NO ENTRY FOR POOR AND COMMON PEOPLE TO CUBBON PARK AND LALBAGH

(ENTRY RESTRICTED TO ID CARD HOLDING ELITES ONLY)

The Government of Karnataka plans to make ID cards mandatory to enter Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, and that at a cost of Rs 200/person. This is the beginning of the state’s encroachment of people’s right to freely access public spaces and a stage is being set to privatise public commons. All sorts of devious reasons are being flung at the public, including security concerns, morality and misuse of parks by “unnecessary elements”. The manner in which the policy is formulated encourages the particular exclusion of access rights of the urban poor (especially from minorities), street and working children, elderly people, transgenders , migrant workers, labourers, street vendors, drivers of autorickshaws and taxis, differently abled, families with children, etc. The idea of having to carry an ID merely to access these two parks, fundamentally distances them from their unfettered and constitutionally protected Right to Use Public Spaces. This policy also promotes discriminatory access to public spaces as it privileges ‘regular walkers’ and thus negates the very concept of parks as public commons. Simply stated this draconian policy encroaches our very fundamental Right to Live a Healthy Life based on dignified and unfettered access to public spaces. Join the Protest against this fundamental encroachment of Our Right to Access all Public Commons

COME JOIN THIS JUST PROTEST WITH FAMILIES, COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS

Queen’s Statue, Cubbon park, Monday, 30th November, 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm

Protest initiated by Environment Support Group, Slum Jagatthu, CIEDS, Vimochana, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti- Samyojaka (Bangalore Dist.), Sanmathi, Alternative Law Forum, Sangama, Stree Jagruthi Samithi, CIVIC Bangalore, Hasiru Usiru and Open Space.

For more details contact: Environment Support Group,1572, Outer Ring Road, Banshankari 2nd stage, Bangalore-560070 Tel:-91-80-26713559-60 Email:esg@esgindia.org, bhargavi@esgindia.org Website: www.esgindia.org

Rep. Barney Frank talks on the floor of the House about discrimination against our LGBT community. Politics is supposed to be about policy, and is supposed to be a coat-check platform, where emotion and personal ties are left at the door. But I honestly don’t believe we live in that reality any longer.

He tried, but his true self showed through. And, according to me, good on him.

In der letzten Woche habe ich den Passanten wieder mal etwas geboten. Ich sollte mal so langsam überlegen, ob ich nicht Geld dafür nehme.

Das Chrisi-Mobil stand auf dem Hof und klein Chrisi lang quer über die Sitze im Auto um etwas im Fußraum der Beifahrerseite zu richten. Nun ja, da ich aber eine gewisse Länge habe, schauten natürlich die Beine aus der geöffneten Fahrertür hinaus. Eigentlich ja nichts Ungewöhnliches, wenn aber unter der Jeans Beine in Nylons und Füße in Pumps stecken, dann sieht das bestimmt doch ein wenig ungewöhnlich aus.
Ich habe mir darüber erst garkeinen Gedanken gemacht, warum auch. Denn so etwas zu tragen ist für mich vollkommen normal. Aber so im Laufe der Arbeit, kam mir der Gedanke, dass das für die vorbei gehenden Passanten doch vielleciht ein wenig komisch aussehen dürfte. Aber egal, erstens kratz es mich relativ wenig was andere Leute denken und außerdem sind die Nachbarn schon “Kummer” gewohnt.

by Nikki S., Transgender Section columnist

When young Simmie Williams was shot and killed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBS 4 news ran the following headline:

“Gay Teen Gunned Down Dressed As Woman In Ft. Laud, FL”

The article goes on to describe the details of the murder, and questions whether Simmie was the victim of a hate crime:

Source: CBS4 LINK

	Simmie Williams: murdered for daring to cross gender boundaries.

Now, any reasonable person would realize that Simmie was indeed murdered out of hate; the question is, what was it about Simmie that incited such a disgusting, violent reaction? Was it indeed, as the article suggests, because Simmie was “gay” meaning homosexual? Or was it because Simmie, assigned male at birth, dared to present a female appearance and attract male attention? In short, was Simmie killed or being gay, or for being transgendered?

The truth is, it doesn’t matter what category Simmie fits into, or under which type of hate crime legislation his murderers are charged. For more than any other reason, Simmie was killed for daring to cross gender boundaries.

Think about it for a moment, and it will seem a lot clearer. Homophobia is a very real phenomenon, and countless individuals have been subjected to horrifying acts of violence simply for engaging in same-sex activity. But who has the bigger bulls-eye on their forehead? Is it the straight-acting, suit-wearing, buff-and-bearded tough guy, who just prefers the company of men, and is “normal” in every other way? Or is it the effeminate fashion designer, with the tight pants, plucked eyebrows, earrings and eyeliner, “swishing” down the street? Which of these people receives the lion’s share of abuse?

Is it homosexual who follows the rigidly-enforced gender code, or the homosexual that breaks the gender boundary as well, and freely expresses his feminine traits?

The same is true of female homosexuals as well. The feminine, attractive “lipstick lesbian” is revered by society, accepted by nearly everyone, and constantly eroticized by straight men; does her flannel-shirt wearing, make-up rejecting, short-haired sister receive the same respect? Of course not; the “butch dyke” is despised nearly as much as the “flamboyant fag” because she dares to express her masculinity in a way that makes others, particularly men with fragile egos, incredibly uncomfortable. Because she refuses to accept her secondary status in society, she’s ridiculed, rejected and disrespected, by women and men alike.

Transphobia is rampant in our society. A man who dares to go out in public in a sundress and heels is constantly subjected to ridicule, regardless of that person’s sexual preference; nobody stops to ask about sexuality before hurling insults, eggs, or rocks in that person’s direction. Transgendered prostitutes, like other, non-trans sex workers, are routinely attacked and murdered, often in broad daylight, and the police rarely make it a priority to capture the culprits. A transgendered prostitute who is arrested for solicitation is placed in a male prison, making them subject to further violence, particularly rape and sexual assault; the guards will usually passively watch, or even laugh and participate.

The hateful components of society specifically target people who refuse to accept the role that others have assigned to them; the masculine man, or the feminine woman. By choosing to reject these expectations, we put ourselves at tremendous risk. Violence against gender non-conformists rampant, as is discrimination in the workplace, the legal system, and even in politics.

	Nikki S. Photo credit: Goodhandy.com.

We need to end the cycle of violence, speak out against transphobia, homophobia, and all forms of gender-bashing, and realize that the old, outdated stereotypes of masculinity and femininity have no place in a modern society. If we tear apart the gender binary, the patriarchy will come crashing down with it – only then will male privilege begin to wane, and we’ll be one step closer to true equality of the sexes.

That’s another article, for another time – for now, let’s just accept people as people; nothing more, nothing less.

About the writer:

Nikki S. is a transsexual from Toronto, attending University of Toronto for Sexual Diversity Studies and working towards her Master’s in Counselling Psychology. Her goal is to become a psychologist specializing in gender issues and helping others in the GLBT and Trans communities.

She also appears regularly at Goodhandy’s as one of the ‘Diamond Girl’ dancers, and is also involved with several community and political organizations working to improve the lives of transpeople everywhere. Her email is agora_nikki@hotmail.com.

Es ist vollbracht! Eines der beiden benötigten Gutachten für die VÄ habe ich jetzt sicher. One more to go.

Es ist eine Riesenerleichterung diese erste Hürde genommen zu haben und mir war echt hundsübel, als ich mich auf den Weg machte. Das wurde auch in den ersten zehn Minuten beim Gutachter drin nicht besser. Ich hab gezittert wie Espenlaub und hatte kaum genug Atem, um überhaupt sprechen zu können.
Da hab ich dann gefragt, ob alle Leute so nervös wären, wenn sie hier sitzen würden.
Der Gutachter sah überrascht von seinen Notizen auf und meinte, er würde mir das gar nicht anmerken. Er konnte es allerdings nachvollziehen, es sei ja kein freiwilliges Treffen und für mich würde ja einiges von diesem Besuch abhängen und für ihn wäre es auch »seltsam« (ich weiß nicht mehr genau, wie er es formulierte).

Dann folgte eine zweistündige Odyssee durch meine Vergangenheit und ich bin doch froh, dass ich mir (unnötigerweise) die Mühe gemacht habe, einen Trans*lebenslauf zu schreiben, da so doch einiges präsenter war, woran ich mich vielleicht nicht mehr erinnert hätte.
Und als er mich fragte, ob ich mit meinem großen Bruder darum konkurrierte, der bessere/echtere Junge zu sein, musste ich schmunzelnd zustimmen und sagte ihm, dass ich zu dem gleichen Schluss gekommen sei.

Nachdem geklärt war, dass ich auf jeden Fall mein Gutachten bekommen würde (er ist der Meinung, alle sollten den Namen bekommen, mit dem man sich wohlfühlt), wurde das Gespräch dann etwas komplizierter, weil ja z.B. auch die Frage nach der sexuellen Orientierung folgte.
Queer wollte er zuerst nicht so wirklich hinnehmen.

»Wenn Sie ein Mann und sind und eine Freundin haben…«
»Ich bin TG und wenn eine Femme sich ebenfalls als TG definiert…«
»Femme als TG? Das müsste dann ja ein sich als Femme identifizierender Mann sein…«
»Ähm nein, es ist einfach kein Cross-Gender.«
»Ah ja… wieder etwas dazugelernt… Femme als TG, interessant.«

Wir einigten uns darauf, dass ich für die Akte aber auch mit heterosexuell leben kann

Ich hatte ja das Gefühl, sehr viel länger dort gewesen zu sein, als nur zwei Stunden, aber ich war sehr froh und erleichtert, als ich wieder auf die Straße trat. Und nach etwa einer Stunde beflügeltem Hoch, war ich sehr müde – zufrieden, aber müde

by Brianna Austin

	Brianna Austin.

Over the past five years, not a day went by that I didn’t recognize and evaluate my life as a TG. My most profound insights came from getting out and intermingling with all types of people, gay, straight, trans, and tourists – they deserve a category of their own, don’t they? Gaining clarity is not solely from how people interact with us, but rather how we interact with them — in our varying and various degrees of presentation. Did I act or feel different with people depending on whether I presented myself as male or female? The observations aided me in learning about “who I am,” as a person in general, and as a transgender person in particular

When lost, women are pragmatic enough to usually stop and ask directions or look for signs. Do you?

Most of us seem to have at least begun on the gender discovery journey on similar paths. Along the way we rejoice that first day when we realize that there are others in the world just like us: we’re not alone! Yet in large numbers, it also becomes more apparent that “they” are sometimes “not the same as me.” Like most things in life, there are varieties to everything, even transgender people. So while the mainstream can barely comprehend us as a single group, it would scare the hell of them to know that there are many branches to the gender tree.

So, how can one know who they are or where they fit on that tree? First, it is important to understand that you don’t have to “be” any certain way, or fit into any certain space. Unfortunately, most people, both in and outside the community get lost if the box we supposedly belong to isn’t outlined in chalk. My own journey has taken me from one end of the gender spectrum to the other, in and out of various boxes, and for me, although the discovery part of the journey was difficult, the knowing part was harder.

What I mean by that is that once you find the answers to the questions you seek, there is no more exploration needed; only for you to make a decision on how to live the rest of your life based upon that which you have come to know. If the gender journey was a highway we would all recognize many of the stops; “fetish lane”, “Cross Dresser Ave”, “Gender Fluid Parkway” and Transsexual Road.” And although I got off at the last exit so-to-speak, the gender journey isn’t really a roadway at all; it’s a maze, that when you first enter doesn’t appear to have any clear directional signs.

However, when you look at the obvious from a slightly tilted perspective you begin to see things you walked right past at an earlier time. You may be able to make some distinctions based upon what you like to do, but that doesn’t necessarily represent who you are. Discovering who you are is a deeper journey, one that you may or may not want to make. Discovering who you “are” is complicated by the fact that the lines are blurred and at the same time you often are also trying to untangle your sexual orientation as well. “Am I a straight man that likes to cross dress, a gay man in denial, a lesbian, or am I attracted to men because I’m a straight woman”? There are as many combinations as there is imagination, and the deeper you go the more complicated it becomes. So, one might ask, “How do I find my way”?

Since we emulate — or in some cases feel we are – woman, we should follow their example. When they find themselves in an unfamiliar place they simply stop and ask directions, or follow the posted signs. Throughout the maze there are many people to talk to, and signs to follow. But, like any one taking a survey can attest to, the answers you get are only as good as the questions you ask.

Some people aren’t really looking for the truth of them, but rather are looking to validate the fantasy they’re chasing. If you are not open to the truth of who you are and not willing to go wherever that path leads, then odds are you won’t see any of the signs along the way. But, if you are open, then there are signs everywhere. No doubt most of you have had, or thought about having, sex with men. Of those that do, many will state that they only enjoy men “as a woman,” therefore they are straight.

Sometimes people can get so caught up in the label being “straight,” or “gay” that they miss the substance and significance of what any of it means. If you’re engaging in sexual activity, then you should be asking yourself what it is that you’re enjoying about it. Are you trying to “feel” more female by emulating what woman do? Are you enjoying the sexual act – detached from the role it represents? Have you engaged in sexual activity with a woman when you were emulating one? And if not, why? And if so, then why do you need or want to have sex with men?

Other thoughts would include analyzing your attraction to woman. Do you want to be with them in a lustful way, or do they simply catch your eye and make you feel fuzzy inside because you appreciate and want to be them? Surprisingly, differentiating between the two is not as easy as it sounds. When you are in a relationship with a woman, do you find yourself critiquing her? Always checking out her clothes, her movements, or her physical attributes: face, lips, legs, rear or shoulders? Perhaps you are living vicariously through her, because in some way she is who you believe you are (as a woman) or want to be.

These are questions that can last for years and require repeated investigation to find an answer. But many times getting to the core of your sexual orientation can actually help you determine your gender identity. When you concentrate your mind on one thing clarity can suddenly appear for another. When you finally do get all the answers about yourself, then all that will be left to decide is, “What do I do about it?

As always, be happy, be safe, and think pretty.

About the writer:

Brianna Austin is co-author of “I’d Do It Again,” a free lance writer, and publisher of TG Life, LINK, a website by, for and about the transgender community.

Your mind is like a parachute – it works best when it is open

by Shelby DeSouza

	Shelby DeSouza.

The number of heterosexual men who admit to a curiosity about or preference for T-Girls (transsexuals, transvestites, she-males, etc.), has grown significantly and quite steadily in the last few years, due mostly to increased media and internet exposure, as well as a growing acceptance among mainstream culture.

Shows such as Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake, as well as the introduction of the world wide web, allowed for a huge amount of information on the subject to be available to a large number of people, which in turn led to more people, particularly straight men, becoming interested in knowing more.

In fact, based on internet and street surveys conducted in Toronto during the years going back to about 1998, the percentage of ‘straight males’ 18+ with an interest in, or a past experience with a T-Girl, went from being the minority (30-40%) to the very large majority (70% +). Other information would also indicate that this is a worldwide trend, with the most general acceptance coming from North America and some countries in Europe.

It seems that straight men, young and old, from all walks of life , ethnic and cultural backgrounds, just seem to be fascinated with T-Girls and that ‘something extra’ they offer.

And contrary to what some men mistakenly believe, attraction to T-Girls does not mean that they might be gay, since the attraction is to femininity. In fact, there are very few homosexual males who are attracted to transsexuals in a sexual way. This is because most gay men are attracted to masculinity, which is the complete opposite of what most T-Girls aspire to be, which explains why so many straight men find overtly feminine T-Girls so attractive.

Now, despite this growing social acceptance, there is still a degree of confusion among most people as to what different terms referring to transgendered individuals can mean, so in order to better understand what the more common terms are, here are some basic definitions:

T-Girls – general blanket term for all transgendered males. For simplicity, all terms here will refer to males who were born with a fully functioning penis, although females can also be transgendered.

Transvestites - a biological male who derives pleasure from dressing fully in women’s clothing, wearing makeup, etc. Being homosexual or heterosexual has nothing to do with it. In fact, a larger percentage of transvestites identify themselves as heterosexual. It is more a matter if identifying with the femininity aspect. This can be sexual in nature, or not.

Cross-dressers - similar to a transvestites, this term usually can mean a biological male who likes to wear, and is aroused by items of female clothing, as opposed to dressing completely. Many heterosexual men, for instance, like to wear female underwear underneath their male clothing when going out. There is a certain degree of daring which can be arousing in itself. More and more, nowadays, straight men are becoming in touch with their feminine side, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they wish to become female through surgery, but simply that the feminine symbolism of the clothing arouses them. .

Drag Queens - usually refers to female impersonators / performers who dress in female clothing for performance, more so than for a sexual fetish or arousal. Some performers choose to emulate famous female stars or singers by dressing to look just like them, and lip-syncing to a popular song done by the celebrity. Most drag queens, although not all, are homosexual and can identify with the female perspective.

Transsexuals / She-males - can mean a biological male who chooses to take female hormones and sometimes, have breast implants, while still having a male organ. Due to hormones, this can sometimes mean a degree of impotence in the individual, although this is not the case for all transsexuals.

Pre-Op - simply means a transsexual who has been on hormones, has some breast development due to hormones or breast implants and lives full-time as a female, but has not had any ‘bottom surgery’, meaning a sex-change (turning the penis into a vagina), but is preparing for it. This is perhaps the fastest growing segment of the transgendered population, since most breast implant procedures have now become affordable to more people with shorter down-time in the hospital. Although, the majority of pre-ops eventually have their complete sex-change, many choose to just have breast implants and keep their penis.

Post-Op - a transsexual who has gone from being born male with male sex organ, to taking hormones and then having complete surgery (top and bottom) and now lives full-time as a female with breasts and a vagina. There is also a certain amount of required psychological and medical counselling to prepare the individual for life as the opposite sex.

Hermaphrodite - perhaps the most misunderstood term in use, when referring to transsexuals. A Hermaphrodite is actually born with both sex organs, sometimes choosing to be either exclusively male or female as they develop during puberty, by taking hormones and adapting to their chosen sexual identity. Hermaphrodites can be heterosexual or homosexual, and can look like any other male or female, from outward appearances, although research on the subject or any statistics are sometimes hard to come by.

So, is this a new trend, or just one that is finally becoming more openly accepted by society?

Well, looking back through the decades, it becomes very apparent, that T-Girls have always held some degree of interest, although many years ago, it was considered acceptable only in a comedic context (e.g. Milton Berle in drag on nightly television, or the 1960s cross-dressing caper, “Some Like It Hot”), and although T-Girls have always been a part of popular culture, through most of the last century, it has only been in the last few years that they are seen as more overtly sexual, as opposed to a source of comedy.

This is reflected in the popular media, which has had more films with respectable T-Girl roles in the last few years. “Transamerica” and “Pricilla: Queen of the Desert” although somewhat comedic, did show a more serious human side to the struggle of the transsexual in society. This respect then bled into real-life when both films received nominations for the lead roles (one for best actress and one for best actor, but its a start).

So as more T-Girls become more comfortable about being themselves, and realize how many heterosexual men. and even some women (straight and lesbian) are attracted to them, it seems possible that in 50 years, a straight male or female dating a transsexual will be as common as an interracial or gay couple. One can only hope that the predjudices held today by some, although decreasing, will become a very small minority in the near future.

About the writer:

Shelby DeSouza.

Shelby DeSouza is a university-educated aspiring writer in Toronto with a film production and business background, who also works in the Adult Entertainment Industry. Shelby is working to reduce ignorance and educate people about gender preferences and stereotypes through informative writing. After almost 5 years of personal research, including online and street surveys, she has compiled a fair amount of information on the subject.

If you would like to find out more about Shelby or the subject of T-Girls in Today’s Society, as well as links to Safe Sex and Fetish websites, check out, LINK or e-mail sable_tv@hotmail.com.

And remember, “Your Mind is like a Parachute; It works Best when its Open.”

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by Brianna Austin

	Brianna Austin.

Faced with confrontation, what’s a TG girl to do?

I was walking down Broadway in Manhattan — a small group of friends in tow – when just as I crossed

West 22nd Street I heard a voice shout out, “Hey, beautiful, is that an Adam’s Apple you have”? I turned, with a grin upon my face and saw four or five guys in their late-20s, sitting in their compact car (no doubt part of the “bridge-and-tunnel-crowd” that descend upon Manhattan from New Jersey, Connecticut and the other New York boroughs each weekend) laughing as they waited for the light to change.

Honey, that’s the least of what I have,” I said with a giggle, prompting them to laugh once more. We then engaged in a playful banter for the next few moments. Were they initially laughing at me? Perhaps, though I wasn’t sure, but, now, they were laughing with me. As the light changed they pulled off with a parting, “you’re pretty cool, have a great night!” And so I did.

Since I had walked out of the closet so many years ago, encounters like these had become a regular occurrence for me. I don’t necessarily go looking for them; but it’s pretty hard not to find them when you’re walking down the street in a pink, spaghetti strap, Gucci mini-dress and matching spiked sandals. And though things don’t always go so smoothly, I have to say that most times they do.

For all the remarks that are aimed at me, I never took any of them too seriously. Several of my friends were offended at the Adam’s Apple remark, and given the chance would have opted for a simple, “Fuck you,” or some other aggressive response. But it seems to me that many of the guys who are arrogant with TG girls are often insecure within themselves to start with, making for a potentially explosive situation. So, when met with head on anger it is a breeding ground for physical confrontation. Leaving me to wonder why any TG would risk the possibility of physical harm as their first course of action? What purpose could such an action provide?

Even if I had taken an aggressive stance, met a physical confrontation head on, and emerged victorious, what is the prize? The odds are higher that I would have ruined my new shoes rather than changed anyone’s views about me. Not to mention that the rest of the evening I would have been all worked up emotionally, only to have me right back where it all started anyway.

That’s not to say that I take everything that comes along, because sometimes, you just have to stand your ground. But I at least try to give the antagonist a way out by trying to ease the tension first. If it doesn’t work, then sometimes you have to decide your next option. In fact later that same night, outside of Centro Fly, the club we were en route to, another fellow yelled out from his SUV, as he was waiting to park.

Again – with a smile – I found myself in a verbal banter; however, this time was different. This guy was hostile and arrogant. The more my remarks brought laughs from his friends, the angrier he became. But, I never downgraded him; I only made light of the situation. It is easy to keep a lighthearted mood if you don’t allow people under your skin.

By realizing that their words don’t define you, but only them, makes that easier to do. Someone calling me a freak, fairy or jerk doesn’t necessarily make me those things; but does define them for saying it. With every insult he threw, I tossed back something light and easy, until finally, when he had been verbally out jousted long enough, he screamed, “ I’m gonna kick your ass fagot!”

What was I to do? My friends were quite stunned when I reached down and took my shoes off, looked at him and quietly said, “OK, come on. How bad a beating I give you will depend on how dirty you get my dress.” He stood there a long minute, absorbing the words, and finally, cracked a smile and started to laugh. And that was that.

Maybe he realized how ridiculous the whole affair was, or perhaps he suddenly realized that had he lost his friends would never have let him live it down. Still, right until the very end I kept offering him a way out through humour, and just in time, he took it. Confronting someone is always a last resort however, and only if you’re confident you can handle the situation. Otherwise just walk away: use your head, not your ego. Believe me, I have walked away from many hostile situations where I felt that I was in danger.

For the most part I have found that being candidly transgender disarms people. Straight guys love to yell, “You’re a guy,” or something to that effect. But, when you shrug it off as though “Your point being,” what else is there really left for them to say? Their punch line came and went, and had no effect. When they then know that you know that they know, everyone is more comfortable. That doesn’t imply abusing yourself for their sake, but rather making light of the obvious.

There are times when being TG can be funny, and onlookers shouldn’t be expected to pretend that something out of “their” ordinary hasn’t occurred. When someone yells out, “Hey, you’re a guy,” that’s an observation not necessarily an insult. And even if it is first intended to be, most people chuckle when my friend Dahlia would counter, “Thanks for reminding me, I had almost forgotten.”

In the end, we are new to people in the mainstream, and many, especially young straight guys, are intimidated and insecure. So, to cover it up they try their hand at an insult for laughs. Our society breeds contempt and insult, just watch any of the late night talk shows. So I say, there is too much drama in the world already, why add to it. Does it make you feel better to be hostile in trying to make a statement? Get over it, and make your point by example: live and let live with a smile. Even if the other person is a little slow to grab the idea, usually they’ll realize how silly they are acting in time. Besides, wouldn’t you rather be trying on a new pair of shoes?

Until next time, be happy, be safe, and always think pretty.

About the writer:

Brianna Austin is co-author of “I’d Do It Again,” a free lance writer, and publisher of TG Life, LINK, a website by, for and about the transgender community.

Become a member of The Canadian Tgirl Newspaper, with your donation-pledge. Help support independent, progressive, and not-for-profit journalism.

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I’m still under a turkey induced coma. So here’s Dan Savage on how to maintain a long-term relationship.

My favorite line: “People who buy dairy cows and do not milk them can be arrested on animal cruelty charges. People who acquire husbands and boyfriends and do not keep their balls drained should be arrested on animal cruelty charges.”

It’s probably not safe for work so watch it after the jump.

by Brianna Austin

	Brianna Austin.

If in fact being transgender is a biological trait, like having blue eyes or blond hair, does that relieve us of this heavy load?

What if it came to light that you really weren’t a woman in spirit? That none of this transgender life is about “being” a woman in a man’s body, but rather just thinking you were? And what if that thought (of being and feeling female) was biologically “hard wired” into your brain? How would that make you feel? Are you happy that this can no longer be considered an action of choice, or does it make you sad knowing that “being wired biologically” means it is likely something you will never be able to change?

Most of us have spent our entire lives wondering, “What’s wrong with me?” And then after decades of purge and repeat behaviour, mixing shame, guilt and the need to search our soul for the truth of these internal feelings of self identity, some of us have slowly learned to accept in ourselves that which society often mocks, or worse, condemns. If in fact being transgender is a biological trait, like having blue eyes or blond hair, does that relieve us of this heavy load?

Transsexuals, prior to Gender Re-assignment Surgery (GRS), have often described themselves as woman trapped in the body of a man. And although I feel the same way — and used that explanation as the best analogy to explain what being transgender felt like — I still could never reconcile what that really meant beyond theory in my own mind. When we say, “I am a woman,” are we referring to the current essence of our soul? Or perhaps we have the memories from a previous female life existence? Or is our (societies) notion of life and existence simply wrong, and gender expression merely another form of experience as I have previously explored.

Abstract thoughts like these fascinate me, and I actively participate in “what if” scenarios all the time. But beyond the rhetoric of the conversation, what does any of it mean in the practical sense?

I have friends that have transitioned and currently live the fulltime lives of the woman they have become. But were they woman all along? Some say yes, while others say no. Transsexuals (often thought of as those that have graduated transgender camp) are split in two on the issue and have drawn a line in the sand. There are two common positions that have been recited to me repeatedly:

• 1. Some say that they were transgender woman when they were women living in a man’s body, but post-op no longer are, suggesting that now they are simply women, no different than any other biological woman, and therefore, no longer trans.
  2. Others identify as women, but recognize that the mere fact that they were born into a male body makes them different from a biologically born female.

For the sake of this article let’s refer to them both by the acronym “WODO” (Woman of a different origin).

A biological female has lived her whole life female. Beginning from early childhood she evolved through adolescence into adulthood. Many WODO’s on the other hand simply “become” woman midstream. Does this make a difference? Some WODO’s will argue that they have been women since birth, just trapped in a male body due to a cosmic mistake. Did being predominately male (even if they were just pretending and playing the part) have an impact on the woman they are to become?

Another position by some WODO’s is that they can never really be 100% woman (even though they have an almost exact replica of a female body to accompany their female mind and spirit), because they didn’t have the life experience of a woman. They certainly are no longer male and therefore, by default, are transsexual women.

It has been theorized for some time that being transgender and/or homosexual, is something you are born with, not something you learn, or acquire a taste for (no pun intended.) Recently, scientific reports are emerging that support these theories, linking transsexualism to biological conditions that occur during the “hormone spray,” in the womb. In 1995 Dutch researchers discovered that a structural difference existed within the brains of men and (M>F) transsexuals. A small cluster of cells in the brain — the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) – is smaller in transsexuals (as it is in women) than in men.

Researchers also announced links between certain genes and sexual orientation, which it says is also hard wired into the brain. Perhaps with the advances of medical sciences, we will come to know for sure the reason for our actions. So in the future when people say, “How come you are transgender, we can simply say, “Because I was just born that way.”

As always, be happy, be safe, and think pretty.

About the writer:

Brianna Austin is co-author of “I’d Do It Again,” a free lance writer, and publisher of TG Life, LINK, a website by, for and about the transgender community.

Become a member of The Canadian Tgirl Newspaper, with your donation-pledge. Help support independent, progressive, and not-for-profit journalism.

The recent decision of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) disqualifying Ang Ladlad to participate in the coming 2010 elections as partylist representing the Lesbian, Gays, Transgendered and Bisexual (LGBT) community on the basis of being “immoral and threat to the youth” is reeking with extreme discrimination. TLF Sexuality, Health and Rights Educators Collective (TLF SHARE), a non-government organization working for GBT people condemns this decision as utmost violation of the rights of the LGBT community to participate in governance and decision making. This decision further stigmatizes and places the LGBT people at the mercy of bigotry and hatred.

TLF SHARE believes that the COMELEC has no credibility to talk about morality when in a lot of cases it was an instrument of political manipulation and distortion of the real will of the people. COMELEC’s lack of integrity and credibility is the real threat to the youth and their future. TLF SHARE strongly believes that the desire of the LGBT community to participate in a democratic exercise is guaranteed by the Constitution and globally accepted human rights principles and statutes.

This act of bigotry makes a national anti-discrimination legislation more compelling. We therefore call on Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III, Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives to schedule a hearing and deliberation of the proposed Anti-Discrimination Bill filed by AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros, which has been “gathering dust” in his committee. A congressional action to provide a remedy to COMELEC’s bigotry is urgent.

TLF SHARE, furthermore, calls on its allies, friends, and members of the LGBT community to make a collective stand against this arbitrary and homophobic decision of the Commission on Elections. This kind of decision and even institution has no place in a diverse humane, caring and respectful society that TLF SHARE envisions for everyone.”

Das Abstimmungsergebnis im Bundesrat ist enttäuschend

Zum Ergebnis der heutigen Abstimmung im Bundesrat über den gemeinsamen Antrag der Länder Berlin, Bremen und Hamburg zur Ergänzung des Art. 3 Abs. 3 Grundgesetz um das Merkmal „sexuelle Identität” erklärt Axel Hochrein, Sprecher des Lesben- und Schwulenverbandes (LSVD):

Das Abstimmungsergebnis im Bundesrat ist enttäuschend. Das letzte Wort ist damit aber keineswegs gesprochen. Jetzt ist der Bundestag aufgefordert, sich der Gleichstellung von Lesben, Schwulen und Transgender auch im Grundgesetz anzunehmen. Die Blockade der Gleichstellungsverweigerer im Bundesrat muss aufgebrochen werden.

Die Argumentation der Gleichstellungsverweigerer, das Grundgesetz biete bereits ausreichenden Schutz vor Diskriminierung, ist ebenso unverschämt wie verlogen. Die gleichen schwarz-gelben Landesregierungen haben bislang nicht einmal die eklatante Ungleichbehandlung von gleichgeschlechtlichen Lebenspartnerschaften in ihrem Landesrecht beseitigt. Sie wollen sich ein Recht auf Diskriminierung vorbehalten.

Dennoch gibt es in der Bundesratsdebatte auch positive Signale: Erstmalig in der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik haben Regierungen wie Hamburg und Saarland, an denen CDU und FDP mitbeteiligt sind, für eine Ergänzung des Grundgesetzes um das Merkmal der sexuellen Identität gestimmt. Auch der Rechtsausschuss des Bundesrates hatte eine Annahme empfohlen.

Wichtig ist, dass die Positionierung der CDU in Hamburg und im Saarland sich letztlich innerhalb der Union bundesweit durchsetzt, genauso wie die Position der FDP im Saarland die restliche Partei überzeugen sollte, der rechtlichen Gleichstellung von Lesben, Schwulen und Transgendern auch die verfassungsmäßige Absicherung nicht zu verweigern. Die Kampagne für ein Diskriminierungsverbot geht weiter. Die heutige Bundesratsentscheidung beweist, wie notwendig das ist.

Quelle: LSVD – Pressestelle, Pressesprecherin Renate H. Rampf, Chausseestr. 29, 10115 Berlin, http://www.lsvd.de

Siehe auch die Pressemitteilung von Volker Beck, MdB

Me on Day 141

MY NEWS TODAY:

From today and for the remainder of the year, I am reducing my hormone and anti androgen blocker, For the Hormone I am reducing from 6-mg Progynova to 2 mg Progynova and the Cypreterone Acetate I am reducing from 50-mg a day to 25-mg a day.

I am doing this for 2 reasons, the 1st reason is health, I am not sure how healthy it is for me to be on such a huge dose, and 2nd the reduced dosage will stretch my present supply much longer, thus saving money. With not working, and jobs scarce on the horizon I am not sure if I will be able to afford a full dose each month I am here, so I am doing this.

I have been suffering from debilitating chronic fatigue and mood swings, I am not sure why, I wonder if it has to do with the hormones, so with the reduction I am hoping to moderate the highs and lows I have been suffering from.  I know that this is a form of self medication, but what can I do, I am not in the UK yet..

MY OTHER NEWS:

My great news is, I was chatting last night online with a wonderful woman in the UK, from Manchester, and we got onto the subject of work or rather the lack of work, and the fact the both of us are unemployed, I mentioned that I was a video editor and I would like to at some point get into the UK industry, and she said her neighbour or a friend has been commissioned by the BBC to edit a nature programme, and said that if I know my stuff there is a great chance of finding work…

This is such huge news as I really want to get into editing for the BBC, that will be huge.. Make it worthwhile to learn the software.

So I am giving myself a few weeks to allow the reduced dose to have an affect to see if I become less tired, and the mood swings are reduced in the poles.

So until I know anything I am going to try and learn the software, and I wonder if my friend can help me and maybe direct me towards an area I should close in on, maybe specialise in a certain part of the suite or be a general editor. I don’t know I am confused about this.

Later Alligator

Justine Paula

by Angela Gardner

	Lucy is a teen transsexual who was born a male called Richard. Photo credit: BBC-TV.

As the editor of a weekly online magazine for transgendered people called TGForum.com, LINK I scan the news of the world to bring our readers stories about TG people interacting in society. Many months ago I was delighted to see an article in the Chatham Daily News, published out of Chatham, Ontario about a workshop for women’s shelters that was devoted to how shelters should deal with transsexual women who need aid. It was good to see that the shelters were open to learning about women who are differently gendered and that they realize that their mission is to help any woman who needs it regardless of her gender status.

Several years ago I was a guest speaker at a women’s shelter here in Philadelphia in the United States, where I spoke first to the staff and then did a presentation and answered questions from the shelter residents. The women in the shelter needed to feel safe; and to feel safe they needed to understand that any transsexual who came to the shelter seeking help was not any different than them — she would be a person who needed help. After my presentation several of the women said they now felt better about one of the residents, who, until then, they had been perceiving as a “man in a dress.” They now knew that she was another woman, different, but still in need of the shelter’s services.

Delilah Vaniity Kotero is a famous transsexual.

Often transsexual women fall into unemployment after they have announced their intention to change their outward gender presentation.

An employee who has been considered a good worker as a man, suddenly becomes “an unsatisfactory employee” when ‘he’ becomes ‘she‘. And often there is no way for the TS employee to appeal. This has been changing over the past few years andm TG activist groups around the USA continue to work toward federal legislation that will make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender orientation. But legal protections are only spotty at this time, and a safety net is needed for those who lose their jobs after coming out as transsexual and sliding down the economic ladder to the bottom rung. So, that’s why it’s good to see women’s shelters calling for workshops on differently gendered clients. Think how nice it would be if all employers would take the time to attend workshops on gender issues and help educate their employees about them instead of firing people who difference might cause a problem. Transgendered people are everywhere and it makes more sense to see them as useful parts of society than it does to marginalize them and make more work for the shelters.

About the writer:

Angela.

Angela Gardner is the Managing Editor of TGForum.com, former Editor of LadyLike magazine and past Executive Director of The Renaissance Transgender Association, Incorporated. She can be reached via email at: LINK.

Become a Member:

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by Brianna Austin

	Brianna Austin.

There are many crossdressers that are sure that by hiding their dressing desires that they are “protecting” their wives and or girlfriends. But are they protecting the women they supposedly love, or themselves?

Many CDs are simply too embarrassed to acknowledge the truth about their crossdressing desires with the female they love. They hardly understand it themselves, so how are they supposed to explain it to someone else? But being trans is not something you do (unless you’re a fetishist, which may be driven by things other than gender identity); it is something you are, and as such, by locking it away in the closet you’re wife (or girlfriend) only knows you as a fragmented person, not the complete person you are.

Many crossdressers learn to become liars and manipulators of the truth to avoid the humiliation of having their secret discovered.

Truth can be hard. Especially when it requires telling someone you are in love with something you’re embarrassed about. Fear is ever present; the fear she will look down on you, the fear that she will no longer want to — or be able to — love you, the fear that she will leave you. At the same time, to make her an unwilling participant in a secret life she is unaware of, which at some point in time will reveal itself anyway, is cruel and unfair. After all, you are allowing her to build a life based on a misconception about who you are as an individual, and who you are together as a couple. The concept that you’re “protecting” her is just another lie that you convince yourself of. In truth you’re protecting yourself at her expense.

Ultimately from every account I have ever heard wives and girlfriends in long term relationships ultimately find out anyway, probably because most TGs subconsciously want them to know. So do it in the beginning so that “if” you are going to have a relationship it begins with honesty and grows in truth. Otherwise when she does find out it shatters everything she thought you were, and everything you had together. She will likely feel bewildered and betrayed. You will have tricked her into a false understanding of who you are, and how could she ever really trust you again?

Truth does not always result in happy endings however. I know this from personal experience. Yet even through unhappy endings I am still a fan of truth at all costs, because the little white lies we tell to hide our secret lives can evolve into habits of deception that permeate other areas of our lives, sometimes without us even realizing it.

I wrote a song many years ago and the lyrics seem relevant here:

Everyone of us has known sadness
Everyone of us has known what it is to cry
Always chasing love, never knowing quite why

Know why you seek love from the beginning. Ask yourself why you are looking for a relationship with this woman. Is it love, lust or validation?

It has been said that doing the right thing is hard. But its not. Knowing the right thing is what’s hard. But once you know what the right thing is, you’ll find yourself compelled to do it. We did not choose to be trans, but we can choose how to deal with it in our lives. We can choose to tell those that we want to share our lives the truth, with love and honesty.

She then has a right to feel however she feels about it, and we cannot and should not try to control that. She may be shocked, horrified, amused or a host of other things. But in the end, if with the truth you are accepted anyway, then you have a real relationship, based on who you are, and if not, you never did, and never will.

As always, be happy, be safe, and think pretty.

About the writer:

Brianna Austin is co-author of “I’d Do It Again,” a free lance writer, and publisher of TG Life, LINK, a website by, for and about the transgender community.

Become a Member:

Would you like to see other similar articles and critical commentaries in The Canadian National Newspaper? Then, show your support. Make a member-pledge donation, in support of the Membership Drive of the Pro-Democracy Media Foundation.

The Canadian can only continue to publish investigative articles in such areas, with the donations from members of the public in Canada, the U.S., and abroad. Consider making a donation of $50.00, $75.00, $100.00, $200.00 or more. Donors are eligible to receive our first collector’s print edition in mail. Alternatively, you can send us a note to be placed on our special email list of members. Member-donors can also suggest articles or commentaries to be published in The Canadian.

The Canadian is a socially progressive and not-for-profit national newspaper, with an international readership. We provide an alternative to the for-profit commercial focused media, which often censors vital information and perspective of potential interest to the diverse Canadian public, and other peoples internationally.

Become a member of The Canadian, with your donation-pledge. Help support independent, progressive, and not-for-profit journalism.

I have a friend who needs the community’s support. And we need his leadership.

A few months ago, while waiting for the start of the True Diversity Dinner, collecting myself in preparation for hosting the event, a stranger walked over to where I was sitting and randomly handed me a note card containing the names of every elected official in attendance. I was aware of most of the names, and had already planned on mentioning everyone. But there were a few important people who I had no idea had shown up, and all of a sudden, there they were, neatly compiled on the note card now sitting in front of me. This gentleman knew very well – better than I did – that it’s easier than you might think to blank on names while on stage (or during Katie Couric interviews), and he didn’t want me to leave anyone out; wanted to make sure the event went smoothly. Even after years of experience on stage, I had managed to space on a general rule. That’s how I met Christopher Constant. He had my back even before I knew his name.

Well, now Christopher wants to stand up for this community. He’s tired of the LGBT community being Jerry Prevo’s punching bag. He believes in this city and this state and thinks it’s about time that we drag that stubborn right foot out of the dark ages. Yesterday, I received this email from him:

“Please come support the effort to organize a campaign to elect an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender Alaskan elected official. To the best knowledge of everyone I know, Alaska has never elected an OUT gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender candidate elected to public office. NOW IS THE TIME.

I (Christopher Constant) have been invited and given a scholarship to the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute’s candidate and campaign training coupled with the 25th annual LGBT International Leadership Conference in San Francisco, Dec 2 – Dec 6, 2009.

I was awarded a $1,200 scholarship for the training. I have invested my own treasure substantially. I am hoping you can come and share a small bit of your treasure to help cover the rest of the cost. I could use your help.

People have asked what seat I am planning to run for. This effort is bigger than me. It is about electing a candidate. It may be me, but I have no plans in the next two years of running. Instead, I intend to take the time to organize so that when 2012 rolls around, the effort has more chance of success.

http://www.glli.org/training/candidate_campaign
http://www.victoryfund.org/files/conference2009/glli.html

I have consulted with APOC and because this campaign is neither connected with a specific candidate nor a specific piece of legislation, I don’t have to say ‘Paid for by’ anybody.”

This is a huge step forward for our community. Leadership needs to be built from the bottom up, or else you end up with a few folks, who were already at the top, in control of those at the bottom. Alaska is known for it’s established, corrupt leadership; in government and religious institutions alike. We have a lot of great people working to change that, but they need our committed support, as well as a steady flow of reinforcements. This is an uphill struggle against very well rooted opposition, as many here in Anchorage most recently saw over the summer during the battle for equality, which failed due to fear mongering from certain radio personalities, bused in masses from Wal*churches like the Anchorage Baptist Temple, Change Point, and the Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla, and a final veto from a Mayor who knows a little something about dynastic privilege.

There is a good chance that we will lose some key seats on the Assembly this April if we don’t start to dig our heels in and fight back against the “sky is falling” mentality that is already spreading faster than the lies that created it. This is a time to connect with each other, strengthen bonds, educate, prepare. It takes a strong character to have the courage to vocally stand up and fight, but that’s exactly the medicine that we so desperately need.

You may not know him yet, but Christopher Constant already has your back.

I’ll personally be donating $100 to his effort, and it would mean a lot to me, personally, and a lot of other people if you came down and showed support as well. Twenty bucks, five bucks; a beer and well wishes. Whatever you can afford.

Monday night, 6-8pm at Mad Myrna’s, 503 East 5th Avenue, downtown Anchorage.

I truly hope to see you there.

Did I mention the problem with epilating one’s legs? Not the – don’t do that problem! – but the problem with hairs growing under the skin as they head for the light. My lady GP suggested using an exfoliating wash with one of those balls of nylon mesh. This did reduce the problem a bit, but the thing that cured the problem, was using one of those ‘silky mitts’ – sandpaper for rubbing your legs. Used every few days, it keeps the hair holes open, so they pop out, ready for the next waxing. Some of them don’t re-grow, and I’ve lost two thirds of my shin hair. I keep hoping the rest will give up too – LoL.
You know those little homilies that people add to there signatures, which can be quite entertaining, as you browse the forums and blogs – a recent fave; Only dead fish go with the flow. Well, my best favourite one, that I’ve seen being used on Angels Forum is – It’s easier to get forgiveness, than to get permission – and that is so like life, as we, (I), know it. I do do things on a whim, on the spur of the moment, without a thought for consequences etc. If I stop to think or plan – then it’s not going to happen – I’ll get cold feet first -LoL.
Lists were to the forefront earlier recently, – we were talking about a list of ‘Firsts’ and I said I could only manage a couple of items if I tried hard. Tina knew I must have more than that, and I must admit, I was exaggerating my lack of ‘firsts’ for editorial effect. Some of my firsts were oncers; for example, I’d been to ma’s, and headed back to my sister’s-in-law place via Tescos, and I had come away with a top and bra. So as it was a dark, 5 pm on a late winter’s afternoon, I put them on and went for a stroll around New Romney. I just adored the frisson, and only got one strange look, when I got sussed getting back into my car.
The current trend among my lovely bloggers is fascinating too. Tina was chatting about respect, which is a key word in our family – something we tried to instil into the terrible trio – and we blame the ills of the world on lack of respect. I was chattering about wanting some acceptance, and Demi has been chatting about the responsibilities we have for our partners and families. The subjects are all interlinked I think, as we all need a bit of all three. Looks like you’ve got homework again.

Hugs to you all, Anna.

TRIGGER WARNING: Discussion of hate crime. Have tried to keep it down to what’s in the article.

FULL DISCLOSURE: The writer is a queer, genderqueer, biologically female, disabled, fat, person, and therefore may have an agenda. So may mainstream media sources.

So, I visited those news sites that don’t have trigger warnings and are often not the most aware places in the world, the nicer variety of those (BBC and Guardian), and I found this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8378817.stm

It is an article on how the UK has the largest number of reported hate crimes, and how it might not really. I’m not really sure what to make of it. My cynicalprogressive brain thinks that parts of it seem to be leaning towards the political-correctness-gone-not-quite-mad-we’re-the-BBC-but-progressing-more-than-we-would-like and it seems to want to shift the attention towards “anti-social behaviour”. I also don’t like the following extracts:

Earlier this year the case of Fiona Pilkington, who killed herself and her 18-year-old disabled daughter Francecca after being hounded by local youths in their home at Barwell, Leicestershire, saw their plight described by disability groups as a hate crime.

Neighbour Anne Jones told The Report she had no doubt her old friend was targeted because of her disabled daughter and son.

“It was terrible… It was going on for years because she had a disabled daughter – they picked on her,” she said.

But Julie and David Smith, who live a few doors along from Fiona Pilkington, said the same youths harassed and abused many residents in that locality.

and then

Many in Liverpool’s gay community believe trainee policeman James Parkes was targeted because of his homosexuality when he suffered multiple skull fractures after an attack in October.

The most recent figures from Merseyside Police show a 41% increase in homophobic attacks in the city and police are treating the assault as a homophobic crime.

But others we spoke to in Liverpool, claim to know a different version, alleging that Pc Parkes was beaten up after he intervened as an off-duty police officer because the gang had been causing problems with doormen.

If true, this version would turn an iconic hate crime into a still serious but altogether different kind of assault.

Both instances, “described by disability groups as a hate crime” and “many in Liverpool’s gay community believe” are the standard BBC undercutting trick, most recently used on their piece on fatphobia (to which they contribute) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8327753.stm

Both seem to point towards the “they’re just being too sensitive/paranoid” defense, especially with the other witnesses/voices being called being in one case, one couple and in another case “others we spoke to in Liverpool”, coming across as somewhat flimsy.

Then there’s the quotes from experts. The main gist seems to be that some crimes are prejudice, not hate crime. I’m fairly sure that anti-social behaviour based on something that a person is should count as an hate crime. To quote Melissa McEwan at Shakesville:

The prosecution of hate crimes requires special consideration because when someone is targeted for hir race, nationality, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, it has the potential to affect everyone who shares that identity in hir community, state, across the entire nation.

That’s to do with prosecution, but it also applies to the monitoring of hate crime in order to bring in such legislation, which is what the last part of the article’s about. The gist of the BBC article seems to be that

a) what are reported as hate crimes are just misread crimes/anti social behaviour and it’s difficult to tell what a hate crime is, because some might just be prejudice, which is a “much more expansive notion”

b) the explicitly stated “

In fact there is no such thing in law as hate. Prosecutors have to prove hostility. The former director of public prosecutions has said this could mean antagonism, meanness or unfriendliness.

But if the victim or a witness believes the crime is motivated by some kind of hatred, it will be recorded as a hate crime.”

c) There is so much about hate crime that we do not know – such as its scale, whether it is increasing and if it really affects victims more than other crimes.

As mentioned above, hate crime terrorises, or has the potential to terrorise, an entire community. This, especially combined with the following passages:

This summer the government launched a massive hate action plan.

It is considering a host of ways to tackle hate crime – like establishing specialist hate crime courts, obliging all public bodies to record and report all hate crimes and incidents – getting schools to report all bullying with hate elements.

While well intentioned we may end up with a picture of the UK that is much more hateful than the reality and may not reduce the levels of this type of crime.

The dismissive tone “well intentioned” and the inclusion of the act of “getting schools to report all bullying with hate elements”, followed by this, pretty much makes me weep. Because the terrorising an entire community goes as far as schools- I was less willing to come out as queer because of homophobia in our society, and homophobic elements in the bullying of others at school. I still monitor the places I publicly identify myself as queer, by behaviour or otherwise, and will do so more if homophobic violence has happened in that area. Accounts of ablist bullying and hateful/prejudiced behaviour make me less likely to disclose my disabilities. Ditto outing myself as genderqueer. These things started when I was yea high, at school, and I really think the government doing something about it in schools, as well as in society in general, is a good idea. Outside my own experience, someone victimised because of their religion or race in a certain place will be more likely to feel unsafe in other places because of this, and this starts at school.

I think the timing of this article makes me especially suspicious- the next reading of the Equality Bill is next week, which covers protection for discrimination and harrassment, including in schools. Activists, myself included, are currently lobbying their MPs to vote for amendments to the Bill with regards to discrimination against transgender people, namely to change those protected in the Bill from those who have undergone gender reassignment to all transgender people (the majority of whom to not undergo gender reassignment), and to protect transgender school pupils from transphobic bullying. Possibly I am, genuinely, oversensitive in this respect, but a dismissal of hate crimes just before a piece of equality legislation looks like an attempt to dismiss concerns about prejudice, discrimination, and yes hate at a time when they can affect things.

(Given that the article said that hate crimes “can be anything from verbal abuse, graffiti all the way through to murder”)

NOTE: If you are a UK citizen and interested in lobbying your MP about the inclusion of all Transgender people in the Equality Bill, model letters are here: http://justfillingintheblanks.blogspot.com/

I don’t even know how to begin, to even start to express gratitude for all the gifts in my life. To express gratitude for what has been one of the most magical, fulfilling and life affirming years of my life.

With my friends I guess. I’d like to give thanks for so many friends. So many old friends who have stood by me and supported me, even encouraged me while they suffer a certain loss of their own for the person I was.

And for my new friends, so many new friends, so many wonderful people with wonderful spirits. Thanks for all the non trans women and men who have come into my life and brought the gift of their arts, their intellect and their company.

And my T girl friends and community. Such a community of authentic, courageous and never un-interesting women. They have opened my eyes and fulfilled my life in amazing and unexpected ways.

And I’d like to give thanks for this, New York City, which I, like all New Yorkers am at odds with sometimes. But the people of NYC, overwhelmingly have been kind and friendly to my, and the city provides an appropriate backdrop for this journey and all the resources a girl could want.

And for all the things I have had the opportunity to learn and all the teachers who have taught me. And the healers who have touched my life.

And for my job, an amazing job with amazing people which has allowed me to land safely from my long journey.

And my apartment which provides comfort and warmth and space, and my roommate who provides a regular girlfriend to keep me in touch with girl behaviors.

And I guess finally for the courage  to follow my path and desires and be the person and woman I wan’t to be.

All my love to all of you and I hope you have a wonderful year of wonderful things to give thanks for next year.

Lisa