Transgender Civil Rights -or- Being A Political Football Is No Fun!

I just finished reading Tico Almeida's article, A Game Plan for ENDA. It's hard to believe the Senate Labor Committee did not call any Transgender people to testify on discrimination.  Or is it? I watched on C-SPAN as one Transgender person after another told about their encounters with discrimination to the House Labor Committee. Their testimonies clearly moved everyone in the room. The Senate staffers for those on the Senate Labor Committee knew this and would have none of it. Thus, ENDA's last stand in the Senate Labor Committee was due to political games played by unsympathetic staffers. Trans folks got kicked under the bus yet again. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why a Transgender inclusive ENDA is needed. Just take a look at the statistics. Some have told me the survey results are flawed because of the way it was taken. I beg to differ. I am part of those statistics. I have felt the cruel sting of employment, public accommodations, and housing discrimination. I can tell you it leaves a person numb, frustrated, hurt and angry. In far too many cases, one hopelessly walks away from all of this into depression and then suicidal ideation. To be precise, those surveyed amounted to 47%. Without hope, what is the point? Been there, done that, got the emotional scars. I hear this same story from one Transgender person after another. Many, many, many of us have been deeply wounded by discrimination at far too many levels. Now, if one happens to be a Transgender person of color, young, old, non-WASP, or fill-in the blank the odds against you being treated equally by anyone, any business, any health care provider, any organization, any anything sky rocket to astronomical proportions. More graphically, you may as well bend over, grab your ankles, and kiss your blessed assurance good-bye! Have I gotten anyone's attention? The Transgender population of the United States is not looking for anyone's pity. As a matter of fact, stick your pity in your crack pipe and smoke it. I cannot speak for everyone. It is not my right. But speaking for myself, all I want is equal footing to live our authentic lives in peace and equality because we sure as hell are not treated equally now! Discrimination rampant in transgender life Largest-ever survey shows difficulties in meeting basic needs By Tara Cavanaugh Originally printed 3/31/2011 (Issue 1913 - Between The Lines News) When Mara Keisling, the director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, once told a doctor she was transgender, she got a terrified reply: "He said, 'Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm Indian!' And then he fled the room," Keisling told a room packed full of college students at the University of Michigan last month. After the laughter in the room died down, Keisling's face became serious. "That happened to me as a 50-year-old," she said. "What if that had happened to a 17-year-old who's been kicked out of home?" Keisling, who was speaking to students who attended the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference, shared many somber statistics from the NCTE's survey on transgender discrimination, which was released in February and was also created with the help of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The survey is the largest ever conducted of transgender individuals, and it takes a frightening snapshot of the difficulties faced by nearly 6500 transgender people in the U.S. "We tried to find bigger studies," Keisling said. "This is the biggest study." The survey results show that transgender individuals face serious barriers to meeting their basic needs, starting with employment. Ninety percent of survey respondents reported being harassed, mistreated or discriminated against on the job. Another 47 percent reported being fired, not hired or denied a promotion. These workplace struggles mean that transgender individuals are four times more likely to live in poverty (less than $10,000 a year) than the general population. They're also twice as likely to be homeless as the general population. And of the survey respondents who had experienced homelessness, more than half had been turned away from a shelter. Housing discrimination is another pressing problem, Keisling said, and the issue has been recognized by Housing and Urban Development, which created rules this year saying that transgender individuals cannot be denied federal housing. Transgender individuals are only half as likely as the general population to own their own homes, and 19 percent of survey respondents said they had been denied a home or apartment. Keisling, who regaled the audience with more humorous - and depressing - stories about the state of medical care for transgender individuals, isn't alone in her experience. Half of survey respondents reported having to educate their doctors and medical providers about transgender care. Another 19 percent were denied care when seeking medical attention. Proper health care is particularly important for transgender individuals, especially because they have rates of HIV that are four times higher than the general population. Overall, 63 percent of respondents experienced a "serious act of discrimination," an event that the NCTE says "would have a major impact on a person's quality of life and ability to sustain themselves financially or emotionally." Such events include: loss of job, eviction, dropping out due to bullying/harassment, teacher bullying, physical and sexual assault, homelessness, loss of relationship with partner or children, denial of medial care and incarceration. Another 23 percent said they had experienced three or more events on that list. "These compounding acts of discrimination - due to the prejudice of others or lack of protective laws - exponentially increase the difficulty of bouncing back and establishing a stable economic and home life," the NCTE writes in its executive summary of the survey. Rachel Crandall, the director of Transgender Michigan, experienced many of the events listed above. "When I came out I lost everything," she said. "I lost my job, I lost my house, I lost my career, I lost all my money, I lost my marriage. I had to go through a number of years when I had absolutely nothing." But Crandall, who founded Transgender Michigan in 1997, insists "things really are getting better. But I think it's happening slowly." So when people tell her of their struggles, she lends a supportive ear - and she encourages them to get involved, to volunteer at places like Transgender Michigan (which is currently seeking board members). "What I tell people is to go out and fight for what you want." Crandall is also happy to say that she's bounced back. "My life is so happy," she said. "I have a wife I love, a job I love, I have a calling that I love, so it really is possible in our community." Even though much of the survey shows a generally grim outlook for transgender life, the NCTE does point out in its summary some results that indicate resilience. Those who maintained most of their family bonds - 43 percent of respondents - reported significantly less homelessness, jail time, suicide attempts, drug/alcohol abuse and work in sex or other underground industries. Of the 26 percent who reported losing a job to bias, 58 percent were able to find another job. And even though transgender students are much more likely to drop out, transgender adults go back to school later in life: 22 percent of respondents aged 25-44 were in school, compared to 7 percent of those in the same age group in the general population. Keisling, like Crandall, encourages people to get involved. "Now we actually have some really good data," she said. "It's important to us that anyone who wants to, uses it. We want you to use it to fix things." Original article

Kye Allums: An Inspiration To Many

Kye Allums Kye Allums is, indeed, a very brave young man. He could have jeopardized his entire athletic career at George Washington University by coming out as a Transgender person. I see Kye as a role model in many ways. For example, he is a positive role model to other Trans folks who face so much adversity. He is a role model to young African American people who aspire to play Major League College and Professional sports. Best of all I see Kye as a role model to those of us who might have had our dreams shattered in many different ways. Kye may never play organized basketball again because of his injuries. Yet, his attitude seems to remain positive. Three cheers for Kye Allums, his ball team and coaches, and the entire University for their support.  Kye Allums to “Make Some Kind of Difference” as First Transgender NCAA Basketball Player JET’s MyJET247.com posted an article yesterday that follows transgender athlete Kye Allums’ inspiring journey. Last year Allums, a George Washington University student, made history as the first Division I college basketball player to come out as transgender while competing. As a child, Allums felt more comfortable in boys’ clothing and never felt like himself when he tried to be feminine. He identified as a lesbian in high school, but gradually realized that that wasn’t his true identity either. During his sophomore year at GWU, Allums came out as transgender. He has received unconditional support from his teammates and decided to stay on the women’s team because he just wanted to continue playing basketball. (GLAAD covered his story back in November 2010 when Allums first came out publicly.) Coach Mike Bozeman had prohibited Allums from doing interviews during the season to ensure that the players were focused on the game, a decision that Allums says he respects. Unfortunately, his season was cut short because of a concussion—his second this season and eighth overall. Allums hasn’t been cleared yet to play this fall but until then, he plans on telling his story. “It meant a lot to me to be able to help and affect others in a positive way,” he told the Associated Press. “I just want to get my message out there as much as I can while I’m not playing.” If Allums can’t return, he’ll be “trying to make some kind of difference in the world”—a change that Allums’ courageous story undoubtedly continues to create. GLAAD applauds Jet for covering this story and will continue to monitor media coverage of it. Original article

Transgender Inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Bill Reintroduced Into Congress

I do not have high hopes an Employment Non-Discrimination Act - ENDA will get any further in Congress than it has in the past.  It would be naive to think it would considering the current conservative political climate.  Reintroducing ENDA has longer-term goals. It gives Transgender advocates the opportunity to further educate Congress and the American public at large on Transgender issues.  I would prefer to see ENDA enacted into law now, but, if we have to wait for the right moment, this is our destiny. We cannot quit. We cannot be negative. We must remain positive and continue the good fight. The truth is on our side.  March 30, 2011 Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act Reintroduced in the House of Representatives 47%. That's the unbearable percentage of transgender people who report being fired, or denied a job or promotion, just because of who they are. Today, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was reintroduced in the United States House of Representatives. The bill would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees from workplace discrimination, and the protections it would offer are urgently needed. In an already difficult economy, transgender workers face the added threat of being fired or passed over for a job just because of who they are. We need ENDA's protections in these difficult economic times to make sure that qualified, hardworking transgender people can get jobs to support themselves and their families. ENDA would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or refuse to promote an employee based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. Despite the tremendous discrimination that transgender workers face, only 12 states and Washington, DC currently protect transgender people from employment discrimination. Transgender people deserve the same employment opportunities as everyone else. What matters is not who you are, but how well you do your job. We thank Congressman Barney Frank for his work in introducing this bill. We will continue to keep you informed of developments relating to ENDA and our work to ensure equal employment opportunity. Join Our Mailing List  Privacy Policy Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression, and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.

Attention Tennessee Born Transgender People: Tennessee Birth Certificate Bill Vote

Tennessee Birth Certificate Bill Vote: Trans folks born in Tennessee: Please contact these Tennessee Legislators now.  Please follow the above link for email addresses of these lawmakers.

"Two Spirits" A Must See On PBS To Generate Transgender Awareness

I saw this on Facebook and want to share this with everyone. Please feel free to share it with everyone you know. Greetings! Making the film TWO SPIRITS began when I sat with Fred's mother at his grave and she poured out her heart to me. The experience transformed me from someone who had very little awareness, to someone who fully embraces gender diversity, because I see how much it adds to all of our lives. The tragic story of a mother's loss of her child to a brutal murder has challenged us to answer the question she raised, "Why are people killed for being who they are?" And learning that there was a time when the world wasn't simply divided into male and female, and that there is a place of honor in many Native American cultures for people across a spectrum of sexuality and gender expression, has been a gift. TWO SPIRITS is changing peoples' minds and hearts at film festivals worldwide, in classrooms, and in networks of families and friends. It has also been named as a film that "makes a significant contribution" by the America Library Association, but, we can't reach a significant audience of millions of people without your help. TWO SPIRITS airs nationally on PBS-Independent Lens on June 14, 2011. A typical audience for the program is the 1.5 million range, but if we join together to spread the word early, it's possible to reach as many as 6 million people. I'm meeting with the PBS team this week to begin our combined efforts to have 6 million people see the film. Can you imagine the impact that many people could have? We Need Your Help Now We're grateful for all you've done to help get TWO SPIRITS to this point. Now, we have the opportunity to reach 6 million, galvanizing many more hearts and minds and generating action for change. Please Take a Moment to--SHARE the film with others as widely as possible now. With your support, the reach of the film will grow exponentially! Original article

Gender Expression Movement's April Events

The Gender Expression Movement - GEM general meeting Saturday, April 2, 2011 , 7 PM to ?? PM GEM attempts at all times to provide a safe space for all Transgender and Gender Non-conforming people. All others are welcome but mutual personal respect is mandatory. The topics are always Trans Positive. Everyone gets a chance to talk, if they so chose. Please feel free to bring friends, family and allies to our new, safe meeting location and be prepared to participate. You will never be alone again! Contact info@genderexpressionmovement.org for details Trans Masculine Group Saturday, April 16, 10:00 AM - Open to all! Contact info@genderexpressionmovement.org for details and comments on having two meetings per month. Join the Trans Masculine Yahoo Group hr_transmale-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Game Night Saturday, April 16, 7 PM Hang out with friends and chill. Bring your favorite game. Contact info@genderexpressionmovement.org for details        Non Transitioning Spouse/Partner Support  Open only to non Trans partners / significant others / and now includes friends / family.  Contact info@genderexpressionmovement.org for details  Join The Coalition for Transgender Rights in Virginia The Coalition for Transgender Rights in Virginia envisions A Commonwealth in which all gender identities and expressions are fully appreciated and celebrated, and in which gender determination is left to the individual. To Join send an email to TransRightsVA-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Please complete the following survey, if you are willing to help your fellow Transgender brothers and sisters in any way, big or small. All information will be kept confidential. You will be contacted by GEM before any assistance is offered. Thank you in advance for helping support the Hampton Roads Transgender community in any way you can.  Gender Expression Movement's Transgender resource survey. Thank you for your support! Have Questions? Please email us at Info@GenderExpressionMovement.org.

Please Support Your Local Transgender Clinic

The Hampton Roads and Richmond areas of Virginia are very fortunate to have Transgender health care clinics. The Transitioning Your Life Clinic in Norfolk and the Fan Free Clinic in Richmond have become the health care life source for many Transgender Virginians who cannot afford health care because they are non-insured, under insured or lack any funds for health care. Much like Lyon-Martin in San Francisco and Callen-Lorde in New York City, the two Virginia clinics provide free health care to the Transgender community including hormone replacement therapy with informed consent by the client. Hampton Roads' Transitioning Your Life Clinic - TLC is unlike the others mentioned in that it is a service provided to the Transgender community by an AIDS Service Organization - ASO. ACCESS AIDS Care ensures TLC is funded and remains operational even in these difficult financial times. ACCESS AIDS Care has a long and proven record of financial integrity thanks to a pro active Board of Directors and staff. This writer has great hopes that the Lyon-Martin clinic will be able to collect enough money (for links to donate, please see article) to keep their doors open. At the same time, I would hope they are implementing ways to make this wonderful facility financially stable. Our Trans brothers and sisters in the Bay Area cannot afford to lose this vital resource. In fact, there is a tremendous need for many more Transgender focused health clinics throughout the United States.  Transgender community faces potential loss of clinic Last month on Crosscurrents, we reported on the discrimination transgender people face in the healthcare system. Nearly 6,500 transgender and gender non-conforming people responded to a study conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the results were alarming. DR. JAIME GRANT: The accumulation of the daily indignities, harassment, and even violence that the people in our study were experiencing, were adding up to extremely bad health outcomes. That's Dr. Jaime Grant, one of the study's authors. She found that, if you're transgender, you face social and economic marginalization: you're more likely to be homeless, get HIV, end up smoking, using drugs and alcohol, and you're more likely to attempt suicide. Dr. Grant says there aren't many places in the United States where transgender people can feel safe and comfortable receiving healthcare. But one of them is in San Francisco. And today we're going to drop in. We've got a tour guide for this journey: ASHER MOODY-DAVIS: Oh boy, my name is Asher Moody-Davis. His name used to be just ... Moody. MOODY-DAVIS: I just recently married, became a Moody-Davis. And I am 30 years old... He's very busy... MOODY-DAVIS: I am a graduate student in computer science at San Francisco State University. ...among other things: MOODY-DAVIS: ...husband, brother, good friend ... ...and tour guide. Let's go with Asher now to San Francisco's Market Street, near Octavia, to a small storefront that makes a big difference for many marginalized San Franciscans. MOODY-DAVIS: You're on Market Street and it's this busy, kind of business-y area in general, and you see this little door, and you're like, "Okay, I guess I'm going through this little door." And then there's this flight of stairs that takes you up to like the main landing. You look to the left and there's just this little door that you would think would just go to an office, and I walk through the door and I see a little waiting room... We're inside Lyon-Martin Health Services. A bright pink piece of paper hangs from the receptionist's desk. It's got a stethoscope in the shape of a heart and reads: "Hotties 4 Homo Healthcare: an emergency fundraiser for Lyon-Martin Health Services." Lyon-Martin is in an emergency. And that means its 2,500 patients - most of whom are lesbian, low-income and uninsured - are in an emergency, too. The clinic was supposed to close at the end of January - for good. DAWN HARBATKIN: The Board passed a resolution to close the clinic. That's Dawn Harbatkin. HARBATKIN: ...Dawn Harbatkin. I am the interim executive director and medical director at Lyon-Martin Health Services. And after threatening to shut the clinic down, Lyon-Martin's Board of Directors gave Harbatkin and her staff one month to turn its finances around. Now everyone is working against the clock. HARBATKIN: We still may need to close if we don't raise the amount of money, but we're going to do it in a way that is safe and smooth for our patients. And Lyon-Martin has to raise $250,000 just to stay open for another month. The Board's resolution came down in January, and without a dramatic fundraising campaign, Lyon-Martin would already be closed. But it's not. We'll have more on that story, shortly, but first, let's get to know one of its clients a little better. We already met him. MOODY-DAVIS: Oh, boy, my name is Asher Moody-Davis. Our tour guide. Here we go. * * * ASHER MOODY-DAVIS: As soon as I knew what gender was, I was not fitting into the gender I was assigned at birth. So pretty much from the time that I was going out and interacting with people in the world, they would always think that I was a boy, but I was a girl. I was born female, and so my mother would always go through this explanation of, "Oh no, this is not my son, this is my daughter." So that was always pretty painful and awkward, especially as a child not understanding why I was always, you know, different. That was just the only way I knew how to be. The struggle of feeling out of place in my own body, that's something I had to deal with every single day, and that I still to some degree deal with it. I remember back in middle school, all the girls were jealous because I was developing, and I was, you know, I was given ... I don't know, um, more assets than others or whatever, or I had a more ample bust than a lot of the other girls in uh, in the junior higher locker room, ya know. So that's great for a lot of women, but not for me, personally. I never really saw a future for myself. I could see maybe like five years in advance, but I had no idea what I was going to end up like. And I couldn't - this is one of the major things I noticed - I couldn't picture myself growing up as a woman. So, there's like this blank slate. And all of a sudden when I started thinking about transitioning and being a man, things started to fill in. And there were more possibilities. Okay, it's actually kind of silly, but I've kept every single empty vial of testosterone since I started. I have no idea why I keep them. I just started doing it, and I don't know why ... Yeah, so it's, so here's the, this is like a normal prescription bottle, and then inside is the vial. So I have, let's see, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten ... ten used vials of testosterone, each one gives me ten shots, and I do a shot every two weeks. So the very first one, I think they're in alphabetical order, I mean chronological order, cause I'm silly like that. So yeah, the first one was prescribed, "June of 2007." I had started thinking about, well originally I had started thinking of transitioning in 2000. At the time, you know, I was a lesbian and I felt very identified with the lesbian community, and I felt like I'd be a traitor if I did something like that. So, I didn't do anything for a while, and then like maybe three or four years later, this idea started coming back again, and it was getting really strong. It was something that I couldn't ignore anymore. The guidelines are that you're supposed to go to therapy for a year. And I went to therapy for two years because I had personally have struggled with depression for most of my life. So, I had to make sure that I dealt with that and I had to decide that I was okay with being alone. And that's really scary. And so, I'm looking at this bottle, and I'm going to be taking this for the rest of my life, is this something that I'm prepared to do? And so I just sat there and thought about it for a while and I went over all my reasons again and why I was doing what I was doing. And I actually saw what my life could be like, so I decided to go back to school. And as soon as I started going to school and taking ownership of what was happening in my life and making sacrifices to better myself, I realized that it was worth it to make myself happy, even if it hurt people I knew, and they weren't willing to be around after it. Nobody knows what's going to happen in the future. I don't know if ten years from now, I want to be on testosterone, but I know that I do right now. And so this is what I'm doing. * * * Lyon-Martin Health Services, a community clinic that serves lesbian and transgender people, was set to close in January of this year. The clinic was having trouble making ends meet - the down economy has meant less money from the state and federal government. It's meant less money from donors. And it's meant less money from patients struggling through their own economic crises. The clinic isn't free, but they'll take you even if you can't pay. Now, Lyon-Martin isn't exactly a blameless victim of economic circumstance - the clinic has had problems with its billing; in fact, it's failed to properly bill MediCal for a couple of years. So many people are questioning the clinic's Board of Directors for their lack of oversight. These are things the clinic's trying to fix. But despite Lyon-Martin's internal problems, a lot of people think the clinic's worth saving. KALW's Erica Mu has the story. * * * MORGAN WEINERT (voicemail): Hi Erica, this is Morgan from Lyon-Martin Health Services. It's Monday, February 7th and I wanted to call and update you and let you know that we're at $245,909. ERICA MU: It's been about two weeks since the clinic's closure was announced. ASHER MOODY-DAVIS: I couldn't believe it, to be perfectly honest. Lyon-Martin has been Asher Moody-Davis' health clinic for the last ten months. MOODY-DAVIS: I couldn't understand how something so amazing and so unique that helps so many people that would otherwise go untreated or be mistreated could suffer in this way, that they could just close their doors. It didn't even occur to me that could happen. Because I mean, this is the place, this is where, Lyon Martin is the place where trans people, people that can't afford care, um, women coming from all different situations, can go and receive quality care. How could this place close its doors? Moody-Davis is part of the 20% of Lyon-Martin's patients who are transgender. Unlike most clinics, Lyon-Martin offers services specifically geared for transgender people, like trans-affirmative gynecologic care and guidance on transitional hormone therapy. But Joanne Keatley, who directs the UCSF Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, says it's actually the more routine stuff that makes Lyon-Martin special. JOANNE KEATLEY: Most healthcare for transgender people is fairly routine medical care that um that uh your average primary care physician would be able to deliver if they had access to information. But, she says they don't - there's no training for treating transgender people in current medical school curricula. Furthermore, many insurance policies excludeany benefits related to gender reassignment surgery. Keatley says the reasons for the exclusion have changed over the years, from the surgeries being "cosmetic" to "too expensive." KEATLEY: We have found that actually providing good healthcare for transgender people is not really that much more expensive than any other healthcare access issue. Um, for example, it's much less expensive and even less complicated I've heard than providing good diabetes care. But at Lyon-Martin, you don't have to have insurance. You don't have to educate your doctor. You don't even have to have money, which is a good thing, considering that the unemployment rate for transgender people is twice that of the general population - make that four times if you're a transgender person of color. You just have to walk in, like Asher Moody-Davis did last summer. MOODY-DAVIS: You know, it's great to walk into a place and feel like it's, it's being run by people in your community. Or you know, really strong allies. Cause that's something that I don't feel like I've felt anywhere else. WEINERT (voicemail): Hello, it's Morgan calling from Lyon-Martin Health Services, giving you an update. As of February 23rd, we have raised $307,414 in donations and pledges. DAWN HARBATKIN: Every morning when I come in, I find Morgan or Kara, and I say, "How much, how much?" Again, Lyon-Martin Medical Director Dawn Harbatkin. HARBATKIN: And then every night before I go home, I'm like, "How much, how much?" It's been about a month since Lyon-Martin was set to close, and the clinic's raised enough to make payroll for the month, but not enough to pay off the clinic's entire debt. HARBATKIN: We have received pledges and donations through Paypal. We have received checks. We have received in solidarity gifts... ...like pizza, chocolates and an Edible Arrangement. Not cash, but nice. The point is, once the word got out, the community responded. January 30th fundraiser at the El Rio: $38,000. February 13th Queer Food for Love reception: $4,500. February 27th Oscar Party at Trigger: $2,400. Not to mention the anonymous $50,000 donation through the clinic's maxed-out Paypal account. HARBATKIN: I think the community has said loudly and clearly that this is their clinic. But emergency fundraising isn't going to reverse the clinic's growing number of patients.It's not going to stop state and federal funding cuts. And it's not going to fix the clinic's billing problems. HARBATKIN: I think the scariest part of this for me is that we don't know which way it's going to go, that we're telling patients that we might close, but we might not. Lyon-Martin's back on the clock - the clinic has to raise $500,000, or it will be closed for good, for real. The clinic has asked the city for $150,000 to pay off immediate debts. It's putting together a recovery plan. And the community - well it's asking the Board to match the $300,000 that have already been raised. WEINERT (voicemail): Hello, it's Morgan calling from Lyon-Martin Health Services, giving you an update... With bridge financing from the city and the community, along with a more sound financial plan, the people at Lyon-Martin hope that they can survive the current economic crisis. And those calls won't be necessary, anymore. In San Francisco, I'm Erica Mu for Crosscurrents. Want to know more about transgender health and equality issues?The National Transgender Health Summit is next month in San Francisco, on April 8 and 9. To make donations to Lyon-Martin Health Services, visit their website here. Health, Science and Environment This article originally appeared on KALWNews.org Posted By: KALW News (Email) | March 23 2011 at 06:09 PM Original article

Obama Acts On LGB Transgender Rights

Wars or not, it is time Mr. Obama continues to make good on his campaign promises to the LGBT community. Leave it to Fox (Faux) News to try and sensationalize the headline of an article that is about doing the next right thing. But, of course, Faux News has no idea about doing the next right thing. Their only concern is lining their pocket books with cash. In the Middle of a War, Obama Moves on Transgender Rights The White House announced today that President Obama is proud of the work his administration has done to build international consensus on affirming the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. "President Obama believes that advancing the human rights of minorities and the marginalized is a fundamental American value," the statement read. The president announced that he and the president of Brazil have agreed to "promote respect for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals through the establishment of a special rapporteur on LGBT issues at the Organization of American States." The rapporteur, or investigator, will be the first of its kind in the international system, the White House said. The White House also supported action taken by the United Nations Human Rights Council -- reaffirming a commitment to end acts of violence and human rights abuses on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Original article

Much Needed Litigation Forcing NYC To Recognize Transgender People

This is an issue facing the entire United States and not just New York City. If minds and statutes cannot be changed with education and legislation, then it is time for litigation! March 22, 2011 TLDEF Files Lawsuit Against New York City Over Refusal to Correct Transgender Birth Certificates First-Ever Suit Seeks to Ensure Accurate ID for Transgender People by Removing Surgery Requirement TLDEF announced today that it has filed alawsuit against the City of New York and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene challenging the city's practice of requiring transgender people to undergo surgery before it will issue them birth certificates with corrected sex designations. This is the first lawsuit to challenge a surgical requirement for correcting whether someone is classified as "male" or "female" on a birth certificate. It alleges that the city's surgical requirement is arbitrary, and that it subjects transgender people to harassment and discrimination in violation of the New York City Human Rights Law. The case is brought on behalf of three transgender people born in New York City who have tried to obtain corrected birth certificates. Each submitted medical documentation indicating that the sex designation on their birth certificates is incorrect, but because they have not undergone specific surgical procedures required by the city, officials have refused to provide them with updated, accurate birth certificates. The vast majority of transgender people have not undergone the extensive surgical procedures demanded by the city before it will change the sex designation on birth certificates. Most cannot afford these procedures, and for many, they are medically inappropriate. "A birth certificate is a fundamental form of identification," said Noah Lewis, staff attorney at the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), which is representing the plaintiffs. "By refusing to give transgender people accurate birth certificates that reflect who they are, the city subjects transgender people to harassment and discrimination in areas like employment where ID is essential to proving eligibility to work." Sam Berkley, one of the plaintiffs, is a transgender man. Despite having undergone hormone therapy and surgery, the city has refused to change his birth certificate from female to male because he has not had the specific form of surgery that the city requires. "I've known since I was 5 years old that I'm male," said Mr. Berkley. "I've undergone medical treatment as part of my transition and the medical documentation I submitted from my doctor should be sufficient to get my birth certificate corrected. Until it's corrected, I fear that I'll be subjected to harassment and discrimination whenever I need to present my birth certificate," he added. Joann Prinzivalli, a second plaintiff, has a similar story. Despite being labeled male at birth, Joann knew from earliest childhood that she was a girl. "As a very young child, I desperately wanted to grow my hair long to look like all the other girls. But my parents always insisted that I get my hair cut, and I dreaded that," said Ms. Prinzivalli. "I am a woman. My birth certificate was incorrect when it was filled out, and it is still incorrect today," she added. Ms. Prinzivalli would like to have the surgery that the city requires in order to change her birth certificate, but it has been ruled out by her doctors for medical reasons. "This policy is unfair to me and to other transgender people who just want ID that matches who we are," she added. The third plaintiff, Patricia Harrington, had a long journey before being able to live as her true self. "When I was very young, I was bullied and harassed for behaving like a girl, and I learned very quickly that I would need to suppress my true identity to get through life," Ms. Harrington said. "It wasn't until I was forty years old that I finally started to live freely as a woman. It's been a long journey, and it's important to me that the City correct my birth certificate so that I can present ID that reflects who I am today.” "Proper ID is essential for full participation in society," added Mr. Lewis of TLDEF. "As long as the City discriminates against transgender people by denying them accurate ID, transgender people will continue to be pushed to the margins of society." The cases are JOANN PRINZIVALLI v. THOMAS FARLEY in his official capacity as HEALTH COMMISSIONER OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK CITY BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS, NEW YORK CITY OFFICE OF VITAL RECORDS, NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF HEALTH, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE, and THE CITY OF NEW YORK, Supreme Court, New York County, No. 114372/2009; and SAM BERKLEY v. THOMAS FARLEY in his official capacity as HEALTH COMMISSIONER OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK CITY BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS, NEW YORK CITY OFFICE OF VITAL RECORDS, NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF HEALTH, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE, and THE CITY OF NEW YORK, Supreme Court, New York County, No. 400715/2011. A third Complaint will be filed on behalf of Patricia Harrington in the near future. It is anticipated that the three suits will be consolidated and heard together. Benjamin Edwards, Daniel Gonen, Kapil Longani, and Melissa Weberman serve as co-counsel with TLDEF for Mr. Berkley, Ms. Harrington, and Ms. Prinzivalli. Join Our Mailing List  Privacy Policy Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression, and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.

How ya doin? Transition Your Life Transgender Clinic

How ya doin? Transition Your Life Clinic

Transgender Clinic Please note new day and hours of operation ACCESS AIDS Care welcomes you to Transition your Life Clinic (T.L.C.).  We appreciate your interest in attending the first South Hampton Roads Trans Care Clinic at Park Place Medical Center.  After opening in April 2008, our mission has been to provide transgender people with specialized care that includes free services such as confidential HIV testing, health screenings and prescriptions for hormone therapy.  We want to serve you to the best of our ability and hope that your experience with us will help you with your health care needs. New Operating Day and Hours: Mondays from 4pm to 7pm Location: Park Place Medical Center, located at 3415 Granby Street in Norfolk.  Appointments: Clients are seen by appointment only.  Appointments can be scheduled by contacting the T.L.C. Program Coordinator by emailing tlc@accessaids.org . Walk-Ins are not allowed and a Photo ID and Social Security card are required for intake. Contact Information:  (757) 625-6992, ext. 44 or by emailtlc@accessaids.org .