3/29/14

Right wing "MD Petitions" tells supporter attacking Maryland's new transgender law a possibility

The day after the Maryland house of Delegates passed legislation making discrimination against transgender people illegal, one group has decided to take action against it.

The bill, SB 212 "Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2014" amends the state's law to include gender identity in work place, housing and public accommodations.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the conservative group MD Petitions emailed subscribers telling them:
""The good news is that we don't have to accept this bill as law – there is another way to defeat this terrible bill,"
"The group invented an online process in 2011 for collecting signatures, which allowed them to petition a law to referendum for the first time in two decades. By the 2012 election, MdPetitions.org successfully put three laws onto the ballot: same-sex marriage, the congressional redistricting map, and in-state tuition for certain undocumented immigrants. Voters upheld all three."

The major player in the bills passage the Maryland TransEquality issued this statement by Carrie Evans, Executive Director of Equality Maryland,

 “This is the culmination of a very long and sustained effort by Equality Maryland to ensure transgender Marylanders are included in our state’s anti-discrimination laws. Today’s win is the result of so many people and organizations – transgender individuals and their families showing up and telling their stories year after year, elected officials like Senator Rich Madaleno and Delegates Luke Clippinger, Bonnie Cullison and Joseline Peña-Melynk , many years of dedicated and committed Equality Maryland Board and staff, amazing coalition partners like the Human Rights Campaign and so many more people and organizations that we will highlight in the coming months.”

SB 212 now heads to Governor O’Malley’s desk, who stated at MCTE’s Lobby Day last month, “I am waiting to sign it.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center has
designated "PJI" a hate group
for its campaign using children in their
war against transgender people.
But not everyone is thrilled about the bills passage. House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga told Delmarva now
“We need to know whose safety comes first. We should be very concerned about the safety of women and little girls, because what this allows without striking accommodations are possible predators and pedophiles from going in our women’s restrooms,” said Szeliga R-7-Baltimore County. “I think the rights of women and little girls safety should come before that of anyone else.”

Promoting fear of transgender people using children as a weapon is a time honored tradition of hate mongers and bigots but one that has no basis in reality.

Media Matters "Debunking the big myth about transgender-inclusive bathrooms"


3/28/14

Middletown HR say police did not discriminate against transgender officer

Officer Francesca Quaranta, 46,  began transition in 2011 while employed by the Middletown Connecticut police. In 2013, Quaranta filed a complaint against the department saying they had created a hostile work environment.

Quaranta said the department micro managed her scrutinizing every moment she was on duty. She also said that she was unfairly targeted for her feminine accessories, the same sort that other female officers routinely wore while on duty.



"While officer Quaranta's transgender transition is a new experience for her and the Middletown Police Department, it is believed that the department is handling her transition in a professional manner," Faith Jackson, the city's human relations director, wrote in a letter to the mayor.

Mayor Daniel Drew said he and Police Chief William McKenna made it clear Quaranta was to receive equal treatment and supervising officers received training on the issue. The mayor said a sergeant also was given a 10-day unpaid suspension over a remark he made about her.

"We've taken this very seriously from day one and will continue to take it seriously," he said.
Quaranta said Thursday she disagrees with the city's findings and was not surprised, saying officials want to protect the city from liability.

"I'm hoping that the state of Connecticut is much more open minded and actually looks at documents and actually listens to what I'm saying," Quaranta said.
A Middletown police officer since 2004, she said she loves the job but isn't sure she can return to the department.
"I think the harassment will just continue," she said. "Actually I think it will be much worse this time."


Oregon woman charged with beating her 4 year-old to death because she thought he was gay

Prosecutors: Oregon woman beat 4-year-old son to death because she thought he was gay (via Raw Story )

Prosecutors said an Oregon woman beat her 4-year-old son to death because she feared he was gay. Zachary Dutro-Boggess was hospitalized Aug. 14, 2012, the day after his fourth birthday, with trauma to his abdomen that caused tears to his bowel, and…

3/26/14

Irish Transgender people are outraged over RTÉ sitcom "The Centre"

The 'transgender' character, played by a man in a dress, is the brunt of transphobic jokes
written to have the audience laugh at him according to those who have seen the
premiere. RTE inexplicably defends this saying his part is a positive role model.
Panned by numerous critics the new sitcom's "transgender" character Nuala Mooney played by cisgender male actor Gary Cooke has invoked a twitter outrage and the Irish advocacy group Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) up in arms. The show which just aired has already accumulated 24 complaints which in Ireland are not taken lightly.






From the TENI Webpage:

Among a cast of characters from minority groups, The Centre features Office Assistant Manager Nuala Mooney (played by Gary Cooke) who is described as "a 40 year old pre-op transsexual who's been living as a woman for the past 3 years."

Over the course of the 25 minute show, Nuala's gender identity is referenced and mocked on every occasion she appears on screen.

"The Centre is a throwback to the dark ages of television and RTÉ should do better. Nuala is the stock character of a 'man in a dress' played for cheap laughs. Her appearance and identity are fair game to the other characters on the show and their comments and quips re-enforce every stereotype that exists for trans people in this country," said TENI Chief Executive Broden Giambrone."Not only is she is referred to as 'king kong in a thong' but there are references made to her surgical status, her hormone levels, body hair and adam's apple. At no point is the audience laughing with Nuala, they are laughing at her."

Research shows that trans people have some of the highest rates of attempted suicide in this country with 30% having tried to take their own life at least once. In the same survey, 40% of participants reported that media representation of trans people negatively affected their emotional wellbeing or mental health.
The Centre also targets Travellers, Muslims and a host of other groups that face discrimination in Irish society.

"The Centre masquerades as edgy by poking fun at minority groups. Unfortunately, we see the very real effects of how this type of 'humour' contributes to the marginalisation of the trans community. There is no doubt that negative media representation contributes to pervasive transphobia. This has a direct and detrimental effect on trans people's sense of self-esteem and contributes to their fear of coming out."

The Centre can be seen on RTÉ player: http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10266262/

TENI encourages people to make complaints directly to RTÉ.

RTÉ is obliged under Section 39 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to ensure that:

(c) anything which may reasonably be regarded as causing harm or offence, or as likely to promote, or incite to, crime or as tending to undermine the authority of the State, is not broadcast .

Section 3.4.2 of the BCI Code of Programme Standards states that "Programme material shall not support or  condone discrimination against any person or section of the community, in particular on the basis of age, gender, marital status, membership of the Traveller community, family status, sexual orientation, disability, race or religion."

The complaint should be sent to RTÉ's complaints office:

by e-mail to complaints@rte.ie

I am unable to access the link to the offensive episode the web page responding with numerous excuses. Hopefully this show has been removed by RTE voluntarily without the government forcing them to.

This episode was found on RTE's youtube account. Its really awful.





"The ape in a thong"




Memphis radio station 103 FM Facebook Transpanic comic goes viral

Photo posted by a Memphis radio station
Transphobia sells and the purveyors of hate at this Memphis radio station know it.

The Rock 103 Facebook page has only 40,000 likes but as a quarter of a million talking about it. The radio station's web page is a mix of sexy skimpily clad women in seductive poses, rock bands, and like a cherry on top this Facebook image promoting hatred towards transgender people. Transpanic long used as a legal excuse for murder until the trial of Alan Andrade, who used it unsuccessfully in defense of his killing of Angie Zapata.




3/24/14

Rebecca Juro, Bil Browning, Gay.com and my Donna Rose moment at the LGBTMedia14 Convening

I'm sitting far left at a table alone after the others who were there left (clicks)

Most all of us older trans folks remember the days of us against them. Them being the "Gay.com". Hardly, a day went past without one of us writing about the evil gay.com on our obscure blogs.
Who were we railing against exactly? Well, that would depend on who you asked, but for me, it was the million-dollar machine fed and led by HRC, amplified by their gay media minions.

However, as time went by and our integration and acceptance progressed, I became less aware of any malevolence from within the gay community.

So was all that hyperbolic screeds and rants by transgender people about a monstrous entity inhabiting and directing the gay agenda, just that, rants?

I'm here to tell you from my recent experiences, those things we said, well there was some truth in them... Reflecting on the recent events at the the 2014 LGBT Media convening I had a revelation. There is a monster living just below the facade that Gay.com shows to the world, and it's as verminous as it was years past.

I was invited to attend the 2014 LGBT Media Convening in DC this year. I was very excited about it posting numerous article about it. However, things went awry, I felt disrespected and said so. Later I was asked to be a guest on a internet talk show and posted hoping we could make something positive come of it.

I asked some friends feedback regarding my LGBTMedia14 debacle, and one true and time tested friend told me this:


"Feedback? Your continued surprise makes me feel like I'm in Bill Murray's "Ground Hog's Day". Why you continually engage with people that have a vested interest in creating a gated off area, or glass ceiling is beyond me. Folks like Bil Browning (5...4...3...2...1) and Mike Rogers create one so they can feel better about themselves, exclude other people, and provide cookies to the good boys and girls that mind their manners and play their reindeer games.

Feedback? Either accept you need the acceptance or you need them for some sort of advancement of these people. That with that need from them, you must accept that you have to grovel for the faintest ounce of respect, or wake up.

Why you need the likes of Mara Keisling or Matt Foreman to panel you on ANYTHING related to good journalism, is beyond me.

Feedback? It's Ground Hog's Day again!"

After I was on the Rebecca Juro show talking abouth the LGBTMeda14 Convening the following facebook conversation took place. Clicking the comment part of the facebook link will let you see how Bil Browning deals with those who write articles critical of his media convening.



Juro's radio show, carefully crafted to take apart my observations and assert Gay.com innocence fell apart early on. Juro offered that she knew only a couple of the panel moderators personally but that she was absolutely sure that they couldn't be transphobic through insight gleaned through emails prior to the convening.

OK possibly none of the Moderators are transphobic. I never said any of them were. Possibly, it was a personality conflict. Maybe they just don't like me.

I know what I saw so there must be a reason for the moderators ignoring me.

Then there's the last possibility.

Perhaps someone before of during the convening, maybe those who were in control it, let the moderators know not to call on me. That's very possible. I am a wild card radical.

And Rebecca Juro, I was meaning to ask you something. You approached Mara Keisling, Bil Browning and myself in the lobby of the hotel after the convening. You know as Bil walked backwards and stood 3 feet away near the door? You were very excited saying Bil had asked you to do something.

I think that favor didn't go as planned, but Bil got what he wanted a couple of days ago repeatedly using misogyny on my facebook wall in comments about the interview. Yeah I unfriended him as he knew I would.

That whole thing was really painful. I'm thanking god it didn't happen a few years ago while I was fighting intense hatred in the workplace. I wouldn't have been able to deal with it back then.

But today I can I will say for me anyways, there will be no more groundhog days.

Rebecca Juro