Please note, this only applies to those who are covered under Medicaid within the state. With this action Oregon joins California, Colorado, Vermont, and Washington DC in covering transgender health care. Again, we slowly are making progress towards complete equality.
Oregon Health Authority To Cover Hormones, Surgery for Transgender People.
Here are two short stories, one takes place at a high school, one at a university, and both involve trans-discrimination.
In the first report, senior Anais Celini at Martin Luther High School in Queens, New York, was told her boyfriend, transman Nathaniel Baez was not welcome at their school prom because “his transition was unconventional and not beneficial.” The second word throws me, and is reported as a quote by the Huffington Post. What do they mean by “beneficial?”
Instead of fighting the decision the couple have decided to not challenge the school and hold their own private prom elsewhere. Honestly, it’s difficult to find fault with the couple – while on one side I wish they would fight so they would pave the way for those who follow them, at the same time they are just kids, and kids have enough stress and hassle as it stands without throwing into everything a media sensation and spending a lot of time with lawyers.
In our next story we have the case of transman Jayce M., who is seeking permission from George Fox University, Oregon, to move into the male dorm after he completes transition. The university has told him that he isn’t welcome in the dorms with room mates, and should stay either off campus or in a single rooms.
The university’s position is somewhat baffling:
“George Fox strives to be a Christ-centered community, and our residential facilities are single sex because of our theological commitments. The student’s request to switch from female-only on campus housing to male-only on campus housing is one that many institutions would struggle with.”
They would rather have a transman living with women rather than with men – and they believe this is the “Christ-centered” way of doing things? Really?
Couple Plans Own Prom After School Bars Transgender Boyfriend From Attending.
I’m torn about this article…it’s not a bad little piece, and it treats her honor the mayor respectively, but you have to deal with about a score of misgenderings in both the written article and the video clip (which is worth seeing). However, according to the mayor’s Facebook About page,
“Stu never sought this recognition out,” said JustOut reporter Stephen Marc Beaudoin. “He’s interested in doing a great job for the community that he loves. The gender identity thing is just a total backseat thing.”
That comes across when Rasmussen speaks in his decidedly masculine voice.
“I am a dude,” he said. “I am a heterosexual male who appears to be a female.”
His longtime live-in girlfriend, Victoria Sage, told The Oregonian newspaper that she and Rasmussen have been an item for almost 35 years.
So don’t get too concerned about the use of “him” in the article.
Transgender Oregon Mayor Stu Rasmussen auctions off shoes for charity.
First off, a lot of sites are using a screen capture of the bar owner which makes him look evil – that’s unfair, so I chose a still from the video at this link, showing the ladies who won their case instead – thinking positive. I’m uncertain why the ladies want to eschew the money and get a Supreme Court ruling – there is no case worthy of the Supreme Court here – a State passes a non-discrimination law, someone violates it, they get a fine, they don’t appeal. This is a moot case now.
Take the money, ladies, and raise your glasses in a toast to your successful fight. Give the money to the community if you don’t want it; I know from a friend that Oregon has a high number of transgender folks who are homeless, for instance.
Note that although the newspaper in the background graphic incorrectly describes the ladies as “crossdressers”, the video keep the terms correct.
Multnomah County becomes one of first in nation to require gender-neutral bathrooms for transgender users | OregonLive.com.
Very progressive news. From the article:
“There is no doubt that there will be people who will be opposed to this,” Cogen said. “But for us, it’s all about equity and fairness. It’s about us walking our talk.”