Happy New Year & New Decade

May you have fair winds and following seas in 2010, this new decade and for the rest of your journey!

Official NCTE Announcement: Transgender Presidential Appointment Announced

Presidential Appointment Announced Amanda Simpson appointed to Department of Commerce

DONATE NOW There is still a little time to make a contribution before the end of the year. Click to Donate Quick Links NCTE Website NCTE's blog Join Our List

December 31, 2009 Amanda Simpson, who has served on NCTE's Board of Directors for the past 3 years, has been appointed by the Obama Administration as a Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce. She'll be working in the Bureau of Industry and Security. "I'm truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me. And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others." Simpson brings considerable professional credentials to her new job. For thirty years, she has worked in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. She holds degrees in physics, engineering and business administration along with an extensive flight background. She is a certified flight instructor and test pilot with 20 years of experience. She has also been very active in political and community groups. She has served on the Board of Directors of two national organizations: Out & Equal and NCTE. In Arizona, she has been on the board of Wingspan, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, the Southern Arizona ACLU and the Arizona Human Rights Fund (now Equality Arizona). In 2004, the YWCA recognized her as one of their "Women on the Move," and in the same year, she won the Democratic nomination to the Arizona House of Representatives. In 2005, she was given the Arizona Human Rights Foundation Individual Award. We are delighted to welcome Amanda to Washington, DC and share her hope that she will be joined by many other transgender people and our allies in serving our government. About NCTE The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. By empowering transgender people and our allies to educate and influence policymakers and others, NCTE facilitates a strong and clear voice for transgender equality in our nation's capital and around the country. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization.

Obama Appoints Amanda Simpson: Transgender Woman

This is, indeed, a milestone for the Transgender community. Thanks to President Obama's inclusive administration the Transgender community is getting the recognition we deserve.
Please push Congress to pass a fully inclusive Employment Non Discrimination Act. If the Act comes to your desk not including gender identity and gender expression, then we ask you to veto it. 
Bon chance, Amanda! and Thank you President Obama! 

Amanda Simpson, a member of the board of directors of the National Center for Transgender Equality, has been appointed Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce by President Obama, according to NCTE.

“I’m truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me. And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others,” Simpson said in a statement released by NCTE today.

Obama is the first U.S. president to appoint openly transgender individuals to executive branch positions.  Simpson is among more than 100 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons appointed by Obama so far, many of whom participated in the LGBT community’s Presidential Appointments Project, which is coordinated by the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.

According to NCTE:

Simpson brings considerable professional credentials to her new job. For thirty years, she has worked in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. She holds degrees in physics, engineering and business administration along with an extensive flight background. She is a certified flight instructor and test pilot with 20 years of experience.

She has also been very active in political and community groups. She has served on the Board of Directors of two national organizations: Out & Equal and NCTE. In Arizona, she has been on the board of Wingspan, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, the Southern Arizona ACLU and the Arizona Human Rights Fund (now Equality Arizona).

Original Article

Transgender Woman in Solitary in Virginia Jail: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Leave it to the Commonwealth of Virginia to treat Transgender people in this inhumane fashion. It is cruel and unusual punishment to put anyone into isolation and especially Transgender people who are subject to suicidal ideation.  Isolation is a barbaric punishment taken from the Dark Ages with absolutely no positive results, but this is Virginia, the right to discriminate state. 


This is not a unique case in Virginia. Within the last year a Transgender sister in Virginia Beach, VA was incarcerated in the Virginia Beach City Jail. The charges were minor, but she was placed into isolation first and then administrative segregation which in the jail is similar to isolation. She requested to be placed into the general population but her requests were denied. She was ridiculed by the sheriffs. They taunted her with "it" and "he-she" and "she-male." Finally, she was released into home bound custody wearing an ankle radio transmitter which she had to pay a hundred dollars a week. Better than prison, yet still she was imprisoned in her own home. Her parole officer and the courts refused to allow her to attend Transgender support groups or visits to the local Trans clinic.


The irony here is that the DC correctional facility in Lorton, VA is a little more advanced than the said Virginia  prison in treating Transgender people with dignity.


The only good news for Ms. Santamaria is that she might be transferred to a Federal correctional facility which supposedly is experienced in dealing with Transgender people. Until then, she suffers in isolation.

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By: FREEMAN KLOPOTT

Examiner Staff Writer

December 31, 2009

A transgendered woman convicted of drug trafficking has been locked down in solitary confinement for the past six months in a Virginia jail because they feared she would be raped by fellow male prisoners, a jail official said.

Maria Benita Santamaria, 35, pleaded guilty to trafficking 10 pounds of methamphetamine in August. She was arrested at a Lorton Comfort Inn in June and was held without bail.

Santamaria was born a man, but lives life as a woman and has a feminine appearance, her attorney, Cathy Alterman told The Examiner. For the past two years she has been undergoing hormone treatment in preparation for a sex change operation.

Central Virginia Regional Jail officials labeled Santamaria as a vulnerable victim and kept her out of the general male population where, Deputy Superintendent Susan Fletcher said, they believed she risked being raped.

Despite that, "[Santamaria] has repeatedly tried to convince jail personnel that she is willing to risk being in general population," court documents said.

That's because Santamaria "is treated no differently than inmates on punitive lockdown," Alterman said. Santamaria is let out of her cell for one hour a day and allowed to shower every three days. Her solitary cell has no windows and Santamaria has considered suicide, Alterman said.

"It's a form of mental abuse," Alterman said. "The guards refer to her as 'it' ... it is beyond their [understanding] to treat her like a woman."

Fletcher said, "we were presented with a situation and the only way we could handle it was by placing the person in an isolated setting for her own safety. Is that less than pleasurable? Yeah."

Not all jails and prisons in the Washington area place transgendered inmates on lockdown.

In Montgomery County, "their gender for housing purposes is based on their anatomical presentation," jail director Arthur Wallenstein said. "Any prisoner with medical, psychological or behavioral issues may be segregated on a case-by-case basis." Separated inmates are assigned to a crisis unit, where they may be closely watched, but are not locked down, he said.

Maryland's prison system places inmates in a similar fashion, spokesman Mark Vernarelli said. An inmate who is determined to be in danger, would be placed in a regular, but separated housing unit.

On Dec. 18 Santamaria was sentenced to nearly six years in prison. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis ordered her sent to a federal prison that can provide transgendered treatment and counseling.

As of Wednesday, Santamaria was still in Central Virginia Regional Jail awaiting transfer, Alterman said.

Original Article

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WASHINGTON - A transgender woman convicted of drug trafficking has spent six months in solitary confinement in a Virginia jail because officials believe she would be raped by male prisoners.

Thirty-five-year-old Maria Benita Santamaria was born a man but lives as a woman. In August she pleaded guilty to trafficking 10 pounds of methamphetamine. For the past two years she has been undergoing hormone treatment in preparation for a sex change operation.

Santamaria was willing to risk being in general population but jail officials kept her out. Now, however, she'll be moved. Earlier in December Santamaria was sentenced to nearly six years in prison. A judge ordered her sent to a federal prison that can provide transgendered treatment and counseling.

Original Article

Some Transgender History

My Transgender Story - A Well Done Video

A process of self-discovery and self-acceptance by a Trans Masculine person who obviously has all of their stuff in one sock.
We, as well, are looking forward to 2010 and the next decade especially in our own personal journeys and in the Transgender journey to equal rights throughout the world.

SAGE Palm Springs Opens

This is exciting news. SAGE - Service & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders is planting seed affiliates across the United States to address the critical issues of the rapidly growing numbers of Transgender elders. It is difficult enough for Transgender people to live in isolation throughout their lives but it becomes even more difficult as a Trans person ages.

NICOLE C. BRAMBILA • THE DESERT SUN • DECEMBER 31, 2009

Opened in 2005, the senior center serves roughly 2,000 people providing social services in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community.

The center received an affiliate designation last month from Senior Action in a Gay Environment, or S.A.G.E., the nation's leading organization for LGBT older adults.

Now going by the name S.A.G.E. Palm Springs at the Golden Rainbow Center, the center is one of 14 affiliates nationwide.

“I think it makes sense considering the retiree population in the area,” said Karen Taylor, director of Advocacy and Training for S.A.G.E.

“I think it will bring some great attention to the Palm Springs LGBT aging community.”

Formed in 1978, the New York-based nonprofit group is one of the oldest LGBT organizations providing services to gay and lesbian elders.

Harvey Stern, the center's director, said Palm Springs will benefit from the “wealth of evidence based practices which others have done that prove successful.”

“It's totally a win-win for everybody,” Stern said. “S.A.G.E. gets more power as a national organization and we'll be able to tap into their tremendous wealth of resources.”

More than half of all older American adults rely on a Social Security check for retirement. But unlike their straight counterparts, gays and lesbians face unique challenges: gay seniors are more likely to be poor, live alone and have weaker support systems.

Gay issues are particularly important in the Palm Springs area, which boasts, per capita, one of the largest gay populations in the United States.

The Center also received a $50,000 grant, its largest to date, from the Kaiser Permanente, for a program designed to help older adults with isolation and depression.

“Kaiser Permanente has awarded a $50,000 Thriving Aging grant to Golden Rainbow to support the much needed services that this organization is providing to older adults who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and may be facing poverty, economic insecurity and isolation from community resources,” Angela Coron, Kaiser Permanente's Southern California managing director for community benefit, said in an e-mail to The Desert Sun.....

Orginal Article

Demand Worldwide Access to Lifesaving Medicine

Five years ago this week a major tsunami struck in the Indian Ocean, causing widespread devastation. The world responded with an immediate outpouring of food and medical supplies. This year, no headline-grabbing natural disaster struck the nation's consciousness. But that doesn't mean worldwide suffering has lessened. On the contrary, we've now reached a point where one third of the world's population - more than 2 billion people - lacks access to the lifesaving medicines and humanitarian aid they need to get through each day. Unfortunately, when suffering doesn't make the news, it is easily forgotten. Click here to stand up for the 2 billion people in need of medical care worldwide >  We need to fight against complacency. World leaders have promised to increase aid, only to have these promises remain largely unfulfilled. It shouldn't take a disaster to get the world's attention and to provide urgently needed resources. Today, on the anniversary of the tragic tsunami that galvanized people across the globe, you can add your name to the global call asking world leaders to commit to providing access to lifesaving medicine to all the world's people - whenever they need it.  Our generation has the power to provide lifesaving access to medicine and relief across the globe, and your voice will bring us one step closer to that goal. Thanks for lending your voice, - The Change.org Team		Click here to sign your name Demand that world leaders provide access to lifesaving medical care.

TBLG Bookstore Lambda Rising, DC Closing Thursday, 12/31/09

Lambda Rising LGBT Book Store closed its doors in Norfolk, VA several years ago. It was a land mark. Traansgender books and magazines could be found there. This was critical in the pre digital age. There was absolutely no information out there for Transgender people.
Now Lambda is closing the original store in DC. Farewell, old friend!

By: KYTJA WEIR 

Examiner Staff Writer

December 31, 2009

Lambda Rising, among the first bookstores nationwide to sell gay and lesbian literature, has been a Dupont Circle institution for 35 years. (Deacon) Maccubbin, the store's founder, explains why he's closing its doors on Thursday. 

Why did you open it? 

I opened it originally because you could not find gay and lesbian books in bookstores or even in the library. It was very difficult to do so even in the '70s. 

Why are you closing it now? 

When we opened the store, it had a very clear mission. ... The first was that we wanted to convince authors and publishers and other bookstores that there was a market for gay and lesbian literature so they would write the books, publish the books and, most importantly, put the books on the shelves all around the country. We have done that. ... The second mission was we wanted to make good gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender literature available to anybody who wanted it or needed it. ... But these days that information and literature is available all over the country just by going online.....

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Aunt Anne's Pretzels Called To Task

by Jessica Carreras - Originally printed 12/31/2009 (Issue 1752 - Between The Lines News)

The Triangle Foundation celebrated a small - but meaningful - victory this month after being notified of anti-gay discrimination in the oddest of places: a disposable cup.

A Triangle member was shocked when, after purchasing a beverage from soft pretzel chain Auntie Anne's, they were greeted with the phrase "Cookies are for sissies" on the cup. They immediately contacted Triangle and sent them a photo, after which Executive Director Alicia Skillman sent a letter to the national company's corporate offices in Lancaster, Penn.

"You may believe this is great marketing, but stop and think about the harm you may be causing," the letter warned.

"That word (sissy) still inflicts great pain today for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the country. As a result of this campaign, people are passing by your store rather than stopping."

The letter goes on to suggest that such language could be encouraging younger shoppers to use such anti-gay language toward their peers.

Skillman ends the letter with a warning, "Triangle Foundation puts on the largest Pride Celebration in Michigan each year," she writes. "And guess what? We eat pretzels at that event."

The letter, sent on Dec. 8, was met with a quick and positive response only three days later from the company. "Our intention is never to offend anyone with our marketing efforts," Wrote Chief Marking Officer Heather Neary. "We are in the process of removing this piece of packaging from our distribution centers and our stores."...

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Geoff King Donating Book's Proceeds To Transgender Law Center & Health Legal Services

Transgender people get some recognition. The Transgender Law Center gets funding. If Transgender people keep being vocal and educating people, positive things will continue to happen. 
Thanks, Geoff for thinking of us!

By: KAMALA KELKAR

Examiner Staff Writer

December 30, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO — Geoff King, co-producer of the photography book "Such a Bittersweet Day: The Marriage Equality Movement in the Wake of Prop 8," is donating 100 percent of the regular edition’s proceeds to organizations fighting for civil rights.

Who is getting the proceeds?

One of the beneficiaries is the Transgender Law Center. They do frontline legal work. The other one is Health Legal Services.

Why transgender?

The idea was to reach out and find people who may not have been that well the presented in the "No on 8" campaign. In the LGBT community, I consistently hear that sometimes they feel like they’re not equal members or it’s not a coherent thing. We wanted to find the people who you didn’t really hear from.

When did you start working on the book?

I started on Nov. 5, 2008, the day after the election. I was at a candlelight vigil in front of City Hall in San Francisco. It covers a period of time between that date and Nov. 27, 2009.

What has motivated you to help protect civil liberties?

I think one would be my experience growing up. My parents are from Illinois and Texas and they moved to San Francisco and lived through the Harvey Milk era. My mom was at Berkeley in the ’60s. I wasn’t really an activist. Then 9/11 sort of shook me up pretty profoundly.

How do you hope people will react to the book?

Hopefully people see it as honest, feel something from it, maybe talk about it and use it as a tool for discussion.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

SAGE and One StL Begin Monthly Educational Seminars

By vital - Posted on December 30th, 2009

ST. LOUIS - Starting February 9th, 2010 SAGE and One St. Louis will be jointly sponsoring monthly educational seminars for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and allied older adults. The first topic will be Medicare and Medicaid – Navigating the System of Benefits and Services.

Time: 2 p.m. Date: February 9th, 2010

Location: Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis, 1919 S. Broadway, Saint Louis, MO 63104

SAGE is an area organization offering services and advocacy for LGBT and allied elders.

One Saint Louis is a nonprofit that is filling the gaps in service for the LGBT and other underserved communities.

Please RSVP: Sherrill Wayland - Email:  swayland@sagemetrostl.org Phone: 314-821-4845

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Gay Republicans? Oy!

 

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 

GOProud is just that. The group, consisting of conservative homosexuals who broke away from the Log Cabin Republicans a few years ago because it was deemed too liberal, decided to co-sponsor The American Conservative Union’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC. But other conservative Republicans want no part of GOPround at the conference, including the Liberty Counsel’s Matt Barber, who’s threatening to organize a boycott. 

Joining Barber in his opposition is Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, which is urging David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, to drop GOProud because it “supports the same radical homosexualist agenda as other GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] organizations—which is corrupting children and tearing apart America’s moral fiber.”....

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Marriage Equality in New Hampshire Becomes a Reality

Please support GLAAD

December 30, 2009 by Anna Wipfler, GLAAD's Transgender Advocacy Fellow 

Six months after New Hampshire became the fifth state to approve a marriage equality bill, same-sex couples will be able to wed beginning at 12:01am New Years Day.

On Tuesday, The New Hampshire Union Leader reported that 39 same-sex couples had applied for state marriage licenses to use in the new year.

“On New Year’s Eve, the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition has organized a celebration ceremony for a group of same-sex couples scheduled to be the first in the state to wed,” they wrote on their website.

GLAAD is on the ground working with the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, media training couples, coordinating press interviews with local and national media and Tweetingupdates beginning this afternoon and continuing through the New Year’s Eve wedding celebrations.

NHFTM invites you to:

Join us New Years Eve at the State Capitol in Concord as we celebrate equality and witness history taking effect as the first gay and lesbian couples get married in New Hampshire at 12:01 A.M.

If you want to get married or volunteer, e-mail info@nhftm.org.

Various media outlets have published editorials praising New Hampshire’s embrace of marriage equality and heralding 2010 as a year that will bring more cause for celebration.

GLAAD will continue to keep you updated on this historic moment in New Hampshire, detailing our work with local advocates on the ground, our outreach to state and national media and our analysis of the news coverage.

Jena Lewis: Transgender Educator and Activist

Keep up the great work in Michigan, Jena!

Jena Lewis is an activist, trans educator and mother. The Grand Rapids-based woman also participates in the Bells of River City dance team, paints and is active in the United Church of Christ.

1) How do you stay involved with local LGBT activism?

I think one of the greatest assets that west Michigan has to offer to the LGBT community as a whole in Michigan is our strong network we have built. Thanks to the hard work of many people that have come before me, I feel comfortably connected to other like-minded people through all the various community organizations and groups, such as Speak Equal, West Michigan Pride, The Network and GIFT, as well the strong social connections we hold here in west Michigan.

Here I have been blessed with many friends and allies and together we continually challenge each other and keep each other on task regarding what we are striving for.

2) In what ways are you involved with trans education?

Within the trans community here in GR, I have tried to be continuously available for those who are seeking better understanding of the time of transition they are going through. I do this by always being willing to have a listening ear and cup of coffee with anyone who needs the time. Being connected to those with in the greater LGBT community, often people will send folks struggling with the realization of being trans to me for support.

Also I have worked with others to help educate and bring awareness of trans people and our struggles through writing, assisting in organizing support groups, and most recently through working with other organizations to make sure that Transgendered Day of Remembrance didn't go unnoticed in Grand Rapids.

Outside of the community, I have worked with in schools and church classrooms on transgender education on both panel discussions and solo on telling my story and of other trans people.

3) How has the transgender community personally been a part of your life?

Both the transgendered community and the LGBT community as a whole have become my family. Some of the people I trust and love the most are either trans, or LGB people. Whether we are going to go out for an evening with friends, go camping, or celebrate a holiday together I know it is my "chosen" family that will be there first and foremost for me.

4) What LGBT rights issue is most important to you?

Right now, I think focusing on non-discrimination within employment should be the fight we are carrying in front right now.

I truly want more than anything to be able to get married to my partner, and I truly want more than anything to know that I can live whereever I want, and that my children or all children should have the right to be free of bullying on the playground. But honestly, if I am not assured a job based on my ability because of bias, married or not, my family has no home, and my child gets picked on - not for sexual orientation or gender identity issues, but for socioeconomic issues. Equal opportunity in employment and education is the first link in our chain of equality. You will never have true equality if we are continuously economically oppressed.

5) How does your religion intersect with your sexual orientation in your life?

Christianity, I find as a comfort in my life. And I am truly comforted by the role we as trans-people have played in the bible. Throughout most of my life, it has been the focal point of understanding myself. I have always been taught to believe that our greatest purpose of being is to leave the world better than it was when we first arrived. This gives me comfort in knowing that the struggles I have gone through and the struggles others have shared with me that I teach others about do not need to continue to repeat if we continue to teach about them and create a more equitable place to be.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

VICTORY: MD DMV Delays Implementation of Harmful License Policy For Transgender People

Dear Friends,

As you know, the Maryland Vehicle Administration (MVA) was looking at requiring an amended birth certificate in order for transgender individuals to update the gender marker on their driver's license. It was scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2010. This would have required going through the court system. Additionally, a birth certificate change can only be done if the sex of an individual has been changed by surgical procedure.

After literally hundreds of calls and e-mails into the offices of the Governor and the Attorney General, we just received wonderful news - the proposed policy has been halted.

The Attorney General's office shared the following statement from the MVA:

MVA believes that the current policy on gender designation which has been in practice for almost a decade is secure and the procedures we have adopted ensures reasonable accommodation for individuals who are making a gender transition change. At this time, MVA is not effecting a change to that policy. However, written legal advice received from the Office of Attorney General clearly states that MVA's current policy does not meet all statutory requirements and we are therefore continuing to work with the Office of Attorney General before making a final determination on whether a policy update is appropriate.

The MVA intends to stick with current procedures; however, they continue to assert that the policy may not meet all statutory requirements. Equality Maryland and our partners will work to convene relevant stakeholders to either secure a change in the statutory requirements or assess possible policy revisions. We have already scheduled a strategy meeting in the New Year.

Having a legal identity document that does not match a person's gender exposes them to potential risk not just of embarrassment, but of harassment as well. We are pleased that the MVA was willing to halt the implementation of this dangerous policy change in order to allow for constructive dialogue. There is still work to do, but for now let's take a moment to celebrate.

All the best to you and yours this holiday season,

Morgan Meneses-Sheets
Executive Director
Equality Maryland

P.S. Support our efforts to protect the rights of transgender Marylanders! We are on the front lines with you everyday working to update and enhance the protections that exist for transgender Marylanders and avoid rollbacks like the proposed policy. Help us keep up the fight by visiting http://equalitymaryland.org/donate/supporteqmd.htm today and making a donation.

Historic California Bills Expanding LGBT Rights and Resources Become Law

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2009
CONTACT: Vaishalee Raja, Communications Director
PHONE: (916) 284-9187 EMAIL: vaishalee@eqca.org
Historic Bills Expanding LGBT Rights and Resources Become Law

Marriage Recognition, Domestic Violence Programs Expansion, and Harvey Milk Day bills will become state law on January 1, 2010
Sacramento – On January 1, three new pieces of legislation expanding rights and resources for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community will go into effect in California. Among the new laws, each sponsored by Equality California, include a bill that recognizes the marriage of thousands of same-sex couples regardless of when or where they were married, a bill increasing services to LGBT survivors of domestic violence and a third recognizing the contributions of slain civil rights leader Harvey Milk.
The Marriage Recognition and Family Protection Act, introduced by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), holds that same-sex couples married in any state or nation anytime before the passage of Proposition 8 must be recognized as married spouses in California, regardless of whether they married in California or in another state or nation. In addition, the new statute also confirms that same-sex couples married outside of California after November 5, 2008, must be given all of the rights, protections and responsibilities of married spouses under California law, with the sole exception of the designation of "marriage."
"This vital bill will provide much needed protections for same-sex couples who have legally married out of state, or will in the future, and who deserve to be treated like any other married couple," said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California. "This bill will allow same-sex couples to get married in other states and countries and ensure they are treated equally under the law when they return to California. Ultimately, however, restoring the freedom to marry is the only way to ensure that all Californians receive the dignity and respect that come with marriage."
Also becoming state law is the LGBT Domestic Violence Programs Expansion Bill, which was authored by Speaker-Elect Assemblymember John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles). The bill expands access for LGBT service providers to a state fund within the California Emergency Management Agency, which supports LGBT-specific domestic violence programs across the state. The fund, originally established as part of another EQCA-sponsored bill in 2006, is subsidized by a $23 fee on domestic partner registrations. The new bill would also allow for more than four organizations to apply for programmatic funding each fiscal cycle and eliminates the requirement for providers to offer shelter – impediments to many smaller LGBT organizations that inadvertently keep several California communities from providing any services for LGBT survivors of domestic violence.
Harvey Milk Day, which will be celebrated on May 22, 2010, marks the first time in the nation's history that a state will officially recognize and celebrate the contributions of an openly LGBT person with an annual "day of special significance." The bill was also introduced by Senator Leno.
"We are grateful to the LGBT Caucus, our allied lawmakers, and the Governor for making these landmark measures the law in California, as these bills will dramatically improve the lives of LGBT Californians and their families," Kors said. “We look forward to the year ahead and to advancing our mission of achieving true and full equality for LGBT Californians.”
For more information about EQCA's legislation, visit http://www.eqca.org/legislation.
Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender-rights advocacy organization in California. In the past decade, EQCA has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil-rights protections in the nation. EQCA has passed over 60 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, public education and community empowerment.www.eqca.org

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Outback Steakhouse: G'day Mate It Doesn't Pay To Discriminate

Transgender folks pay attention. Even with a fully inclusive Employment Non Discrimination Act, there will still be discrimination. Companies like Outback Steakhouse will not admit to it. It will be subtle and you must pay attention. 

In the quest for Transgender equality as in every other civil rights struggle, there is education, legislation and then litigation when the bigotry and chauvinism become more subtle.

DENVER — Outback Steakhouse has agreed to pay $19 million to female workers and take other steps, including hiring a new human resources executive, to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit.

A consent decree describing the settlement between the Tampa-based restaurant chain and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver on Tuesday.

The EEOC filed a lawsuit against Outback there in 2006, claiming that female workers were denied favorable jobs which prevented them from advancing to profit-sharing management positions.

Outback has also agreed to institute an online application system for managerial positions and hire a human resources executive for a new position called vice president of people. It also agreed to hire a consultant to monitor its compliance with the settlement and to report back to the EEOC on how it’s doing every six month.

Outback didn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing and parent company OSI Restaurant Partners said settling the suit with insurance funds was better than spending time and money on litigation.

Restaurant Partners’ new CEO, Liz Smith, said the company doesn’t tolerate any form of discrimination and that she is committed to “very compelling and rewarding employment opportunities for all individuals.”

Under the settlement, the $19 million will be distributed to women who have worked at corporately owned Outbacks for at least three years since 2002. Letters will be sent to them telling them of the settlement.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

NY State Senators Criticize Hiram Monserrate Who Voted No Against Equality

Hiram Monserrate, New York State Senate Democrat from Queens voted against Marriage Equality. Monserrate has also received funding from the LGBT community. 

Now he is a convicted abuser facing possible harsh sanctions from the Senate. Way to go, Hiram!

"I swear to God I am a good guy"(wink,wink,nod,nod)

By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE

Published: December 29, 2009

ALBANY — Senator Hiram Monserrate behaved recklessly and callously after his companion was hurt during an argument at his Queens home, failing to call 911, dragging her violently through a hallway and taking her to a hospital miles away, according to a State Senate committee investigating Mr. Monserrate.

A draft of the committee’s final report concludes that Mr. Monserrate seemed to be as concerned with keeping the confrontation last December from becoming public as he was with the safety and health of his companion, Karla Giraldo, according to a person familiar with the report. The report also found that Mr. Monserrate refused to take full responsibility for injuring Ms. Giraldo, said the person who asked not to be identified because the report is confidential.

While it is not yet clear what sanctions the panel may recommend to the full Senate, the report’s harsh findings suggest that the committee is laying the groundwork for a stiff punishment for Mr. Monserrate, possibly even his expulsion from the Senate.

A state judge, William M. Erlbaum, acquitted Mr. Monserrate in October of felony charges of deliberately slashing Ms. Giraldo’s face with a broken glass, but convicted him of misdemeanor assault for pulling her through the lobby of his apartment building, which was captured on security videotape.

Justice Erlbaum sentenced Mr. Monserrate to three years of probation, 250 hours of community service and a 52-week counseling program. But many of his Senate colleagues called on him to resign, a step Mr. Monserrate, who is appealing his conviction, has steadfastly said he will not take.

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A Transgender 'Outing'

Some of you might remember the days when you tried on your wife's or sister's clothes. Then she came home!!!!!

All Transgender People Need A Hobby

Everyone needs some sort of distraction in their life. Some like to read, some like to build models, some like to play sports or some like to......

Political Wing Nut And Lace Panties

Can you say 'wing nut?' 
I heard from a friend of a friend's aunt who know someone in Illinois that Andy Martin wears his next door neighbor's second cousin's sister's lace underwear.
On that note, I would vote for him. Wouldn't you? 

A perennial candidate with a history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and legal disputes in federal court launched a radio ad for his Republican U.S. Senate campaign Monday that questioned the sexual orientation of the front-runner in the race.

Andy Martin, who has been sanctioned in federal court for filing hundreds of lawsuits and was found unfit to practice law by the Illinois Supreme Court, has previously used the airwaves to attack political opponents including presidential candidates George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

This time, Martin is going after North Shore U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a much better-known candidate seeking the Feb. 2 Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Obama.

A Tribune poll in early December showed Kirk far ahead of the rest of his five rivals for the Feb. 2 Senate nomination, with 41 percent support. Martin had 2 percent backing while the combined support for Kirk's opponents was 13 percent. A total of 46 percent of GOP primary voters were undecided.

In the radio ad, which aired Monday on WGN-AM and WBBM-AM, Martin attributes a "solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual" to conservative Republican businessman Jack Roeser. Martin's ad also claims that Raymond True, the chairman of the conservative Republican Assembly of Lake County organization, says Kirk has surrounded himself with homosexuals. The ad says Kirk should address the rumors.

Eric Elk, the campaign manager for Kirk, said in a statement that "the ad is not true and is degrading to the political process. The people of Illinois deserve better."

Pat Brady, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, issued a statement disavowing Martin's ad.

"His statements today are consistent with his history of bizarre behavior and often times hate-filled speech which has no place in the Illinois Republican Party," Brady said. "Mr. Martin will no longer be recognized as a legitimate Republican candidate by the Illinois Republican Party."

True said Monday that he "never made that statement" attributed to him by Martin. True said he appeared recently on a show hosted by Roeser on WIND-AM and "I made a comment not about him (Kirk) at all, but that there were some people on his (Kirk's) staff that had a special orientation."

"I never said Mark was a homosexual and there's no evidence to that fact," True said in a telephone interview.

On the WIND broadcast, Roeser criticized several Republicans for their support of gay rights and said of Kirk "a solid rumor is that he himself is homosexual," according to a podcast on Roeser's Web site.....

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IBM Donates Computers to JVS San Francisco Transgender Job Training

Outstanding! IBM has a track record of being totally inclusive. JVS has the same reputation. Great job to both!
Only if this could happen in more areas! Wishful thinking?

Jewish Vocational Services of San Francisco has expanded its offerings of free computer skills classes for job-seekers thanks to the recent donation of 20 new workstations by IBM.

The new training stations will allow JVS to offer more classes on basics like how to use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and the networking site LinkedIn.

JVS spokeswoman Wendy Rothenberg said the classes are offered to clients of its job-search services, but some of the computer training sessions are also open to members of the general public.

JVS offers services to all but the organization has particular strengths in working with youth and adults with disabilities, the transgender community, older workers, and the Jewish community.

Call 415-391-3600 for more information, or drop in on Wednesday, December 30th, at 1:00 p.m. when JVS holds a free weekly orientation at its offices at 225 Bush Street, West Lobby, Suite 400, in San Francisco.

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Intimate Partner Violence - IPV Knows No Boundaries

Transgender, Gender Non Conforming, Gender Queer, Bisexual, Pansexual, Lesbian and Gay are all subject to this form of violence. Please remember, IPV is all about control. Look for the signals, make a plan, seek advice and then leave if at all possible.

by Scott Stiffler

EDGE Contributor

Monday Aug 3, 2009

There are few things more affirming than seeing a gay couple walking down the street - hand in hand - demonstrating to the world that two men can thrive in a healthy, loving partnership. 

To the casual observer, they’ve overcome the cultural conditioning of shame and judgment which keeps so many LGBTs from publicly acknowledging their relationship. But look further at the area of coverage just beyond the sunglasses or notice the long sleeved shirt worn amidst the blazing sun and you might begin to suspect the couple is anything but happy and free of shame. 

Guilt and a sense of being judged as weak or as a failure, makes male-on-male relationship violence a problem whose true scope cannot be accurately represented by statistics. But when EDGE recently spoke with some crisis intervention and mental health professionals, we found the problem of relationship-based abuse in the gay community to be a very real, often unacknowledged, problem.

It’s called IPV

Sharon Staple, Executive Director, the Gay & Lesbian Anti Violence Project, notes that rather than label the phenomenon as domestic violence, "We call it intimate partner violence (IPV)." Staple points out that while there are some factors unique to gay sexuality, the underlying reasons for IPV vary little whether those involved are straight, gay, bi or transgendered. What all such violence has in commons, says Staple, is "the desire of one partner to control the other."

The significant differences are found in "the tools that a batterer might use in a same sex relationship - like threatening to out someone; things that are distinct to sexual orientation or gender identity that can be used to control. In LGBT relationships, it can be more about invoking some sort of shame as a way to make one feel small or powerless or helpless. If you are in the closet or are young and don’t have a lot of resources or people you can talk to about your sexual orientation, that becomes a tool the batterer can use."

That mental hold on the partner, says Staple, makes psychological or emotional aggression "one of the most prevalent forms of violence" in same sex relationships. "Threats are often used to control behavior or denigrate a person’s identity. That makes it a particularly insidious form of violence," since its effect is to exert "control over who you can see, talk to, what you can wear; even what kind of medications you can take."

The most dangerous time?

That last form of emotional battering, Staple points out, has unique consequences for "a victim who is HIV positive. One way the partner can control them is to withhold medication or refuse to allow their partner to go to the doctor - or interfere with their health care generally. We see that frequently in a relationship where the victim is HIV positive."

Staple notes that when a person comes to them, AVP’s "goal is to provide support for whatever it is they think is best and safest" whether that means "leaving the relationship or negotiating a safer relationship. We don’t work from a position that leaving is the only or the best way to end the violence. 

In fact, statistics about intimate partner violence consistently show that leaving is one of the most dangerous time in relationship; the time when violence is most likely to occur. We meet the client where they are and help them figure out the most safe and effective way to address the violence in their lives."

Avy Skolnik is the coordinator of Statewide and National Programs for the Gay & Lesbian Anti Violence Project. Although Skolnik emphasizes that "The underlying dynamics of IPV do not change based on the genders of the partners," he does specify some common battering tactics in male relationships which seem unique to gay men: "We’ve seen examples of somebody pimping out their partner, or coercing their partner to have sex with people" as a form of humiliation and control. "There are couples who do that (pimping) consensually, but often times people don’t want to and feel unsafe to say no, because there are consequences that make saying no not an option. Some who say no and are then physically forced."....

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