Human Rights Day 2012: Where do we go from here?

“I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people. … But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.”

~Coretta Scott King

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Human Rights Day 2012: Where do we go from here?.

Transgender Employment Protections Advance in Hawaii

Image via Wikipedia

Hawaii continues to lead the march towards equality for LGBTs.  Their most recent move is the passage of employment protections for Transgendered citizens in the Senate.  Now back to the house for amendment reviews and a vote.

[On April 12th] the Hawaii State Senate passed employment protections based on gender identity and expression by a 22-2 vote.  The bill contained amendments and will now go back to the House for concurrence before heading to Governor Abercrombie’s desk for his signature.

“The march towards full equality in the Aloha State continues,” said Alan Spector, Equality Hawaii Co-Chair.  “Providing employment protections to transgender citizens in Hawaii is a victory for civil rights and equal treatment under the law for all residents of our great state.”

via Transgender Employment Protections Advance in Hawaii « Human Rights Campaign | HRC Back Story.

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Top 15 Most Powerful People of Color in LGBT Community

 

I’m going to take a liberty and add one more to this list.  Alvin McEwen of Columbia South Carolina.  He’s the author of an LGBT blog Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters. He may not be a traditional celebrity, but anyone who’s read his blog, or the many articles he’s published for several media outlets knows the power his words carry.

Nathan James of GBM News compiled a list of the “Top 15 Most Powerful People of Color in the LGBT Community” in response to MSN Wonderwall’s article on the “The Most Powerful Gay Celebrities.” Included inMSN Wonderwall’s list TMZ creator Harvey Levin, Blogger Perez Hilton, music legend Elton John, actress and TV Host Ellen DeGeneres, fashion consultant Tim Gunn, and Interior Designer Nate Berkus . The list did not however include one people of color or a transgendered person.

“The list’s lack of diversity is representative of the ongoing problem of limited gay and transgender visibility in minority communities,” stated Kimberley McLeod, GLAAD‘s Communities of African Descent Media Field Strategist.

 

…

Nathan James and GBM News Top 15 Most Powerful People of Color in the LGBT Community includes:

Film producer, television producer, and entertainment attorney Nathan Hale Williams

Director Maurice Jamal

Taiwanese Designer Jason Wu

Author and commenter Keith Boykin

Army officer and face of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Lt. Dan Cho

Comedian Margaret Cho

Pro-basketball player Sheryl Swoopes

Emory University HIV/AIDS researcher Dr. David Malebranche

Director and screenwriter Patrik-Ian Polk

Singer Ricky Martin

Author E. Lynn Harris

Radio Personality DJ Baker

Fashion Icon Andre Leon Talley

Pastor, TV producer, and author Rev. Kevin E. Taylor

Actor and author Stanley Bennett Clay

via GBM news Top 15 Most Powerful People of Color in LGBT Community | victor yates.

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Transgender N.J. man sues over firing from job requiring men only | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/11/2011

 

El'Jai Devoureau

 

 

So let me get this correct.  El’Jai was born a woman, is now a post-operative transexual, has bits and everything, and has  a legal birth certificate saying he’s a man.  And New Jersey doesn’t accept that because why? He was biologically born a woman?  It’s like saying Dolly Parton doesn’t have tits!

A transgender employee hired to oversee urine tests administered to men has filed a discrimination lawsuit against a Camden drug treatment center that fired him after it confronted him about his gender last summer.

El’Jai Devoureau, 39, said Urban Treatment Associates questioned him about his gender a day after he started working in the position, which had been open only to male candidates.

“Is El’Jai a male? The employer says no, and El’Jai says he is,” said Michael Silverman of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund in New York, which filed the lawsuit Friday. “He’s undergone hormone treatment and surgery.”

The case challenges an employer’s right to eliminate transgender candidates for positions that the law says may be gender-specific. Silverman said he was unaware of any previous transgender-discrimination case that addressed the issue.

When his employer asked about his gender after he began work, Devoureau responded, “I am a man, and I can do the job. They said, ‘You’re fired,’ ” he said during an interview Monday.

via Transgender N.J. man sues over firing from job requiring men only | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/11/2011.

Study Shows 9 Million Americans Are LGBT and 25 Million Acknowledge Same-Sex Attraction

The Williams Institute

A new study by The Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law asks, “ How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?,” and shows that almost nine million American adults  – close to 4% of the American adult population — identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, and breaks down those numbers. The study, released today, examined five American and an additional four international population surveys and found, “women are substantially more likely than men to identify as bisexual,” and that 11% of the population, more than 25 million Americans, acknowledge some same-gender sexual attraction.

via Study Shows How Many Americans Are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender | The New Civil Rights Movement.

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PRIDE in Utah » Breaking News: Transgender Woman Mocked At Utah DMV, Forced To Scrub Off Makeup

Folks, I had to read this article three times.  With each read, I felt a wave of different emotion.  First came the shock, then empathy for this transgendered woman who endured this vile behavior , and then the anger.  I don’t know if anger can even really sum it up.  Anger, outrage, disgust well maybe it’s more fury!  How DARE an employee of the State of Utah (or anyone for that matter) treat someone with such behavior as to objectify and dehumanize them. 

It’s sad that this woman has been so humiliated after this incident that she remains anonymous.  I say, don’t give these DMV workers what they want, which is to humiliate you and shame you into not being proud of who you are.  Your human rights have been violated by bigots.  Stand-up, tell your story, better yet- SHOUT out your story and FIGHT for your dignity and humanity.  You are not alone in this state.  There are plenty of us who are here to help you and help you fight for the respect you deserve!

I also want to call out Amber Anderton- you ARE a local hero!  Thank you for standing up and defending this woman.  We need more local heros like you who act on what they see when they see it and call it out for what it is.  Thank you for defending this woman’s human rights!

Pride In Utah

 

Salt Lake City, Utah – Not a highlight of our state. On Thursday this week, a transgender woman entered a local DMV to renew her license only to find half the staff mocking and ridiculing her, including security forcing her to scrub off her makeup and pull her hair back before she could take her photo.

Local hero Amber Anderton

Local resident Amber Anderton watched a horrifying scene play out in front of her this past Thursday at the DMV located at 1095 Motor Ave. (approx. 200 N 1000 W) in Salt Lake City, as a transgender woman sat down at the photo station to renew her license. “When the DMV worker looked at her,” says Amber, “he immediately left and got another employee, whispered in their ear and they both began laughing as they looked back at the woman. They both then went and got security who escorted the woman back to a supervisor’s office. When they came back out the woman was taken to the restroom where she had to scrub off her makeup and pull her hair back before they would let her take her license photo.”

Read the rest of the story at  PRIDE in Utah » Transgender Woman Mocked At Utah DMV, Forced To Scrub Off Makeup.

Contact the National Center for Trans Equality at: 202 903 0112

By the way- The DMV where this happened is at 1095 Motor Ave. (approx. 200 N 1000 W) in Salt Lake City

Office: 801-965-4437
Fax: 801-363-2977
Hours: Monday – Thursday
7:00am to 6:00pm

Also- Contact your government officials and demand they do something about this!

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Utah Pride Center- Pride in Pink

 Mark your calendars! Pride in Pink- April 7 (5pm to 7pm) Market Street Oyster Bar (54 West Market Street, Salt Lake City UT)

Pride In Pink

 

This is our debonair quarterly networking event for members and allies of Utah’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community. Join us for this urbane gathering. Mix and mingle. Nosh and imbibe. But most importantly: wear pink and be fabulous.

Bring your business card to enter to win some fierce prizes.

Next Pride in Pink: THURSDAY, April 7 from 5-7P at the downtown Market Street Oyster Bar (54 West Market Street). RSVP to Marina.

 

via Utah Pride Center | The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Community Center – Pride in Pink.

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Southwest Texas Junior College in Uproar over 51 y.o. Transgender Woman Moving into Girls Dorm

Gellar

 

A 51-year-old transgender woman has moved into an all-girls dormitory at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde, prompting concerns from other residents who say they’re scared of her.

“It’s not even about the gender. It’s that he’s built like a man, so he’s automatically going to be stronger than us,” one of the residents told Fox 29 in San Antonio.

 ABC 12 reported that Gellar’s request to live in the all-girls dorm had been denied by the school Friday. School officials also say Gellar will be restricted to men’s restrooms on campus. Gellar says she has no problem with the dorm decision but believes the restroom restriction may be a violation of her rights, and she plans to circulate a petition.

via WATCH: Transgender woman, 51, sparks uproar by moving into all-girls dorm in S. Texas.

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SF DMV clerk warns Transgender registrant she’s “Possessed by Demons” for Being Gay

A few days after Amber Yust visited the Department of Motor Vehicles in San Francisco to register her sex change from

CA DMV

male to female, she got a letter at home from the DMV employee who had handled her application.

Homosexual acts, he informed her, were “an abomination that leads to hell.”

The same day, Yust said, a DVD arrived from a fundamentalist church warning of eternal damnation for anyone “possessed by demons” of homosexuality. The DMV employee’s letter had referred her to the church’s website as a source of “critical information for your salvation.”

What’s more, the DMV had kept the employee on in 2009 even after he refused to process another transgender woman’s name-change application, Yust said in a damage claim filed with the state, the precursor to a lawsuit.

via Transgender woman says DMV clerk warned of hell.

Since Yust’s initial complaint which wasn’t taken as seriously as Yust had expected she filed a lawsuit which caught the DMV’s attention.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended one of its employees and is looking for more answers after the clerk sent a scornful letter to the home of a transgender woman seeking to change her driver’s license.

The DMV put the clerk on an administrative leave in October, but the department is now conducting a full investigation, according to KABC News.

Amber Yust, 23, said she received the letter less than a week after going to the DMV in October to changer her license. Her claim is the first step toward suing the DMV for privacy invasion and violating her civil rights, according to the Associated Press.

The letter Yust received said she was an “abomination,” that she made a “very evil decision,” and that she was going to go to hell.

Earlier this week Yust filed a lawsuit against the worker and the DMV, seeking at least $25,000 in damages.

via Calif DMV Investigates Hate Letter | News | The Advocate.

You go Gurl… and good luck!

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UK Government works to make companies ‘more gay-friendly’

UK Supports Equal Workplace

As the GOP politicians in the States continue to  work towards forcing LGBT citizens into a second class position and publically held companies such as Target, Best Buy and Golds Gym (privately held)  fund anti-gay politicians with corporate funds the UK Government and businesses are PROMOTING LGBT awareness, equality, and protection.

The UK Government  is encouraging LGBT to become more active involvement in the government, pushing employers for greater equality in the workplace (including transexuals) and better documentation and tracking of hate crimes against LGBT. 

The coalition government says it will commission research into why workplaces are not more LGBT-friendly and work with firms to “improve equality”.The pledge is in the new equality strategy, unveiled yesterday by equalities minister Lynne Featherstone.It says: “We will work with business to consider the report’s recommendations and take steps to improve LGB&T equality in the workplace.”Other aims include encouraging more lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people to become involved in local and national politics, promoting better recording of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and implementing the “first ever cross-government programme” for LGBT people.

via Government says it will work to make companies ‘more gay-friendly’ – Pink News.

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Transgender Travelers outed by TSA

Image via Wikipedia

 

TSA’s Secure Flight pre-screening program, implemented in 2009, requires passengers to declare their name and gender when purchasing a ticket, and these must match the name and gender on your ID. For many transgender people, this means outing themselves as soon as they present their ID and boarding pass at the checkpoint, as many of us do not have or are unable to acquire ID that matches our transitioned presentation. It often exposes us to heightened scrutiny (and, potentially, to harassment and discrimination) before we ever get in line for the scanners. I’ve been the target of verbal harassment many times at this stage of security. I’ve also had TSA agents expose my identity as a transgender person loudly enough that other passengers in the screening area could hear, violating my privacy and putting me at a higher risk for harassment and even violence from others.

With TSA’s recent introduction of full-body scanners and enhanced pat-down procedures, the risk of discriminatory treatment of transgender passengers increases dramatically. The scanners reveal to security personnel any prostheses a transgender person may be wearing (a transgender woman wearing prosthetic breasts, for example) and expose intimate body contours.

via Transgender Travelers and the TSA « Human Rights Campaign | HRC Back Story.

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Gay Artists Transgendered Characters won’t be Published

 

James Stanley

 

Amongst the staggering issues the gay community has to deal with in the real world it seems that they are now being dealt a pretty serious blow in the land of fiction as well. Up and coming talent James Stanley is now fighting for the right to express his vision to the world through Manga. Recently he was denied this opportunity after a publishing company reneged on their commitment to publish Mr. Stanley’s work due to the fact the main characters in his book are transgendered and not female as the publishers original assumed. In a statement Mr. Stanley say’s “It was never my intention to trick any one, I have always been open and honest about myhomosexuality and the fact that I try to express it in my work whenever I can.” It seemed the misunderstanding has led to the publisher reversing its decision to work with James and it looks as though he will be self publishing his Graphic Novel. I personally would like to urge the LGBT community to support this young artist in his endeavors. Big companies will not change their narrow minded views until they see that there in a profit in accepting “the gay experience” into their works of fiction.

via Gay Artist Denied For Having Transgendered Characters. : hitusup.com.

If James Stanley has the guts to be who he is and represent it in his art, the LGBT community needs to step up and support this fledgling artist..

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Transgender Attack: Man Sought in Brutal Attack on Transgender Woman in Los Angeles

 

 

LOS ANGELES ( KTLA) — Los Angeles police are looking for a man who was captured on video before he brutally assaulted a transgender woman.

The attack occurred around 1 a.m. on Oct. 4th along La Brea Ave., just north of Melrose Ave., according to LAPD officials.

The suspect knocked the victim to the ground, kicked her in the face and struck her in the head with a bottle.

via Transgender Attack: Man Sought in Brutal Attack on Transgender Woman in Los Angeles – ktla.com.

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