
P.E.I. laws do protect transgender community: Human Rights Commission
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian
A group that includes AIDS P.E.I., P.E.I. Native Council and the Abegweit Rainbow Collective is calling on the P.E.I. government to do more to protect transgender, transsexual and Intersex Islanders.
The group launched a petition Thursday calling on Attorney General Gerard Greenan to include “gender identity” to the provincial Human Rights Act.
But David Larter, executive director of the Human Rights Commission, says transgender Islanders are already protected under Section 13 of the Human Rights Act, which now includes a provision that says no person shall discriminate against an individual because of sex or sexual orientation. He said Ontario’s code does note that sex does include gender identity, which is not specifically spelled out in P.E.I.’s law.
Full Story
The Guardian
A group that includes AIDS P.E.I., P.E.I. Native Council and the Abegweit Rainbow Collective is calling on the P.E.I. government to do more to protect transgender, transsexual and Intersex Islanders.
The group launched a petition Thursday calling on Attorney General Gerard Greenan to include “gender identity” to the provincial Human Rights Act.
But David Larter, executive director of the Human Rights Commission, says transgender Islanders are already protected under Section 13 of the Human Rights Act, which now includes a provision that says no person shall discriminate against an individual because of sex or sexual orientation. He said Ontario’s code does note that sex does include gender identity, which is not specifically spelled out in P.E.I.’s law.
Full Story
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Transsexual killer asks court to force government to pay for operation
A female inmate serving time in a Fraser Valley men's prison is demanding Corrections Canada approve her sex-change operation — and pay for it.
In an application filed in the Federal Court of Canada, Katherine Anne Johnson, 61, says the operation to remove her penis — a "penectomy" — has been unreasonably delayed by Correctional Service of Canada. Johnson also demands to be transferred to a women's prison to keep her safe from attacks from other inmates.
In the court documents, Johnson is referred to as a woman. Reports from authorities defending the decision to keep Johnson in a men's prison refer to her as "Ms. Johnson."
Full Story
In an application filed in the Federal Court of Canada, Katherine Anne Johnson, 61, says the operation to remove her penis — a "penectomy" — has been unreasonably delayed by Correctional Service of Canada. Johnson also demands to be transferred to a women's prison to keep her safe from attacks from other inmates.
In the court documents, Johnson is referred to as a woman. Reports from authorities defending the decision to keep Johnson in a men's prison refer to her as "Ms. Johnson."
Full Story
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Mass. transgender inmate denied electrolysis
(AP) BOSTON — A federal judge in Boston on Tuesday denied additional hair-removal treatments for a murderer who is seeking a taxpayer-funded sex-change operation, saying the inmate has failed to prove she will suffer "serious harm" without further electrolysis.
Michelle Kosilek also failed to prove that her rights have been violated by being denied hair-removal treatment, U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf said. Wolf, however, said he may revisit the issue if more information comes to light in state Department of Correction documents.
Kosilek, formerly known as Robert, is serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife, Cheryl, in 1990. He legally changed his name to Michelle in 1993 and has been living as a woman in an all-male prison.
Full Story
Michelle Kosilek also failed to prove that her rights have been violated by being denied hair-removal treatment, U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf said. Wolf, however, said he may revisit the issue if more information comes to light in state Department of Correction documents.
Kosilek, formerly known as Robert, is serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife, Cheryl, in 1990. He legally changed his name to Michelle in 1993 and has been living as a woman in an all-male prison.
Full Story
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Idaho settles transgender suit
Two inmates castrated selves after being denied therapy
Rebecca Boone
Associated Press
August 7, 2009
BOISE – The Idaho Department of Correction has settled lawsuits with two transgender inmates who castrated themselves after they were denied feminizing hormone therapy.
The terms of the settlements were not disclosed, but the department has changed its policy for identifying and treating transgender inmates. The policy now limits the time inmates must wait for treatment, specifies how they may be diagnosed, and clarifies when they qualify for hormone therapy.
Josephime Von Isaak sued the state in 2006, and Jenniffer Ann Spencer sued the following year. Both inmates, who were born with male anatomy but consider themselves female, contended they were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment because they were denied treatment for gender identity disorder.
Full Story
Rebecca Boone
Associated Press
August 7, 2009
BOISE – The Idaho Department of Correction has settled lawsuits with two transgender inmates who castrated themselves after they were denied feminizing hormone therapy.
The terms of the settlements were not disclosed, but the department has changed its policy for identifying and treating transgender inmates. The policy now limits the time inmates must wait for treatment, specifies how they may be diagnosed, and clarifies when they qualify for hormone therapy.
Josephime Von Isaak sued the state in 2006, and Jenniffer Ann Spencer sued the following year. Both inmates, who were born with male anatomy but consider themselves female, contended they were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment because they were denied treatment for gender identity disorder.
Full Story
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Manitoba: Cover sex-reassignment surgery: activists
What's paid for under Manitoba rules
By: Arielle Godbout
Manitoba's transgendered community has been petitioning the provincial government to cover the full cost of surgery for those who want to live as a member of the opposite sex, Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross confirmed Tuesday.
"It's been identified that (funding for sex-reassignment surgery) is something we should consider," she said.
Those eligible for sex-reassignment surgery have been diagnosed with gender identity disorder, a condition recognized by the World Health Organization. Those with gender identity disorder have a desire to live as a member of the opposite sex, often accompanied with an intense discomfort with their own anatomy.
Currently, Manitoba covers surgeries that are performed in the province, and will partially pay for out-of-province vaginoplasty, a procedure that constructs a vagina for male-to-female patients.
Full Story
By: Arielle Godbout
Manitoba's transgendered community has been petitioning the provincial government to cover the full cost of surgery for those who want to live as a member of the opposite sex, Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross confirmed Tuesday.
"It's been identified that (funding for sex-reassignment surgery) is something we should consider," she said.
Those eligible for sex-reassignment surgery have been diagnosed with gender identity disorder, a condition recognized by the World Health Organization. Those with gender identity disorder have a desire to live as a member of the opposite sex, often accompanied with an intense discomfort with their own anatomy.
Currently, Manitoba covers surgeries that are performed in the province, and will partially pay for out-of-province vaginoplasty, a procedure that constructs a vagina for male-to-female patients.
Full Story
Monday, August 3, 2009
'Shameful and unethical' decision, says Egale rep
By PAUL TURENNE
Last Updated: 3rd August 2009, 3:33am
Manitoba's failure to publicly fund sex changes is "shameful and unethical," says a representative of one of Canada's largest lobby groups for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-identified people.
"I don't believe the government has undertaken due diligence to understand the issue and I think they're afraid that it's unpopular politics," said Mickey Wilson, the Alberta-based chair of Egale Canada's trans committee.
"Governments like to think that nobody cares about the transgender portion of the population, but the truth is we are people's sisters, brothers, co-workers, and there is a lot of support when people are discriminated against by health care."
Full Story
Last Updated: 3rd August 2009, 3:33am
Manitoba's failure to publicly fund sex changes is "shameful and unethical," says a representative of one of Canada's largest lobby groups for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-identified people.
"I don't believe the government has undertaken due diligence to understand the issue and I think they're afraid that it's unpopular politics," said Mickey Wilson, the Alberta-based chair of Egale Canada's trans committee.
"Governments like to think that nobody cares about the transgender portion of the population, but the truth is we are people's sisters, brothers, co-workers, and there is a lot of support when people are discriminated against by health care."
Full Story
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
TTPC reviews legislative efforts to date, plots strategy for election cycle in 2010
by Joe Morris
Aug 1, 2009
While nondiscrimination legislation is faring well at the federal and local levels, members of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC) continue to keep the pressure on at the state level, as well.
The group held its quarterly meeting on July 18 in Nashville, and while there was much to celebrate in terms of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives and, surprisingly, the U.S. Senate, it was local issues that dominated the agenda.
The organization plans to throw its support behind the efforts of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance in Nashville that includes sexual preference and gender identity. As of late July, an ordinance had been submitted to Metro Council and was working its way through the process.
Full Story
Aug 1, 2009
While nondiscrimination legislation is faring well at the federal and local levels, members of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC) continue to keep the pressure on at the state level, as well.
The group held its quarterly meeting on July 18 in Nashville, and while there was much to celebrate in terms of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives and, surprisingly, the U.S. Senate, it was local issues that dominated the agenda.
The organization plans to throw its support behind the efforts of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance in Nashville that includes sexual preference and gender identity. As of late July, an ordinance had been submitted to Metro Council and was working its way through the process.
Full Story
Sex change ops under review in Sweden
Published: 30 Jul 09 10:19 CET
The Swedish Board for Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) has launched a review of the healthcare alternatives available to transsexuals seeking to change gender.
Organizations representing gay, bisexual and transsexual people have long argued that often inconsistent healthcare services do not cater fully to their needs.
Criticism has centred on issues such as the long delays in the sex reassignment process with variations of up to several years depending on locality.
Full Story
The Swedish Board for Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) has launched a review of the healthcare alternatives available to transsexuals seeking to change gender.
Organizations representing gay, bisexual and transsexual people have long argued that often inconsistent healthcare services do not cater fully to their needs.
Criticism has centred on issues such as the long delays in the sex reassignment process with variations of up to several years depending on locality.
Full Story
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