9/5/08

Heart in pain

By Kelli Busey
Sept. 05, 2008
planetransgender

I have received calls from as far as California asking me about Who is mad at HRC and why? What is HRC's response?
"Why are transgender people so mad?" I will speak of my life.

I am in a place I never thought to be. I recently became aware spiritually and received saving grace and salvation through my church and minister. I sought Jesus Christ to help me in transition and I received unconditional love.

An irresistible force drew me, a transgender woman to the Methodist General Conference 2008. I was given an opportunity to be a participant in the Struggle with people who so lovingly desperately desire what I was experiencing in my church, not just conditional admission but full inclusion. I believe many understood it is my love of Christ and the Reconciling ministries(RMN) devotion and commitment to radical inclusion that kept me at FT Worth even after learning that Pastor Phoenix would be allowed to return to his church.



Then the unthinkable began. I found myself in disbelief since attending my church as members of my congregation who's Churches second mission statement Does not "stand idly by" in the face of inequity and injustice seemed content to remain unaware and unconcerned with the spreading violence targeting the gender diverse.

With much prayer and thought I concluded that the church was responsible to be at least aware of and hopefully address the murders and mutilation of transgender people who are from 10 to 1,000 times more likely to be murdered.
It became my understanding that my church and social organizations are as responsible as the very same people who commit this violence because they have CHOSSEN to remain silent or have in fact perpetuated the conception that Transgender lives are somehow LESS than gay or lesbian lives.

I authored and circulated an online petition asking that Bishop Robinson of the New Hampshire Anglican Diocese that he not support spiritual violence by not attending the Human Rights campaigns(HRC) Dallas fundraiser in November 2008. We Queers believe that although HRC has done much to benefit transgender people it committed an unrepentant atrocity against us by not following thru on its promise to commit only to a gender inclusive ENDA.

The copies of the online petition that I handed out were folded and put in pockets as the person I was talking to eyes rolled back with promises to read it later.

I have spent hours with local Ministers and in one conversation with my transgender minister I learned that he was planning to attend the D.C. HRC pastors call. I asked my pastor to please consider my request he not go. He promised me he would think and pray of this as we do in the Reconciling Ministries. It is the act of conversation that is to me, all important.

Two weeks later I asked my pastor his thoughts and he said he had not given it consideration and would I send him some more information. I found this to be intolerable. I sat in the foyers before service and watched as the $8 "Would Jesus Discriminate" tee shirts were being sold.

The hypocrisy and timing of his made me so mad I made my own sign. And I stood outside the church as people were going home. I was asked by offended people "is this something to do with that paper you handed out?" and "I supported you transgender at the Methodist Conference" and "What is HRC?".

MY shame and sorrow excaberated when my pastor called the next day to tell me that everyone wondered why I was mad at the church. He also said in that 20 hours since Sunday he had become fully aware of 20 years of previously unknown LGBT history and had decided that he was going to support HRC. It is my opinion that he did fully understand the reason why I was angry Sunday and decided to let the congregation focus their anger at me and my perceived rejection of the church. Call it dis or misinformation, it jeopardised my life and boils down to the deception which enabled spiritual violence, the very thing I am campaigning against.

We are rejected and marginalized by our Churches, social organizations, legislatures and Judicial branches. We are angry at the intentional ignorance of many Gay and Lesbians.

So now I am feel alienated by what is most important to me, my church. I hurt so much. I am asking for your guidance. How do I reconcile my anger and return to my church.

8/31/08

Who is mad at HRC and why? What is HRC's response?

By Kelli Busey
planetransgender
Sunday August 31, 2008

Who is objecting to HRC? And why is HRC being protested so furiously? The first video is from the San Francisco LGBT communities protest outside the HRC dinner.



This video is from inside San Francisco HRC Gala Dinner where Joe Solmonese, president of HRC talks about the dinners theme "Unity". The woman who disrupts his speech is protesting the exclusion of the gender variant from ENDA by HRC.

8/29/08

CODEPINKer Alicia Forrest slammed to the ground by a police officer

HRC and Log Cabin Republicans Political Choices


By Kelli Busey
Friday August 29, 2008

HRC has Shown there true colors according to Ethan St. Pierre activist and radio personality by donating heavily to the Log Cabin Republicans and giving nothing to the Stonewall Democrats who's unwavering support of an inclusive ENDA was undoubtedly noted.

The Log Cabin Republicans and the Stonewall Democrats disagree on the potential significance to LGBT people of McCain's Vice presidential pick Sarah Palin. Although it would be expected for Republicans and Democrats to disagree, it is in the interest of LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL and TRANSGENDER people that we consider whom the political parties and HRC are aligned with.

In a statement regarding the McCain vice presidential nomination Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon stated "Gov. Palin is an inclusive Republican who will help Sen. McCain appeal to gay and lesbian voters.” and see her as a willing partner in protecting the same sex benefits of Alaska State employees while Governor. The selection of Palin was simultaneously applauded by Family Research Council's Connie Mackey who stated that "I am elated with Senator McCain's choice and applaud his continued commitment to creating a pro-woman, pro-life, pro-family administration.

The Stone Wall Democrats stated "As Governor, Palin currently supports the efforts of radical activists to strip Alaska residents - specifically state workers - of the most basic domestic partner benefits" and that she has a record of supporting radical anti equity groups such as Focus on the Family, the Concerned Women of America and the Family Research Council.

The Bay Windows noted that "In her run for the governorship in 2006, the Anchorage Daily News reported that Palin supported a constitutional amendment to the state constitution in 1998 to ban same-sex marriage and, later, supported putting a measure on the ballot that sought to ban benefits for the same-sex partners of state employees."

I hope wealthy white gay males and lesbian females fully comprehend what 4 more years of the bush legacy would mean to our personal freedoms and liberties. If bush, ahem, I mean McCain(HRC and Log Cabin Republicans) are elected you will have to be sure to say goodbye to ANY progressive legislation.

AS Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks so eloquently stated "It's a dick move". It's embarrassing when your moral, political and ethical adversary so clearly sees the folly of your life.



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8/28/08

DNC the Other Convention



Being an advocate of free speech we must question authority when it seeks to deny our basic rights.

Spencer Morgan, Beautiful Woman

By Kelli Busey
planetransgender
August 28, 2008

Living large and authentic in NYC . Jamie Clayton is what many of us ladies aspire to. She is open and sensual, caring but sure of her own self worth. She lives in full openness as to her identity but does not wish to make it the focal point of her life.
In this New York observer article titled "The Second Most Beautiful Girl in New York" author Spencer Morgan details the struggle that transgender woman must honestly face in relationships and in life.

We in the transgender world have become all to familiar with the heart wrenching sadness as we come to terms with yet another brutal murder of a young woman. But the ordeal is far from over as the media falls over each other in a race to riches at the victims expense only to have the crime forgiven by a judge who allows for another gender panic defense.

Our pain in the faith community is excaberated by our own GLBT churches which seem not to notice or care, but instead feed information to congregations that misleads them or keeps them uninformed.
These reasons are why we transgender people must take full responsibility for our lives. We can examine this young life and learn from her.