Pretties. I have so much homework to do. I need to stop internetting. But let me leave you with this news story I stumbled across entirely by accident. Apparently, the US Department of Labor has added gender identity to its list of protected statuses. You know—Such-and-Such Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, and so on. Now, at least for them, that list includes “gender identity.” I know the big push in CT has been to add the phrase “gender identity and expression” into policy, so that you cannot be fired for, say, breaking dress code, if you dress to express the gender you identify with. Does it hurt to take the word ‘expression’ out? I’m probably reading too much into this. English major, you know.
So yeah. Cool stuff. Everybody go apply to the Labor Department.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
T.R.A.N.S. Resource Site
This site is in its very beginning stages, but I still can’t even articulate how awesome it already is. Seriously, this is the blog that my blog wants to be when it grows up, except more ally-focused. T.R.A.N.S.—that’s “Transgender Resources And Needed Support”— is “an internet-based effort to gather information pertaining to all populations of the transgender community.” The main page has updates about the site and may soon be featuring trans-related news stories. Already cool, right? That’s not the awesome part.
On the sidebar are links to pages about clothing, hormones, centers and clinics, support groups, and more. Each of these pages offers a list of organizations and websites dedicated to helping trans people with that particular thing. There are packer/padding retailers and used binder drives and a list of “wellness-related services” in all their forms. This is pretty fantastic, but it’s still not the most awesome part.
Tabs after these provide lists of resources that don’t necessarily have to do with transitioning. Many of us know of a non-profit or two that we can reach out to in times of trouble; it looks like this site is hoping to compile an extensive nation-wide list of them. You may also have a favorite blog, book, YouTube channel, magazine, etc. about trans issues; this site lists those too! Thus, the awesome-est part: all of this is in ONE place.
Like I said, it’s still just starting, but so far I think it’s pretty impressive. It’s really user-friendly, and that’s saying something coming from me, and it has something for EVERYONE—or, it will, once you get over there and submit the resources you think are missing!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Trans Issues at the White House
White House meeting on transgender issues tomorrow? Freaking yes? Supposed to focus on employment issues? I think it's about time? K thanks?
Check out the news story here. Opening paragraph:
“Transgender activists intend to discuss federal policy issues at an upcoming White House meeting that will be the first ever held by the Office of Public Engagement to focus solely on trans issues.Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson, said the meeting, which is set to take place Friday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, will include transgender leaders who work on federal policy.”
Check out the news story here. Opening paragraph:
“Transgender activists intend to discuss federal policy issues at an upcoming White House meeting that will be the first ever held by the Office of Public Engagement to focus solely on trans issues.Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson, said the meeting, which is set to take place Friday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, will include transgender leaders who work on federal policy.”
Attack on a TransWoman at McDonalds
So you’ve probably all heard more than you care to about the transwoman who got beat up at McDonald’s in Baltimore for trying to use the bathroom, yes? Essentially, a 22-year-old transwoman was attacked by customers while employees encouraged the attack and video recorded it. Which was dumb—but evidently only one employee has been “held responsible” and I’m not sure if anyone has been fired. I’m posting a link to the best article I’ve read on the incident so far.
There have been huge reactions, online and in communities. There are also a lot of petitions going around from different groups. The one posted here was started by a Baltimore resident and is associated with change.org, which is where I got the above article from and which seems to be the petition with the most signatures.
There’s a video available, but I don’t suggest you watch it.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
New Post Format?
Once, I went to this really great transgender ally workshop at a conference. We worked together to come up with a categorized list of experiences—actually, we had four huge pieces of paper and fifty markers and were turned loose. I can’t remember all the categories right now—I wrote them down and I can get back to you on that—but my favorites were “I smile when” and “I hurt when.”
Sometimes, the hardest thing about being a trans ally is that you have no one to share those experiences with. That’s why I started this blog originally. Actually, the idea came out of the first workshop of this style I ever went to; the mother of a transman was using male pronouns with a female name and wishing for a resource—not for the answers, but for some kind of compassion, understanding, companionship. That could have been four years ago. Her son is actually my roommate now, but I assure you that’s a weird coincidence brought on from the fact that everyone knows everyone in queer New England. He and my cat are currently neck-and-neck in a snoring competition on the couch next to me. Cute little pests. *petpet*
Anyway. I started working on my own lists, based off my own experiences and off of things I’ve heard or seen or read. It’s a work in progress, multi-author kind of thing. But I think you might enjoy it.
Sometimes, the hardest thing about being a trans ally is that you have no one to share those experiences with. That’s why I started this blog originally. Actually, the idea came out of the first workshop of this style I ever went to; the mother of a transman was using male pronouns with a female name and wishing for a resource—not for the answers, but for some kind of compassion, understanding, companionship. That could have been four years ago. Her son is actually my roommate now, but I assure you that’s a weird coincidence brought on from the fact that everyone knows everyone in queer New England. He and my cat are currently neck-and-neck in a snoring competition on the couch next to me. Cute little pests. *petpet*
Anyway. I started working on my own lists, based off my own experiences and off of things I’ve heard or seen or read. It’s a work in progress, multi-author kind of thing. But I think you might enjoy it.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Indiana School Apologizes, Offers LGBT Protection
So, in a nutshell—in 2006 (oh man, that’s when I graduated, too), a transgender student in Indiana was not allowed to attend her senior prom because she was wearing a dress but was born male. The refusal was in keeping with a policy about sexually appropriate dress, and was applied to K.K. Logan even though a biologically female student was permitted to attend the dance in a tux. Four years later, the school has awarded Logan an indeterminate sum, agreed to provide LGBT sensitivity training to administration, and adopted policies protecting the rights of LGBT students. The school issued a public apology and promised to “ensure that something like this does not happen again.” I’d say that’s a taste of success, wouldn’t you?
Longer story here!
Longer story here!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Infant Dies for Breaking Gender Roles
Okay, here’s something to get mad about.
The first headline I caught read, “Long Island Man Kills Infant Boy for Acting Like a Girl.” I’ll understand if you don’t want to read anymore, really.
Any news story out so far doesn’t have much more information than that. Apparently, this twenty-year-old guy was babysitting his girlfriend’s seventeen-month-old son (that’s about a year and a half for those of you keeping up) and decided he had to teach him a lesson about masculinity. It’s unclear just what the infant was doing that was so feminine, but it must have incited some kind of fury in Pedro Jones, who beat the child several times with his fists. The child was found alive, in cardiac arrest, and died later that night in the hospital. Jones reportedly explained, “I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl.” Here’s the kicker; the additional admission, “I never struck that kid that hard before.” I don’t even know what to say about that one. Jones will be tried for first-degree manslaughter, which apparently could equate to anything from five to twenty-five years in prison.
You’d think this kind of thing only happened in highly conservative states, right? You’d be wrong, though. Roy A. Jones lived and died on a reservation on Long Island.
Whether you add Roy to the list of people killed in the name of transphobia is probably a personal choice; it’s doubtful that we’ll ever know much more about what actually happened. Either way, though, the fact is clear that gender roles still play a huge role in our society. When gender roles are questioned or broken—even, apparently, by toddlers—it can and does provoke a strong, immediate, and sometimes violent and irrevocable reaction. I find this fascinating, given the fact that gender is an entirely socially constructed concept. Nevertheless— the danger is real. This is why we do what we do, folks. Keep your head above the water, and keep living with love—and keep the Jones family in your thoughts this week.
The first headline I caught read, “Long Island Man Kills Infant Boy for Acting Like a Girl.” I’ll understand if you don’t want to read anymore, really.
Any news story out so far doesn’t have much more information than that. Apparently, this twenty-year-old guy was babysitting his girlfriend’s seventeen-month-old son (that’s about a year and a half for those of you keeping up) and decided he had to teach him a lesson about masculinity. It’s unclear just what the infant was doing that was so feminine, but it must have incited some kind of fury in Pedro Jones, who beat the child several times with his fists. The child was found alive, in cardiac arrest, and died later that night in the hospital. Jones reportedly explained, “I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl.” Here’s the kicker; the additional admission, “I never struck that kid that hard before.” I don’t even know what to say about that one. Jones will be tried for first-degree manslaughter, which apparently could equate to anything from five to twenty-five years in prison.
You’d think this kind of thing only happened in highly conservative states, right? You’d be wrong, though. Roy A. Jones lived and died on a reservation on Long Island.
Whether you add Roy to the list of people killed in the name of transphobia is probably a personal choice; it’s doubtful that we’ll ever know much more about what actually happened. Either way, though, the fact is clear that gender roles still play a huge role in our society. When gender roles are questioned or broken—even, apparently, by toddlers—it can and does provoke a strong, immediate, and sometimes violent and irrevocable reaction. I find this fascinating, given the fact that gender is an entirely socially constructed concept. Nevertheless— the danger is real. This is why we do what we do, folks. Keep your head above the water, and keep living with love—and keep the Jones family in your thoughts this week.
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