Articles tagged with: transgender
Bent News, 5/26/11: Roger Ailes finds us skeeeeeery!
A Gallup poll update on American attitudes about gays and lesbians, how to help Joplin LGBT tornado victms, Moscow Pride, Fox News president Roger Ailes is skeeeeered, and more from the past couple of days in today’s Bent News.
Can you stomach this?
Caleb Pritt writes opinion pieces for Bent Alaska. His opinions are his own.
This post concerns an attack on a transgender woman in a Baltimore McDonalds, the attack video that went viral over the weekend, Caleb’s response to the incident, and suggestions for taking action.
Update: Please see Caleb’s post “Words do matter….” for a follow-up on issues about race brought up in comments to this post.
* * *
I want you to watch this video before continuing with the article. [warning for violence]
Chrissy Lee Polis is just like you and I. She has a brain, a heart, and she is an American who expects the benefits of a nation that promises LIFE, LIBERTY, & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. But in the words of one of this nation’s modern fathers, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from his famous “I Have a Dream” address at the Lincoln Memorial, we now echo for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, TRANSGENDER, Ally community, the following:
“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens are concerned….a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”
Chrissy Lee Polis was spit upon, attacked, beaten, and dehumanized by sadly two African-American women who forgot Dr. King. Forgot about the sacrifices and the lives that allowed these two women to walk into a McDonalds and order their food. Even more insulting, McDonalds, which is a symbol of America as much as Sunday football or the American flag, had employees that looked on and watched this display of hatred and did nothing to intervene.
The question has to be asked, when do we say enough is enough? I say today is the day we say enough is enough. When the day has come, which is now, that ANYONE cannot enter a McDonalds and be served, but rather savagely treated like a dehumanized choice to be viciously assaulted with no regard, enough is enough.
Shall we as a society continue to fund a corporation that allows this hatred and violence to happen? If it doesn’t stop now….WHEN WILL IT?!
McDonalds needs to institute policies for ALL of its employees teaching them sadly how to be humans. This means no violence, no sacrificing of liberties, and no allowing the idea of some or any violence or disrespect is allowed.
As Dr. King also said, “An injustice somewhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
What happened in Baltimore can tomorrow be in Anchorage, in Honolulu, in Salt Lake City, in Boston, in Fayetteville, N.C., or yes even in Washington, D.C.
We need to remember the words of Dr. King and re-echo them today. We need to stand up and tell McDonalds, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
Here are 3 ways to do it:
Starting Monday at 4:00 p.m. for twenty-four hours, I ask you to make your Facebook profile pic a picture of a simple candlelight. The candle is for Chrissy Lee Polis and to let her know, while we are not at the vigil in Baltimore, a candle of hope burns bright all across this nation and she is loved.
Secondly, the phone number for McDonald’s Corporate is 1-800-244-6227, open 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST. Let them know you are horrified and that you demand nationwide training in transgender issues for ALL McDonald’s franchise owners and employees.
Thirdly, and finally, if you want to sound off, join Aunty Anita and I in two places. Join on Facebook, the group named BOYCOTT McCRUELTY. And also join us on the radio at Aunty Anita on Tuesday, April 26 at 7p.m. Alaska Time/ 8pm Pacific. The studio hotline is toll free (619) 393-6513. Please call in or listen on demand.
In the words of Reverend Jesse Jackson, who I hope will join us in this fight for civil rights, “Red, Yellow, Black, and White….WE ALL are precious in His light.”
Injustice at Every Turn
“Every day, transgender and gender non-conforming people are marginalized because of their gender identity and expression.”
This In The Life video features the personal stories of Ja’briel and Michelle, two trans women. Their experiences highlight the findings of the first comprehensive transgender discrimination study, recently completed by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.
Watch the video:
The study Injustice at Every Turn “brings to light what is both patently obvious and far too often dismissed from the human rights agenda. Transgender and gender non-conforming people face injustice at every turn: in childhood homes, in school systems that promise to shelter and educate, in harsh and exclusionary workplaces, at the grocery store, the hotel front desk, in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms, before judges and at the hands of landlords, police officers, health care workers and other service providers.”
There are no laws in Alaska protecting transgender people from discrimination or harassment.
When we allow injustice against a group of people, unstable individuals may feel they have permission to act on that prejudice and cause physical harm, like in the violent attack on a transgender woman in a Baltimore McDonald’s last week.
Are you LGBT? Have you lived, worked, spent time in Anchorage? We need your help.
“My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance.” That’s what Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan stated on August 17, 2009 when he vetoed Anchorage Ordinance 2009-64, the Anchorage equal rights ordinance, which had been passed the previous week by a vote of 7 to 4 by the Anchorage Assembly. If you are an LGBT person who lives, works, or spends time in Anchorage — or if you’ve lived/worked/spent time in Anchorage in the past — please complete the Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey.
Sara’s News Roundup 2/13/11
Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
1) Antigay Testimony May Sway Md. Senator’s Marriage Vote
Baltimore, Maryland, Advocate, February 10, 2011
2) Hawaii House passes same-sex civil unions bill
Honolulu, Hawaii, February 11, 2011
3) Jobs program targets transgender people
Boston, Boston Herald, January 24, 2011
4) Court: Student Counselor Must Treat Gays
Michigan, February 11, 2011
5) Lady Gaga’s Latest Song: Born This Way
Gaga Daily, February 11, 2011
6) “Born This Way” Shatters Records
Advocate, February 11, 2011
7) ACLU: Transgender woman, ejected from Lynnwood store, spurs policy change
Lynnwood, Washington, Seattle PI, February 8, 2011
8) Corvino: Love, partnership and Valentine’s Day
365Gay.com, February 11, 2011
9) Opinion: Africa: Transgender Rights Not Simply Gay Rights
Africa, AllAfrica.com, February 10, 2011
10) Harvard Law Review elects first openly gay student as president
Cambridge, Mass., 365Gay.com, February 10, 2011
11) Culhane: Are ‘religious exemptions’ swimming against the tide?
365Gay.com, February 10, 2011
12) GLAAD nominations for Glee, Project Runway
TVNZ.com, January 21, 2011
Sara’s News Roundup 2/6/11
Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
1) Parenting by Gays More Common in the South, Census Shows
Jacksonville, Florida, New York Times, January 18, 2011
2) UI student becomes Internet sensation after defending gay parents
Iowa, Daily Iowan, February 4, 2011
Here’s the speech referred to in the news item, in which Zach Wahls speaks about being raised by his lesbian parents during a public forum in the Iowa House of Representatives on Resolution 6, which would end civil unions in Iowa:
3) What Protests Mean for LGBT Egyptians
Egypt, Advocate, February 4, 2011
4) French court upholds ban on homosexual marriage
Paris, France, New Kerala.com, January 28, 2011
5) Transgender and Transgender-Like Veterans: A documentary of individuals who crossed gender lines to serve their country (video), Part 1, Part 2
U.S.A., YouTube, April 2, 2010
6) At last, a role model for ‘queer crips’
Washington Blade, February 3, 2011
7) Star Trek’s Gay Problem: Producer Brannon Braga Regrets Not Having Homosexual Character
Huffington Post, January 27, 2011
8) Methodists Urged to End Gay Clergy Ban
Advocate, February 4, 2011
9) Researcher: Mona Lisa Really da Vinci’s Gay Lover
Italy, Pennsylvania Fox News, February 3, 2011
10) Transgender activists face multiple challenges
New York, Boston Globe, February 4, 2011
11) Veteran Reveals Life As Transgender In Military
San Diego, San Diego 10News.com, February 3, 2011
12) Bush twin makes pro-marriage video for HRC
New York, Washington Blade, February 2, 2011
13) Tickets On Sale for Tony Kushner’s Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide Jan. 25
New York, Playbill.com, January 25, 2011
14) Gay Enough?
London, Gay City News, February 2, 2011
15) Obama Appoints LGBT Leader to Faith Council
Washington, Advocate, February 5, 2011
Sara’s News Roundup 1/23/11
Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
1) Quinn To Sign Civil Unions Bill Soon, In Public Ceremony In Downtown Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, Huffington Post, January 21, 2011
2) Gender-neutral toilets divide gay community in Brazil
Brazil, LA Times, January 21, 2011
3) New counseling center offers specialized services
Maryville, Tenn., Daily Times, January 20, 2011
4) Berkeley May Fund Employee Sex Change Surgeries
San Francisco, Advocate, January 19, 2011
5) Schwarzenegger’s Mom Took Him to the Doctor Because She Thought He Was Gay
TowerRoad, January 2011
6) Gay couple win case against Christian hotel
London, AFP, January 18, 9:07 am ET
7) Nepal introduces transgender census category
Kathmandu, Nepal, Inquirer.net, January 9, 2011
8) Pastor Terry Jones Barred from U.K.
U.K., Advocate, January 21, 2011
9) Wyoming House gives early nod to anti-gay marriage bill after impassioned debate
Cheyenne, Wyo., Billings Gazette, January 20, 2011
10) Marriage [and Gender Identity Bill] in Maryland by April?
Maryland, Advocate, January 21, 2011
11) Why Transgender Activism
Pam’s House Blend, January 12, 2011
Sara’s News Roundup 1/9/11
Christian Gay & Trans Resources
The Christmas season is a good time to highlight resources for LGBT Christians and people with Christian friends and family members. The Gay Christian Network, SoulForce and the Parents Reconciling Network are a few of the online resources that were recently recommended by Alaskans.
“I wish that you guys could post a link to The Gay Christian Network. [They have] amazing YouTube videos on helping people who are gay come to terms with their spirituality,” wrote Mark Allred of Alaska Native Lutheran Church in Anchorage.
Mark encourages watching all 7 videos, but he thinks the one embedded below is the most useful. Watch Gay Christian Answers, episode 4: “Aren’t we designed for heterosexuality?”
MCC Anchorage
Matthew Moak at Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Anchorage also recommends The Gay Christian Network, along with several other resources. Of course, MCC itself is a great resource.
- What the Bible Says – and Doesn’t Say – about Homosexuality (pdf) is an important resource from SoulForce, a group that “works to end the religious and political oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning people.”
- Homosexuality And The Bible is a list of articles and websites by Christian Gays, a group that provides “the resources for any who wish to understand the ACCURATE interpretation of the Original Scriptures with regard to homosexuality.”
- SisterFriends Together “is an outreach ministry of Grace Unfolding Ministries, and we exist to provide a safe and welcoming online faith community for lesbian, bisexual, questioning and transgender women.” They can also be found at ChristianLesbians, their previous name.
- The Gay Christian Network is “a nonprofit ministry serving Christians who happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and those who care about them.”
- Coming Out as a Transgender Person is a workbook created by MCC Transgender Ministries, which “provides opportunities for spiritual development for transgender people and their families and friends.”
PRN is an organization of United Methodist parents of GLBT children. Rev. Johnathan of Church Life Alaska mentioned a new transgender resource from PRN in last week’s Alaska GLBT News. The information came from Sara Boesser, who compiles the weekly LGBT News Roundup posted here on Bent Alaska.
New Resource: Our Transgender And Intersex Children
What causes a person’s sexual orientation is unknown. Causes for people being transgender or intersex are not fully understood. A huge variety of factors are at work in making each individual the person that they are and there is no one reason that causes people to be transgender. It has nothing to do with anything you did or did not do, nor anything your child did or did not do.
Families love their children and want what is best for them. You cannot change your child. However, you can change your response to your child. Your specific response can improve your child’s health and happiness. Your consistent parenting and unconditional love does have a central and enduring influence on your child’s life. Here are some parenting guidelines, shown by research, to improve the physical and mental health of LGBT children.
LGBT-friendly church groups
Most denominations have an LGBT or LGBT-friendly wing, and many of these movements have web sites with resource pages. A good list of national LGBT-friendly church groups can be found HERE. This does not imply that the local Alaska congregations are LGBT-friendly, unfortunately, but the online resources can be useful.
The Resource page on the Open and Affirming (ONA) site of the United Church of Christ (UCC) was suggested by a reader named Matt. He belonged to an ONA church before moving to Alaska, although he is not involved with the UCC in Alaska. None of the Alaska UCC’s are listed as Open and Affirming on the Coalition’s site, and I don’t know if the local congregations are LGBT-friendly or not. But the national ONA site includes resources for gay and trans Christians.
A list of Alaska’s LGBT-friendly churches and religious groups is posted HERE.
Do you know a good online LGBT-positive Christian resource that we didn’t mention? Please leave the name and link in a comment below this list.
Gay & Trans films in the Anchorage International Film Festival
“Craig and Shane were holding hands when they fell victim to a brutal hate crime off Sydney’s Oxford Street in 2007. The image of Craig’s shattered face on the cover of the local newspaper called Sydney’s queer community to action, and the couple were nominated leaders of the 2008 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. The hardest year of this young couple’s lives is documented through endless surgeries, physical and psychological recovery and their struggle to plan for their future. But at its heart, Holding Hands reveals that even in the worst circumstances, we can all create positive change.”
“A group of transgender women are violently beaten and left for dead. After regaining their consciousness the violated vixens turn deadly divas and with their new-found confidence and courage, slice their way to vengeance. A homage to the exploitation/revenge films of the 70’s and 80’s, this film sets out to create a new and unique genre called — transploitation. Loaded with titillating dialog, bodacious bods and extreme violence, this revenge-fantasy proves that it takes more than balls to get even.”
