4/28/14

Transgender Sailor Landon Wilson discharged for transition tells his story

Landon Wilson
Shortly after 2 a.m. on Dec. 7, when a superior tapped him on the back and summoned him outside, one of the secrets that mattered most to Wilson began to unravel.

“This Navy record says female, but this paper says male,” the grim-faced sergeant major noted, displaying two sets of personnel records. “So, what are you?”

After an awkward pause, Wilson, who joined the Navy as a woman but who has long felt like a man, provided the answer that set in motion the end of his military career: “I am male.” Read more at The Washington Post




4/26/14

Drag Queen Armani Nicole-Davenport may face silicone injection murder charges

Armani Nicole-Davenport performed in this years Diamond of the south

Larry Tremell Bernard, 32, who goes by the drag name Armani Nicole Davenport was originally charged with one count of negligent injuring in the death of Brenisha Hall after the coroner, unable to define the toxic substances in her blood determined she died of natural causes.

Bernard, a drag queen from Dallas is accused of injecting Hall and another person with silicone on Oct. 24. These injections called "Pumping" are a cheap but often fatal alternative to cosmetic surgery. Hall later complained she couldn't breath and was taken to the hospital, where she lapsed into a coma and died.

Five months later on April 25th the Orleans Parish Coroner's office has ruled Hall's death a homicide. However, it may be harder to get a conviction because the original cause of death was said to be of natural causes.
While prosecutors decide on additional charges Bernard remains free on the original bond of $25,000


Protest for transgender 15-yo imprissoned in solitary draws 50 DCF in Hartford and NYC

Jane Doe, a 15 year old transgender girl of color remains in solitary confinement at the York Correctional Facility in Niantic CT. Jane hasn't been sentenced or guilty a crime. Jane is seving time for being transgender after committed in a extremly biased buacracy.

Joette Katz, commissioner of the Department of Children and Families in defensive op-ed explained her rational for sending a child to solitary confinment, argubedly the most inhuman incarceration legaly allowed by law. citing her being a danger to female staff and residents of DCF facilities 13 times. Katz never once acknowlaged that Jane is transgender but she does see as a danger to woman.











Transgender woman Çağla, slain in Istanbul, wounded friend said medics wouldn't touch her

First responders refused to carry Çağla's to the ambulance or even
close her eyes. Photo KAOS GL
Çağla Joker 21, shot in her heart, cried out to her best friend, Nalan, who tried to help and was stabbed in the back. The April 22 attack, considered a hate crime by most, is the latest in an ongoing onslaught on Turkey's transgender community.

Other transgender friends also heard her cry from her living room window. They came running but all they could do was cry and carry her lifeless body to the ambulance after attendees refused to.


Video captured two youth running from the crime scene in Istanbul’s Tarlabaşı neighborhood towards Istiklal Street. The police arrested two suspects, one a 17-year-old has reportedly confessed saying he shot her because she is transgender.

“They did not want to touch the dead body of our friend, we carried her”
Attitude of the police and health staff came as no surprise: “The police came and did not do anything. Just looked around a bit. They did not even question anyone properly. And the ambulance did not want to carry our friend. We took her down the apartment on our own.”

Protesters carrying signs which say state killers. The Turkish government has driven the LGBT population to the fringes of society with unrelenting persecution.

One person commented that the only way to end this will be solidarity. No truer thing has ever been said.

Translation: LGBTI News Turkey

4/25/14

Fox News reports that a Phoenix 'transgender man' has been charged with conspiracy to commit bestiality [updated]

Donald Waelde



According to Fox 10 KSAZ News this is the Craigs List posting by Donald Waelde which resulted in the arrest:



Mr. Thomas, who anchors and reports for KOLD 13 and FOX 11 in Tucson cross posted the Fox article on his facebook page but  has removed references about about Donald Waelde's alleged transgender status, after some pointed out that had nothing to do with the alleged crime.


Fox news habitually misgenders transgender people making fact checking that much more difficult. This problematic article has remained unedited on Fox. I am not faulting Thomas for including this persons trans status in this article, if indeed it is true, I'm just asking for verification that this is a 'transgender man'. I commend Craig Thomas for responding so quickly.




4/23/14

SF Pride Honorary Grand Marshal is Chelsea Manning legally as of today.

San Fransico Pride  Honorary Grand Marshal Chelsea Manning will share the honors with Community Grand Marshell Jewlyes Gutierrez the trans student who was persecuted for defending herself.


April 23, 2014. By Chelsea Manning.
Cross posted from Chelsea Manning.org 

Today is an exciting day. A judge in the state of Kansas has officially ordered my name to be changed from “Bradley Edward Manning” to “Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.” I’ve been working for months for this change, and waiting for years.
It’s worth noting that in both mail and in-person, I’ve often been asked, “Why are you changing your name?” The answer couldn’t be simpler: because it’s a far better, richer, and more honest reflection of who I am and always have been –a woman named Chelsea.
But there is another question I’ve been asked nearly as much, “why are you making this request of the Leavenworth district court?” This is a more complicated question, but the short answer is simple: because I have to.
Unfortunately, the trans* community faces three major obstacles to living a normal life in America: identity documentation, gender segregated institutions, and access to healthcare. And I’ve only just jumped through the first one of these hurdles.
It’s the most banal things –such as showing an ID card, going to the bathroom, and receiving trans-related healthcare –that in our current society keep us from having the means to live better, more productive, and safer lives. Unfortunately, there are many laws and procedures that often don’t consider trans* people, or even outright prevent them from doing the sort of simple day-to-day things that others take for granted.
Now, I am waiting on the military to assist me in accessing healthcare. In August, I requested that the military provide me with a treatment plan consistent with the recognized professional standards of care for trans health. They quickly evaluated me and informed me that they came up with a proposed treatment plan. However, I have not seen yet seen their treatment plan, and in over eight months, I have not received any response as to whether the plan will be approved or disapproved, or whether it follows the guidelines of qualified health professionals.
Bl6m-qzCUAE21fl.png largeI’m optimistic that things can –and certainly will –change for the better.  There are so many people in America today that are willing and open to discuss trans-related issues. Hopefully today’s name change, while so meaningful to me personally, can also raise awareness of the fact that we trans* people exist everywhere in America today, and that we have must jump through hurdles every day just for being who we are. If I’m successful in obtaining access to trans healthcare, it will not only be something I have wanted for a long time myself, but it will also open the door for many people, both inside and outside the military, to request the right to live more open, fulfilled lives.
Thank you,
Chelsea Manning

*Note: Chelsea prefers “Trans*” (with an asterisk) to denote not only transgender men and women, but also those who identify outside of a gender binary.
For a better understanding of transgender people and the issues important to them, we recommend checking out GLAAD’s “Transgender 101″ blog.
For instructions on writing to Chelsea to tell her of your support, please see our “Write Chelsea Manning” webpage.




4/22/14

Transgender woman shot in the back in Rondonópolis, Brazil

Srini Ribeiro Oliveira Brito, 42, known as Valkyrie, was shot in the back, in the early hours of Sunday (20), near Praça dos Paths, in the Centre of Rondonópolis. According to the military police (PM), the victim had an open arrest warrant for shoplifting.

Yet as the PM, a witness said that the crime took place by back from 1:30. Minutes before, Perry was talking with a man of about 45 years, between the intersection of Avenida Amazonas with the Rua Dom Pedro II, where the body was found.

The case will be investigated her Civil Judicial Police. [Bing Translate] Source primeirahora.com


4/21/14

Rose City T Girls discrimination case update: The Twilight Room Annex shuts doors after the DOJ seizes assets

The Twilight Room Annex formally known as "The P Club".  
All the Rose City T Girls wanted was an apology from Chris Penner, the owner of the P Club, after he left this voice message for the group:
"Hello, my name is Chris. I'm the owner of the P-Club Bar and Grill. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I'm going to have to ask for you, Cass and your group, not to come back on Friday nights."

"People think that A.) we're a tranny bar, or B.) that we're a gay bar. We are neither. People are not coming in because they just don't want to be here on a Friday night now."
After being summarily dismissed by Penner the Rose City T Girls took their complaint to Oregon's Labor Commissioner, Brad Avakian, who investigated the complaint and found that Penner had violated the states non discrimination law.

The girls asked for a mediated settlement with Penner, saying it wasn't about the money, they just wanted a public appolgy. Penner declined and filed an appeal, but he did not appeal the monetary penalty. Last week the DOJ begun seizing Penners property and bank accounts  to the tune of $400,000 dollars which will then be split by the Rose City T Girls.




4/19/14

Robin Williams, a Mrs Doubtfire sequel is a very bad idea.

Fox to mock with Mrs Doubtfire sequel? Nico Lang at the Daily Dot thinks its a very bad idea and for very good reasons. The 'jokes' and transphobic  misogyny that FOX cashed in on in the 90's won't be tolerated by our segment of society.

Mrs. Doubtfire came out long before I began transition, but it was during a time of introspection. When I finally did begin transition nearly ten years afterwards the images of Williams in that movie played a part in my life, all bad. Every piece of feminine attire I bought during those years came with the caveat that they weren't reminiscent of the Mrs. Doubtfire image.






Uncharged Transgender child incarcerated in high-security adult solitary confinement tells her story.

York Correctional Institution, no place for a child.
There are numerous accounts of what led to a child being imprisoned, without being charged of a crime, in a high-security facility, in solitary and most have one thing in common. They repeat the version told by DCF to validate their attempted murder of this transgender girl.

Yes, murder. DCF tried to incarcerate her with adult men. A transgender child so decimated by the hand dealt her probably wouldn't have survived this ordeal. Obviously, DCF does not respect gender diversity or have a viable system in place to help her.



"No other girl in DCF custody has been endangered in this way. The result, if not the intent, is clearly discriminatory." —Sandra Staub, legal director of the ACLU of Connecticut

What DCF would have you believe:
The transfer was initiated following an incident at the teen’s previous facility in Massachusetts, where she was involved in an altercation with a staff member that temporarily left that staff member blind. Her record bore multiple other assaults on peers and staff at several programs, according to a written statement from the DCF.

"DCF asked for and the court approved a plan to treat this girl as if she were an adult and a criminal, although she is neither." —Sandra Staub

What really happened in Massachusetts in January that was the 'final straw' according to Joette Katz, the Commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families? Source voices on the square:

The teen was arrested at a juvenile facility in Needham, MA, but the assault charge was not pursued by prosecutors. No evidence related to the injuries or the incident has ever been presented. No criminal charges are pending against the teen, who had been placed in the Needham facility by Connecticut DCF. The Massachusetts police report on the assault states that it resulted in “apparent minor injuries.”

The incident report filed at Needham’s Meadowridge Academy says the youth had a violent outburst, was upset and insubordinate, and was attempting to walk off the campus when confronted by two staff members. One of the staff members attempted to "bear hug" the teen around the chest, which the teen resisted. After breaking free, the youth punched the staff member "multiple times," bit the staff member on top of the head, and kicked the staff member several times, before the staff member was able to move away. One of the staff members reported he was 'blinded' during the incident. After an internal review of the incident, one of the staff members involved was fired.
 
Although 'blinded” the staff member in question wrote a narrative about the incident 35 minutes after the incident. 
Before DCF sent the teen to Needham, she was arrested for assaulting a "safety officer" at the Bridgeport juvenile detention center and committed to DCF as a juvenile delinquent. The judge who signed the order transferring her to York agreed with the DCF assertion that she was "a danger to herself and others."

DCF responding to public outrage have acknowledged the child may not be in the best environment, but offered no plans to remove her anytime soon from the York facility.

Unloved and uncared for by drug addicted incarcerated parents, raped by DCF facility staff Jane Doe talks about what happened to her. This affidavit that will be presented in federal court as advocates appeal her incarceration at York.



Commissioner Katz says she has received hate mail since Jane Doe was imprisoned. She says the criticism she endured is "abusive" especially since of her recognition of these issues when she was on the supreme court before it was fashionable to do so. Katz says anyone who says she has targeted Jane Doe because of her being transgender is insulting and wrong and should stop.



What can we do? You could email Commissioner Katz commissioner.dcf@ct.gov and call her office at 860-982-9600, but please remember as outragous as this is to keep it civil.

You nan also sign a petition calling for her release from York.

Across the web:

New Haven Register Editorial: Connecticut wrong to imprison transgender teen

Mew Haven Current Talks Begin Privately To Move Transgender Youth Out Of Prison

CT Mirror Advocates seek investigation into DCF treatment of court-involved youth

CALL TO ACTION: 16-year-old Transgender Teenager Incarcerated Without Criminal Charges

CT News Junkie OP-ED | An Open Letter to ‘Jane Doe,’ The Transgender Girl in an Adult Prison

CT Mirror Op-ed: One girl’s tragedy reveals flaws in state care

New Haven Independent Transgender Teen Decries Solitary Confinement


Judge denies hate group access to voter informantion squashing anti Transgender effort

"Privacy for all students" posted this picture on their facebook page of the lead referendum attorney from the Pacific Justice Institute(PJI). The PJI is an active hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A judge in Sacramento has ruled that elections officials in 30 California counties do not have to turn over records that would help supporters of a failed ballot referendum challenge the invalidation of thousands of voter signatures.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley on Friday granted the state's request to quash subpoenas issued on behalf of Privacy for All Students, which sought to repeal a new law that spells out the rights of transgender students in public schools.

Relying on counts submitted by county offices, the secretary of state determined in February that the group was about 17,000 signatures short of the number needed to qualify its proposed referendum.

The state argued that the referendum's supporters were entitled to review the discounted signatures, but that supplying copies of the detailed records they requested would violate voters' privacy.

Privacy for All said it plans to appeal. Source SF Gate. The PJI also said they will continue to waste taxpayers money in their effort to strip students of their rights.







4/14/14

What are the effects of FTM binding? New study needs your input

The Binding Health Project seeks to learn more about the health impacts of those who bind! A joint project of public health and medical students Boston University.

Our goal is to use the results from this survey to advocate for the health of individuals who chest bind. We hope to build a knowledge base that currently does not exist for people who bind, their providers, and the communities that support them. Thank you so much for your time and participation in this survey!
Click here to take our survey.
Being a MTF I was vaguely aware that improper or extended binding can cause life threatening injuries. Trans Guys has a great Binding 101 on safe binding and there's a program ongoing where you can donate/ receive pre owned binders at In a Bind Happy Transition!

Photo credit Tumblr Fuck Yeah Binders




4/13/14

Meet Appleton District 2 Alderperson Mr Vered Meltzer


There was quite a lot published about Vered Meltzer when he was elected, much of it ether misgendered him or didn't identify him by his name. I wanted to set the record straight and was granted a interview with this incredible trans soul. Enjoy!

Asking some questions are difficult, but for Vered answering them was easy. I asked him to describe his transition wanting to clear the air he replied:

V: I prefer "he/him". I wish English had gender-neutral pronouns though. I identify as male. I have not transitioned yet. I don't attempt to conform to social norms of masculine OR feminine appearance.

K: Appleton has a non discrimination ordnance in place but its for housing only. What's in store for our community there?

V: Appleton is working on drafting a resolution that will extend protection against discrimination to include gender identity and gender expression, among other things. This is very important to me because we already have such language in our fair housing resolution, but nothing that covers workplace discrimination. Many other cities already have such resolutions. I want Appleton to be a leader rather than a follower, especially on such a basic issue as discrimination.

K: Other than working to improve the LGBT lot in Appleton, what else have you in mind?

V: My goals while in office are to improve communication between Appleton and its residents as much as possible, and to serve my city the best I can because I absolutely love Appleton. I also want to inspire others to get involved in local politics. I want to send the message that taking an active involved role in local government is both rewarding and accessible. The most basic level of local government is the part that's most relevant to our daily lives.

K: I see most mainstream news call you Gypsy, is that correct?

V: "Vered Meltzer" is the best way to refer to me. Gypsy is a nickname from school.

K: Thank you Vered.




4/12/14

Trans twitter engineer Dana McCallum accused of spousal rape

Dana McCallum Photo Business Insider

Transgender twitter engineer Dana McCallum has been charged with five felonies according to the SF Examiner:
"McCallum, 31, who was born a male, openly identifies as a female and whose legal name is Dana Contreras, was charged Jan. 29 with five felonies, including three counts of spousal rape, one count of false imprisonment and one count of domestic violence, according to the District Attorney's Office. She has since pleaded not guilty."

The rest of the story is essentially speculative, offering no further evidence. The comments are filled with TERF's using it as a gotcha moment. Yes TERF's most transgender people have original plumbing for many reasons. Most everyone already knew that. Dana McCallum's last tweet:




Monica Jones, AZ Transgender woman convicted of the crime "Walking While Trans"

The day after Monica Jones was profiled protesting the failed religious discriminatory law in Phoenix, she was offered a ride while walking to a bar. The driver turned out to be an undercover police officer who then arrested her for "manifestation of prostitution'.

This law is a vague statue which enables officers to arrest woman for no other reason than asking if they are police. The law is used to feed people to "Project Rose" as the city conducts massive drag nets hauling in dozens of individuals at a time. This profiling of woman by police is contested by the Arizona ACLU which notes that "The difference between 'innocent' and 'criminal' behavior often comes down to how a person looks.

A 2011 study  in NYC found that 59% of transgender respondents said that they had been stopped by police. So over half of our sisters in NYC had they lived in Phoenix would have faced the prospect of "Project Rose".

Busted for "Walking While Trans"




Since Jones hadn’t been previously charged with similar ‘crimes’ she was offered a deferral if she enrolled in “Project Rose” and successfully completed it.

Project Rose, which has a 28 percent success rate, shouldn't be condemned for its low percentage of successful completions. But anyone who has gone through drug rehab knows that number is most likely inflated and since there is no information available on the recidivism rate it is pretty meaningless.

In conception, it's not a bad idea except.....knowing a conviction was guaranteed leaving no option,

It requires a person, who may or may not have broken a law, help in finding employment, even if they don't want that help...



Jail or Church?


Project Rose's capstone is religious and moral programing, even if they don't want it.
"Catholic Charities DIGNITY Diversion programs offer those arrested for prostitution the opportunity to avoid jail time. Offenders attend intense education to divert them from re-offending.

Run in conjunction with the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office, our program provides 36 hours of self exploration and education to develop self esteem and give hope. Participants also receive rehabilitation services including support, education, and treatment to help them escape prostitution. Job placement assistance is also provided. Those who complete the program have their charges dismissed."



Monica Jones bucked the trend and decided to fight this unjust, unconstitutional law saying
"I believe I was profiled as a sex worker because I am a transgender woman of color, and an activist

But the court refused to recognize the unconstitutionality of the law and convicted Monica even though two witness testified that the officer was the one who approached Monica, invalidating the key provision of the law leading to her arrest.







Contact: Margie Diddams, 480-553-3777,
swop.phx@gmail.com

Guilty Verdict for Monica Jones Reveals Broken Legal System: Urgent Need For Action

PHOENIX--- Over 50 supporters rallied in front of the Phoenix Court house this morning in support of ASU student and anti-1062 activist Monica Jones. Ms. Jones was facing unjust charges of “manifestation of intent to prostitute,” a vague and discriminatory law that criminalizes activities like waving at cars, talking to passersbys, and inquiring if someone is a police officer. The ACLU of Arizona joined Jones’ lawyer in contesting the constitutionality of the manifestation statute. Dan Pochoda of the ACLU explained in his arguments, “The statute eviscerates first amendment rights.” In a packed courtroom filled with supporters wearing “I Stand With Monica Jones: Stop Profiling Trans Women of Color” t-shirts, the judge found Ms. Jones guilty based solely on the statements of the police officer who targeted for her race and gender. Supporters across AZ and the nation are in an uproar about the injustice of this ruling.

In Arizona and across the country, trans women of color like Ms. Jones are routinely profiled and swept up in the criminal justice system on prostitution-related charges, due to a phenomenon many call “Walking While Trans”---a widely held belief by law enforcement and others that all transgender women are criminals. Because of the injustice that leads people to take pleas against their best interest due to lack of community support, Ms. Jones decided she was going to fight the charges, so that no more trans women, sex workers, or people profiled as sex workers would have to face these injustices. Ms. Jones has remained adamant about her innocence, and that sex workers need rights, not arrests. Ms. Jones stated after the verdict, “As an African American and as a woman, the justice system has failed me.”

In light of this devastating ruling, SWOP Phoenix (Sex Worker Outreach Project) and Monica Jones will fight the case in an appeals process, while building national and international momentum against unjust policies that target trans women, people of color, and sex workers. SWOP Phoenix is calling on people from around the country to keep demanding justice for Ms. Jones. Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders is monitoring the trial as an example of discriminatory policing and retaliation on activists organizing for human rights.

Ms. Jones states, “I am saddened by the injustice that took place at my trial this morning, but we are not giving up the fight. It’s time that we end the stigma and the criminalization of sex work, the profiling of trans women of color, and the racist policing system that harms so many of us.”



Monica Jones presents at the University of Arizona Women's and Gender Studies Program
where she is a third year student.
 Photo by PJ Starr.

4/11/14

Victory in Texas! Lumberton School reinstates transgender teacher Laura Jane Klug

Laura shared her good news on  facebook
  

Last night in the Lumberton ISD in a surprise move reinstated transgender teacher Laura Jane Klug. Although it was expected that Ms, Klug would keep her job the quick response by the board was unexpected. Firing her for her transgender status would have left the ISD open for an EEOC complaint and a possible lawsuit.

Roughly half of the people commenting spoke in support at thestanding room only meeting. Laura had told planetransgneder yesterday  that she was amazed by the heartfelt response from her town and the states LGBT community.

Laura told planetransgender this morning  "I was so exhausted by the time the word was delivered to me that it didn't fully sink in."

The Board went in to an extended executive session after the regular meeting had ended.
Ms. Klug wasn't told the good news untill the early am after they had ajourned.


4/10/14

Laura Jane Klug, transgender teacher at Lumberton Texas ISD suspended for no reason

Lumberton Texas ISD suspended of Laura Jane Klug, a transgender teacher at the intermediate school reportedly after parents complained about her transgender status.

Parent, Rodger Beard, said he doesn't have a problem with transgender people but he does think it (sic) she causes a disruption in the class room:

"I don't want them teaching, especially at this age group, ah they can do many things in life but if it affects the young people, our little children, and their ability to learn and grown naturally, I think I have a issue with that."


Klug says she has been substituting at the school for some time and hasn't had anyone complain before, and is unsure what started all this telling 12 News

"I have always conducted myself in a professional manner and would never discuss my gender identity in school," Klug said.


The school board will be deciding whether to continue her employment tonight, but have been put on notice by Equality Texas terminating someone solely for their gender expression is in violation of EEOC title V11 and could put the ISD at risk a lawsuit.


12 News KBMT and K-JAC. News, Weather and Sports for SE Texas

4/9/14

Open letter to Andrea James and Calpernia Addams.


Calpernia Addams waited three months  to announce her advisory role after Dallas Buyers Club premier  as the trans community speculated on whom or if anyone has advised Jared Leto for "Rayon". Then, after announcing her involvement in the movie she slammed those who posted opinions about his problematic role as "elitist hypocrisy."

Op-ed written by Marti Abernathey and kelli anne Busey

It started with Addams March 5th Advocate Op-ed: In Defense of Jared Leto followed by Parker Marie Molloy March 10th Advocate post, critical of Addams, titled "Op-ed: What People Don't Get About Dismay Over Jared Leto. Everything was civil up to that point, but that civility came to an end with Calpernia Addams dismissive April 2nd Huffington Post article "Parker Marie Molloy's Transphobic and Homophobic Slurs Don't Matter, but Our Response Does".  Addams inexplicably attempts to invalidate Parkers transgender identity because of her youth and  attacks her style of journalism and advocacy writing:


“A few weeks ago newcomer to transition and lesbian/trans issues Parker Marie Molloy purposefully misgendered me and called into question my identity as female in an op-ed piece for Advocate.com by calling me a ‘drag queen’ and saying that I ‘[refer] to [myself] as 'a transsexual.’ Apparently she's expressed similar sentiments about Carmen Carrera and others. I was freshly returned from speaking at Oxford University and recording my acoustic LP in London, so I filed the incident under ‘See If This Still Matters to You in a Few Days" and resumed my busy life here in Los Angeles.’”


“I wasn't sure who Molloy was, but I assumed that she was another one of the nutty trans hacktivists who had been ‘triggered’ by the buzz generated when Jared Leto thanked me in his Oscars acceptance speech.”


Blatant ableism of Addam’s “nutty trans hacktivist” aside, the dismissive and elitist tone of her piece is evident. If you disagree with her, you’re wrong and a “nutty trans hacktivist.”.


Addams and James have stated Molloy slurred her by calling her a drag queen and a transsexual. One look at Addams’ website and you’ll see that she brands herself as “America’s Transsexual Sweetheart.” As far as being called a drag queen, since when is that a slur? Self identification should be respected, but the implication here is that being a transsexual is at odds with being a drag queen. Drag is performance art, drag queens are performers, and they perform at drag establishments such as Hamburger Marys. If you perform at a Vegas show club, you're a showgirl. If you dance and sing at a drag bar for money, it’s not a slur to call you a drag queen regardless of your gender. How different is “drag queens are men, drag kings are women” than “trans women are men, trans men are women”? Is Monica Beverly Hills not  trans because she identifies herself as a drag queen? From LOGO’s Mark Blankenship on why Hills was not cheating while being trans on RuPaul’s Drag Race:

“Because ‘drag’ isn’t just about dressing up like someone of the opposite sex. It’s about donning a persona. It’s about an artist using his or her talent to create a larger-than-life performance that somehow captures, critiques, celebrates, or enhances our typical understanding of identity. Think about RuPaul’s Drag U, which focuses on turning biological women into “drag queens” for a day, just so they can feel fabulous. When they dress outrageously and take on stage names, those women ARE drag queens.


I know where this argument leads: By my logic, you could say that anyone dressing up in any kind of costume or notable outfit is putting on drag.


And… yes. That’s exactly what I mean.


Drag is everywhere. In this history of drag balls, for instance, there have always been categories like “executive realness,” in which gay men dress as heightened versions of heterosexual business men. In those cases, those queens aren’t rocking girl drag, but they were still in drag. When I put on a suit and tie for a work event, I’m rocking executive drag. And so is Donald Trump.


The point is, we’re always putting on identities. We’re always performing a self for the world. We’re always in drag. All of us.
---------------------------
While Addams can choose what to call herself when she performs at a drag establishment, implying that drag queen is a gender identity is a form of internalized transphobia. There’s a difference between a performer’s gender identity and their performance. Being called a drag queen isn’t a misgendering slur.


On April 5th Andrea James chimed in with her vitriolic screed “I F*cking Hate @RuPaul”. She began by slamming Molloy for a tweet, since deleted, in which Molloy expressed her frustration over RuPauls unrepentant transphobia. This tweet made its way to the pages of TERF central 'Gender Trender'. Cathy Brennan, a virulently transphobic woman spends much of her time examining the trans agenda using every opportunity to insert hate hoping to drive a wedge between trans people and the feminist movement.

This image has since been deleted from Gender Trender but its important to note, if Brennan agrees with your sentiments, its time to check yourself.


A  quick synopsis of James’ post on Boing Boing:


  • Parker Molloy is a newbie trans person, an unethical journalist, who has an unhealthy addiction to Twitter.
  • The Advocate isn't the same as it used to be, and Molloy is just trafficking outrage for linkbait.
  • Molloy is a heckler, not a journalist because she isn't polite.
  • RuPaul is a drag queen who is allowed to be transphobic because he's a boundary breaker/drag queen/entertainer.
  • Molloy has disdain for drag, and is an internet shut-in who uses made up pseudo-academic jargon.
  • Most vocal anti-RuPaul hecklers are trans women who are primarily attracted to women.
  • She-male, tranny, he-she, shim, chicks with dicks, dolls with balls, sluts with nuts, or guys in disguise, are hilariously offensive slurs, but drag queen is a slur that must not be used.
  • Twitter activists are mean and don't build bridges and don't do anything, witness #CancelCOlbert.
  • I don't hate Rupaul, Rupaul has made a lot of money, sold a lot of product and donated a lot of money to LGBT charities.


Suggesting that Molloy is a pseudo-journalist “shut in” is not only ableist, it’s factually incorrect. Molloy is a well respected journalist who has contributed to Rolling Stone, The Huffington Post, The Advocate, and Salon.com. She also has a Twitter account at ParkerMolloy and a website of her own where she provides personal opinion and commentary. The meme that James is trying to promote that Molloy isn’t a journalist is simply an ad hominem. Plenty of journalists have Twitter accounts where they communicate their own personal views.. By James’ logic, Ezra Klein, Andrew Sullivan or Glenn Greenwald aren’t journalists because they have twitter accounts where they discuss their own personal opinions.


It’s also a bit odd that James complains about new/social media on Boing-Boing. Boing-Boing is definitely not part of the old media establishment. This amounts to "GET OFF MY LAWN, YOU YOUNG KIDS" while standing on someone else’s (new media) lawn.


James goes on to say “These trans folks have developed their own pseudo-academic jargon like cis-het, which means ‘cisgender heterosexual,’ which itself means ‘non-transgender straight person.’”Pseudo-academic? James might want to check with actual academics, since it’s a term used in, you know, academic papers.


James also gives RuPaul an out because he’s a drag queen and suggests that Twitter activists don’t actually accomplish anything. This simply is false. James asks "Why does Molloy, who is transgender, fucking hate RuPaul? Ru used the word “shemale” recently on RuPaul’s Drag Race and has unapologetically used a number of other taboo words over several decades, like “tranny” and what-not."



Trivializing transphobic words and phrases that are used by those who kill only serves to highlight James’ separation from the transgender reality.


RuPaul has made a living using transphobic verbiage in his show, capitalizing on the outrage from our community to rake in the dough. RuPaul shouldn’t be given any more of a pass than Kelly Osbourne was given for her “chick with a dick” comment. Calling out Osbourne did have an effect. She apologized and her millions of twitter followers were educated along with her about the Transgender Day of Remembrance. You can point to other Twitter led movements as well that had actual positive results. Even James’ example of #cancelColbert fails to prove her point. The Colbert Report has a viewership of 1.9 million people a night and the controversy made into the New Yorker, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street journal, and many well respected media outlets. The people who viewed Colbert’s show or read about the hashtag activism were informed of controversy around the Washington Redskins name. Awareness of the problem is one of the first things you need to do to fix a problem, and #cancelColbert did just that.


James also alluded to Malloy’s sexual orientation, saying “It’s noteworthy that the most vocal anti-RuPaul hecklers are trans women who are primarily attracted to women.” Why is this noteworthy? Would mentioning that Calperina “I date straight guys, dumbass” Addams spends much of her time working in gay male culture be remotely relevant to the conversation at hand?  For all of James’ comments about not bridge building and the Twitteratti simply being a “ the worst of two worlds: heckling and gotcha-style journalism”, what exactly does mentioning Molloy’s sexual orientation prove? Trying to judge someone on their intention or motivations is troublesome and doesn’t do anything to build any bridges or heal any wounds. Seems more like “gotcha-style journalism” that James complains about in her own post.


In the end, I’m not sure why either James or Addams have chosen to point their sites on Molloy, rather than on the the questions Molloy asks about RuPaul, or the industry they work work for. Does the industry need someone to speak up for it? Worse, do they need someone lobbing personal attacks in defense of the indefensible?


Those that claim to be allies or part of a larger LGBT community shouldn’t be given a break because of who they are. In fact, they should be held to a HIGHER standard than those people who do not self identify as LGBT or as an ally. No amount of personal attacks on Molloy, “shooting the messenger”,  willl change that.