Monthly Archives: August 2013

Slightly Sloppy Reporting that a Trans Couple Found a Same-sex Marriage Loophole

Florida_SSMThis has been reported on in both Texas and Florida, and I chose an article which had the fewest transphobic comments at the bottom of it. So Texas in its infinite wisdom said civilization will collapse when a transsexual woman tries to be declared a woman and marry a man, and so both Texas, and Kansas, have a situation where trans lesbians can be and remain married. And people are shocked – shocked! – that such would happen.

My beef is with the use of the word “loophole” to describe people making the best of a discriminatory situation. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that we all are allowed to marry *someone,* so if the state bans a transwoman from marrying a man, it cannot ban them from marrying a woman. Any state which does so risks its entire anti-SSM statute being thrown out by the US Supreme Court.

We take advantage of this situation – loophole – whatever. My marriage to Fiona is intact and we are now a legally married same-sex couple. And we’re damn happy, too!

Couple finds same-sex marriage loophole | News – Home.

Portraits of Albanian Women Who Have Lived Their Lives As Men

I was passed this article by Caroline. The subject here is a group of women who live in the villages of northern Albania, who are known as “burneshas.” The women did this to escape male-dominated tribal codes which mandate that women are nothing more than the property of their husbands.

Their lives have been documented in a photoproject called Sworn Virgins of Albania, by photographer Jill Peters. There are more photographs at the link below.

Portraits of Albanian Women Who Have Lived Their Lives As Men.

Transgender Woman Islan Nettles Dies; Now Judged a Hate Crime Victim’ friend’ | Mail Online

Nettles_IslanThis Daily Mail piece has a couple of grammar errors but at least keeps pronouns on-track. This poor woman was beaten by someone she met on Facebook when she ran into him in public, and his friends teased him for flirting with “a guy.” The result was “trans panic” (yeesh) and she was beaten, and died. CNN reports today that the murder is being investigated as a hate crime, to which news most of us will say “duh.”

Islan Nettles dies: Transgender woman dies after being savagely beaten by ‘ friend’ | Mail Online.

Tracking Transgender: The Historical Truth

Bloodhound_from_1915

If you ever wanted to read a 5,000-word essay on how the word “transgender” was developed and acquired its general meaning nowadays, this well-researched article appears to be a great piece of history and trans education. Peppered with photos, a video, and quotations, I wish I had had the time to write it.

Tracking Transgender: The Historical Truth | Ehipassiko.

Labor Department Refuses To Answer Questions On Transgender Protections

This is somewhat disheartening, given the tremendous backing the Obama Administration has given transgender persons in so many ways. My guess is that the Labor Department personnel who are asked are just afraid of coming out definitively with a statement, and would rather the judiciary handle it (as they have, in Macy v. Holder et al).

Labor Department Refuses To Answer Questions On Transgender Protections.

America’s Prisons Fail Transgender Inmates

There are many good points made in this column, but I confess I absolutely do not have a good answer for my transgender sisters and brothers who ask “how come a felon gets their SRS paid for, but I have to work 3 part-time jobs and save every penny, or worse, go without?” I think some are so gung-ho to protect trans prisoners that they forget about “everyone else.”

America’s prisons fail transgender inmates – Salon.com.

Bradley Manning Adopts new Gender, name: now Chelsea Manning

Manning_TwoThis news won’t go away, but I reckon that it will die down a bit. Probably we can expect that the Federal Government will deny Manning hormone treatment, and it will go to court, and then the Feds will likely lose, after spending $100,000 or more in Federal money to fight shelling out all of $50/month for estradiol and spironolactone.

The really depressing thing about this news are the comments below the article. Le sigh.

Bradley Manning adopts new gender, name: now Chelsea Manning – CNN.com.

California Trans Woman Found Murdered in Her Home

Newburn_DominqueThere is not enough evidence to know whether this was a hate-driven crime. There is proof however that it’s another heartbreaking tragedy, especially as she was a positive media influence via her role on “Hollywood Houseboys,” a YouTube series about gay and transgender friends.

via Calif. Trans Woman Found Murdered in Home :: EDGE Miami.

HATE ALERT: Conservative Christianity and the Transgender Question

ROMANIA-ANTI-GAY-PROTESTA deceptively hateful message from Southern Baptist “Ethics and Religious Liberty President” Russell Moore. The gist of it is, if you’re trans, you are violating the direct orders of both the Old Testament and Jesus, but Conservative Christians should take pity on you and teach you the Right Way. In other words, “we should try to convince you that you’re deluded or crazy, rather than set your house on fire or murder you.” See, that’s progress…right?

The photograph above is from an anti-LGBT protest in Romania, driven by church leaders who whipped their congregations into a frenzy to go forth and fight the LGBT Satan in clouds of sulfur.

Conservative Christianity and the transgender question.

From Hong Kong: Make-up Workshops Bring out Transgender Beauty

Hong_Kong_Beauty_WorkshopI like this article because it highlights something which would have been unthinkable not too long ago in China. I think what Ms. Wong is doing for these women is wonderful, and akin to the sort of thing which the Transgender Institute has organized.

Make-up workshops in Tuen Mun seek to bring out transgender beauty | South China Morning Post.

New Resource – Kansas Transition Information

paperwork
I have assembled what information I possess on changing your name and gender marker on official state records in Kansas. Driver’s licenses, state identification cards, concealed carry permits, and tax form information are covered. Note that this information changes from time to time, so if you find it incorrect or outdated at any time in the future, please drop me a line.
Kansas Transition Information

HATE ALERT – Transphobe Produces 5-Minute Video Mocking California’s New Law

HateVideoThe title says it all. If you can stand it, watch the video to see a good example of subtle hate from Dan Joseph at CNSNews. You know, it’s just “common sense, ” right? Let’s list the ways he biased the video:

  • He holds the “interviews” at George Mason University, a somewhat right-leaning campus.
  • He doesn’t show that he took a random sampling. We have no idea how many respondents were opposed to his viewpoint.
  • He coaches the second interviewee with praise for his anti-trans position.
  • He repeats portions of interviews with a man who supports his view, but not with anyone who opposes it.
  • He continually and persistently refers to a transgender girl as a man or boy continuously. Such as about 3 minutes referring to a transgender woman as a “guy.”
  • Then he has a fictional, stupid, contrived, factually incorrect, and bigoted dramatization in two parts in the video.

The average American surely isn’t so stupid they will fall for this, right? Right? Oh wait…

 

Will California’s Gender-Bending Bathroom Law Play on the East Coast? | CNS News.