7/17/09

Fort Worth TABC Supervisor steps down in wake of Rainbow Lounge Raid

Source Dallas Voice;

"FORT WORTH — The administrator of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said this week that two TABC agents involved in a raid of the Rainbow Lounge on June 28 committed multiple “clear violations” of agency policy."

"In an exclusive phone interview with Dallas Voice on Wednesday, July 15, TABC Administrator Alan Steen also said the supervisor directly responsible for the two agents — a sergeant in TABC’s Fort Worth district office — announced his retirement last week in the wake of the raid and amid an ongoing internal investigation. Steen didn’t identify the sergeant or the agents by name."

Click here for Dallas Voice Article Administrator Steen acknowledges his agents violated policies, says FW supervisor has stepped down

7/12/09

Canadian's Outraged and Protest Lu Pharmacy!

Source: Questioning Transphobia: Protest of Lu Pharmacy

THIS IS ALMOST TO MUCH TO BELEIVE! A Vancouver BC Pharmacy has taken it upon themselves to deny service to black men, white men, well ok any man. Transgender woman with or without vagina, cisgender woman with addiction issues of any kind also need not apply. Presumably all potential customers will face a rigorous physiological and physical examination and a backgroud check prior to being accepted.

by kelli Busey
planetransgender

7/11/09

Rainbow Lounge Raid Rally at Tarrant County Courthouse




UPDATE!!

Please be advised that part of I30 between Dallas and Fort Worth is closed. I20 and 183 are better alternatives. You can find a map here with info on the closure.


Rainbow Lounge Raid Rally
Tarrant County Courthouse
100 E Weatherford
Sunday, July 127:00 PM
Almost two weeks after the raid on the Rainbow Lounge we are still left with lots of questions and very little action by city, police and TABC officials. We are pleased that that TABC officers involved have been placed on desk duty and that calls for independent investigations have been made, but this is not nearly enough. On Sunday, July 12 the LGBT community of N Texas will stand together to call for answers from the Fort Worth Police Department, the TABC and an independent third party.
We demand swift action condemning homophobia and violence against LGBT people!
Dr Stephen V Sprinkle associate professor of practical theology at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, Chuck Potter witness to the raid at the Rainbow Lounge raid and Rick Vanderslice local radio and television personality are some who are set to speak. This brief but powerful event will recount the raid at the Rainbow Lounge, illustrate the injustices behind this incident and call out for action.
For more information please visit our website at http://www.queerliberaction.org/

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."

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