Transgender Law Center Newsletter

870 Market Street, Suite 822 San Francisco, California 94102 What an exciting time to be involved in the trans rights movement! We have every reason to believe that there will be a vote on ENDA in the coming month, and the IRS tax court recently affirmed the medical necessity of transition-related care. Meanwhile, the Transgender Law Center is expanding to deepen our economic justice, health care, and movement building advocacy. Thank you for the activism, advocacy, and support that has made all of this possible! I hope to see you at the 5th Annual Leadership Summit in Sacramento this May, which will be a great opportunity to reenergize and be inspired, to connect with other community members, and to gain new advocacy skills. In solidarity, Masen Davis, Executive Director Save the Date: 5th Annual California Transgender Leadership Summit and 1st California Transgender Advocacy Day Friday, May 14th-Sunday, May 16th, 2010 University of California - Davis, CA Monday, May 17th, 2010 State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA Interested in sponsoring the summit? Contact Paige atpaige@transgenderlawcenter.org or (415) 865-0176. Support Trans Rights in California TODAY by donating to TLC. Every donation helps! Help pass ENDA NOW! Don't forget to call the Capitol Switchboard at (202)-224-3121 We need your help to pass ENDA!

ENDA Update You all have been great at contacting your representatives about ENDA--thanks to you, ENDA has never been closer to being called for a vote. TLC's sources indicate that ENDA will likely be put to a vote in March. Please contact your representative to tell them that we need an ENDA that protects all members of the LGBT community, and that we need this passed NOW! If you haven't yet made time to contact your legislator, please do so today. If you have called in the past, please call again! The Capitol Switchboard is (202) 224-3121. If you are able to travel, in-person meetings with legislators in D.C. have the best impact. TLC's partner organization, the National Center for Transgender Equality, is hosting their federal lobby days in D.C. March 14th-16th. Click here for more information. We hope to have a good turnout from California, so please let TLC know if you are planning on attending by emailing Maceo. If you are not able to travel, the next best thing to do is to schedule an in-district meeting with your representative or their legislative aides. If you want support in how to do that, please contact Maceo atmaceo@transgenderlawcenter.org or (415) 865-0176. TLC co-sponsors Bay Area screenings of film Switch  Switch: A community in transition is a documentary about a progressive, multicultural community and the response of the community to a member's changing gender expression. The basic premise of this film is that it is not the individual that transitions, but the community. The hour long screening will be followed by a lively panel & audience discussion that will include producer/director Brooks Nelson. Check it out: Thursday, February 25th, 6-8 p.m - Laney College, Oakland, CA Friday, February 26th, 7-9 pm - Eastside Arts Alliance, Oakland, CA Monday, March 1st, 7-9 pm - SF LGBT Community Center, San Francisco, CA For more details, click here. IRS Tax Law Victory! Congratulations to Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders for their victory in the precedent-setting IRS tax case affirming the medical necessity of transition-related care.TLC lawyers are currently preparing the answers to questions this case may raise about what you can claim or what to do if you have already filed your 2009 tax returns, so stay tuned for that important info. Read TLC's Press Release here. Report Back from Dallas and Creating Change TLC was well-represented at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's annual Creating Change conference in February. Executive Director Masen Davis served as one of the faculty for both the full-day pre-conference institute, "Trans Rights Now: Building a Strong Transgender Movement" and the full-day institute, "Health Care for All: Health as a Tool for Social & Economic Justice." Masen and Legal Director Kristina Wertz collaborated with a colleague at the Task Force to present "Data for a Change," which presented the findings and methodology for The State of Transgender California report, tips about collecting quality data, and how to use data effectively in advocacy. Kristina also collaborated with colleagues from the Task Force and the San Francisco LGBT Center to present "The Journey From Laws To Jobs for Transgender People," and with Project HEALTH colleagues from Equality California and Lyon-Martin Health Services to present "Trailblazing for Transgender Health." Additionally, Manager of Operations and New Media Mila Pavlin attended the full-day pre-conference "New Media Training Institute," which emphasized how blogs, podcasts, and social networking sites (such as facebook and twitter) can be used to engage a broader base of community members around urgent advocacy issues. The conference was a great chance to share TLC's cutting edge work with both long-time supporters and new friends, and to connect with other activists in the USA engaged in similar trans rights work. Interested in learning more? Check out TLC's twitter updates from Creating Change here. Staff Updates Maceo Persson, Special Projects Coordinator After working as a community organizing consultant for TLC over the past year, Maceo has joined the team to coordinate the 5th annual Transgender Leadership Summit with the host committee. This is a historic year for the Leadership Summit as we are adding the first ever Transgender Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Maceo Persson will also use his rich organizing experience from the No on 8 Campaign and Basic Rights Oregon to strengthen TLC's efforts to pass ENDA. Alexis Rivera, Community Advocate Alexis relocated to LA in January, and is continuing to focus on addressing economic justice and health issues within the transgender community. She was recently appointed the chair of the Transgender Service Providers Network. If you are interested in volunteering and supporting TLC's work in LA and Southern California, you can contact Alexis at (323) 860-7366, or can find her at the LA office (located within the LA Gay and Lesbian Center' Village facility at 1125 N. McCadden Place) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Paige Kruza, Development ManagerPaige joined the TLC team in January, and is excited to build a strong grassroots fundraising program to support TLC's programs. Prior to TLC, she had canvassed for San Francisco Women Against Rape, managed foundation and individual giving at the Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth (BAGLY), and volunteered extensively with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and The Network/La Red (a LGBT domestic violence organization). Join the TLC team!  We are currently seeking applicants for a full-time Executive Assistant and a pro-bono IT/Information Systems Project Lead. Click here for more info. About TLC The Transgender Law Center (TLC) is a civil rights organization advocating for transgender communities. TLC uses direct legal services, education, community organizing and advocacy to transform California into a state that recognizes and supports the needs of transgender people and their families.www.transgenderlawcenter.org