7/11/09

El Paso man Arrested in murder of Transvestite

Source: Renee Narvaiz/KFOX News Producer
Posted: 7:10 pm MDT July 10, 2009

Updated: 7:25 pm MDT July 10, 2009
"EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso police may be one step closer to solving the city’s latest killing.
Michael Herrera, 26, has been booked into the El Paso county jail and charged with murder in the death of Cesar Torres, 39. He was being held in lieu of $125,000 bond, police said."

"As we reported first Thursday - people who live in the neighborhood on West Missouri Street tell us Torres was a transvestite and would often go out in women's clothes."

http://www.kdbc.com/global/story.asp?s=10672333

7/10/09

Contact Your Senators About Hate Crimes Bill



Join the Final Push to Protect All People from Hate Crimes

From: Mara Keisling ncte@nctequality.org

We have good news: The Senate is likely to vote on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, as early as next Wednesday, July 15. As you may remember, the companion bill, H.R.1913, already passed the House of Representatives this past April after NCTE's successful lobby day. With a final push, you can help to make this important bill become a law. This bill expands the coverage of existing hate crime laws to include crimes not only based on race, color, religion, and national origin, but also bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual pr perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.

TAKE ACTION
Call your Senators on Wednesday. On Wednesday, July 15, call your senators toll free at 866-659-9641 between 9am and 5pm ET. It is vital that they hear from you since they will also be hearing from those who oppose this bill. Urge your Senator to vote in support of S.909, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Please take this important step to help address the violence faced by transgender people.

WHAT THE BILL SAYS
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, would:
Extend existing federal protections to include "gender identity, sexual orientation, gender and disability"
Allow the Justice Department to assist in hate crime investigations at the local level when local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to fully address these crimes
Mandate that the FBI begin tracking hate crimes based on actual or perceived gender identity
Remove limitations that narrowly define hate crimes to violence committed while a person is accessing a federally protected activity, such as voting.The Hate Crimes Prevention Act is supported by nearly 300 civil rights, education, religious, and civic organizations. The bill is also endorsed by virtually every major law enforcement organization in the country-including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, and thirty-one state Attorneys General.

For more information:
Read the specifics about this legislation from the Library of Congress, go to their website and search by bill S.909

View our fact sheet about the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (the House version of this bill) and read additional information about hate crimes on our website
Thank you!Thank you for taking action on this vital issue as we work together to make our world safer for transgender people.

7/7/09

North Texas LGBTQA Coalition - Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Beau Heyen
beau_heyen@hotmail.com

Elizabeth Pax
elizabethpax@gmail.com

Community Collaborative Projects Gains Momentum

North Texas LGBTQA Coalition Meets July 13

DALLAS - July 7, 2009 - After the events of the past year, from the passing of Proposition 8 to the recent raid on the Rainbow Lounge, the LGBTQA community of North Texas is primed and ready to stand together and coordinate their efforts. Building on past projects, including a community calendar initiative, these organizers hope to bridge the gap between organizations and throughout the community.

Whether you are a part of an established non-profit or new to the North Texas scene, Elizabeth Pax and Beau Heyen, moderators of the newly forming coalition, invite you to attend a strategic planning meeting on Monday, July 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. This meeting will be held at AIDS Arms, Inc located at 219 Sunset Ave, Suite116-A in Oak Cliff.

"We see a great need for people within our community to be able to find resources, events and volunteer opportunities," says Pax, organizer of the recent "meet-up" event after the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Dallas Voice. "With the Voice providing a short list of 'Future Pioneers' I figured now was as good a time as any to get us all together and talk. I was pleasantly surprised at the interest and energy from individuals throughout the community."

Plans for the coalition include online community calendar, resource database and volunteer match features. The coalition, still in the process of creating a name, will use this first official meeting to develop a mission statement and leadership structure. Although Pax and Heyen are moderating the event they have no plans to lead the newly formed organization.

"It is important that new leadership emerges for this organization. With the long history of the LGBTQA community in North Texas we feel that a new leader, or group of leaders, will be best to represent the numerous organizations and community members in the fairest way possible," Heyen stated. "We hope that this meeting will provide some ideas on how to organize this new endeavor for optimal success."

To aide in speeding up the process and effectively using time, discussion boards have already been started on the group's Facebook page. People are encouraged to use the Facebook Group, named North Texas LGBTQA Unity Coalition, to begin the vital conversations about the coalition's future.

"For over 5 years members of the North Texas LGBTQA community have voiced a need for more collaboration throughout the non-profit sector," says Heyen. "We hope to provide an outlet for organizations and interested individuals to merge, but we need as many voices at the table as possible. Now is the time to be heard."

# # #

7/5/09

Forth Worth Criminal Injustice / Queer LiberAction Today

Queer LiberAction Soap Box TODAY! Air your views on the Raid at Rainbow Lounge.

According to a letter sent by Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief in response to the TABC FT Worth joint actions the Fort Worth police do not have a reputation of heavy handedness, intimidation, inciting criminal behaviour, brutality and false arrests. Mayor Moncrief then go's on to state that although he is confidant that the investigation being pursued by his cities police force into the joint TABC Rainbow Lounge raid is in fact impartial and fair, just for good measure he is calling in the Federal Attorney Generals office now to make sure they do live up to all his expectations.

I say we can not leave this insurance up to the politicians and law enforcement agencies.
Anyone who has come into contact with the Fort Worth police department and announced that a act of civil disobedience was a possibility was informed by the local police that unlike anywhere else in our country, our actions would be pursued to the uppermost possiable level, by law enforcement!

In other words, in Fort Worth the police will trump up the charges, and escalate an incident in order to imprison and fine an individual to the fullest extent of the law. What occurs while one is in the custody of police is often obscured by societies acquiescence to brute force.

Sometimes our countries law does NOT satisfy the Fort Worth's police's desire to enforce it's own version of American justice.

Who else knows this? Evidently Fort Worth Mayor Moncrief does.

Source: Pegasus News content partner - Dallas Voice
by Taymme Nash

"This letter was sent out by Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief on Friday:"

"We all join in wishing Mr. Gibson a speedy and full recovery."

"Currently, two investigations are underway to review the circumstances and events that took place at the Rainbow Lounge early Sunday morning. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) is conducting an investigation and the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division is conducting its own investigation."

"I join Police Chief Jeff Halstead in encouraging any eye-witnesses to the events under review to come forward and share their observations."

"Members of the City Council and I have confidence that Chief Halstead is leading a thorough and professional investigation. Once the Fort Worth Police Department’s examination is complete, I have asked the acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, James T. Jacks, to independently review the findings of the Fort Worth Police Department’s investigation to ensure the department has thoroughly and impartially carried out its obligation to all the citizens of Fort Worth. I encourage the TABC to follow the same course."

"Fort Worth has a history of inclusiveness, and the Fort Worth Police Department has a history of responsible and professional service to our citizens. The police department’s internal investigation and the outside review is meant to ensure all citizens are professionally and responsibly represented by our police department. I am most appreciative to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for assisting us in this effort."

7/4/09

INTERFAITH COALITION FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY : Support HB 1728 / SB1687

DECLARATION OF RELIGIOUS AND FAITH-BASED SUPPORT FORMASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATION,
AN ACT RELATIVE TO GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION AND HATE CRIMES
DRAFTED BY THE INTERFAITH COALITION FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY
AFFIRMING A MORAL VISION

No society is truly just when its members face persecution. Justice requires that a society stand by its moraal vision and act against that persecution. The signatories of this letter ask that the Commonwealth act upon its moral vision of a just society by passing An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes.
The signatories of this letter are persons of faith, clergy, congregations, and organizations of faith. Some of us are transgender persons. Others are allies and loved ones. Some of us directly serve the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Others serve indirectly. In our support for An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes we speak with one voice. We speak on behalf of those who are vulnerable to violence and persecution because of their gender identities or gender expressions.
Transgender people and others who do not conform to gender stereotypes face persecution in essential areas of life. This legislation adds "gender identity or expression" to the Commonwealth's hate crime laws and non-discrimination laws in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, and credit. Violence and persecution on the basis of gender identity or expression often stem from the belief that people who do not conform to gender stereotypes are unworthy of protection by the law and are outside of the Commonwealth's moral vision. By passing An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes, the legislature would speak out against such persecution.

OUR CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
People of all gender identities and expressions, including transgender people, are born into, enter into, or are called to many faiths. Our faith traditions help to ground and support us in our lifelong quests for fulfillment and responsibility to one another. All of our traditions respect the dignity of each and every human being and recognize our connection to one another.
Because of this connection, the persecution of a person on the basis of gender identity or expression is an injury, not only to an individual, but to everyone connected to that person: to the person's family, friends, and spiritual community. The oppression of one person indelibly scars all of us. It calls all of us to take account of our moral duties, stand in unity, and take action.
Yes, please add my name in support of the ICTE Declaration!
http://www.interfaithcoalition.org/

MILK BOX~FT Worth~Responds to Rainbow Raid


Milk Box
Hosted by: Queer LiberAction
Queer LiberAction MySpace
Queer LiberAction.com

When:
Sunday, July 05, 2009 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM CDT (End Time Estimated)
Where:
Sundance Square, Houston and 3rd St. FT Worth Texas Google Map

In response to the raid at the Rainbow Lounge, Queer Liberaction is set to take its Milk box to Sundance Square in the heart of downtown Fort Worth this coming Sunday, July 5th at 7:00 PM. Those that were at the Rainbow Lounge Raid will speak on the events they witnessed.

Ambassadors and leaders from the Queer community will be setting up Queer Liberaction's Milk box outside of the gayborhood as a way to engage the public in a discussion on GLBT equality. Named in honor of Harvey Milk, our public free speech event is a fun and engaging way which encourages dialog regarding homophobia and the civil rights denied to GLBT people. Join Queer Liberaction as we stand up and speak OUT to our neighbors about how discrimination