12/21/12

MTV Looks Into Laura Jane Grace Trans Punk Rocker's Closet


Watch this video and you will understand why I have fallen in love with Laura Jane Grace. She exemplifies what punk rock is all about, being honest about yourself. This is such a awesome Video I'll shut up and let you watch it too:) Enjoy.

Full Rolling Stone Article

I saw Laura and Against me at the Dallas House of Blues on her first tour as a trans woman. I was 2 feet from the stage.


Upcoming concerts






12/20/12

Did Philly Police Officer Elizabeth Skala Kill Transgender Woman Nizah Morris?


Two days after the "courtesy ride" by police on December 22, 2002 Nizah died in a Philadelphia hospital of a subdural hematoma.

The police say they know nothing about how Nizah Morris's injury claiming they simply dropped her off at 16th and Walnut because she asked to be, but the family isn't having any of it. There are too many questions left unanswered, too many discrepancies to the police  accounts and  records that would have proved the police official line? They were conveniently lost until recently when they were "found".

Daily Kos would like to know


Source Wiki: On December 22, Morris attended a party at the Key West Bar at the intersection of Juniper and Chancellor streets in Philadelphia. Morris left the bar at 2:00 a.m., and collapsed outside of the bar due to intoxication. Onlookers formed a group around Morris—who could not stand without assistance and had to be supported, according to witnesses—and waited for paramedics for approximately 20 minutes.
A 6th District police officer arrived, canceled the prior call for paramedics when Morris declined to go to a hospital, and offered her a courtesy ride to a hospital. Morris declined a ride to the hospital and asked to be taken home. Witnesses at the scene reportedly helped her into the police cruiser.

Though Morris lived in the 5000 block of Walnut Street, police officers reported that she asked to be let out at 15th and Walnut streets, left the patrol car, and began walking toward 16th Street.

Minutes later, a passing motorist discovered Morris lying on the sidewalk, bleeding from the right side of her forehead. A call was placed to 911, and a 9th District officer arrived at the scene, but did not call a supervisor or treat the event as a crime.

Morris was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in critical condition. On December 23, 2002, she was removed from life support, and at 8:30 p.m. on December 24, 2002, Nizah Morris was pronounced dead.[3]





Judge Awards $700K Legal Fee to Michelle Kosilek Lawyers In SRS WIN

Glitter Photos

The price of denying us our Human Rights has just gone UP.

Source: Boston.com :A federal judge said today that he would award more than $700,000 in legal fees to the team of lawyers who represented Michelle Kosilek, the convicted murderer who sued the state for a sex change operation to treat her gender identity disorder.

Chief US District Judge Mark L. Wolf said from the bench in court in Boston that he recognized the cost to taxpayers, but he said the costs derived from a hard-fought lawsuit to preserve Kosilek’s constitutional rights.

He noted that while the state Department of Correction is appealing his decision to order the surgery, Kosilek’s legal team has offered to dismiss their request for legal fees if the state drops the appeal and pays for the surgery.

“Resistance at all costs can end up costing the taxpayers quite a lot,” the judge said, adding that the Department of Correction has had to pay hundreds of thousands in legal fees to lawyers in other cases in which the department violated prisoners’ constitutional rights.

“The repeated violation of constitutional rights of prisoners … costs taxpayers money that is needed for other purposes,” he said.





12/19/12

Ugandan TransMan Pepe Onziema Calls Out Hatefull Pastor


Adovacte-"The Reverend Martin Ssempa, a vehemently antigay pastor in Uganda who travels the country preaching against "sodomy" by showing pornography in churches, couldn't show basic common courtesy to a transgender man whom he appeared with on Ugandan talk show Morning Breeze."

In the video clip from Ugandan news channel NBS, Ssempa repeatedly interrupts and shouts over Pepe Onziema, a transgender man and LGBT activist in Uganda.




Video streaming by Ustream
More at the Advocate

Transgender NZ Woman Sentenced to Hell: Jailed With Males

Paremoremo Prison
A transgender woman from New Zealand will serve two years in a male jail  for hitting a friend on the head with a bottle of champagne.  The prisoner Ms. Glen Cooper petitioned the court for home detention saying it is dangerous for transgender woman in New Zealand prisons. That request was denied despite the Chief Omibudsman Beverley Wakem's plea that transgender inmates be housed with the gender they present regardless of surgical status because otherwise they will be raped and beaten.

Judge Duncan Harvey made the comment before sentencing:

"This court has no power over Corrections policy but, in my view, it's an appalling policy but it is one I'm powerless to do anything about."- Northern Advocate


New Zealand's rule remain unchanged:
The  M.03.05.01 Transgender prisoner criteria

1.Where the Chief Executive is satisfied that a transgender prisoner has completed gender reassignment surgery, the prisoner must be promptly placed in accommodation that accords with that prisoner’s new gender


M.03.05.02 General rules for transgender prisoners

1.Transgender prisoners:

a.are not subjected to acts of aggression or humiliation.

b.housed in male prisons are treated as male prisoners.

c.housed in female prisons are treated as female prisoners.

d.are permitted normal mixing.

e.if not transferred to the prison of the gender they perceive themselves to be, they are entitled to single cell accommodation if they choose, or to share a cell with other transgender prisoners.

f.are treated with dignity and consideration when being searched.

g.they wear clothing that is suitable to their needs.

h.can continue, at their own cost, any medical or hormonal treatment commenced prior to imprisonment. However, sexual reassignment surgery is not to be considered during a term of imprisonment.

So basically pre-ops may be raped, beaten and subjected to hellish conditions, but not post-ops?



12/18/12

$10,000 Donated To Help Search For Dashad Sage Smith

An anonymous donor has given Ten Thousand dollars to help find Dashad Sage Smith, pictured far left. Early on it was apparent that Sage was in the earliest stages of finding out who she is so it is understandable that family misgender her. Dashad if you read this, know we in the trans family understand you. Know that we love you and want nothing more than for you to be safe.

Thie video opens in another window. I had to click through the ad twice before it played.


If you have information on Dashad Laquinn Smith or Erik McFadden or any knowledge of this case please contact Sgt. Marc Brake at 434-970-3970 or Crimestoppers at 434-977-4000.